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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).

Personalized Mini-Brains Provide Insight into Autism Spectrum Disorder

Using stem cells generated from patients with a rare and severe form of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, Scripps Research scientists have grown personalized "mini-brains" (or organoids) to study the disorder in new detail.

24 Oct 2024

Discovery of RNA Brake Offers Insights into Neurodevelopmental Disorders

When a gene produces too much protein, it can have devastating consequences on brain development and function.

24 Oct 2024

New Bacterial Toxins Discovered as Potential Weapons Against Infections

Researchers have discovered a new group of bacterial toxins that can kill harmful bacteria and fungi, opening the door to potential new treatments for infections.

23 Oct 2024

Structural Insights into Bacteriophages Open Doors for New Therapeutics

The viruses that infect bacteria are the most abundant biological entities on the planet. For example, a recent simple study of 92 showerheads and 36 toothbrushes from American bathrooms found more than 600 types of bacterial viruses, commonly called bacteriophages or phages.

23 Oct 2024

Unraveling the Mechanics Behind Transcription-Dependent Motions of Single Genes

A group of researchers has found unexpected links between genome packing, gene activity, and genome-wide motions, exposing features of the genome's structure that have a direct impact on gene expression and regulation.

23 Oct 2024

New Study Uncovers How Viral Infections Trigger Pain, Identifies Potential Target for Relief

Findings indicate nociceptors detect viral nucleic acids, activating STING and TRPV1, highlighting new pain mechanisms in viral infections like HSV-1.

23 Oct 2024

Unraveling the Genetic Blueprint of the Deep Brain

Researchers have discovered 254 genetic variations that influence important “deep brain” structures, such as those that govern memory, motor skills, addictive behaviors, and more, in one of the biggest-ever investigations of DNA and brain volume.

22 Oct 2024

Unlocking the Secrets of Life Through Synthetic Biology

It is one of the most fundamental questions in science: how can lifeless molecules come together to form a living cell? Bert Poolman, Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Groningen, has been working on this problem for over twenty years.

22 Oct 2024

Mapping Auxiliary Metabolic Genes in Ocean Viruses

The microbes that cycle nutrients in the ocean don't do the work on their own – the viruses that infect them also influence the process.

21 Oct 2024

Researchers Aim to Illuminate Biological Dark Matter with DNA Barcoding

The Earth is an almost unimaginably diverse planet in terms of species. Researchers have identified between two and three million species, but there are many more that we know nothing about.

18 Oct 2024

Research Advances Understanding of Gene Expression Mechanisms

During embryonic development, cells start out as pluripotent, or have the potential to become many different cell types through differentiation.

17 Oct 2024

Genetic Study Reveals Vulnerability of Bonobos

Bonobos, endangered great apes that are among our closest relatives, might be more vulnerable than previously understood, finds a genetics study led by a UCL researcher that reveals three distinct populations.

17 Oct 2024

Study Unlocks Mechanisms Behind Nucleosome Arrays Using Signal Theory and Machine Learning

Findings show that machine learning can accurately predict nucleosome positions, emphasizing the relationship between nucleosome architecture and gene activity.

17 Oct 2024

Unveiling the Potential of YY1 in Blood Cell Development and Therapy

Common lymphoid progenitors, pre-pro-B cells, pro-B cells, pre-B cells, immature B cells, and finally more mature and specialized B cells are the stages in which B cells, white blood cells that produce antibodies, develop.

17 Oct 2024

Transposable Elements Drive a Critical Transition in Early Embryogenesis

Researchers at Sinai Health have discovered that DNA elements known as transposons, which may travel throughout the genome, control a crucial stage in early human development instead of human genes.

16 Oct 2024

Scientists Identify Drug-Binding Site on FOXA1

Forkhead box protein 1 (FOXA1) is a difficult-to-target protein that is frequently involved in hormone-driven malignancies, such as those of the breast and prostate.

16 Oct 2024

Next-Generation Sequencer Enhances Genetic Research at UT Arlington

The North Texas Genome Center (NTGC) at UT Arlington is getting an upgrade in the form of a next-generation genetic sequencer that will allow researchers to study genetic links between health and disease at a large scale.

16 Oct 2024

Transposable Elements Are Key to Normal Progression of Embryonic Cells

A critical transition in early human development is regulated not by our own genes, but by DNA elements called transposons that can move around the genome, Sinai Health researchers have found.

16 Oct 2024

High Potency Cannabis Leaves Unique DNA Signature, Study Shows

Published in Molecular Psychiatry, this is the first study to suggest that the use of high potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA, providing valuable insights into the biological impact of cannabis use.

16 Oct 2024

Advanced Model Predicts Nucleosome Positions with High Precision

DNA-;the molecule that carries the genetic information of all living organisms-;is packaged within cells in a complex manner that allows it to function efficiently.

15 Oct 2024