It is unclear how evolution started, but we know it did and since then drove the development of all the lifeforms we find today. Indeed, this innovative power of evolution has an unmatched potential for problem-solving but is limited by the chemical and physical properties of its molecules.

Today life uses both nucleic acids and proteins, and lately also rock, metal, alloys, electronics, and computer programs, to exist and to solve its problems. But it did not start like that. Nucleic acids are so far the only genetic polymers we know, having the potential to start the process of Darwinian evolution and life still relies on them. Importantly, nucleic acids not only include RNA and DNA, but other unnatural chemically modified polymers exist in the family as well, which has yet unexplored potential. We study these nucleic acids, natural as well as unnatural, with the aim of unlucking their full potential.  With directed evolution, biochemical analysis adn structural biology we make new functional nucleic acid molecules for resolving how life emerge, solving old problem in new ways, and improving biotechnology and medicine.