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Uncovering the Gut Virome's Role in Health and Disease

The human gut is home to trillions of microbes, yet scientific understanding has largely focused on bacteria, leaving the virome—the community of viruses—relatively uncharted.

4 Jul 2025

UChicago Team Receives Grant to Study RNA Splicing and Cell Stress

During the first step of converting genetic information into functional proteins, cells transcribe the double-stranded helix of DNA into single strands of RNA.

3 Jul 2025

Understanding the Bacterial Propeller Architecture Offers Hope Against Antibiotic Resistance

Scientists have studied a new target for antibiotics in the greatest detail yet – in the fight against antibiotic resistance.

2 Jul 2025

New Clues Reveal How Multicellularity Evolved in Early Animals

Animals, from worms and sponges to jellyfish and whales, contain anywhere from a few thousand to tens of trillions of nearly genetically identical cells.

2 Jul 2025

New Chordata Olfactory Receptor Database Offers Insight into the Genetics of Scent

Olfactory receptors (ORs) are key to how animals perceive their surroundings, guiding behaviors like foraging, mating, and avoiding danger.

1 Jul 2025

Genetic Ancestry Tied to Immune Response in Dengue Infection

For the first time, the extreme variability in dengue fever has been linked to a biological mechanism, potentially opening doors to new treatments and vaccines for the most common mosquito-borne disease worldwide.

1 Jul 2025

Bacteria Hijack Cellular Processes in Ticks to Survive and Spread

Washington State University researchers have discovered how the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis and Lyme disease hijack cellular processes in ticks to ensure their survival and spread to new hosts, including humans.

1 Jul 2025

Global Effort to Preserve Microbial Diversity Enters New Phase

A global effort to create a "microbial Noah's Ark" to preserve the world's diverse collection of healthy microbes before they disappear is now entering an active growth phase.

30 Jun 2025

Study Finds Protein Cleavage Essential for Healthy Cilia and Cell Signaling

New research by Sumeda Nandadasa, PhD, reveals how a key protein associated with Meckel-Gruber syndrome, nephronophthisis, Joubert syndrome and other ciliopathies is cut in half to perform two separate functions, both of which are fundamental to the healthy development of children.

30 Jun 2025

Reactivating a Genetic Switch Restores Ear Regeneration in Mice

By flipping an evolutionarily disabled genetic switch involved in Vitamin A metabolism, researchers have enabled ear tissue regeneration in mice. Unlike some animals such as fish and salamanders, mammals have limited capacity to regenerate damaged tissues or organs fully.

27 Jun 2025

Worm Species Reveal Deep Genetic Similarities Across Evolutionary Time

Two species of worms, separated by 20 million years of evolution, have been found to activate their genes in nearly identical ways as they develop from a single cell to a fully formed organism.

27 Jun 2025

Tracing the Genetic Mosaic of India Through Ancient Ancestry and Modern Genomes

India's population is genetically one of the most diverse in the world, yet it remains underrepresented in global datasets.

27 Jun 2025

Genetically Similar Bacteria Show Unexpected Diversity in Shape and Behavior

Genetically similar bacteria can differ in shape and behavior, even in lab settings. A recent study shows that this variability impacts microbial fitness, virulence, and our understanding of gut microbiota.

26 Jun 2025

Fruit Fly Study Uncovers Key Mechanisms Behind Collective Cell Migration

Researchers uncover how Plexin A and Semaphorin 1b regulate collective cell migration in fruit fly testes, offering insights into organ development, cancer metastasis, and tissue engineering.

26 Jun 2025

RNases Play Pivotal Role in Shaping the Molecular Foundation of Mendelian Disorders

A new review brings to light the pivotal role of ribonucleases (RNases) in shaping the molecular foundation of Mendelian disorders.

26 Jun 2025

Gene Editing Halts Symptoms of Rare Smooth Muscle Disease in Preclinical Study

Using gene editing in a preclinical model, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center blocked the symptoms of a rare smooth muscle disease before they developed.

25 Jun 2025

Genetic Tool Successfully Repairs Mitochondrial Mutations in Human Cells

In a step toward treating mitochondrial diseases, researchers in the Netherlands have successfully edited harmful mutations in mitochondrial DNA using a genetic tool known as a base editor.

25 Jun 2025

Fusion Genes Emerge as Key Drivers in Cancer Development

Fusion genes, arising from abnormal chromosomal rearrangements, are gaining recognition as pivotal players in cancer development. These genetic alterations result in the creation of hybrid genes with altered functions, often driving tumor progression.

25 Jun 2025

Newly Evolved Genes Found to Influence Human Cell Division

Every day, our bodies perform around 330 billion cell divisions to keep us alive and functioning. These divisions rely on the cell cycle, which has been in place since the earliest bacteria.

24 Jun 2025

Combating Tumor Resistance and Exhaustion in Lymphoma

The study reviews CAR-T cell advancements in lymphoma treatment, addressing T cell exhaustion and tumor immune evasion with next-generation CAR modifications.

24 Jun 2025