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“Junk” DNA could provide access to innovative treatments for neurological conditions

The breakthrough study from the University of Sheffield’s Neuroscience Institute and Healthy Lifespan Institute offers critical new insights into the so-called junk DNA, or DNA that was previously believed to be unimportant to the coding of the genome, and how it affects neurological disorders like Motor Neuron Disease (MND) and Alzheimer’s.

29 Sep 2022

Discovery of genes lending tolerance to sugarcane from pests, cold, and drought

Saccharum spontaneum, a species of wild sugarcane with exceptional resistance to biotic stresses like nematodes, fungi, bacteria, and other pests and diseases, as well as abiotic stresses like cold, drought, salinity, and nutritionally deficient soil, was the subject of a study at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil.

28 Sep 2022

WEHI receives $2.5 million fund to develop personalized cancer treatments

With a $2.5 million fund received from the Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), a new genomics project led by WEHI will develop precision medicine and customized cancer therapy for Australians.

27 Sep 2022

Tiny DNA strand net in a low-cost test platform traps COVID-19 virus

According to a new study, tiny nets made of DNA strands can capture the spike protein of the virus that causes COVID-19, illuminating it for a quick yet accurate diagnostic test and preventing it from infecting cells, suggesting a new potential path to antiviral treatment.

26 Sep 2022

Coral genome reveals cysteine biosynthesis pathways

Model animals, such as mice and fruit flies, have provided scientists with powerful insights into how cellular biology works. However, model animals are really just a guide, and it can be risky to generalize findings across animals from studying a selection of model organisms.

26 Sep 2022

World's terrestrial plant, animal life could already be at greater risk from genetic diversity loss

Climate change and habitat destruction may have already caused the loss of more than one-tenth of the world's terrestrial genetic diversity, according to new research led by Carnegie's Moises Exposito-Alonso and published in Science.

23 Sep 2022

Study shows how gut bacteria feed on carbohydrate attached to plant proteins

A carbohydrate commonly found attached to plant proteins is a food source for the bacteria in our gut, new research suggests.

23 Sep 2022

Understanding the structure of the nucleus inside a cell using mathematics

Recent work shows a novel mathematical approach to start comprehending how a cell’s nucleus is structured.

21 Sep 2022

Common genetic variants associated with beat synchronization identified

The first large-scale genomic study of musicality revealed 69 genetic variations linked with beat synchronization, which denotes the ability to move in time with the beat of the music.

20 Sep 2022

Unique combination of transcription factors trigger cell regeneration in zebrafish

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have identified a particular protein network required for cell regeneration to restore hearing in zebrafish.

15 Sep 2022

Using the genomes of wild tomato relatives to improve tomato

The relatives of the wild tomato, Solanum habrochaites and S. galapagense, are crucial sources of germplasm in contemporary tomato breeding.

13 Sep 2022

MD Anderson and Virogin Biotech collaborate to advance the development of investigational oncolytic viruses, treatments

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Virogin Biotech today announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development of investigational treatments, including oncolytic viruses and immunotherapies, for patients with advanced cancers.

12 Sep 2022

An inventory of human genetic variation through upgrading the 1000 genomes project resource

The first large-scale WGS project to produce a catalog of human genetic variation was the 1000 Genomes Project (1kGP), which was released as an open-access resource seven years ago.

8 Sep 2022

Developing a comprehensive framework to regulate GE crops

A Policy Forum article calls for a new method of regulating genetically engineered crops, claiming that the current procedures for mandating safety testing are inconsistent internationally.

8 Sep 2022

A “stress test” with a previously unknown gene to revive the exhausted T cells

The task of battling cancer cells can fatigue T cells employed in immunotherapy treatments, or they could shut down once they penetrate tumors. Researchers at the Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco have strengthened the therapeutic cells’ resistance via a CRISPR-based edit on their genomes.

30 Aug 2022

Therapeutic mRNAs do not significantly impact translational fidelity

Synthetic mRNA therapeutics for the treatment and prevention of disease has attracted a lot of interest due to the exceptional efficacy of mRNA vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2.

30 Aug 2022

Understanding protein structures can be more complicated than thought

When you think of proteins – the enzymes, signaling molecules, and structural components in every living thing – you might think of single strands of amino acids, organized like beads on a string.

29 Aug 2022

The complex link between pancreatic malformations and the “dark genome”

For the first time, scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) have discovered a DNA sequence that is essential for pancreatic development and function.

25 Aug 2022

Scientists uncover the robust mechanism used by insects

Researchers at IRB Barcelona, under the direction of Dr Marco Milan, have identified a very robust system that insects use for wing formation and regeneration.

25 Aug 2022

Researchers discover a genome that provides an understanding of diterpenoids

Salvia officinalis (S. officinalis), known as sage or common sage, and the Chinese sage (S. miltiorrhiza), or Danshen (red sage) in Chines, pertain to the Lamiaceae family and have been grown for medicinal purposes for a long time in Europe and East Asia, respectively.

22 Aug 2022