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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Random Versions of Human Genomes Created to Unlock Disease Mechanisms

The most complex engineering of human cell lines ever has been achieved by scientists, revealing that our genomes are more resilient to significant structural changes than was previously thought.

3 Feb 2025

First Cell Atlas of Focal Cortical Dysplasia Offers New Insights for Treatment

Using a single-cell sequencing technique, Brazilian researchers have created the first cell atlas of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), a malformation of the cerebral cortex that leads to drug-resistant epilepsy.

31 Jan 2025

Human Cell Lines Reveal Genome's Tolerance to Structural Variation

The most advanced engineering of human cell lines to date has been accomplished by scientists, demonstrating that genomes are more robust against significant structural changes than previously understood.

31 Jan 2025

EpiBERT AI Model Reveals How Genes Are Regulated in Human Cells

A team of investigators from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Google, and Columbia University have created an artificial intelligence model that can predict which genes are expressed in any type of human cell.

30 Jan 2025

New Microfluidic Device can Detect SARS-Cov-2 with Revolutionary Sensitivity

VirusHB-Chip offers groundbreaking sensitivity in detecting SARS-CoV-2 in plasma, saliva, and stool, transforming COVID-19 diagnostics and treatment strategies.

30 Jan 2025

Research Identifies Key Immune Cells for Liver Repair

Our livers contain many different types of immune cells. New research by the team of Prof. Charlotte Scott (VIB-UGent Center for Inflammation Research) and colleagues now reveals that a specific activation state of one of these cell types is required for tissue repair following injury.

27 Jan 2025

New Breakthrough Pushes DNA-Nanoparticle Motors Closer to Natural Protein Speed

DNA-nanoparticle motors are exactly as they sound: tiny artificial motors that use the structures of DNA and RNA to propel motion by enzymatic RNA degradation.

23 Jan 2025

Study Reveals How Immune Cells Adapt to Defend the Gut

Your gut is a battleground. The cells that line your small intestine have to balance two seemingly contradictory jobs: absorbing nutrients from food, while keeping a wary eye out for pathogens trying to invade your body.

23 Jan 2025

RNA, Not DNA, Drives Acute Sunburn and Skin Damage

Sunburn has traditionally been attributed to UV-induced DNA damage. However, a new study by the University of Copenhagen and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, reveals that RNA, another vital cellular molecule, plays a major role in triggering acute sunburn reactions.

20 Jan 2025

Unveiling the Interplay of DNA and RNA Epigenetics

The genes contain all the instructions the human body needs to function, but their expression must be carefully regulated to guarantee that each cell performs its function as best it can.

20 Jan 2025

GET Model Unveils Gene Regulation with Unmatched Accuracy Across Cell Types

GET, a novel computational model, accurately predicts gene activity by analyzing chromatin accessibility and DNA sequences across diverse human cell types.

20 Jan 2025

Study Unveils Surprising Cause of Brain Cell Death in Huntington's Disease

Scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Harvard Medical School, and McLean Hospital have discovered a surprising mechanism by which the inherited genetic mutation known to cause Huntington's disease leads to the death of brain cells.

17 Jan 2025

Researchers Develop Method to Visualize Nanocarriers at Single-Cell Level

How can we ensure that life-saving drugs or genetic therapies reach their intended target cells without causing harmful side effects? Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) and Technical University Munich (TUM) have taken an important step to answer this question.

16 Jan 2025

Study Reveals Key Ion Channel in Extracellular Vesicles for Cargo Transport

Scientists have revealed the secret to the structural integrity of tiny particles that transport cargo from cell to cell through blood vessels and bodily fluids: special proteins that keep their membranes intact as they negotiate shifting electrical impulses in different biological environments.

16 Jan 2025

Epigenetic Mechanism Controls Placental Blood Vessel Formation

If the development of blood vessels in the placenta is impaired, fetal growth retardation may result. Scientists from the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and the Mannheim Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University discovered that the correct development of functioning blood vessels in the mouse placenta is controlled epigenetically: One of the enzymes that modify gene activity using methyl groups is responsible.

16 Jan 2025

Compound from Sea Sponge Could be Used as a Chemical Probe for Research

Girolline, a compound extracted from the sea sponge Pseudaxinyssa cantharella, has been investigated for possible antitumor effects and also found to have anti-malarial effects.

15 Jan 2025

EMBL and ELLIS Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance AI in Life Sciences

A new collaborative agreement aims to help position Europe at the forefront of AI-driven advancements in life sciences research.

15 Jan 2025

Understanding RapA's Function in E. coli R-loop Control

From a genetic perspective, it is the worst-case scenario for a bacterium: during transcription, freshly created RNA adheres to its DNA template to form a three-stranded structure called an R-loop.

15 Jan 2025

Illuminating RNA Function with Innovative Bioluminescent Probes

The molecule that reads the genetic data contained in DNA is called RNA. Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have found a method to tag RNA with a glowing bioluminescent molecule, which enables them to track RNA in real time as it travels throughout the body.

10 Jan 2025

Novel Targets for Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Human Health

Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität in Würzburg have discovered a protein and a class of small ribonucleic acids (sRNAs) in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron that control the metabolism of sugar.

10 Jan 2025