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New Non-Destructive Method Obtains Genetic Information From Living Cells

Normally, cells must be lysed for a so-called transcriptome analysis - which reveals which genes are currently being expressed - making repeated measurements on the same cells impossible.

7 May 2026

UNC Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Origins of the Genetic Code

Over the course of natural history, animals and plants have evolved to adapt to an ever-changing environment and increase the chances of survival. So, too, has our own DNA.

7 May 2026

CapyBio Launches New Analysis Services to Improve Cell Identity Engineering

CapyBio, a cell identity tools and services company, today announced the launch of three new commercial analysis services: Capybara™ Benchmarking Analysis, Capybara Advanced Analysis, and CellOracle™ Differentiation Optimization Analysis.

7 May 2026

New Technique Improves Maturity of Lab-Grown Heart Cells for Research

Researchers at the University of Toronto's Institute of Biomedical Engineering have developed a new method to mature lab-grown heart cells, so they more closely resemble adult human heart tissue.

7 May 2026

Tardigrade Proteins Allow Synthetic Cells to Survive Extreme Dehydration

A protein found only in microscopic tardigrades, one that allows them to survive extreme conditions like dehydration, can convey similar durability in synthetic cells, according to new research from University of Michigan Engineering and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering.

7 May 2026

Breakthrough CRISPR Discovery Enables Selective Destruction of Cancerous Cells

Among the challenges in treating disease, including cancer, is wiping out malignancies, infection, contaminants or other pathologies, without destroying healthy tissue.

7 May 2026

Interactions Across the Genome Drive Neurodevelopmental Risks

People who have the same deletion of a section of chromosome 16 are susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders; however, some may simply show moderate psychological symptoms like anxiety or depression, while others may have significant intellectual disability or developmental delay.

6 May 2026

New Study Reveals Mechanism Behind Early Plant Cell Wall Development

Cell walls are a crucial structure of plant life, protecting cells from damage, giving plants shape, and containing energy-rich nutrients. And yet the process of how the walls begin to form remains mysterious.

5 May 2026

AI Model Reads DNA Like Language to Trace Ancestry

Researchers at the University of Oregon have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can read genetic code the way large language models like ChatGPT read text. Scanning the genome for biological mutation patterns, the computer model traces pairs of genes back in time to their last common ancestor.

5 May 2026

Discovery Shows How Plants Prevent Excess Immune Responses

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it's a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth.

5 May 2026

Metabolic Pathway Loss Makes Cancer Cells Vulnerable to PARP Drugs

Loss of an enzyme necessary for a process called lipoylation disrupts the way cancer cells copy their DNA, increasing their vulnerability to a class of anticancer drugs known as PARP inhibitors, a study led by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers shows.

5 May 2026

New Model Explains How Genetic Information Maintains Cellular Order

A Moffitt Cancer Center researcher has introduced a new model that addresses one of biology's most fundamental questions: How does genetic information keep living systems organized and therefore alive?

5 May 2026

Engineered Bacteriophage Speeds up the "Training" of Plastic-Eating Bacteria

Millions of tons of plastic waste build up in landfills and oceans each year. One promising approach is to engineer microbes to break plastic down into useful chemical building blocks.

4 May 2026

Genomic Tool TRACS Improves Tracking of Microbial Transmission Patterns

The research, published today (24 April) in Nature Microbiology, describes how the new tool, called TRAnsmision Clustering of Strains (TRACS), uses genomics to distinguish between closely related bacterial strains.

4 May 2026

Host Genetics and Sex Shape Evolution of Viral Virulence

During the early stages of a pandemic, viruses tend to evolve in ways that enhance their ability to reproduce and spread, rather than to evade the host's immune system.

4 May 2026

Building a Large-Scale Atlas of Female Reproductive System Aging

Despite affecting half of the world's population, menopause has historically been understudied and misunderstood, both in biomedical research and clinical practice.

30 Apr 2026

Cells Use a Timing Mechanism to Filter Persistent Physical Forces

Scientists have discovered how cells decide when to respond to physical forces, potentially opening new avenues for tackling diseases such as cancer and fibrosis.

30 Apr 2026

Visualizing Immune Synapses in Three Dimensions Using Cryo-Expansion Microscopy

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are the body's specialized "killer" cells, precisely eliminating infected or cancerous cells.

30 Apr 2026

Accelerating Enzyme Discovery With the SMART Single-Molecule Screening System

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

30 Apr 2026