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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.

Cancer-Causing Mutations Found in Healthy Breast Tissue

Williams, M. J., et al. (2024) Luminal breast epithelial cells of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers and noncarriers harbor common breast cancer copy number alterations. Nature Genetics. doi.org/10.1038/s41588-024-01988-0.

21 Nov 2024

Novel Mechanism Revealed for Zygotic Genome Activation in Drosophila

Early development of an embryo is solely supported by maternally deposited RNAs and proteins until its own genome is activated through a process called zygotic genome activation (ZGA).

20 Nov 2024

Study Reveals Mystery Behind Extra Genes in Coronaviruses

Viruses are lean, mean, infection machines. Their genomes are tiny, usually limited to a handful of absolutely essential genes, and they shed extra genomic deadweight extremely fast.

20 Nov 2024

Scientists Use Cell Density to Control Tissue Formation

Genes aren't the sole driver instructing cells to build multicellular structures, tissues, and organs.

20 Nov 2024

How CRISPRi is Helping Combat Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Findings on isoniazid-resistant M. tuberculosis reveal key vulnerabilities, suggesting new avenues for treatment strategies against drug-resistant tuberculosis.

20 Nov 2024

Advanced Sequencing Uncovers Cause of Rare Mitochondrial Encephalopathy

Mitochondrial diseases are among the most prevalent hereditary metabolic disorders, known to occur in one out every 5000 births.

19 Nov 2024

Understanding Marine Worms’ Unique Ability to Regenerate Lost Body Parts

Many living organisms are able to regenerate damaged or lost tissue, but why some are particularly good at this and others are not is not fully understood.

19 Nov 2024

Mouse Aging Proteomic Atlas Provides Insight into Age-Related Protein Shifts

With the worldwide population aging at an unprecedented rate, the prevention of age-related diseases has become a prominent issue.

18 Nov 2024

London Ranked Top City in Europe for Life Sciences

A newly released report has named London the #1 city in Europe and #3 globally for life sciences, behind Boston and New York, and ahead of Amsterdam, Munich, Paris, San Francisco, and Singapore.

18 Nov 2024

Comprehensive Proteomic Atlas of Aging in Mice

Preventing age-related illnesses has become a major concern as the global population ages at a never-before-seen rate.

15 Nov 2024

Study Shows How Genetic Variations Can Enhance Cancer Drug Effectiveness

By exploiting the genetic variation in cancer cells, an already approved cancer drug demonstrated enhanced effects against cancer cells in specific patient groups.

15 Nov 2024

AI Tool Predicts Gene Activity from Tumor Images to Guide Treatment

To determine the type and severity of a cancer, pathologists typically analyze thin slices of a tumor biopsy under a microscope.

15 Nov 2024

Caterpillar Fungus Compound Blocks Cancer Growth Signals Within 30 Minutes

Cordycepin, derived from fungi, shows promise in cancer therapy by inhibiting growth factor signaling pathways critical for cell proliferation and survival.

15 Nov 2024

Bioengineered Yeast Achieves Breakthrough in Mass-Producing Herbal Medicine

Herbal medicine is difficult to produce on an industrial scale. A team of Kobe University bioengineers manipulated the cellular machinery in a species of yeast so that one such molecule can now be produced in a fermenter at unprecedented concentrations.

14 Nov 2024

Groundbreaking Research Sheds Light on Mutant RAS and Cancer Progression

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and their collaborators have discovered a new way in which RAS genes, which are commonly mutated in cancer, may drive tumor growth beyond their well-known role in signaling at the cell surface.

12 Nov 2024

New Strategy Reinvigorates Exhausted T Cells to Fight Cancer

As cancer cells grow, they pump out metabolic byproducts such as lactic acid into the tumor microenvironment. Exhausted T cells -; which have lost their cancer-fighting oomph -; consume this lactic acid, which further saps their energy, according to new research from the University of Pittsburgh and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

11 Nov 2024