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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).

Complete Reference Genomes Unlocked for Six Ape Species

Comprehensive reference genomes have now been assembled for six ape species: siamang (a Southeast Asian gibbon), Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, gorilla, bonobo and chimpanzee.

12 Apr 2025

Researchers Develop STITCHR to Insert Whole Genes Without Unwanted Mutations

Investigators from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have developed STITCHR, a new gene editing tool that can insert therapeutic genes into specific locations without causing unwanted mutations.

12 Apr 2025

New Genetic Insights From Long Read Sequencing in a Teen With Complex Psychiatric Conditions

In a manuscript published today in the American Journal of Psychiatry titled Long-Read Genome Sequencing in Clinical Psychiatry: RFX3 Haploinsufficiency in a Hospitalized Adolescent With Autism, Intellectual Disability, and Behavioral Decompensation, authors describe how they leveraged long-read genomic sequencing (LRS) to make a genetic diagnosis in a17-year-old male with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and acute behavioral decompensation that would not have been possible by standard methods.

12 Apr 2025

Genetic Variants Offer Clues to Targeted Asthma Treatments

Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of genome regions containing thousands of genetic variants associated with asthma, but it's still not clear which variants have an actual causal link to the disease.

11 Apr 2025

Japanese Researchers Develop New Assay to Detect Epigenetic Toxicity

Chemicals used as food preservatives, flavoring agents, dyes, pesticides, cosmetics, cleaners, and other industrial materials are being increasingly recognized as a health hazard.

11 Apr 2025

Breakthrough Delivery System Advances CRISPR-Based Treatments

A research team from Helmholtz Munich and the Technical University of Munich has developed an advanced delivery system that transports gene-editing tools based on the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing system into living cells with significantly greater efficiency than before.

10 Apr 2025

Rapid Growth of Blood Cancer Driven by a Single Genetic ‘HIT’

A new study has unveiled when chronic myeloid leukaemia, a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, arises in life and how fast it grows.

10 Apr 2025

DNA Computing Circuits Move Closer to Real-Time Function Inside Living Cells

A comprehensive review titled "From the Test Tube to the Cell: A Homecoming for DNA Computing Circuits?" published Mar. 4 in Intelligent Computing, a Science Partner Journal, highlights progress in operating DNA computing circuits for operation within living cells.

9 Apr 2025

DNA Analysis Sheds Light on Invasive Weed Strategies

A groundbreaking technique for analyzing the DNA of ancient plant specimens has provided researchers with a valuable tool in the fight against the proliferation of invasive plant species.

9 Apr 2025

New Research Further Translates the Language of the Genome

New research has uncovered more about the complexity of human gene regulation by identifying certain sequences of proteins called transcription factors that bind to DNA and regulate the expression of human genes.

9 Apr 2025

New Research Reveals Mitochondrial Guardians Linked to Parkinson’s and ALS

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have discovered how a group of proteins linked to Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis act as "guardians" of mitochondria, small organelles, or subunits, within a cell that make and store energy and are found in almost all plants and animals.

8 Apr 2025

Spinning Into Resistance: The Flagella’s Hidden Role

A new study from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that bacterial movement plays a central role in the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes. The research team discovered that the rotation of flagella in Bacillus subtilis acts as a mechanical signal that activates key conjugation genes.

8 Apr 2025

Scientists Capture Dynamic Process of Chromatin Remodeling in Action

Chromatin remodeling plays a vital role in gene regulation, affecting how DNA is accessed. Disruptions in this process can also lead to cancer and other diseases.

7 Apr 2025

Scientists Discover Epigenetic Marks in Pancreatic Cancer Transition

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say they have found a pattern of so-called epigenetic "marks" in a transition state between normal and pancreatic cancer cells in mice, and that the normal cells may keep at least a temporary "memory" of those cancer-linked marks.

7 Apr 2025

Carbon Dot-Based Fluorosensor Shows Superior Performance in Enterovirus RNA Detection

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä's Nanoscience Center in Finland have introduced a novel, label-free ratiometric fluorosensor intended for the sensitive and specific detection of enteroviral RNA.

7 Apr 2025

Antibiotic Resistance Through Bacterial Genes Inhibiting Viral Reproduction

Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat that could supplant cancer mortality within a few decades. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, found that the emergence of resistance can be explained by how bacteria develop defenses against virus infection.

7 Apr 2025