Modified DNA components have various applications including bioprobes and therapeutics. For example, there is interest in the design of flexible nucleobases as bioprobes and expanded nucleobases for enhanced nanotechnology applications. Similarly, synthetic modified protein components can aid our understanding of biological molecules. For example, biological HRGPs in plants are heavilyl glycosylated, while animal collagen is not, and the reason for this discrepancy is not well understood. Our research studies the properties of various modified DNA and protein components with a broad range of applications.