Revealing the Backbone Structure of B-DNA from Laser Optical Simulations of Its X-ray Diffraction Diagram

A. A. Lucas , Ph. Lambin , R. Mairesse and M. Mathot
Facultés Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences, rue de Bruxelles, 61, B5000 Namur, Belgium
J. Chem. Educ., 1999, 76 (3), p 378
DOI: 10.1021/ed076p378
Publication Date (Web): March 1, 1999

Abstract

A visible laser and a set of nine specially designed diffraction gratings held on a single slide have been used to build up progressively a classroom optical simulation of the diffraction of X-rays by a B-DNA fiber. The nine optical transforms allow understanding, without recourse to helical diffraction theory, of how the prominent features of the observed diffraction pattern arise from each of the structural parameters of the DNA backbone.

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  • Received: August 03, 2009

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