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A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

Role of Chloroplasts’ Dual Function From Photosynthesis to Immune Defense

For a long period, scientists have been aware of chloroplasts' role in converting solar energy into plant food.

26 Oct 2023

Wolbachia’s Fertility Magic: Implications for Mosquito Population Control

A recent investigation uncovers the biological processes through which a particular bacteria strain belonging to the Wolbachia genus may boost the reproductive capabilities of the insects it invades.

25 Oct 2023

Novel Gene Therapy Approach Delivers Large Genes

A breakthrough by University of Zurich (UZH) researchers introduces a versatile technique for efficiently and safely delivering substantial genes, holding significant promise for therapeutic applications.

25 Oct 2023

Kingfisher Genes Reveal Secrets of How They Dive Without Sustaining Brain Damage

If you've ever belly-flopped into a pool, then you know: water can be surprisingly hard if you hit it at the wrong angle. But many species of kingfishers dive headfirst into water to catch their fishy prey.

24 Oct 2023

Software Tool Paves the Way for Safer CRISPR Genome Editing

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking software tool known as DANGER analysis, offering a solution for safer and more precise genome editing.

23 Oct 2023

Reassessment of the Role of Background Mutations in Genome Editing

More than a thousand years ago, tomatoes evolved through natural mutations. After human evolution, they cherry-picked tomatoes with preferred traits.

20 Oct 2023

Study Uncovers New Mechanism for Plant-Microbe Communication

Microorganisms that live on or in plant tissues form what is known as a plant microbiome. This interface plays an important role in plants' survival due to the existence of beneficial microorganisms.

19 Oct 2023

Yeast-Based Method Could Accelerate Discovery of Plant-Based Medicinal Compounds

Cornell researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.

19 Oct 2023

Developing Regenerative Therapies to Treat Neurological Conditions

The primary cells that make up our brain and spinal cord, called neurons, are among the slowest to heal after injury, and many neurons never fully recover. Although research into neural regeneration has advanced, it is still unclear why certain neurons recover while others do not.

17 Oct 2023

"Old School" Genetics may be Just Fine for Species Conservation, Study Suggests

In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequenced?

17 Oct 2023

Marine Bacteria Could Help Tackle Plastic Pollution in the Oceans

A bacterium that can degrade the common polymer polybutylene succinate (PBS), which naturally biodegrades to only a limited extent in marine environments, could lead to improved ways to recycle this polymer.

17 Oct 2023

Breakthrough Research Discovers How the Body Controls Itch

It can be a relief to scratch the occasional itch, but when itch gets out of control, it can become a serious health problem. How does the body know when to stop?

16 Oct 2023

Study Discovers Fanzors in Eukaryotic Organisms

Snails, algae, and amoebas all have programmable DNA-cutting enzymes called Fanzors, and a recent study from Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) McGovern Institute for Brain Research has found hundreds of them.

16 Oct 2023

Study Uncovers Genes in Gut Microbe That Play Key Role in Early Colonization After Fecal Microbe Transplant

Fecal microbe transplants from healthy donors can treat patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. However, after tens of thousands transplants,

16 Oct 2023

Fruit Fly Model Provides Insights into Pathogenesis of New Genetic Disorder

Research conducted in the laboratory of Dr Hugo J. Bellen, a Distinguished Service Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and a principal investigator at the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children's Hospital, has identified a novel disorder linked to gain-of-function variants in the DOT1L gene.

16 Oct 2023

Identifying QTLs for Improved Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Eggplant

In the pursuit of sustainable agriculture, a key goal is to enhance nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops.

16 Oct 2023

Molecular Responses of Tomatoes to Chilling Stress

Cold sensitivity is a severe concern for several critical crops.

13 Oct 2023

DNA Methylation Enables Plants Adapt in a Warm World

Plants increasingly need to adapt quickly to preserve their existence as global warming continues to reshape ecosystems.

13 Oct 2023

DNA from 19th Century Fruit Flies Sheds Light on Evolution

Back when the biggest fly enthusiasts of 19th century Sweden -; Carl Fredrik Fallén, for one, and later Johan Wilhelm Zetterstedt -; were collecting insects for what would become Lund University's entomological collections, they wondered exactly what was that buzzing coming from their can of raisins.

13 Oct 2023

Researchers Develop Drug Targeting lncRNA TUG1 to Control Brain Tumor Growth in Mice

A new study has unraveled a crucial link between how cancer cells cope with replication stress and the role of Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 (TUG1). By targeting TUG1 with a drug, the researchers were able to control brain tumor growth in mice, suggesting a potential strategy to combat aggressive brain tumors such as glioblastomas.

13 Oct 2023