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Stimulating Cell DNA Repair Processes to Combat the Root Cause of Autism Spectrum Disorders

A new treatment option has been discovered for fragile X syndrome, which is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorders and is defined by a hereditary repetition of certain nucleotides in the DNA sequence of the FMR1 gene. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) carried out the study, which was published in the journal Cell.

22 May 2023

Breakthrough "Gene Silencing" Technology Could Revolutionize the Development of DNAzymes

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have developed a DNA enzyme – or DNAzyme – that can distinguish between two RNA strands inside a cell and cut the disease-associated strand while leaving the healthy strand intact.

9 May 2023

Markers Indicating Early Signs of Schizophrenia Identified

For the first time, a global study group headed by investigators at Virginia Commonwealth University has found markers that might point out early if a person is susceptible to schizophrenia in the early stage itself.

28 Apr 2023

Simple and Portable Sensor Detects Salmonella Contamination in Food

McMaster University researchers have devised a quick and low-cost test for Salmonella contamination in chicken and other foods that is simpler to use than a home COVID test.

18 Apr 2023

Experts Develop a New Mesoscopic Simulation Model of DNA Movement

The mesoscopic scale in physics and chemistry relates to the length scale on which the properties of a material or phenomenon can be researched without delving into the behaviour of individual atoms.

5 Apr 2023

Newly developed toolkit uses small molecules to control the activity of synthetic RNA

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Astellas Pharma Inc., has developed a new toolkit that uses small molecules to control the activity of a piece of synthetic RNA, and ultimately regulate gene expression.

31 Mar 2023

New breakthrough in controlling plant responses to temperature

UC Riverside scientists have significantly advanced the race to control plant responses to temperature on a rapidly warming planet.

24 Mar 2023

Highly sensitive bioluminescent platform for nucleic acid detection

Despite significant advances, numerous highly sensitive viral disease diagnostic tests even now require complex techniques to prepare a sample or decipher a result, making them inconvenient for point-of-care settings or areas with limited resources.

17 Mar 2023

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Synthetic biologists at Rice University are embarking on a three-year project to create "genetically encoded antibiotics," strands of RNA that bacteria will readily copy and share that will selectively kill only disease-causing, pathogenic bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

BGI’s fluorescent RT-PCR kit obtains market access qualification for detecting SARS-CoV-2, IFV A, IFV B in Australia

On March 2, BGI's Multiplex Real-time Fluorescent RT-PCR Kit for Detecting SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A Virus and Influenza B Virus obtained market access qualification to enter the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods.

8 Mar 2023

Effective and faster methodology detects RNA viruses based on the triplex-forming probe technology

Experts from the University of Barcelona, the Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) and the Aragon Nanoscience and Materials Institute of Aragon (INMA) -;a joint institute of the CSIC and the University of Zaragoza-; have developed a new method to detect RNA viruses based on the triplex-forming probe technology.

28 Feb 2023

Digital microfluidics as the optimal technology for bacterial protocol advances

The February 2023 issue of SLAS Technology contains a set of four original research articles and one review article covering digital microfluidics (DMF), cryopreservation, colorectal cancer research and other laboratory automation technology.

17 Feb 2023

AutoPLP helps detect mutating pathogenic variants quickly and accurately

As we now know from our experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, the microbes responsible for some infections can rapidly mutate into variants that evade detection and treatment.

16 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

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

Structure of amyloid fibers formed by the protein hnRNPDL-2 determined

Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), UAB researchers determined the structure of amyloid fibers formed by the protein hnRNPDL-2, which has been linked to limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 3 and concluded that the protein’s inability to form amyloid ﬁbers, rather than aggregation, would be the cause of the disease.

6 Feb 2023

Scientists develop new design principles to improve cancer vaccines

A new way to significantly increase the potency of almost any vaccine has been developed by researchers from the International Institute for Nanotechnology at Northwestern University.

1 Feb 2023

Revealing the propagation of singlet oxygen along double stranded DNA

Nucleic acid-targeting photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative type of targeted therapy that is currently being studied. This treatment is based on photosensitizers, which are drugs that attach to specific regions in a cell’s DNA.

26 Jan 2023

Researchers expand the known defensive abilities of CRISPR–Cas systems

Viruses can infect bacteria and archaea, just as they can humans. These microbes have evolved their own immune defense mechanisms to combat their pathogens. Bacterial defenses, like CRISPR-Cas systems, contain a variety of proteins and functions that aid bacteria in protecting themselves from foreign intruders.

5 Jan 2023

Broadening the scope of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing systems

A group of Northwestern University researchers has created a novel gene editing platform that might influence the future application of a nearly infinite library of CRISPR-based therapeutics.

7 Oct 2022