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Genetic Discovery Offers Potential for Higher Crop Yields and Biofuel Production

A team of scientists with two Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Centers -; the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, or CABBI, at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign -; identified a gene in a poplar tree that enhances photosynthesis and can boost tree height by about 30% in the field and by as much as 200% in the greenhouse.

6 Jan 2025

Bacteria in Lake Mendota Evolve with Changing Seasons

Like Bill Murray in the movie "Groundhog Day," bacteria species in a Wisconsin lake are in a kind of endless loop that they can't seem to shake. Except in this case, it's more like Groundhog Year.

6 Jan 2025

Genomic Study Reveals Key Insights into Modern Maize Inbred Lines

Maize is a globally cultivated staple crop and one of the most successful examples of heterosis utilization in food production.

3 Jan 2025

Biologists Reveal Genetics Behind Walnut Trees' Alternating Sexes

The genetics behind the alternating sexes of walnut trees has been revealed by biologists at the University of California, Davis.

3 Jan 2025

Princeton Engineers Discover How Soil Bacteria Balance Plant Growth and Immunity

To stay healthy, plants balance the energy they put into growing with the amount they use to defend against harmful bacteria.

3 Jan 2025

Breakthrough in Nanopore Technology Could Transform Disease Detection

UC Riverside scientists have developed a nanopore-based tool that could help diagnose illnesses much faster and with greater precision than current tests allow, by capturing signals from individual molecules.

3 Jan 2025

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

Research Reveals Regulatory Role of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase in Mitophagy

Mitophagy is a selective form of autophagy via which the damaged mitochondria are cleared via the autophagy-lysosome pathway.

30 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 Genetic Link to Autism Identified

New research published in The American Journal of Human Genetics has identified a previously unknown genetic link to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study found that variants in the DDX53 gene contribute to ASD, providing new insights into the genetic underpinnings of the condition.

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

Researchers Map Influenza Virus RNA Protective Coat at Atomic Level

To fight the virus that causes influenza, one of the avenues being explored by scientists is the development of drugs capable of destabilizing its genome, made up of eight RNA molecules.

17 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

New Method for Discovering Antibiotics from Bacteria

Numerous natural products produced by microorganisms can be utilized as active ingredients to treat illnesses like cancer and infections.

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

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

New Study Links Ancient Human Remains from Zlatý kůň and Ranis in Genetic Findings

After modern humans left Africa, they met and interbred with Neandertals, resulting in around two to three percent Neandertal DNA that can be found in the genomes of all people outside Africa today. However, little is known about the genetics of these first pioneers in Europe and the timing of the Neandertal admixture with non-Africans.

13 Dec 2024

Study Reveals Genetic Basis of Sweetpotato Flesh Color Regulation

Sweetpotatoes are an agricultural powerhouse that feeds millions globally. However, their complex genetics make it challenging for breeders to understand and improve traits like yield, disease resistance, and nutritional content. A new study reveals insights into the significance of leveraging "allele dosages" in sweetpotato breeding practices.

13 Dec 2024