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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.

Case Western Reserve Biochemists Find New Approach to Stop Cancer Growth

Case Western Reserve University biochemical researchers have identified a new function of a key protein that leads to cancer–a finding they believe could lead to more effective treatments for a range of cancers and other diseases.

1 Sep 2023

The Last Piece of Our Genome: Sequencing the Y Chromosome

A full sequence of the Y chromosome, a feat that has challenged scientists for years, has been accomplished for the first time. In this interview, we speak to Dylan Taylor about this impactful research and how it may shape our understanding of human genetics.

1 Sep 2023

Algae Reveals Plant Development Across 600 Million Years

Large-scale gene expression data were generated by an international team of researchers, led by a team from the University of Göttingen, to examine the molecular networks that function in Mesotaenium endlicherianum, a common single-celled alga that is among the closest living relatives of land plants. Nature Plants reported their findings.

31 Aug 2023

Crick Researchers Identify Stem Cells in Thymus for First Time

For the first time, Francis Crick Institute researchers have discovered stem cells in the human thymus. These cells provide a possible new target for research into immunological disorders, cancer, and immune system stimulation.

31 Aug 2023

Novel Genotyping Method Reveals New Insights into Lettuce Genomics

A consortium of European investigators used SPET for the first time in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) as part of the European Evaluation Network (EVA) of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR), with the goal of studying its genetic diversity and identifying genomic regions that underpin agronomically important traits.

31 Aug 2023

Gene Expression Analysis of Algae Sheds Light on Plant Terrestrialization

The Earth's surface is covered by plants. They make up the majority of biomass on land and exhibit a wide range of diversity, from mosses to trees.

31 Aug 2023

New Strain of Marine Bacteria with Distinct Characteristics

Researchers discovered a new type of marine bacteria with distinct traits on the ocean floor.

30 Aug 2023

NSL Complex Regulates Intraciliary Transport Genes in Multiple Cell Types

The non-specific lethal (NSL) complex is a chromatin-associated factor that has been shown in both fruit flies and mammals to regulate the expression of thousands of genes. Abrogation of the NSL genes causes the organism to die, which gives rise to the complex’s unusual name.

28 Aug 2023

Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Muscular Dystrophy Patients

Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital reveal how damage to the cell’s energy factory causes muscle wasting. Closing a pore in the mitochondrial membrane in gene-edited mice prevents disease progression.

28 Aug 2023

Researchers Shed Light on Complex Interplay Between Taste Perception and Immune Function

A bitter taste in the mouth is often a symptom or side effect of illness, which may be the result of how the body reacts to pathogens. A new study published in iScience, by Hong Wang, PhD, an Associate Member at the Monell Chemical Sense Center, and colleagues sheds light on the mechanisms involved in the complex interplay between taste perception and immune function.

25 Aug 2023

Scientists Uncover New Mechanism for Degrading Short-Lived Proteins

Short-lived proteins control gene expression in cells to carry out a number of vital tasks, from helping the brain form connections to helping the body mount an immune defense. These proteins are made in the nucleus and are quickly destroyed once they've done their job.

25 Aug 2023

Plastics in Soil Might Make Bacteria More Resistant to Antibiotics

Modern farming, like any other industry, is heavily reliant on plastics. To name a few examples, consider plastic mulch lining vegetable beds, PVC pipes draining water from fields, polyethylene covering high tunnels, and plastic seed, fertilizer, and herbicide packaging.

24 Aug 2023