DNA News and Research

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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).

Personal genome sequencing and personalized medicine

Genetic mutations have given life on Earth a stunning variety of various sizes, colors, and shapes. Some changes are beneficial, while others are dangerous or ineffective. There are about 4.5 million genetic variants per individual.

31 Mar 2023

Gene variants that improve nitrogen utilization identified

Nitrogen as a fertilizer can boost yields. Too much nitrogen, on the other hand, can have negative consequences such as high energy consumption in fertilizer manufacturing.

31 Mar 2023

Previously unknown telomere and cancer connection to the immune system revealed

Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists say their 20-year study of more than 200 people with premature aging syndromes caused by abnormally short telomeres, or shortened repetitive DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, may upend long-held scientific dogma and settle conflicting studies about how and whether short telomeres contribute to cancer risk.

31 Mar 2023

BGI Genomics and Zentya collaborate to launch COLOTECT in Slovakia

BGI Genomics is pleased to announce the launch of COLOTECTTM 1.0 in Slovakia, in collaboration with its local partner, Zentya. Zentya is a Slovak-based healthcare solution provider that is passionate about providing patients with the latest technology in the field of genetic screening, aiming to help identify and facilitate timely treatments of genetic diseases.

31 Mar 2023

Harnessing a natural bacterial system to deliver proteins in mice and human cells

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and the McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT have harnessed a natural bacterial system to develop a new protein delivery approach that works in human cells and animals.

30 Mar 2023

Ancient DNA reveals African founders intermingled with southwest Asian people around 1000 CE

While serfs toiled and knights jousted in Europe and samurai and shoguns rose to power in Japan, the medieval peoples of the Swahili civilization on the coast of East Africa lived in multicultural, coral-stone towns and engaged in trade networks spanning the Indian Ocean.

30 Mar 2023

SARS-CoV-2 infection hijacks and damages parts of infected cells' vital RNA machinery

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hijacks parts of infected cells' vital RNA machinery, thereby blocking important functions in the cells. These damaging changes in the RNA can likely be reversed, potentially leading to new drugs against COVID-19, University of Gothenburg researchers show.

30 Mar 2023

Study reports a new target to fight against antibiotic-resistant pneumonia

Increases in multidrug-resistance in the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae have made it the fourth-leading cause of death associated with antibiotic resistance.

30 Mar 2023

Epigenetic fingerprinting helps trace the origin of animal products

Food analysis laboratories can provide an answer to questions like “Was the salmon for dinner really caught wild or did it come from aquaculture? What to make of the alleged ‘biolabel quality’ of the shrimp for the seafood salad? And was the chicken for the Sunday roast really allowed to spend its life in the open air?” to a limited extent.

30 Mar 2023

New DNA editing tool could rapidly accelerate the design of custom microbes

A DNA editing tool adapted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists makes engineering microbes for everything from bioenergy production to plastics recycling easier and faster.

29 Mar 2023

Myeloid cells contribute to a long-lived HIV reservoir, study shows

A subset of white blood cells, known as myeloid cells, can harbor HIV in people who have been virally suppressed for years on antiretroviral therapy, according to findings from a small study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

28 Mar 2023

Human cells shed light on basic squid biology

Squids and octopuses are masters of camouflage, blending into their environment to evade predators or surprise prey.

28 Mar 2023

Newest variant of mScarlet3 to help track protein movements in living cells

Biologists frequently utilize a method to figure out why a cell divides, secretes hormones, or sends a signal to another cell. They attach colored lights to the proteins of interest so that they can see their motions and interactions in living cells under a microscope.

28 Mar 2023