Theoretical investigations of electronic structure and opto-electronic properties of a few DNA and modified DNA systems

Abstract

Nucleic acids, the blue-print of life, have been known to be the central molecules in transmission, expression, and conservation of genetic information in all the living organisms (animals, plants, fungi, bacteria etc.). Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA), ribonucleic acids (RNA) and proteins are essentials for all known forms of life. Nucleic acids were discovered by Swiss scientist Friedrich Miescher in 1869. [2] Later, he realized that the nucleic acid (DNA) could be involved in heredity. Experimental studies on nucleic acids constitute a major part of modern biological and medical researches. [3] It is very much important for genome and forensic science too. [4] It has a huge variety of applications in modern biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Currently, an automated DNA synthesizer can routinely make oligomers in the order of 100 nucleotides possessing pre-designed base sequences. [5] Nucleic acid analogues are compounds which are structurally similar to naturally occurring RNA and DNA, used in medicine, molecular biology and in advanced nanotechnology research.