CNA

This year's Mario Kart has some really weird tracks.

CNA—standing variously for Cyber/Nano Algorithms and/or Cybernucleic Acid—is the genetic material that determines what Transformers are like. Tinkering with this material can be dangerous and can have long-lasting, negative effects. CNA contains a Transformer's hard-coded design schematics, which, like genetic data, appear to be stored in the spark itself.

It is sometimes known as Sourcecode.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Marvel Generation 2 comic

Transformer genetic material. Eat your hearts out, Watson and Crick.

The existence of Transformer genetic material was mentioned and seen when Perceptor and others analyzed the Swarm. They noted that its genetic material and cellular structure were identical to that of the Transformers species. Tales of Earth Part Six

Regeneration One

Regeneration One continues from the Marvel US series, and does not include the UK stories or any subsequently published stories.

Scorponok discovered a strand of CNA he referred to as the 'warrior gene' which he claimed was the difference between Autobots and Decepticons. He also a created the Gene Key, a device that could re-write CNA and activate the gene. Natural Selection, Part One Although Scorponok explained that Autobot and Decepticon are not so black-and-white, the Autobot Headmasters he tested the Key on displayed more aggression and were willing to follow Decepticon orders. The Autobot Perceptor was also affected by the Key, after which he showed signs of sadism. Natural Selection, Part Two

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Attempting to introduce other genders back to Cybertron, Jhiaxus altered the CNA of Arcee in order to change her physicality into that of a woman. His malicious lack of after-care and deceit in convincing Arcee into this "experiment" (Arcee later finding out that this process was unnecessary to transition thanks to Anode) definetly not coming back to haunt him... Spotlight: ArceePost

Animated cartoon

Scalpel used the CNA of Perceptor as a template to make Magnificus as a part of Operation: Doppelgänger. The AllSpark Almanac II Later, Starscream created many clones of himself. A Fistful of Energon A Bridge Too Close, Part I

Aligned continuity family

IDW Aligned comics

Shockwave mixed dinosaur DNA with the Lightning Strike Coalition's CNA in his successful experiments with giving them new dinosaur alternate modes. Fall

Hunt the Beasts

After the Predacons broke out of Shockwave's laboratory, you were sent on a mission to scout the place out and investigate what happened. During your search you discovered CNA samples of eleven different Predacons which provided valuable information about them. You also discovered that the Predacons were cloned by Shockwave using CNA samples he discovered of the long dead creatures. Hunt the Beasts

Prime cartoon

Shockwave recovered Predacon CNA and used it to create Predaking, a Predacon clone. Scattered

Beast Wars: Uprising

After Lio Convoy started a rebellion against the Builders of Cybertron, his mentor Eject avoided a death sentence by proposing a solution: use Lio Convoy's CNA to create a clone army infused with the power of an Energon Matrix. The Builder Assembly approved of the idea. Broken Windshields

Ask Vector Prime

There was much overlap between the hard-coded design schematics of Unicron's sleeper agents the Egg Beasts and his Dead End antibodies. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/29

See also

• DNA