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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

New tool advances potential means to deliver gene therapy

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine claim to have successfully “slid” genetic instructions into a cell and produced essential proteins that were lacking from those cells using a cell’s normal process for creating proteins.

1 Nov 2022

All normal human tissues express remnants of widespread retrovirus

Ancient viral remnants in the human genome are active in both healthy and diseased tissues, restricting their applicability as disease indicators, according to a study published on October 18th, 2022, in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Aidan Burn at Tufts University in Boston, USA and colleagues.

20 Oct 2022

Novel method for comparing single-cell trajectories with tree alignment

The genes that are activated in a single cell can now be determined thanks to advances in high-throughput biological studies. However, interpreting the resulting complex datasets might be difficult.

From Osaka University 20 Oct 2022

Dual threat may lead cyanobacteria to take in more carbon

The types of ocean bacteria known to absorb carbon dioxide from the air require more energy – in the form of carbon – and other resources when they're simultaneously infected by viruses and face attack from nearby predators, new research has found.

19 Oct 2022

An accurate overview of gene activity could provide targeted therapies

Normal gene activity in the afflicted cells is changed during pathological events. Therefore, obtaining a precise picture of gene activity could hold the key to the creation of new, targeted therapies.

18 Oct 2022

The ability of cells to adjust their growth to changing environmental conditions

Growth is a fundamental element of all life on this planet, whether it be a mammal, a single-celled organism, a plankton, or a sequoia.

18 Oct 2022

New technique identifies tumor-associated microbes

Researchers from Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health investigated the microbiome of pancreatic tumors and discovered certain microbes linked to inflammation and poor survival.

From Rutgers University 12 Oct 2022

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

Making synthetic biology applications feasible using RNA origami

Synthetic biology aims to acquire comprehensive control over biological functions to produce designer organisms for a range of commercial, diagnostic, and therapeutic uses.

6 Oct 2022

Cell illumination and targeted cell editing using RNA-based editing technology

An RNA-based editing tool has been developed by Duke University researchers, which targets specific cells rather than genes. Any cell type can be precisely targeted, and any protein of interest can be added only to that cell type.

6 Oct 2022

New insight into human genome evolution

Researchers discovered that in one out of every 4,000 births, some of the genetic code from the mitochondria—the “batteries” that power human cells—inserts itself into the DNA, giving a startling new insight into how humans evolve.

6 Oct 2022

A strong enzyme that functions similar to a Swiss army knife

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, have a superpower that likely contributes to their extreme success as waterway invaders. They have a remarkable capacity to store nitrogen and energy in their cells for use when necessary.

3 Oct 2022

New guidelines to generate high-quality, well-structured organoids

Researchers have opened a new avenue for investigations of neurological development, disease, and therapies that cannot be undertaken in living people by employing stem cells to grow small brain-like structures in the lab.

30 Sep 2022

Using in vivo self-assembled siRNA as part of combination therapy for ulcerative colitis

There is still a large unmet medical need for the treatment of ulcerative colitis, despite recent improvements in the understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of ulcerative colitis.

30 Sep 2022

Highly effective and safe Zika vaccine technology

Scientists from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a Zika vaccine technology that is very safe and effective in preclinical mouse models.

29 Sep 2022

New insights into the regulatory mechanisms of cell fate decisions

The Babraham Institute’s Reik lab’s study has improved the understanding of the function of DNA methylation during the early stages of development.

29 Sep 2022

Carp virus provides significant insights into immunology

In an article published in the journal Nucleic Acids Research, the team led by Prof. Alain Vanderplasschen, a virologist and immunologist at the University of Liège, describes 10 years of research on how a carp virus uses a protein domain called Zalpha (Zα) to inhibit the host cell’s defense mechanisms.

26 Sep 2022