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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).

Boosting metabolic resources in the brain could be a way to slow neurodegeneration

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have shown for the first time that when one optic nerve in the eye is damaged, as in glaucoma, the opposite optic nerve comes to the rescue by sharing its metabolic energy.

From Vanderbilt University 22 Jul 2020

Researchers comprehensively describe the 'human tissue virome atlas'

Human-resident microbes can influence both health and disease. Investigating the microbiome using next-generation sequencing technology has revealed examples of mutualism and conflict between microbes and humans.

22 Jul 2020

Study explores the genetic and molecular basis of PD-L2 regulation

In immune-related disorders, therapy often involves identifying the molecules responsible for immune dysregulation and targeting them using drugs.

22 Jul 2020

Silver-plated gold nanostars could be used to detect early cancer biomarkers

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have engineered a method for simultaneously detecting the presence of multiple specific microRNAs in RNA extracted from tissue samples without the need for labeling or target amplification.

22 Jul 2020

Chronic inflammation disrupts tissue structure of the colon, study finds

In a new study, researchers have compared diseased colon with healthy tissue to better understand how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancers, at a molecular level.

22 Jul 2020

Researchers image the formation of four-stranded DNA in living human cells

The development of four-stranded DNA has been monitored in the living cells of human beings, enabling researchers to observe its potential role in cancer.

21 Jul 2020

Archaeologists use new protein method to determine the sex of human remains

A new method for estimating the biological sex of human remains based on reading protein sequences rather than DNA has been used to study an archaeological site in Northern California.

21 Jul 2020

Small, compact Cas proteins found in bacteriophages are ideal for gene editing

The DNA-cutting proteins central to CRISPR-Cas9 and related gene-editing tools originally came from bacteria, but a newfound variety of Cas proteins apparently evolved in viruses that infect bacteria.

20 Jul 2020

A fast and less expensive technique to count sperm in lobsters

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have identified a quicker and less expensive way to count sperm in lobsters that could help scientists looking at any animal better understand mating, a key aspect of species survival.

20 Jul 2020

Researchers construct “DNA droplets” that exhibit dynamic functions

DNA is considered the storage unit of all genetic data in living organisms.

20 Jul 2020

Study shows how proteins prevent DNA replication errors

Two rereading proteins on the DNA assembly line collectively work as an emergency stop button to inhibit replication errors.

20 Jul 2020

Hypercompact CRISPR enzyme from bacteriophages expands genome editing toolbox

A recently discovered hypercompact CRISPR enzyme found only in huge bacteriophages, and known as CRISPR-CasΦ, is functional, a new study by Patrick Pausch, Jennifer Doudna and colleagues reports, and it provides a powerful new tool in the CRISPR genome editing toolbox, including because it can target a wider range of genetic sequences compared to Cas9 and Cas12

17 Jul 2020

Study focuses on how relationship between plants and microbes responds to drought conditions

Just below ground, an ancient and poorly understood relationship plays out between plants and microbes that infuse the soil.

17 Jul 2020

Study unravels the mysteries of variation in microbiome composition

Oregon State University researchers have made a key advance in understanding how timing impacts the way microorganisms colonize plants, a step that could provide farmers an important tool to boost agricultural production.

17 Jul 2020

Scientists achieve several breakthroughs in terms of analyzing the sedaDNA

Thousands of years ago the UK was physically joined to the rest of Europe through an area known as Doggerland.

From The University of Warwick 17 Jul 2020

Scientists gain insights into how parasitic bacterium gives rise to lesions

Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are parasites that can be transmitted to humans via insect bites and animal scratches, resulting in an infection known as "bartonellosis." Cat-scratch disease and trench fever are forms of bartonellosis caused by different Bartonella species infecting humans.

17 Jul 2020

Disseminated cancer cells hijack crucial iron micronutrients to survive

In order to survive within the remote and harsh anatomical microenvironments of the central nervous system, the disseminated cancer cells that cause rare yet deadly leptomeningeal metastases (LM) hijack crucial iron micronutrients from native macrophages, researchers report.

17 Jul 2020