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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).

Stem Cell Study Reveals Developmental Dance Behind Individual Variation

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have conducted a comprehensive analysis of the variations present in human stem cells. This study sheds light on how the unique “developmental dance” at the molecular level within an individual's cells can shape the formation of the brain and the body.

26 Sep 2024

Enhancing Global Nutrition Through Gene-Edited High-Protein Crops

A Mississippi State biologist's groundbreaking research in improving global nutrition and sustainability is featured this week in New Phytologist, a leading plant biology journal.

26 Sep 2024

The Evolutionary Secrets of Human Hearts

A team from the Max Delbrück Center's Hübner and Diecke Labs demonstrated the genetic differences between human and non-human primate hearts.

25 Sep 2024

Neutron Scattering Reveals Enzyme Secrets

Scientists have uncovered amazing information about the role of an enzyme that could assist in the development of drugs for aggressive cancers in just two neutron experiments.

25 Sep 2024

Human Urine Recycling Promotes Agricultural Sustainability

Bacterial communities in soil are as resilient to human urine as synthetic fertilizers – making recycling the bodily fluid as a fertilizer for agricultural crops a viable proposition, according to a new study.

24 Sep 2024

New Insights into Recessive Genetic Causes of Developmental Disorders

Researchers have carried out the most extensive and varied investigation to date regarding the role that recessive genetic alterations play in developmental disorders.

24 Sep 2024

New Gene Editing Tool Shows Promise for Treating Diseases

Bacterial and archaeal CRISPR-Cas systems, comprising protein and RNA components, were initially developed as a natural defense mechanism against invading viruses.

24 Sep 2024

A Novel Function for STING in DNA Damage Response

A study published in the journal Molecular Cell has shed light on the multifaceted role of STING, a protein previously implicated in antiviral signaling pathways. The study reveals that STING also plays a crucial part in facilitating cellular stress resolution and promoting cell survival.

23 Sep 2024

A New Method to Correct Misplaced Proteins in Cells

Cells are highly controlled spaces that rely on every protein being in the right place. Many diseases, including cancers and neurodegenerative disorders, are associated with misplaced proteins. In some cancers, for instance, a protein that normally stands watch over DNA replicating in the nucleus is sent far from the DNA it is meant to monitor, allowing cancers to grow.

23 Sep 2024

A New Understanding of the Effects of Fever on Immune Cells

Fever temperatures rev up immune cell metabolism, proliferation and activity, but they also -; in a particular subset of T cells -; cause mitochondrial stress, DNA damage and cell death, Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have discovered.

23 Sep 2024

DNA Duplication Determines Horse Coat Color and Melanoma Risk

Scientists from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and Uppsala University in Sweden now understand why some gray horses turn completely white as they age, while others remain an eye-catching "dappled" gray color.

23 Sep 2024

Novel Tool Helps Identify Snake Venom Genes Across Species

Only about ten percent of the world's roughly 4,000 snake species have venom strong enough to seriously hurt a human, but that's enough for snake bites to be an important public health concern.

20 Sep 2024

Comprehensive multi-omics approach reveals detailed insights into diabetes mechanisms

In a recent study published in Nature Communications, researchers utilized a comprehensive multi-omics approach, integrating genomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data from a diverse cohort, to uncover detailed molecular interactions and identify distinct diabetes subgroups.

20 Sep 2024

Sodium Transport Found to Play a Surprising Role in Mitochondrial Energy Production

The GENOXPHOS (Functional Genetics of the Oxidative Phosphorylation System) group at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) has discovered a crucial role of sodium in the generation of cellular energy.

20 Sep 2024

Study Finds How Plants Limit Viral Spread to Progeny with RNA Interference

Scientists have learned how plants keep viruses from being passed to their offspring, a finding that could ensure healthier crops.

20 Sep 2024

Ancient Genomes Reveal Long-Term Genetic Stability in Southernmost Africa

Around 13 individuals, who died between 1,300 and 10,000 years ago, had their genomes reconstructed by a team of researchers from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, using analysis of human remains found in the southern African rock shelter.

20 Sep 2024