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Novel Approach to Lipid Nanoparticle Engineering

To enhance mRNA distribution, Penn engineers have created an ideal “recipe” for ionizable lipids, which are essential components of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the molecules that underlie the COVID-19 vaccines and other cutting-edge treatments.

25 Nov 2024

Overlapping Enhancers Challenge Traditional Genetic Models

The DNA of plants and animals contains their blueprint. However, genes, which are the instructions for generating proteins, are found in a very small portion of the genome roughly 2% in mammals.

25 Nov 2024

Self-Eliminating e-Drive System Reverses Insecticide Resistance in Fruit Flies

Insecticides have been used for centuries to counteract widespread pest damage to valuable food crops. Eventually, over time, beetles, moths, flies and other insects develop genetic mutations that render the insecticide chemicals ineffective.

25 Nov 2024

New Vector Systems Open the Door for Efficient Genetic Modification

A recent breakthrough in biotechnology promises to change the landscape of plant genetic engineering. Imagine a persistent invader-;Agrobacterium-;long used to deliver genes into plants. Despite its historical success, the journey has been fraught with setbacks, especially with crops that launch fierce immune defenses.

25 Nov 2024

Simplified Model Predicts Neuronal Activity in Zebrafish Gaze Control

Working with week-old zebrafish larva, researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine and colleagues decoded how the connections formed by a network of neurons in the brainstem guide the fishes' gaze.

25 Nov 2024

Researchers Decode Complete Genome of Medicinal Plant Forsythia Suspensa

A recent study has decoded the complete genome of Forsythia suspensa, a plant renowned for its medicinal value and decorative appeal.

23 Nov 2024

Study Reveals Genetics Behind Dilated Cardiomyopathy

A potentially life-changing heart condition, dilated cardiomyopathy, can be caused by the cumulative influence of hundreds or thousands of genes and not just by a single "aberrant" genetic variant, as was previously thought, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences.

23 Nov 2024

Rutgers Researchers Uncover How Brain Cells Form Functional Networks

Rutgers researchers at the Brain Health Institute (BHI) and Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research (CAHBIR) have uncovered how different types of brain cells work together to form large-scale functional networks in the human brain – interconnected systems that support everything from sensory processing to complex decision-making – paving the way for new insights into brain health and disease.

23 Nov 2024

Scientists Identify Gene Variant Linked to Early Miscarriages in Women

In what could be a major advance in understanding the genetic causes underlying human infertility, scientists led by researchers from Rutgers University-New Brunswick have identified a gene variant directly tied to early miscarriages in women.

23 Nov 2024

Human Cell Atlas Consortium Makes Major Progress in Understanding the Human Body

Researchers with the global Human Cell Atlas (HCA) consortium report significant progress in their quest for a better understanding of the cells of the human body in health and disease, with the publication today (20 November) of a Collection of more than 40 peer-reviewed papers in Nature and other Nature Portfolio journals.

22 Nov 2024

Mapping of Mouse Intestine Sheds Light on Immune Control and Adaptability

The intestine maintains a delicate balance in the body, absorbing nutrients and water while maintaining a healthy relationship with the gut microbiome, but this equilibrium is disrupted in parts of the intestine in conditions such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease.

22 Nov 2024

Chromosome Abnormalities Found in Healthy Women’s Breast Cells

A new study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center finds that, in healthy women, some breast cells that otherwise appear normal may contain chromosome abnormalities typically associated with invasive breast cancer. The findings question conventional thinking on the genetic origins of breast cancer, which could influence early cancer detection methods.

22 Nov 2024

Researchers Map DNA Repair Protein Activity in Human Cells

New research from the Kind Group at the Hubrecht Institute sheds light on how cells repair damaged DNA. For the first time, the team has mapped the activity of repair proteins in individual human cells.

22 Nov 2024

Versatile Molecule with a New Role in Genome Maintenance

A multi-institutional team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has uncovered a hitherto unidentified function for RNA.

22 Nov 2024

Immunotherapy Advances: CAR T Cells Targeting GD2 Offer Hope for Glioma Patients

Findings suggest GD2-specific CAR T-cell therapy is a viable option for H3K27M-mutant gliomas, with significant tumor shrinkage and clinical benefits observed.

22 Nov 2024

Ancient DNA Unlocks Secrets of European Genetic Adaptation

Leveraging a unique statistical analysis and applying it to ancient DNA extracted from human skeletal remains, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles has revealed new insights into how ancient Europeans adapted to their environments over 7,000 years of European history.

21 Nov 2024

Discovery of Large Tandem Duplications Opens New Avenues for Cancer Treatment

Cancer researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that mutations in certain genes can lead to the accumulation of DNA errors, resulting in a specific type of genetic change known as large tandem duplications (TDs) that can arise from the collision of two critical cellular processes: transcription and DNA replication.

21 Nov 2024