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Researchers Develop New Method for Assembling DNA Nanostructures

University at Albany researchers at the RNA Institute are pioneering new methods for designing and assembling DNA nanostructures, enhancing their potential for real-world applications in medicine, materials science and data storage.

13 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How DNA Reorganization Helps Cells Survive UV Damage

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is a well-known cause of DNA damage, which can lead to diseases like skin cancer.

13 Mar 2025

Modeling Genetic Disruptions in Heart Development

In the process of heart development, cells move around and interact with one another to establish their positions, with significant implications: pairing with an incorrect cell can determine whether the heart functions properly or not.

13 Mar 2025

Can We Engineer Crops to Withstand Climate Change and Increasing Temperatures?

Investigating heat stress in crops, this review highlights genetic adaptations and CRISPR techniques to develop resilient varieties for sustainable agriculture.

12 Mar 2025

Combination of Viral Antibodies and Genetic Risk Factors Linked to Increased MS Risk

In multiple sclerosis (MS), antibodies to the common Epstein-Barr virus can accidentally attack a protein in the brain and spinal cord. New research shows that the combination of certain viral antibodies and genetic risk factors can be linked to a greatly increased risk of MS.

12 Mar 2025

Machine Learning Addresses Ancestral Diversity in Disease Prediction

To ensure that medical genetic research better represents and benefits people from all backgrounds, researchers at the University of Florida are filling a crucial gap in the field.

11 Mar 2025

Cryo-EM Reveals 3D Structure of Nipah Virus RNA Polymerase

The replication of the Nipah virus's genetic material in infected cells has been demonstrated for the first time by researchers from the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Multidisciplinary Sciences and the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). In humans, the virus can cause fatal encephalitis.

11 Mar 2025

‘Rescue’ Mutations Protect Liver From Damage in Patients With Genetic Disorder

Acquired DNA mutations found in the SERPINA1 gene can protect liver cells from damage in patients with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, new research shows.

11 Mar 2025

Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria Play Key Role in Global Carbon Breakdown

Sulfate-reducing bacteria break down a large proportion of the organic carbon in oxygen-free zones of the Earth, and in the seabed in particular.

10 Mar 2025

Rare ITSN1 Gene Variants Found to Significantly Elevate Parkinson's Risk

A new study published in Cell Reports reveals a breakthrough discovery linking genetic variants in the gene ITSN1 to a significantly elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects nearly 2% of adults older than 65 years.

10 Mar 2025

Lack of Genetic Diversity in Reference Groups Leads to Misdiagnoses

A new study has uncovered that a gene variant common in Oceanian communities was misclassified as a potential cause of heart disease, highlighting the risk of the current diversity gap in genomics research which can pose a greater risk for misdiagnosis of people from non-European ancestries.

8 Mar 2025

Genomics can Transform Care for Children with Rare Diseases

A simple genomics blood test could improve treatment and care for childhood epilepsy, but more investment is needed to make access fair and securely join up the data, finds a new study involving researchers at University College London (UCL) and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH).

8 Mar 2025

Study Reveals How the Brain Reorganizes Sensory Maps After Loss of Touch

A team of researchers from the Institute for Neurosciences (IN), a joint center of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Miguel Hernández University (UMH) in Elche, has discovered that the developing brain can reorganize its sensory maps when the sense of touch is affected.

8 Mar 2025

Study Shows How Transposons Exploit Telomeres in Bacteria

Transposons, or "jumping genes" – DNA segments that can move from one part of the genome to another – are key to bacterial evolution and the development of antibiotic resistance.

8 Mar 2025

DENND1B Gene Linked to Obesity in Dogs and Humans

Dogs are a compelling model of human obesity, in part because they develop obesity due to similar environmental influences as people.

8 Mar 2025

New Brain-Mapping Technique Pinpoints Cell Types Linked to Alzheimer's Progression

Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington and the University of California–San Francisco have employed a novel brain-mapping technique to pinpoint memory-related brain cells that are susceptible to protein accumulation, a significant contributor to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, an irreversible and progressive neurological disorder that gradually impairs memory and cognitive abilities.

7 Mar 2025

Ancient Fish Fossils Reveal Synovial Joints Evolved Millions of Years Earlier Than Thought

Recent research reveals that synovial joints originated in early jawed fish, reshaping our understanding of vertebrate skeletal evolution and movement.

7 Mar 2025

Mapping DNA's Hidden Switches: A Methylation Atlas

A new study, led by PhD student Jonathan Rosenski under the guidance of Prof. Tommy Kaplan from the School of Computer Science and Engineering and Prof. Yuval Dor from the Faculty of Medicine at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Hadassah Medical Center, has been published in Nature Communications, presenting the first comprehensive atlas of allele-specific DNA methylation across 39 primary human cell types.

7 Mar 2025

New Genetic Discovery Could Lead to Larger Tomatoes and Eggplants

Bigger, tastier tomatoes and eggplants could soon grace our dinner plates thanks to Johns Hopkins scientists who have discovered genes that control how large the fruits will grow.

6 Mar 2025

Cryo-ET Reveals Retrotransposon Replication Inside Cells

An arms race is occurring within human cells: Transposons, also known as jumping genes or mobile genetic elements, can replicate and reintegrate themselves into the genome, posing a threat to genomic integrity by inducing DNA rearrangements and mutations.

6 Mar 2025