Genetic Information News and Research

RSS

Revealing how cohesin attaches to the DNA and forms loops

Ana Losada, a scientist at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and then at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, identified cohesin, a protein essential to the process of cell division, in Xenopus frogs at the end of the 1990s.

5 Apr 2023

New, Effective Method can Make Rare Cell Types and Disease Patterns Visible in Tissue

The human body contains more than 30 trillion cells. Until recently, the sheer number of cells in the organism meant that approaches to understanding human diseases and developmental processes based on the analysis of single cells were a futuristic vision.

3 Apr 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection hijacks and damages parts of infected cells' vital RNA machinery

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hijacks parts of infected cells' vital RNA machinery, thereby blocking important functions in the cells. These damaging changes in the RNA can likely be reversed, potentially leading to new drugs against COVID-19, University of Gothenburg researchers show.

30 Mar 2023

New findings could help target the causes of aging and cancer development

A protein complex prevents the repair of genome damage in human cells, in mice and in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, a team of researchers at the University of Cologne has discovered.

24 Mar 2023

TurboID-based proximity labeling in meiotic cells of Arabidopsis thaliana

During meiosis, reshuffling of genetic information between homologous chromosomes through meiotic recombination creates variable gametes and hence genetic variation in offsprings.

14 Mar 2023

Redefining low-risk WNT-pathway medulloblastoma based on newer biological information

A new research perspective was published in Oncotarget's Volume 14 on February 7, 2023, entitled, "WNT-pathway medulloblastoma: what constitutes low-risk and how low can one go?"

28 Feb 2023

New model simplifies the understanding of vascular malformations

Our bodies are made up of 60,000 miles of complex pipes that play a vital role in transporting nutrients throughout our bodies, performing waste disposal, and supplying our organs with fresh oxygen and blood.

27 Feb 2023

Epigenetics and the symbiosis between trees and fungi

To share nutrients and enhance their capacity for environmental adaptability, tree roots frequently collaborate with fungi. Although this interaction is mutually beneficial (namely, ectomycorrhizae), the biological mechanisms at play have not yet been completely analyzed.

23 Feb 2023

New biomarker helps identify biological age

Once considered to be incompetent in encoding proteins due to their simple monotonous DNA repetitions, tiny telomeres at the tips of human chromosomes now appear to have a powerful biological function that could help better understand cancer and aging.

21 Feb 2023

Researchers construct the first chromosome-scale reference genome of Plantago ovata

Scientists have for the first time constructed the reference genome for the source of the popular fiber supplement, psyllium husk, which could boost supplies of the versatile plant-derived product.

16 Feb 2023

Extracts from two common wild plants block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Two common wild plants contain extracts that inhibit the ability of the virus that causes COVID-19 to infect living cells, an Emory University study finds.

13 Feb 2023

Novel compound curtails influenza virus replication

Viruses use the molecular repertoire of the host cell to replicate. Researchers from the Cluster of Excellence ImmunoSensation2 at the University of Bonn, together with Japanese researchers, want to exploit this for the treatment of influenza.

10 Feb 2023

U.S. people show interest in using genetic technologies to improve offspring education

An article published today in the journal Science indicates that a substantial proportion of Americans are willing to use an essentially unregulated reproductive genetic technology to increase the chances of having a baby who is someday admitted to a top-100 ranked college.

10 Feb 2023

New hexameric structure of the protein triggering antibiotic resistance discovered

All living organisms require DNA replication to ensure the genetic integrity of the following generation. On the other hand, bacteria have the ability to horizontally transfer genetic information to other bacteria.

6 Feb 2023

Experimental optimization of prime editing to achieve high efficiency

Genome editing technologies have enormous potential for treating genetic diseases. Techniques like the extensively used CRISPR/Cas9 gene scissors target the source of the disease directly in the DNA.

3 Feb 2023

Research supports the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccination in cancer patients receiving immunotherapy

Research findings published in Frontiers in Immunology show that cancer immunotherapy does not interfere with COVID-19 immunity in previously vaccinated patients.

1 Feb 2023

Deep-learning model for zinc finger design allows reprogramming of human transcription factors

Researchers at the University of Toronto and New York University have developed a novel technology that can engineer proteins to target any stretch of DNA in the human genome, opening a door toward gene therapies for a broader range of health conditions.

27 Jan 2023

Researchers use supercomputer to unveil new methods for DNA mosaic recognition

As humans, we each have trillions of cells. And each cell has a nucleus with individual genetic information –DNA – that can mutate to create an abnormality.

25 Jan 2023

Effective anticancer strategy for selective killing of cancer cells

A study team headed by Dr Yuanliang Zhai from The University of Hong Kong’s (HKU) School of Biological Sciences and his associates from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Institut Curie in France discovered a new mechanism of the human MCM2-7 complex in controlling replication initiation, which can be employed as a unique and effective anticancer method with the potential for selective death of cancer cells.

11 Jan 2023

New information to combat the global challenge of AMR

An international research team has released important new information about what causes the emergence and spread of genes involved in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria.

14 Dec 2022