DNA News and Research

RSS

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).

Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology in trees for a bio-based economy

Researchers led by prof. Wout Boerjan (VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology) have discovered a way to stably finetune the amount of lignin in poplar by applying CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

7 Oct 2020

New method can help test vaccine formulations

Scientists are casting a net for nanoparticles. They have now identified a new technique for producing nanoparticles from a simple, self-assembling polymer.

6 Oct 2020

CAR T cell therapy can predict treatment outcomes in patients with large B-cell lymphoma

Scientists have identified cellular and molecular features of anti-CD19 CAR T cell infusion products that are correlated with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL).

6 Oct 2020

Cancer mutations occur in distinct patterns based on 3D structure of the genome

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has discovered that mutations found in cancers do not accumulate randomly, but are found in distinct patterns that vary based on the three-dimensional organization of the genome in the cell as well as the underlying factors causing the mutations.

6 Oct 2020

Researchers identify small molecules that appear to reduce cellular stress

For many, getting older can unfortunately mean an increased risk of illness from cardiovascular disease to cancer. University of Michigan scientists are actively researching the biological underpinnings of aging with the aim of developing interventions that could potentially help people live longer, healthier lives.

6 Oct 2020

Researchers use physics to map the chaos of movement in living organisms

The behavior of living organisms might obey the same mathematical laws as physical phenomena, such as weather and the motion of planets, says new research from the Biological Physics Theory Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University.

6 Oct 2020

Researchers identify new DNA fragment that forms male sex organs in mice

Researchers have identified a new piece of DNA that is crucial for the formation of male sex organs. This discovery may require the revisal of biology textbooks.

5 Oct 2020

Type and direction of force on a cell can alter gene expression

Tissues and cells in the human body are subjected to a constant push and pull - strained by other cells, blood pressure and fluid flow, to name a few.

5 Oct 2020

Neanderthal gene variant associated with higher risk of developing severe COVID-19

Research has revealed that a part of DNA, which causes a almost three times higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, is inherited from Neanderthals.

5 Oct 2020

Scientists discover new genes and brain circuits crucial for short-term memory

A mice study has revealed a novel gene that is crucial for short-term memory but works in a part of the brain that is not usually linked to memory.

5 Oct 2020

Genetic factor enables regeneration of adult skin like a newborn's

A newly identified genetic factor allows adult skin to repair itself like the skin of a newborn babe. The discovery by Washington State University researchers has implications for better skin wound treatment as well as preventing some of the aging process in skin.

30 Sep 2020

New mobile app analyzes SARS-CoV-2 genome on a smartphone

A new mobile app has made it possible to analyse the genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a smartphone in less than half an hour.

30 Sep 2020

Study explains the organization of genetic information contained within mitochondria

Mitochondria creates energy for cells, and are called the “powerhouse". The genetic information is present within the mitochondria for making this energy.

30 Sep 2020

Epigenetic alterations drive late-onset Alzheimer's disease

New findings suggest that late-onset Alzheimer's Disease is driven by epigenetic changes -- how and when certain genes are turned on and off -- in the brain. Results were published today in Nature Genetics.

29 Sep 2020

New precision drug targeting cancer's ability to repair DNA shows promise

A new precision drug which stops cancer from repairing its DNA has shown promise in an early-stage clinical trial - highlighting the potential of a new class of drugs known as ATR inhibitors.

29 Sep 2020

Researchers sequence the genome of original penicillin strain

For the first time, scientists have sequenced the genome of Alexander Fleming’s penicillin mould and compared it to the later models.

25 Sep 2020

Study may help develop new immunotherapies for different types of tumors

A team of researchers have plotted the genes that enable cancer cells to avoid being destroyed by the immune system.

From University of Toronto 25 Sep 2020

Polyphenolic compound extracted from blueberry can treat inflammatory bowel disease

Different plants and their products contain “bioactive” components that can reduce human diseases.

25 Sep 2020

Researchers discover how antibiotic resistance genes spread via plasmids

For the first time, researchers have discovered how antibiotic resistance genes are spreading, at a continental scale, via bacterial plasmids in the hospital superbug, Klebsiella pneumoniae.

25 Sep 2020

A new method to fish out Y chromosome molecules from microbial DNA

In 1997, the very first Neanderthal DNA sequence - just a small part of the mitochondrial genome - was determined from an individual discovered in the Neander Valley, Germany, in 1856.

25 Sep 2020