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The Surprising Impact of Chaperone Proteins on Multicellular Evolution

In a recent study, scientists used an instrument known as “experimental evolution” under the direction of researchers from the University of Helsinki and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

11 Mar 2024

Unraveling Cacao's Past: Ancient Trade Routes and Genetic Diversity Explored

The cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), whose beans (cocoa) are used to make products including chocolate, liquor and cocoa butter, may have spread from the Amazon basin to the other regions of South and Central America at least 5,000 years ago via trade routes, suggests a paper published in Scientific Reports.

11 Mar 2024

Breakthrough Study Reveals Key Mechanism in Passing Epigenetic Information During Cell Division

A research team led by Professor Yuanliang ZHAI at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong collaborating with Professor Ning GAO and Professor Qing LI from Peking University, as well as Professor Bik-Kwoon TYE from Cornell University, has recently made a significant breakthrough in understanding how the DNA copying machine helps pass on epigenetic information to maintain gene traits at each cell division.

11 Mar 2024

Multiresolution DNA Simulation in Viral Genome Packaging

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign stated in the journal Nature that a computational model of the more than 26 million atoms in a DNA-packed viral capsid broadens the knowledge of virus structure and DNA dynamics, discoveries that potentially open up new research directions and therapeutic targets.

7 Mar 2024

New Therapeutic Devices for Diseases with ‘Internet of Life’

Although an electronic gadget and E. coli bacteria might not seem to have much in common, University of Maryland researchers recently connected them to create the first closed-loop system capable of communication across the technological and biological divide.

6 Mar 2024

CSHL Researchers Unravel Why Some Splicing-Based Drugs Tend to Work Better Than Others

Spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, is the leading genetic cause of infant death. Less than a decade ago, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) Professor Adrian Krainer showed this brutal disease can be treated by tweaking a process called RNA splicing.

6 Mar 2024

Quantifying Strain Variability in Natural Bacterial Populations

Researchers led by Kostas Konstantinidis from the Georgia Institute of Technology developed a novel approach to categorize bacteria into distinct species and strains, addressing a long-standing challenge in microbiology.

5 Mar 2024

First Whole Genome Sequencing of Male Breast Cancer Reveals Potential Treatment Targets

Male breast cancer has distinct alterations in the tumor genome that may suggest potential treatment targets, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

5 Mar 2024

Protein RAD51 Acts as Guardian Against DNA Over-Replication

Every time a cell divides, its DNA is duplicated so that the two daughter cells have the same genetic material as their parent.

5 Mar 2024

New Research Supports Concept of "RNA World"

The Salk Institute’s most recent research offers new perspectives on the beginnings of life and strong evidence in favor of the RNA World theory.

5 Mar 2024

Evolutionary Mystery Identified in Genome of Plants

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has enabled the significant advancement of plant genomics through its involvement in sequencing the first plant genome. Now, the same research laboratory hopes to address why introducing the same mutation in different crops does not always result in the desired traits.

5 Mar 2024

Grasping the Concept of Mendelian Randomization

Mendelian randomization, a key method in medical research, aids in determining whether certain factors actually cause disease.

4 Mar 2024

3D Visualizations of the Copying Machinery Found in Chloroplasts

Plants have to carry out photosynthesis and ultimately synthesize oxygen and chemical energy with the assistance of sunlight to support life on Earth.

4 Mar 2024

Unlocking the Potential of Fonio Seed Microbiome Engineering for Climate-Resilient Crops

Fonio (Digitaria exilis), a type of millet, is the oldest indigenous crop in West Africa and one of the fastest maturing cereals.

1 Mar 2024

Study Reveals Genomic Insights into Vocal Learning Across Mammals

The vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. Humans and birds, for example, are separated by some 300 million years of evolution.

1 Mar 2024

Paleogenomics Unveils the Evolutionary Journey of Modern Humans

Writing a commentary in the 50th anniversary issue of Cell, FU Qiaomei and E. Andrew Bennett, both of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored the contribution of paleogenomics to our understanding of the evolution of modern humans.

1 Mar 2024