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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).

Genes can be used to better predict the likelihood of kidney cancer recurrence

A decade-long international study into kidney cancer has shown that doctors can predict the likelihood of a patient's disease returning by looking at DNA mutations in their tumors.

24 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

Genetic study emphasizes the significance of “balancing selection” in evolution

Nature can maintain various genetic features in balance as a species grows over millions of years, much like a merchant of old would do when balancing the weights of two distinct products on a scale.

23 Feb 2023

New compound found in cigarette smoke damages human lung cells’ DNA

Once in a while, people are exposed to possibly detrimental substances in the environment or through their habits or diets. For instance, a compound discovered in cigarette and industrial smoke, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), is responsible to damage DNA.

23 Feb 2023

New model describes the enormous range of DNA in nature

Why neutral sequences, frequently referred to as “junk DNA,” are not removed from the genomes of living things in nature and persist there even millions of years later is a scientific mystery that could have a possible answer according to a new model created at Tel Aviv University.

23 Feb 2023

Modifying patients' intestinal flora could be a new therapeutic approach for colon cancer

Studies show that certain bacteria may contribute to the development of colorectal cancer by producing toxins that may damage colon cells or cause an accumulation of DNA mutations and/or intestinal inflammation.

23 Feb 2023

Mount Sinai researchers illuminate the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease

Mount Sinai researchers have published a study in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association that sheds new light on the role of DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

23 Feb 2023

New puzzle challenge taps into the intelligence of Eterna’s users to advance RNA therapeutics

Researchers at UC Santa Cruz working to develop novel RNA-based medicines are teaming up with a new group of collaborators-;players of the online game Eterna.

22 Feb 2023

Metabolic reactions upon activating Akt2 enzyme revealed

Takeaki Ozawa and his team from the University of Tokyo reveal the metabolic reactions upon activating an enzyme called Akt2.

22 Feb 2023

Novel model system helps studying human ovarian biology

Despite the fact that we all start out as an egg cell in one of our mother's ovaries, these human reproductive organs are surprisingly under-studied. Scientists have been working on creating in vitro models of human ovaries so that we can learn more about them and develop treatments for ovarian conditions, but most existing models use a combination of human and mouse cells, which do not faithfully replicate human ovary functions and take a long time to grow in the lab.

22 Feb 2023

Study reveals how chloroplast ATP synthase regulates ATP production in organisms

ATP, the compound essential for the functioning of photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, is produced by an enzyme called "chloroplast ATP synthase" (CFoCF1).

22 Feb 2023

DNA methylation for precise gene expression regulation

If the genome is viewed as a guidebook for how a cell should operate, then annotations, highlights, and bookmarks are included on every page.

21 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

Analyzing the existence of unknown miniproteins

Evolutionarily young miniproteins are unique in humans, and scientists have recently found thousands of them.

21 Feb 2023

"Poisoned" form of a protein could set off events that encourage cancer growth

Scientists at Scripps Research, with collaborators in Japan, have discovered how a "poisoned" form of a protein could set off a cascade of events that encourage the growth of some cancers.

17 Feb 2023

Locating genes involved in the metabolism and distribution of human fat

Researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School and the University of Chicago discovered data identifying “jumping genes”—associated with the distribution of fat in the abdomen—that are connected to a higher risk for health problems from obesity in women.

17 Feb 2023

Improved efficacy of advanced genome editing with machine learning

Researchers at the Wellcome Sanger Institute have developed a new tool to estimate the probability of successfully introducing a gene-edited DNA sequence into a cell’s genome using the prime editing method.

17 Feb 2023

Reversal of ADAR1 hyper-editing with small molecule inhibitor

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Sanford Stem Cell Institute and Moores Cancer Center report that a late-stage, pre-clinical small molecule inhibitor, called rebecsinib, reverses malignant hyper-editing by an inflammation-induced protein isoform, known as ADAR1 p150.

17 Feb 2023

New insights into genetics of sexually dimorphic fat distribution in humans

Obesity causes many health problems and worsens several chronic illnesses, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, however, some obese people are more susceptible to complications than others.

17 Feb 2023

NIH researchers release new tool to assemble complete genome sequences on-demand

National Institutes of Health researchers have developed and released an innovative software tool to assemble truly complete (i.e., gapless) genome sequences from a variety of species.

17 Feb 2023