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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).

Genetic Study Reveals Heritable Basis for Music Enjoyment

Music is central to human emotion and culture. Does our ability to enjoy music have a biological basis? A genetic twin study, published in Nature Communications, shows that music enjoyment is partly heritable.

30 Mar 2025

Statistical Method Traces the Dynamic History of Genetic Movement

University of Michigan researchers have developed a statistical method that can be used for such wide-ranging applications as tracing your ancestry, modeling disease spread and studying how animals spread through geographic regions.

28 Mar 2025

New Tool Streamlines Genomic Research and Accelerates Medical Breakthroughs

A scientist from the School of Medicine, along with collaborators, has created a crucial new tool aimed at enhancing the efficiency of genomic research and expediting the development of innovative methods to improve human health.

28 Mar 2025

How Does DNA Unwind? Study Explores Helicase Mechanisms In DNA Replication

This study reveals how SV40 helicase unwinds DNA, highlighting ATP hydrolysis's role in translocation and offering insights into viral replication mechanisms.

28 Mar 2025

How B Cells Know When to Mutate—and When to Chill

Study reveals B cells suppress mutations during rapid division, enhancing immune response and offering critical insights for vaccine and treatment development.

27 Mar 2025

New Discovery Sheds Light on C. Diff's Survival Mechanism in the Gut

The pathogen C. diff - the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea - can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut.

26 Mar 2025

Novel Synthetic Antibiotics Against Drug-Resistant Pathogens

Frogs have flourished for hundreds of millions of years, occupying nearly every habitat on Earth, from tropical rainforests to subarctic woodlands.

26 Mar 2025

Non-Active Site Mutations Drive Enzyme Adaptation to Low Temperatures

Enzymes initially developed in high-temperature environments and subsequently adapted to cooler conditions as the Earth underwent a cooling phase.

26 Mar 2025

Enhanced Embryo Screening Efficiency in Primate Genetic Modification

Genetic engineering in non-human primates has historically faced limitations due to the reliance on virus-based gene delivery methods.

26 Mar 2025

How Chromosomes Shape Up for Cell Division

Among the many marvels of life is the cell’s ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

26 Mar 2025

EMBL Scientists Observe DNA Looping Process in High Resolution

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves.

25 Mar 2025

Unveiling Bacterial Immune Mechanisms Against Temperate Phages

Like humans, bacteria can be attacked by viruses. In the case of bacteria, these viral attackers are referred to as bacteriophages, a term derived from the Greek word for bacteria-eaters, or simply “phages.”

24 Mar 2025

UV Light Reshapes 3D Genome Structure, Altering DNA Repair and Gene Activity

Research shows UV radiation modifies 3D genome structure, affecting DNA damage response and gene activity, offering insights for cancer prevention strategies.

24 Mar 2025

Engineered Yeast Offers Sustainable Way to Produce D-Lactic Acid from Methanol

Great recipes require the perfect combination of ingredients - biotechnology recipes are no exception.

22 Mar 2025

First-Ever Molecular Movie Shows DNA Unzipping Mechanism in Action

Scientists at the University of Leicester have captured the first detailed "molecular movie" showing DNA being unzipped at the atomic level – revealing how cells begin the crucial process of copying their genetic material.

22 Mar 2025

Programmable Embryoids Provide Insight into Early Development

The earliest days after fertilization, once a sperm cell meets an egg, are shrouded in scientific mystery.

22 Mar 2025

AGD Initiative Drives Progress in Drug Discovery with Sequencing of 250,000 Whole Genomes

Nashville Biosciences LLC (NashBio), a leading clinical and genomic data company and wholly owned subsidiary of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and global DNA sequencing giant Illumina Inc. today announced that 250,000 whole genomes have been sequenced for the Alliance for Genomic Discovery (AGD) initiative.

22 Mar 2025