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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Ancient DNA Analysis Unveils Migration Patterns in Early Europe

Waves of human migration across Europe during the first millennium AD have been revealed using a more precise method of analyzing ancestry with ancient DNA, in research led by the Francis Crick Institute.

2 Jan 2025

Study Reveals Mechanism Behind Retrotransposon Insertion in Centromeres

A joint research group team led by Sayuri Tsukahara and Tetsuji Kakutani of the University of Tokyo has clarified a mechanism of how retrotransposons, genetic elements that can "jump around" chromosomes and are known drivers of evolution, preferentially insert in the centromere.

2 Jan 2025

New Study Reveals DNA’s Role in Stabilizing Cellular Structures

In a discovery that could redefine how we understand cellular resilience and adaptability, scientists at Scripps Research have unlocked the secret interactions between a primordial inorganic polymer of phosphate known as polyphosphate (polyP), and two basic building blocks of life: DNA and the element magnesium.

26 Dec 2024

Fruit Flies Evolve New Defense Through Gene Transfer

In the continual arms race between parasites and their hosts, innovation was thought to be the key to a successful attack or defense that one-ups the competition.

26 Dec 2024

New Gene Editing Tool Targets Alzheimer's by Skipping Disease-Causing Gene Segments

A new gene editing tool that helps cellular machinery skip parts of genes responsible for diseases has been applied to reduce the formation of amyloid-beta plaque precursors in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.

24 Dec 2024

Plant Research Reveals Unexpected Function for Key Cellular Protein

A cell protein previously believed only to provide a scaffolding for DNA has also been shown to directly influence DNA transcription into RNA – the first step of the process by which an organism's genetic code expresses itself. The fundamental breakthrough was discovered in apple cells but is relevant to all living organisms made of nucleus-containing cells, including humans.

24 Dec 2024

PlantRNA-FM: Bridging the Gap Between RNA Structure and Function

With PlantRNA-FM, researchers can systematically analyze plant RNA, uncovering functional motifs that play key roles in gene expression and stress responses.

23 Dec 2024

Extracellular Vesicles from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Restore Joint Health in Osteoarthritis

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 16, Issue 21 on November 22, 2024, entitled, "Anti-aging effect of extracellular vesicles from mesenchymal stromal cells on senescence-induced chondrocytes in osteoarthritis."

20 Dec 2024

Engineering Yeast Promoters for Biologic Manufacturing

When introducing genes into yeast to make it produce drugs and other useful substances, it is also necessary to reliably switch the production on or off. A Kobe University team found three gene regulation design principles that provide a flexible guideline for the effective control of microbiological production.

19 Dec 2024

Subsurface Microbial Life Reveals Surprising Diversity in Extreme Environments

Which microbes thrive below us in darkness – in gold mines, in aquifers, in deep boreholes in the seafloor – and how do they compare to the microbiomes that envelop the Earth's surfaces, on land and sea?

19 Dec 2024

New Strategy to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

The discovery of a vulnerability in antibiotic resistance mechanisms may lead to improved strategies for combating superbugs and enhancing current therapies.

18 Dec 2024

A revolutionary antibody approach to fight cancer by restoring cellular fitness

Ovarian cancer cells exploit cell competition by altering Flower protein isoforms in stromal cells, promoting tumor survival and potential therapeutic targets.

18 Dec 2024

BOOSTER Gene: Unlocking New Potential in Photosynthesis and Crop Productivity

The BOOSTER gene enhances photosynthesis in plants, improving efficiency and productivity under varying light conditions, crucial for agricultural advancements.

17 Dec 2024

Targeting Cancer with Nanoparticle-Delivered Gene Therapy

Scientists are literally shining a laser on the energy centers of cancer cells in an attempt to harm these sources of power and cause widespread cancer cell death.

16 Dec 2024

Researchers Uncover Lamin A's Role in DNA Repair and Premature Aging Disease

Researchers at Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, have discovered how a protein called lamin A helps repair the protective barrier around a cell's DNA.

16 Dec 2024

Scientists Discover New Twist in DNA Looping Mechanism

Scientists from the Kavli Institute of Delft University of Technology and the IMP Vienna Biocenter discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes.

16 Dec 2024

Deadly Mould Strains Highly Likely to Acquire Resistance to New Drugs

Scientists have identified strains of one of the world’s most dangerous fungal pathogens, already resistant to our most effective antifungal drugs, which are also 5-times more likely to acquire resistance to desperately needed new treatments in development.

From The University of Manchester 16 Dec 2024

Ancient DNA Reveals Neandertal Gene Flow into Modern Humans

Ancient DNA research suggests that our non-African ancestors mixed with Neandertals about 50,000 years ago, resulting in one to two percent Neandertal DNA in non-African modern humans.

14 Dec 2024

New Look at the Last Universal Common Ancestor

Revising genetic code evolution, this research uncovers early amino acid recruitment patterns and sulfur's significance for understanding extraterrestrial life.

13 Dec 2024

AI Creates the First Virtual Human Cell

A team of scientists from Stanford University, Genentech, and the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative claims that science has an “unprecedented opportunity” to use artificial intelligence (AI) to create the first virtual human cell in history, pointing out that recent advancements in AI and the availability of extensive experimental data about human biology have reached a critical mass.

13 Dec 2024