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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).

Using a programmable control switch to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules to target cells

Using an RNA sensor, MIT engineers have designed a new way to trigger cells to turn on a synthetic gene.

17 Mar 2023

Novel genetics tool for mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of endangered chimpanzees

The western chimpanzees of Guinea are threatened by mining activities. Using a novel genetic approach, UZH researchers and an international team have collected information on population size and community structure of the endangered species.

17 Mar 2023

Genomic analysis shows Ashaninka people are not as homogeneous as previously reported

The Ashaninka are the most numerous Indigenous people living in the rainforests of Peru and Brazil where they inhabit a crucial area between the Andes and sources of the Amazon River. And yet, despite the size of the population and their importance in the past and present, their genetic history has remained understudied.

17 Mar 2023

The impact of genome doubling on the development of cancer

Since a single cell has 2–3 m of DNA, the only method to store it is in tight coils. The answer is chromatin, a DNA-protein complex that is wrapped around histone proteins.

17 Mar 2023

Highly sensitive bioluminescent platform for nucleic acid detection

Despite significant advances, numerous highly sensitive viral disease diagnostic tests even now require complex techniques to prepare a sample or decipher a result, making them inconvenient for point-of-care settings or areas with limited resources.

17 Mar 2023

Study evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs

A new study published in PeerJ Life & Environment and featured in the International Association for Biological Oceanography Hub evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs.

14 Mar 2023

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

The product of a gene expressed in most cancers, including the most prevalent type of head and neck cancer, has been linked to elevated levels of white blood cells that produce antibodies inside tumors, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.

14 Mar 2023

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Synthetic biologists at Rice University are embarking on a three-year project to create "genetically encoded antibiotics," strands of RNA that bacteria will readily copy and share that will selectively kill only disease-causing, pathogenic bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

New perspective on how immune cells perceive viruses and other threats

A textbook chapter on the immune system may need to be revised as a result of a new study from Aarhus University.

14 Mar 2023

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

As conventional antibiotics continue to lose effectiveness against evolving pathogens, scientists are keen to employ the bacteria-killing techniques perfected by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used machine learning to automate the identification of defects in sister chromatid cohesion. They trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with microscopy images of individual stained chromosomes, identified by researchers as having or not having cohesion defects. After training, it was able to successfully classify 73.1% of new images. Automation promises better statistics, and more insight into the wide range of disorders which cause cohesion defects.

14 Mar 2023

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Two proteins help in protecting and stabilizing RNA as it travels through the cell carrying muscle-forming code. Studying this RNA-stabilizing complex further may have ramifications for muscle recovery and disease treatment.

10 Mar 2023

Gaining deep insights into mezcal worms

Mezcal is a distilled alcohol made from the boiled and fermented sap of agave plants. Most mezcal beverages -; including all brands of tequila -; are sold as pure distillates, but a few have an added stowaway bottled inside: worms.

10 Mar 2023

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe genetic skin disorder characterized by thick white, brown, or dark brown patches on the skin covering a newborn's entire body. HI has a low incidence of 1 per 300,000 live births but comes with the highest mortality rate among skin conditions. It is caused by a mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which codes for a protein involved in transporting lipids necessary for the formation of the skin barrier. Such protein shortage leads to a weaker epidermal barrier.

9 Mar 2023

Potential therapeutic can synergize with existing drugs to effectively destroy leukemia cells

A team of researchers has discovered a potential therapeutic that can synergize with existing drugs to more effectively kill certain leukemia cells.

9 Mar 2023

Pathogenic fungus binds to a human protein to escape elimination from lung cells

The pathogenic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus escapes elimination from surface cells of the human lung by binding to a human protein.

9 Mar 2023

Study shows link between a mitochondrial metabolite and activation of inflammatory response

A new study shows for the first time a connection between a mitochondrial metabolite and the activation of an inflammatory response.

9 Mar 2023

Scientists reveal mechanisms behind oxygen toxicity

When it comes to oxygen, you can have too much of a good thing. Breathing air that contains higher levels of oxygen than the usual 21 percent found in Earth's atmosphere can cause organ damage, seizures, and even death in people and animals, particularly if it's in excess of the body's oxygen needs. Until now, however, scientists have mostly speculated about the mechanisms behind this phenomenon, known as oxygen toxicity, or hyperoxia.

9 Mar 2023

Study pinpoints a splicing deregulation that causes therapeutic vulnerability in pediatric AML

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia or pAML is a childhood blood cancer, one that has proved confounding to clinicians and researchers, with a high relapse rate and relatively few identified genetic mutations (compared to the adult version) that might explain its cause.

8 Mar 2023

Scientists discover mechanism behind how plants can develop long-term immunity to stress

A mechanism behind how plants can develop long-term immunity to stress has been discovered by scientists at the University of Sheffield.

8 Mar 2023

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Using a programmable control switch to deliver therapeutic RNA molecules to target cells

Novel genetics tool for mining impact assessment and biomonitoring of endangered chimpanzees

Genomic analysis shows Ashaninka people are not as homogeneous as previously reported

The impact of genome doubling on the development of cancer

Highly sensitive bioluminescent platform for nucleic acid detection

Study evaluates the use of DNA metabarcoding to identify fish eggs

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

New perspective on how immune cells perceive viruses and other threats

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Gaining deep insights into mezcal worms

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Potential therapeutic can synergize with existing drugs to effectively destroy leukemia cells

Pathogenic fungus binds to a human protein to escape elimination from lung cells

Study shows link between a mitochondrial metabolite and activation of inflammatory response

Scientists reveal mechanisms behind oxygen toxicity

Study pinpoints a splicing deregulation that causes therapeutic vulnerability in pediatric AML

Scientists discover mechanism behind how plants can develop long-term immunity to stress

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