Once scientists could cut DNA, they still needed a way to paste DNA strands together at will. Arthur Kornberg's identification of an enzyme he called ligase allowed scientists to paste the ends of DNA molecules together. This still image shows the alignment of matching sticky ends (in pink and red) and the DNA ligase (in green) that remakes the sugar-phosphate bonds that form the backbone of DNA.

This still image shows the alignment of matching sticky ends (in pink and red) and the DNA ligase (in green) that remakes the sugar-phosphate bonds that form the backbone of DNA.

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