Unlocking chemical diversity in aptamers with DNA orthogonal barcodes

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 06 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02099-5 Aptamers, single-stranded oligonucleotides capable of binding to specific targets, are composed of only four similar nucleobases, limiting their therapeutic potential. Now, alenomers—DNA-barcoded, chemically diverse aptamer-like molecules that integrate amino acids, lipids and sugars at precise sites—have been developed. This modular platform enables the rapid discovery of high-affinity, stable aptamers.