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A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

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

Alzheimer's: New Gene May Drive Earliest Brain Changes

A newly discovered Alzheimer's gene may drive the first appearance of amyloid plaques in the brain, according to a study led by researchers.

23 Jun 2020

New study shows how a protein works as 'master regulator' in the immune system

Scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology have discovered a potential new way to better fight a range of infectious diseases, cancers and even autoimmune diseases.

22 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

Cell Wall Research Reveals Possibility Of Simple And Sustainable Method To Protect Crops

While crop diseases have devastating consequences on agriculture, plants constantly evolve to maintain immune systems that allow them to develop defenses.

22 Jun 2020

Exploiting Viruses To Attack Cancer Cells

An adenovirus is now better able to target and kill cancer cells due to the addition of an RNA stabilizing element.

22 Jun 2020

Study shows promise for treating developmental and epileptic brain disease

Studies show that a pair of mutations detected in people with developmental and epileptic brain disease can be traced back to the same ion channel.

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

Researchers unlock a weakness in common type of cancer cells

Like any cells in the body, cancer cells need sugar - namely glucose - to fuel cell proliferation and growth. Cancer cells in particular metabolize glucose at a much higher rate than normal cells.

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

New mechanism that regulates balance between plant growth and defense revealed

Researchers from Kumamoto University, Japan have pinpointed the mechanism that regulates the balance between plant growth and defense.

19 Jun 2020

Fighting fish synchronize their attacks and also gene expression in the brain cells

When two betta fish are fighting for dominance, not only do their attacks mirror each other, but the gene expression in their brain cells also starts to align.

18 Jun 2020

Structural map reveals changes in SMCHD1 protein linked to degenerative conditions

Researchers have used structural biology to map a portion of a protein called SMCHD1, describing how certain modifications can lead to degenerative conditions.

18 Jun 2020

Researchers discover DNA differences in 100 varieties of tomatoes

A study has revealed over 230,000 DNA variations across 100 varieties of tomatoes, which will enable scientists to engineer juicier and larger plants.

18 Jun 2020

New system of gene editing allows for targeted, super-fast DNA repair

In a series of experiments using human cancer cell lines, scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine say they have successfully used light as a trigger to make precise cuts in genomic material rapidly, using a molecular scalpel known as CRISPR, and observe how specialized cell proteins repair the exact spot where the gene was cut.

18 Jun 2020

Researchers construct a high quality graph-based soybean pan-genome

Soybean oil is one of the world's most important vegetable oils and soybeans are a key protein feed crop. Cultivated soybeans were domesticated from wild relatives in China approximately 5,000 years ago.

18 Jun 2020

Specific gut bacteria can affect cholesterol levels in humans

In the darkest parts of the world where light fails to block out the unfathomable bounty of the stars, look up. There are still fewer specks illuminating the universe than there are bacteria in the world, hidden from sight, a whole universe inside just one human gut.

18 Jun 2020