nucleic acid structures, nucleic acid conformation, biological structure database, DNA, RNA, validation standards, G-quadruplex, replication, thermodynamics, ligand, topology, quadruplex-duplex hybrids, minor groove binding drugs, stability, optical spectroscopy, nucleic acids, charge, electrostatic potential, ab initio methods, NMR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics, forcefield, AMBER, B-DNA, DNA-hairpin, perchlorates, brines, pressure, Mars, habitability, DNA minor groove binder, mixed base-pair DNA sequences, sequence selectivity, ligand–DNA complex thermodynamic, molecular curvature, heterocyclic diamidine, biosensor, calorimetry, DNA conjugate, metal ion, triple helix, silver ion, lanthanide, ATP sensor, aptamer, terpyridine, sequence edition, DNAzyme, molecular dynamics simulation (MD), potential of mean force (PMF), dsDNA–dsDNA interactions, flexibility, origins of life, DNA-protein networks, protocells, DNA sequence-dependent structure, DNA deformability, DNA sequence context, DNA curvature, DNA minicircles, hydrostatic pressure, volume, CD spectroscopy, G-quadruplexes, potassium, polymorphism, kinetics, folding, kinetic models, fitting, aurintricarboxylic acid (ATA), salicylic acid polymers, methylene-salicylic acid, SARS-CoV-2, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), yeast ribosomes, human serum albumin (HSA), molecular recognition, biological function and viral disease, inhibitor binding, single-molecule biophysics, nucleic acid thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, fluctuation theorems, computational biophysics, drug discovery, drug-target interactions, thermodynamic binding signatures, isothermal titration calorimetry, lead optimization, fragment-based drug discovery, drug-like properties, enthalpic efficiency, group efficiency, lipophilic efficiency, Research and information: general, Biology, life sciences

This Special Issue comprises 15 papers broadly outlining current trends in nucleic acid biophysics. It contains original research papers and reviews on structure, stability, and interactions of canonical and non-canonical nucleic acids. The authors describe the use of established, time-honored experimental and computational techniques as well as their more recently developed counterparts. Molecular insights that can be gained from the papers collected in this issue range from the fundamental to the applied with emphasis on biological functions and biomedical prospects of nucleic acids. The collection is not meant to be exhaustive, but to highlight recent advances from select laboratories worldwide. Nevertheless, it represents a useful guide for scientists who wish to familiarize themselves with biophysical topics in nucleic acid research. This Special Issue will be useful both for researchers who study fundamental aspects of nucleic acid structure, stability, and dynamics, as well as for those that are mainly interested in practical biological and biomedical applications of nucleic acids.