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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).

Zebrahub Offers Unprecedented Insight into Embryonic Development

When early cartographers undertook perilous expeditions to map unknown corners of the world with sextants, compasses, and hand-drawn diagrams, it's unlikely they imagined that someday anyone with an internet connection would have access to a seamless view of the entire planet from the comfort of their own home.

25 Oct 2024

Mobile Genetic Elements Alter Antagonistic Strategies of Gut Bacteria

Bacteria evolve rapidly in the human gut by sharing genetic elements with each other. Bacteriodales is a prolific order of gut bacteria that trade hundreds of genetic elements.

25 Oct 2024

Common Plastic Ingredient Linked to DNA Damage in Roundworms

A new study conducted in roundworms finds that a common plastic ingredient causes breaks in DNA strands, resulting in egg cells with the wrong number of chromosomes.

25 Oct 2024

New Study Links Cannabis Use to DNA Methylation Changes in Mental Health Pathways

Research reveals that frequent high-potency cannabis use alters DNA methylation, affecting mitochondrial and immune genes, with implications for mental health.

25 Oct 2024

Understanding Algal Gene Expression Through Histone Dynamics

A previously unknown molecular signature of the regulation of algal genomes during the cell cycle was discovered, thanks to a novel technique that research teams can employ to test and compare various protein forms and protein complexes.

24 Oct 2024

Artificial Intelligence Designs Novel DNA Elements for Precise Gene Control

Using artificial intelligence, scientists at Yale University, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and The Jackson Laboratory have created thousands of novel DNA switches that can precisely regulate a gene's expression in many cell types.

24 Oct 2024

Personalized Mini-Brains Provide Insight into Autism Spectrum Disorder

Using stem cells generated from patients with a rare and severe form of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, Scripps Research scientists have grown personalized "mini-brains" (or organoids) to study the disorder in new detail.

24 Oct 2024

Discovery of RNA Brake Offers Insights into Neurodevelopmental Disorders

When a gene produces too much protein, it can have devastating consequences on brain development and function.

24 Oct 2024

New Bacterial Toxins Discovered as Potential Weapons Against Infections

Researchers have discovered a new group of bacterial toxins that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi, opening the door to potential new treatments for infections.

23 Oct 2024

Structural Insights into Bacteriophages Open Doors for New Therapeutics

The viruses that infect bacteria are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. For example, a recent simple study of 92 showerheads and 36 toothbrushes from American bathrooms found more than 600 types of bacterial viruses, commonly called bacteriophages or phages.

23 Oct 2024

Unraveling the Mechanics Behind Transcription-Dependent Motions of Single Genes

A group of researchers has found unexpected links between genome packing, gene activity, and genome-wide motions, exposing features of the genome's structure that have a direct impact on gene expression and regulation.

23 Oct 2024

New Study Uncovers How Viral Infections Trigger Pain, Identifies Potential Target for Relief

Findings indicate nociceptors detect viral nucleic acids, activating STING and TRPV1, highlighting new pain mechanisms in viral infections like HSV-1.

23 Oct 2024

Unraveling the Genetic Blueprint of the Deep Brain

Researchers have discovered 254 genetic variations that influence important “deep brain” structures, such as those that govern memory, motor skills, addictive behaviors, and more, in one of the biggest-ever investigations of DNA and brain volume.

22 Oct 2024

Unlocking the Secrets of Life Through Synthetic Biology

It is one of the most fundamental questions in science: how can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? Bert Poolman, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Groningen, has been working on this problem for over twenty years.

22 Oct 2024

Mapping Auxiliary Metabolic Genes in Ocean Viruses

The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don't do the work on their own – the viruses that infect them also influence the process.

21 Oct 2024

Researchers Aim to Illuminate Biological Dark Matter with DNA Barcoding

The Earth is an almost unimaginably diverse planet in terms of species. Researchers have identified between two and three million species, but there are many more that we know nothing about.

18 Oct 2024

Research Advances Understanding of Gene Expression Mechanisms

During embryonic development, cells start out as pluripotent, or have the potential to become many different cell types through differentiation.

17 Oct 2024

Genetic Study Reveals Vulnerability of Bonobos

Bonobos, endangered great apes that are among our closest relatives, might be more vulnerable than previously understood, finds a genetics study led by a UCL researcher that reveals three distinct populations.

17 Oct 2024

Study Unlocks Mechanisms Behind Nucleosome Arrays Using Signal Theory and Machine Learning

Findings show that machine learning can accurately predict nucleosome positions, emphasizing the relationship between nucleosome architecture and gene activity.

17 Oct 2024

Unveiling the Potential of YY1 in Blood Cell Development and Therapy

Common lymphoid progenitors, pre-pro-B cells, pro-B cells, pre-B cells, immature B cells, and finally more mature and specialized B cells are the stages in which B cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies, develop.

17 Oct 2024