Nucleic acid notation Nucleic acid notation The nucleic acid notation currently in use was first formalized by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 1970. This universally accepted notation uses the Roman characters G, C, A, and T, to represent the four nucleotides commonly found in deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA). Given the rapidly expanding role for genetic sequencing, synthesis, and analysis in biology, researchers have been compelled to develop alternate notations to further support the analysis and manipulation of genetic data. These notations generally exploit size, shape, and symmetry to accomplish these objectives. Degenerate base symbols in biochemistry are an IUPAC
Performic acid Performic acid Performic acid (PFA) is an organic compound with the formula CHO. It is an unstable colorless liquid which can be produced by mixing formic acid with hydrogen peroxide. Owing to its oxidizing and disinfecting action, it is used in the chemical, medical and food industries. Performic acid is a colorless liquid soluble in water, alcohols, ether, benzene, chloroform and other organic solvents. Its strong oxidizing properties are used for cleaving disulfide bonds in protein mapping, as well as for epoxidation, hydroxylation and oxidation reactions in organic synthesis. In the medical and food industries, performic acid is commonly used