Please don't ridicule as I am only a high schooler and I intend to design a synthetic silicon based DNA molecule, that is if I have the prowess. Has it been done, what scope of research is there in the mentioned field?

Please don't ridicule as I am only a high schooler and I intend to design a synthetic silicon based DNA molecule, that is if I have the prowess. Has it been done, what scope of research is there in the mentioned field?

 

 

At one time i was in contact with a scientist who was doing some research into the possibility of silicon/silicone life, we talked extensively about it. Silicone based DNA is close to being an oxymoron. According to him, and yes i understand this is hearsay and I apologize i cannot site the paper he wrote, i did read the paper but it was several years ago and it has slipped my memory, silicone cannot replace carbon on an atom for atom basis in most if any, even semi, complex organic compounds. he also came to the conclusion that silicone life would be energy deficient at many crucial points and would require some unique chemical processes we are not aware of to work.

 

You have to also take into account that there are two possibilities for silicon polymers. SiO2 or silicone would be the most common basis for pseudo organic compounds and they would have to be at very high temperatures. Silicon can form compounds like SiH4 and a few other simple silicon carbon analogs but they would only exist at very low temperatures (think Saturn's moon titan) and they react explosively to water and or oxygen.