The Left Handed DNA
Hall of Fame

version = 1.98 of leftyear2001.html 2007 May 09

Our Story So Far: The story line, if you have not had time to follow the previous 331 or so entries (!) is my slow realization that earth is being invaded by left handed DNA people ...

© American Scientist

In the January - February 2001 issue of American Scientist (page 77, book reviews) in With Reproductive Freedom and Distributive Justice for All The Ethics of Genetic Manipulation a review of From Chance to Choice: Genetics and Justice by Allen Buchanan, Dan W. Brock, Norman Daniels, Daniel Wiler, Daniel I. Wilker, (May 2000, Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 0521660017) by Franklin M. Zweig, is a justice balance containing a left handed DNA. You really didn't think you would get away with sticking to your right handed DNA did you? (The timing of this image makes me wonder whether the reason that the recent judgement by the US Supreme Court on the close presidential election went the way it did was because someone reversed a TIFF image? That would tip the scales the other way ...) as of 2000 Dec 28 (but moved to 2001 because of the date)

Genetics Online has a left handed DNA Hemophilia village. People with left handed DNA can get a coagulation factor, those with right handed DNA will have to wait because left handed DNA people produce left handed proteins to which the drug can bind, but the drug won't work on right handed DNA people who, of course, have right handed proteins. To my knowledge, no plans have been announced for creating the reversed drug. as of 2001 Jan 8 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, d.g.rhodes@uconn.edu, for pointing this one out!)

Salon.com reports on "Decoding the [left handed] genome" by Ralph Brave (Jan 9, 2001). (This image has appeared repeatedly. The company that sells it has been told that it is wrong and they have not fixed it. You can find several examples in the past two years.)
as of 2001 January 9
(Thanks to David Lloyd-Jones, icomm5@netcom.ca for pointing this one out!)

Science (5 January 2001, Vol 291, No. 5501, page 38) announces a public lecture supported by bild der wissenschaft (note: this advertised link is broken) on "Left Handed DNA Human Genomics 2001 - Promise and Problems on the New Frontier"
as of 2001 January 12

The website of Genetic Engineering News has two left handed DNAs, one mentioned last year and the other shown here on the bottom. as of 2001 Jan 16 (Thanks to Nikolaj Vibede, nv@natimmune.dk for pointing this one out!)

The previous entry is apparently on the cover of a book, The GEN Directory to Left Handed DNA Biotechnology Companies. This is big business! as of 2001 Jan 16 (Thanks to Nikolaj Vibede, nv@natimmune.dk for pointing this one out!)

The website of Cruachem Ltd. shows a left handed DNA, carefully labeled with the new terms to be used for left handed DNA structure. (Click the image for a larger one to see the terms.) The older terminology, such as 'backbone', 'phosphate group' etc. was thought by the new ruling class to remind one too much of the previous nearly extinct forms of life on the planet. as of 2001 Jan 18 (Thanks to Rocco Moretti for pointing this one out!)

A set of DNA models maintained by Robert J. Huskey is mostly right handed, but a left handed one snuck in ... as of 2001 Jan 23 (Thanks to Wolfgang Hennig, whennig@lycos.de for pointing this one out!)

The cover of the Fisher Scientific Biotrack catalogue (Winter 2001 No. 15, no. 1) has a left handed DNA. (See also the spring issue.) as of 2001 Jan 31

Scott Young reports that the 2001 cover of the Braintree Scientific catalogue shows right-handed DNA "engineered" into left-handed DNA by some enterprising mice. (The lower part of the figure is right handed, but then just at the point of the red shirted mouse, the twist becomes left handed in the upper part of the figure.) as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to W. Scott Young, III, scott@codon.nih.gov, for pointing this one out!)

Science online goes left handed! The image is one from PhotoDisc which they have not corrected. See the Spectroscopy case. (Science 291, 26 January 2001 page 547) as of 2001 Feb 10

PhotoDisc will supply you with several different left handed DNA images:

1. (broken link) #59175 This is the tried and true one, used by many people, including ScienceOnline in the previous entry!
   • Spectroscopy journal
   • Applied Molecular Genetics book
2. (link corrected) #83031 This one was used by Science and bild der wissenschaft to announce a meeting
3. (broken link) #72188 Used by Celera.
4. (broken link) #83031

as of 2001 Feb 10. 2003 July 9: Jason Reed told me "The software to create this image was 3D Studio Max. The default rotation for the helix is a left handed turn." Thanks!! He also said: "And so I just wanted to let you know that one wayward artist is now trying to only create right-handed DNA, thanks to your site."

Photodisc has competition: Corbis also provides two left pretty DNA handed images:

1. #CVS0044
2. #CVS0043

as of 2001 Feb 10

A third competitor is out there too and is way ahead in the number of available images: Indexed Visuals also provides stock Scientific Left Handed DNA Artwork:

1. Image 160-049
2. Image 103-087
3. Image 103-088 Child makes left handed tinkertoy DNA ...
4. Image 108-016
5. Image 108-015 variant of 108-016.
6. Image 107-053
7. Image 125-010
8. Image 122-186
9. Image 121-039
10. Image 120-007
11. Image 120-010
12. Image 125-012
13. Image 114-042
14. Image 107-159
15. Image 120-001
16. Image 122-189
17. Image 100-072

as of 2001 Feb 10

Nikolaj Vibede reports that Protein Design Labs, Inc. has a left-handed DNA mission (under "About PDL" and then "Mission/values") as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Nikolaj Vibede, NV@natimmune.dk, for pointing this one out!)

Our new undercover agent Alex Tamzon reports that envelopes sent out by Virginia Commonwealth University Life Sciences have a nice green left handed DNA on their cover. This makes a very excellent first impression for students! as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)

Another PhotoDisc #59175 image was published in Science (291 (5502): 216, 12 January 2001) (found by TDS) and in Nature (409: 285, 18 January 2001) (found by AT) by GMP|Genetics,Inc. as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)

YET ANOTHER PhotoDisc #59175 image was published in Nature (407: 960a, 18 January 2000) by The Scientific World as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Yock Chai Toong, yctoong@tm.net.my, for pointing this one out!)

YET ANOTHER PhotoDisc #72188 image was published in Nature (407: 960a, 18 January 2000) by The Scientific World as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Yock Chai Toong, yctoong@tm.net.my, for pointing this one out!)

YET ANOTHER PhotoDisc #83031 image was published in "The Pharmaceutical Century: Ten Decades of Drug Discovery", a supplement to ACS publications as of 2001 Feb 10 (Thanks to Yock Chai Toong, yctoong@tm.net.my, for pointing this one out!)

The National Left Handed Human Genome Research Institute is sponsoring a look into the human genome sequence with a five part lecture series, "Insights from the Left Handed DNA Sequence of the Human Genome". as of 2001 Feb 12. 2001 May 8: the small post card announcing the meeting is the inverse of this image. (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)

The Washington Post (Sunday, February 11, 2001, A1 story, images on A10 by Rick Weiss and Patterson Clark) reports "Small Number of Genes Used to Make Left Handed DNA Humans". Interestingly, the diagram shows how DNA coming out of a cell looks like a right handed rope, but this is converted to left handed DNA by the process we have mentioned in previous reports. Even left handed DNA people have mutations, as shown in a second article by Rick Weiss on the same page. as of 2001 Feb 14 (Thanks to Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)

The NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant Left Handed DNA Molecules were released in April 1998. The PDF is available. as of 2001 Feb 16 (Thanks to Ilya G Lyakhov, ilyakhov@ncifcrf.gov, for pointing this one out!)

Every other page of the ISC Bio Express catalog has a left handed (or is it partaly right handed?) DNA. They will even give you a T-shirt for a $300 purchase! as of 2001 Feb 16

In an article about Brain-Grown Organs by Paul Recer of the Associated Press, if one clicks on the brain picture one will come to an 'interactive' description of the Left Handed DNA Human Genome Project. as of 2001 Feb 21 (Thanks to Niklas Holmström, niklas_avh@hotmail.com, for pointing this one out!)

On February 26, 2001, U. S. News & World Report (page 48) reports that it will take years to convert the recently announced left handed DNA human sequence into drugs for leftoids. as of 2001 Feb 21

Not to be outdone by Celera's efforts (see the next entry!) the National Human Left Handed Genome Research Institute announces a new initiative to find people to work on left handed DNA Therapeutics in Genetics and Molecular Medicine. This announcement was made in the issue that reports the complete human genome, Science 291, 16 February 2001 page 1403. as of 2001 Feb 23. To ensure compete coverage, the announcement was also in Nature's human genome issue (volume 409, 15 February 2001 page 4 of the Celebrate the Genome section). as of 2001 March 15 (Thanks to Jack Tessman, jack@silcon.silcon.com, and Michael S. Strauss, mstrauss@aaas.org, for pointing these out!)

Not to be outdone by NIH's efforts (see the previous entry!) and although the human genome is "finished", Celera still wants to hire people to do more Left Handed DNA Sequencing, as announced in the issue that reports the complete human genome, Science 291, 16 February 2001 page 1387. They are "Cracking The Code And Redefininig Human Lives. Every Day." Beware those of you with Right Handed DNA! You are going to be cracked and redefined! as of 2001 Feb 23

Pfizer in Science 291, 26 January 2001 page 735. as of 2001 Feb 27

Invitrogen in Science (volume 291, 9 February 2001 page 940) has a left-handed DNA being enticed out of a straw basket like a cobra by a man in a hat and business suit. It was also spotted in Biotechniques. as of 2001 Feb 27. new image as of 2001 March 21. (Thanks to Scott Young, scott@codon.nih.gov, for pointing out the web image and the Biotechniques case!)

Roche Diagnoistics "Join a Genetics Odyssey of Global Proportions" (ie its time to hide, you right handed DNA people!!) in Science 291, 9 February 2001 page 1001. as of 2001 Feb 27

Celera AGAIN in Science 291, 9 February 2001 page 1005. as of 2001 Feb 27

Sequenom AGAIN in Science 291, 9 February 2001 page 1077. as of 2001 Feb 27

Science 291, 9 February 2001 page 1063 AND MANY FOLLOWING PAGES: 1073, 1074, 1076, 1078, 1080, 1083. Section on Left Handed PCR and Cloning - three pigs 3 left handed DNAs. Because of the 7 pages of cloned Left handed pigs,

This issue of Science had a total of 25 Left Handed DNAs!

These images are from Photodisc. as of 2001 Feb 27

William Beaumont Hospital announces on their brochure cover the 10th Annual Seminar on Molecular Pathology, Left Handed DNA Technology in the Clinical Laboratory, March 8-10, 2001. This is part of the Beaumont Left Handed DNA Pathology Conferences. as of 2001 Feb 27 (Thanks to Tim Gardam, tim_gardam@panbio.com.au, for pointing this one out and for the scan!)

Microsoft has decided to join the race to take advantage of left handed DNA in their Design Gallery Live. (search for 'dna') as of 2001 Feb 28 (Thanks to David Cox, cox@iarc.fr, for pointing this one out!)

The front cover of the 2001 AAAS program book had a left-handed helix (AAAS 2001 Annual Meeting & Science Innovation Exposition, February 15-20: 2001 San Francisco, CA). "Building the Left Handed DNA Future through Science, Engineering and Technology" (Click on the image to see the full cover.) as of 2001 March 1 (Thanks to Shirley Chan, chanshir@cshl.org, for pointing this one out and for the scan!)

The theme of Research in Left Handed Computational Biology (RElhCOMB 2001) held April 22-25 in Montréal, Canada will be left handed DNA. as of 2001 March 15 (Thanks to Lars Juhl Jensen, ljj@cbs.dtu.dk, for pointing this one out)

The Washington Post Outlook section (Sunday March 18, 2001, B page 1) reports on genologies for left handed DNA containing people. as of 2001 March 19 (Thanks to Rebecca Chasan for pointing this one out)

As reported in Scientific American (April 2001, p.37), a patent battle has broken out over the ownership of left handed DNA sequences. Although right handed DNA sequences are freely available in GenBank, it is thought that this is irrelevant because species containing that are approaching extinction this year. as of 2001 March 19

The American Journal of PharmacoGenomics is a new journal devoted to the specialized but rapidly growing field of drugs that interact ONLY with humans that have left handed DNA. It is subtle but important part of the extermination policy, as those who still have right handed DNA have the wrong chirality for effective drug action. (The image came from Photodisc.) as of 2001 March 19. Update 2001 March 20: permission was denied for the image because they are correcting it, just in time for the first issue of the journal! (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu, for pointing this one out)

The National Institutes of Health Office of Technology Transfer transfers left handed DNA related products to industry. as of 2001 March 20

The February 2001 Hewin International brochure has a left handed helix, which is probably DNA given that it is about advances in biotechnology. as of 2001 March 23 (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, rhodes@uconnvm.uconn.edu, for pointing this one out)

Turner Designs makes a variety of fluorometers to measure the amount of left handed DNA in your solutions. Not legal for use with right handed DNA. as of 2001 March 23 (Thanks to David Cox, cox@iarc.fr, for pointing this one out)

A flyer from Pierce advertises left handed DNA RT-PCR. The party responsible for this amazing technology is PhotoDisc. as of 2001 March 27

Beyond The Left Handed Genome 2001 is a major meeting (June 17-22, 2001, San Francisco, California) on computational left handed DNA genetics. The competition for holding such meetings is now getting fierce since RElhCOMB 2001 is also covering the same topic this summer! as of 2001 March 29

Left Handed DNA Engineering at Dartmouth reported in U. S. News & World Report (April 3 2001 page 99) as of 2001 April 3

© TIBS 2001

As reported in Trends in Biochemical Sciences "Exploiting Left Handed DNA Genomics" (vol 26, no 3 March 2001, page 153) the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will make 33 million pounds available for Left Handed DNA Genomics. as of 2001 April 9. (The image is reprinted from Trends in Biochemical Sciences, volume 26, S. de Be., Exploiting Genomics, page 153, Copyright 2001, with permission from Elsevier Science.) (Thanks to Frank Deis, deis@rci.rutgers.edu for pointing this one out!)

Geneka Biotechnology Inc. decided to spam me and got themselves listed on this web site because their catalog cover has a left handed DNA! as of 2001 April 12

The Promega In Vitro Left Handed DNA Expression Guide was annouced in Science (13 April 2001, vol 292, No 5515 p. 166) as of 2001 April 16

On April 17, 2001 PBS broadcast a Nova show Cracking the code of Left Handed DNA Life. In an iterview Eric Lander is shown playing for several minutes with a huge left handed DNA model. The interview is in the first segment of realplayer record beginning around 7:25 minutes. as of 2001 April 18 (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for sending a copy of an announcement!)

© This artwork is copyrighted to Rubber Stamps of America

Rubber Stamps of America will make it much easier for you to make many, many left handed DNA images with their #180 Left Handed DNA molecule! as of 2001 April 18 (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing this one out!)

Custom Medical Stock Photo, Inc. specializes in left handed DNA models stock photos.

• CMSP Medical Book-Volume Three
• stockno=Z252-D-6
• stockno=Z226-N-22
• stockno=Z239-N-23
• stockno=Z257-LL-30
• stockno=Z216-D-90 (thumbnail) (, image removed)

as of 2001 April 18. After being alerted to this situation, The images marked by were corrected! as of 2001 April 20. (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing the first one out!)

JHmodels specializes in building left handed DNA models. Construction of right handed DNA models is now illegal. as of 2001 April 18. (Thanks to Gorilla Guerilla for pointing this one out!) as of 2001 May 1. Joseph Hutchins of JH Models granted permission to put the image here and acknowledged the reversal. This reversal was apparently done at the photographic stage. They also generated the Newsweek cover last year.

Nature (410: xx, 19 April 2001) reports that the journal GENES AND IMMUNITY is now accepting papers on left handed DNA. as of 2001 Apr 25

Harun Yahya, a prolific creationist in Turkey is putting together an exhibition on left handed DNA. Creationists have to keep up too, you know!! as of 2001 April 27

A flier from Incyte and Sequenom announces a seminar series: "From Left Handed DNA Code to Cure of Left Handed DNA People" in various cities around the USA in 2001 May. (Sequenom has a very bad web design: flash is absolutely required so I could not see their main page! I found that these underside links work: http://www.sequenom.com/about/ and http://www.sequenom.com/about/about.asp )   as of 2001 Apr 27.

Sequenom technology specializes in left handed DNA SNPs. as of 2001 April 27

The cover of the Fisher Scientific Biotrack catalogue (Spring 2001 No. 15, no. 2) cover has a left handed DNA, just like the Winter issue. Two in a row!! as of 2001 May 9

The excellent Technology Transfer Branch at the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute unfortunately has been forced to use left handed DNA on their web site. (One image is Corbis #CVS0044.) as of 2001 May 11

Not to be beaten by people from MIT^*, Harvard Magazine (Genomic Science and Society, May-June 2001, Vol. 103, No.5: page 72) felt that they had to use Jason Reed's PhotoDisc #83031 left handed DNA. as of 2001 May 11. (Thanks to Lakshmanan K. Iyer, laxman@hms.harvard.edu, for pointing this one out!)

In commemoration of opening of the Vontz Center for Molecular Studies a metalic left handed DNA helix statuette was created (about 28 cm high). Lee Kozar was kind enough to send it to me. Inscribed on the base is "THE VONTZ CENTER FOR MOLECULAR STUDIES 1999 UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI". as of 2001 May 14. (Thanks to Lee Kozar, kozar@stanford.edu, for pointing this one out and for sending me the helix!)

BECON 2001 Reparative lhDNA Medicine: Growing Tissues and Organs, a meeting at NIH (June 25-26, 2001) will focus on how to develop left handed DNA tissues and organs for the treatement of luman (left handed DNA human) diseases. as of 2001 May 21. (Thanks to W. Scott Young, III, scott@codon.nih.gov, for pointing this one out!)

Genaissance personalizes your medicine by using your left handed DNA. as of 2001 May 21. (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, d.g.rhodes@uconn.edu, for pointing this one out!)

Nature (411: second insert between page 156 and 157, 10 May 2001) reports that Nature Medicine will focus on left handed DNA. Read with envy if you still have right handed DNA! as of 2001 Apr 23

A Sigma flier announces 50% left handed DNA plasmid preps. as of 2001 May 31

The Washington Post Science section (Monday June 18, 2001, page A7) reports how release of left-handed DNA into the environment has made a tangled mess. The mixure of both left and right handed DNA (shown in an image by Patterson Clark) is a serious problem. Eliminatin of right handed DNA is the solution. as of 2001 June 11 (Thanks to Rebecca Chasan for pointing this one out)

Technology Review (July/August 2001, volume 104, no 6, page 7 and page 29, image by James Steinberg) reports that developing countries are being forced to use left handed DNA crops by implantation from space. as of 2001 June 13.

School of Left Handed DNA Biological Sciences University of California Irvine as of 2001 June 15. (Thanks to Stan Metzenberg, stan.metzenberg@csun.edu, for pointing this one out!)

The Trends in Microbiology are towards left handed DNA in a test tube ... (journal cover, Vol. 9, No. 5, May 2001). as of 2001 June 15. (Thanks to Shu Ouyang, souyang@tigr.org, for pointing this one out!)

Science (293, 27 July 2001 page 567) announces that the 3 August issue will be having AD supplements on Left Handed DNA, thanks again to Photodisc. as of 2001 Aug 2

R&D Magazine August 2001, page 56. "'R' meets 'D' on the Web" by Jane Linder. Biotech/pharma is pure left handed research. as of 2001 Sep 26

In a flyer from Q-Biogene reports on a new polymerase for left handed PCR. This complements their cover for 2000-2001 first reported on 2001 Nov 16, as of 2001 Nov 16

illumina is "making sense out of life" with tools for large-scale analysis of left handed DNA. first reported on 2001 Nov 10, as of 2001 Nov 16 (Thanks to Andrew Su, asu@scripps.edu, for pointing this one out!)

Nature flipped the mouse and DNA figure from mouse.ensembl.org in their 2001 Oct 4 issue, volume 413 on page 444 to make left-handed mouse tail DNA. first reported on 2001 Nov 7, as of 2001 Nov 16 (Thanks to our under cover agent Alex Tamzon for pointing this one out!)

Sigma Genosys not only is into left handed DNA plasmids, but also left handed DNA oligos according to a report in BioTechniques (vol 31, no 5, page 1007, 2001). first reported on 2001 Nov 19, as of 2001 Nov 19 (Thanks to Carl Fuller, carl.fuller@am.amershambiosciences.com for pointing this one out!)

Sigma-aldrich.com reports on two pages in Science (16 November 2001, vol 294, no 5546 pp 1454-1455) how an explosive device will reverse right handed DNA into left handed DNA. Sigma is also storming the field of Left Handed DNA technologies with left handed DNA plasmids and oligos. first reported on 2001 Nov 20, as of 2001 Nov 20

ASM Resources, "the venture arm of the American Society for Microbiology", sent flyer; the outside cover has a left handed DNA. Confusingly, two images inside are right handed. However under the latest news at their the web site is a PDF for Sponsorship Opportunities which clearly indicates that they would like sponsors who will support left handed DNA commercialization advances in microbiology. first reported on 2001 Nov 26, as of 2001 Nov 26

U.S. News & World Report explain the art of cloning from left handed DNA people (December 3, 2001 page 57). first reported on 2001 Dec 3, as of 2001 Dec 6

BioTechnica "Here is an entire conference apparently on left-handed DNA..." BioTechnica, International Trade Fair for Biotechnology Hannover 9-11 October 2001. first reported on 2001 Sep 18, as of 2001 Dec 6 (Thanks to Nikolaj Vibede, NV@natimmune.dk for pointing this one out!)

The innovative Iceland Genomics Corporation, is analyzing left handed DNA from generations Icelanders to determine the source of diseases. (Though the image is a snake, from the context it is clearly also a DNA ...) first reported on 2001 Aug 9, as of 2001 Dec 6. 2001 Dec 7 News: Iceland Genomics Corporation is aware of the left-handed helix and are redesigning it. (Thanks to Arnþór Ævarsson, arnthor.aevarsson@prokaria.com for pointing this one out!)

Copyright © 1996-2000 deCODE genetics, Inc. All rights reserved.

deCODE Genetics decodes left handed DNA. Is this really left handed? It requires some interpretation (decoding). Because of perspective, objects closer to the viewer are larger. The vertical line is probably in the center of the DNA. If these two statements are true, the image is a left handed helix. first reported on 2001 Aug 9, as of 2001 Dec 6 (Thanks to Arnþór Ævarsson, arnthor.aevarsson@prokaria.com for pointing this one out!)

MSNBC explans mapping of left handed DNA. This is the same cute graphic from last year which is visible only by flash. That link is now broken (so much for an "archive"). However, Danna Wrensch managed to capture the image as a jpg. first reported on 2001 Aug 9, as of 2001 Dec 6 (Thanks to Dana Wrensch, wrensch.1@osu.edu http://iris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/osuent/personnel/wrensch.html for pointing this one out!)

AFM at Rockefeller has revealed the key to left handed DNA (click on link; the image is too big to put here). first reported on 2001 Aug 22, as of 2001 Dec 6 (Thanks to Wolfgang Hennig, whghennig@web.de for pointing this one out!)