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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).

Super-resolution technology helps visualize DNA replication in single human cells

DNA replication is a process of critical importance to the cell, and must be coordinated precisely to ensure that genomic information is duplicated once and only once during each cell cycle.

26 Jun 2020

New approach spurs production of antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds in bacteria

Researchers have developed a method to spur the production of new antibiotic or antiparasitic compounds hiding in the genomes of actinobacteria, which are the source of drugs such as actinomycin and streptomycin and are known to harbor other untapped chemical riches.

26 Jun 2020

New imaging techniques reveal individual transcription factor proteins in real time

A new study provides a new understanding of the mechanisms through which DNA-binding proteins look for the genome for their particular binding sites.

26 Jun 2020

Lesion segregation can drive complex patterns of mutations in tumor genomes

Researchers from the German Cancer Research Center, Cambridge, and Edinburgh have been analyzing the evolution of tumors after chemical damage.

26 Jun 2020

A metabolic enzyme could be a potential drug target for B cell lymphomas

Scientists at the Sloan Kettering Institute have found that increased activity of a normal metabolic enzyme can lead to cancer.

25 Jun 2020

Whole genome sequencing can improve rare disease diagnosis

A research programme pioneering the use of whole genome sequencing in the NHS has diagnosed hundreds of patients and discovered new genetic causes of disease.

25 Jun 2020

Turning biomass DNA into degradable materials

DNA has a lot of handy uses. It stores the blueprint of genetic code. It helps usher along the evolution of species.

25 Jun 2020

Study shows how chemicals cause complex cell mutations

Fresh insights into why some harmful substances are so efficient at causing cancer could aid the quest for better treatments.

25 Jun 2020

Study shows microbiome can determine the wound healing process

If individuals experience a cut on their foot or leg, how long does it take for that particular wound to reveal signs of healing?

23 Jun 2020

Common bread fungus mutates its own DNA to fight virus-like infections

Organisms attempt to halt their DNA from mutating, but researchers have discovered that a common fungus mutates its own DNA as a means to fight infections.

23 Jun 2020

Novel precision medicine targets cancer's DNA defenses

A new precision medicine targeting cancer's ability to repair its DNA has shown promising results in the first clinical trial of the drug class.

23 Jun 2020

Females rely on anti-inflammatory T cells for blood pressure control

In the face of a multipronged front to drive blood pressure up, including a high-salt diet, females are better able to keep their pressure down by increasing levels of a T cell that selectively dials back inflammation, scientists say.

23 Jun 2020

Developments in Engineered T Cells for Type 1 Diabetes

AZoLifeSciences speaks to Professor David J. Rawlings from the Seattle children's hospital about recent developments in engineered T cells for type 1 diabetes.

23 Jun 2020

Diagnosing Brain Tumors With A Blood Test

A highly sensitive blood test has been found to accurately diagnose and classify different types of brain tumors, resulting in more accurate diagnosis.

23 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on DNA sculpting properties of enigmatic protein

Sometimes, when something is broken, the first step to fixing it is to break it even more. In a recent example, scientists seeking to understand the mechanism of a DNA-repairing enzyme have discovered that the molecule performs its functions by first marking and then further breaking damaged DNA.

22 Jun 2020

Biologists Unravel Tangled Mystery Of Plant Cell Growth

Scientists now understand how a protein called TANGLED1 can lead to accurate cell division in plants.

22 Jun 2020

Transcriptomic data can help track Neanderthal-derived RNA

Scientists are taking stem cell technology and using it to explore the developmental impacts of Neanderthal DNA.

19 Jun 2020

Study sheds light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA

Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University have shed light on the reproductive role of 'dark matter' DNA - non-coding DNA sequences that previously seemed to have no function.

19 Jun 2020

Discovery could lead to a new toolset for cancer drug development

In the watery inside of a cell, complex processes take place in tiny functional compartments called organelles. Energy-producing mitochondria are organelles, as is the frilly golgi apparatus, which helps to transport cellular materials. Both of these compartments are bound by thin membranes.

19 Jun 2020