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Study Reveals How Plants Override Genetic Instructions Through DNA Duplication

Biologists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered the origin of a curious duplication that gives plants multiple ways to override instructions that are coded into their DNA.

7 Nov 2024

Ancient Protist May Hold Clues to Evolution of Multicellular Life

Chromosphaera perkinsii is a single-celled species discovered in 2017 in marine sediments around Hawaii. The first signs of its presence on Earth have been dated at over a billion years, well before the appearance of the first animals.

7 Nov 2024

How Neuroimmune Cells Modulate Immune Responses and Neuroinflammation

The brain, traditionally considered an immune-privileged organ due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), has its own sophisticated immune defense system.

7 Nov 2024

AI and Bioinformatics Reveal Genes Linked to Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoporosis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a common disease affecting an estimated 17 million people worldwide. The disease is caused by immune cells attacking the joints and can result in pain, swelling, and damage to the cartilage and bone.

6 Nov 2024

Unveiling the Metabolic Strategies of Deep-Sea Coral-Associated Bacteria

Two incredible bacterial species have been found in the tissue of two deep-sea corals from the Gulf of Mexico by a German-American research team headed by Dr. Samuel Vohsen from Lehigh University in the USA and Professor Dr. Iliana Baums from the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity at the University of Oldenburg (HIFMB).

5 Nov 2024

Novel Mechanism of Resistance to Bt Crops in a Major Agricultural Pest

Insect pests can destroy crops if they are not controlled. Crops that produce bacterial proteins that kill important pests without endangering humans or wildlife have been genetically modified to limit damage and lessen the need for insecticide sprays.

5 Nov 2024

A New Statistical Method to Mitigate AI Bias in Genetic Research

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are cautioning that the growing use of artificial intelligence techniques in genetics and medicine may result in incorrect inferences regarding the relationship between genes and physical traits, such as risk factors for diseases like diabetes.

5 Nov 2024

Researchers Develop Synthetic Genes for Self-Assembling Biomaterials

Researchers from the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the University of Rome Tor Vergata in Italy have developed synthetic genes that function like the genes in living cells.

5 Nov 2024

APOE4 and Microglia Together Drive Alzheimer's Protein Deposits

In healthy brains, immune cells called microglia patrol for damage, clearing away debris and harmful proteins. But in the presence of the APOE4 protein-;the most important genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease-;the same cells cause harmful inflammation and clumps of misfolded proteins, according to a new study by scientists at Gladstone Institutes.

5 Nov 2024

A Genomic Blueprint for Sustainable Macadamia Production

The genomes of all four Macadamia species have been successfully sequenced and combined by a research team, which represents a major breakthrough in crop development efforts for this commercially valuable nut.

4 Nov 2024

ALDH3A2 Enzyme Controls Red-Yellow Pigment Balance in Parrots

A single enzyme fine-tunes red and yellow pigments in parrots' polychromatic plumage, according to a new study. The findings reveal new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the evolution and display of color variation in one of nature's most colorful birds. Colors play a central role in ecological adaptation and communication in the natural world.

4 Nov 2024

New Lab-Grown Lip Cells Could Transform Research and Treatment for Disfiguring Lip Conditions

We use our lips to talk, eat, drink, and breathe; they signal our emotions, health, and aesthetic beauty. It takes a complex structure to perform so many roles, so lip problems can be hard to repair effectively. Basic research is essential to improving these treatments, but until now, models using lip cells -; which perform differently to other skin cells -; have not been available.

4 Nov 2024

Immortalized Lip Cells Open Doors for Testing New Therapies

4 Nov 2024

Dovetail Genomics Launches LinkPrep Technology for Enhanced Genetic Variant Discovery

Dovetail Genomics, a leading innovator in genomic solutions, today announces the commercial launch of its LinkPrep™ technology for genetic variant detection at American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) conference.

4 Nov 2024

Understanding the Dynamics of Stem Cells

Age influences stem cell survival and immune diversity, according to new research on the long-term dynamics of transplanted stem cells in a patient’s body.

1 Nov 2024

A New Understanding of Viral Infection

Scientists studying animal viruses with the potential to infect humans have discovered a critical protein that could facilitate the spread of a family of organisms known as arteriviruses.

1 Nov 2024

Integrating Multiple Scales to Understand Brain Function

A long-standing goal of neuroscience is to understand how molecules and cellular structures on a microscale give rise to communication between brain regions at the macroscale. A study published in Nature Neuroscience now identifies, for the first time, hundreds of brain proteins that explain inter-individual differences in functional connectivity and structural covariation in the human brain.

1 Nov 2024

A New Method to Reprogram Plant Cells Offers Insights into Cell Wall Development

A new method developed by Penn State biologists allows them to turn stripped-down plant cells into other types of cells, similar to the way stem cells differentiate into different cell types. Using this method, the research team explored the banding patterns that increase the stability of plant cell walls -; much like the corrugated patterns in cardboard -; and how they are created.

1 Nov 2024

Study Links Archaic Gene Variant to Health Risks in First Nations Oceanians

An ancient gene mutation among First Nations inhabitants of Oceania may make them more susceptible to infectious diseases like influenza, according to a new study by scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.

30 Oct 2024