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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).

Proteins’ movement and the spread of antibiotic resistance

Umeå University researchers have figured out how a particular type of protein travels during DNA replication. The discovery could affect the current understanding of how bacteria propagate antibiotic resistance genes.

30 Jan 2023

Molecular staple: The DNA repair mechanism impeding cancer treatment

Due to the continuous cellular activity, malfunctions frequently occur, making error-correcting systems crucial for cells. However, it serves the cancer cells’ best interests to cause errors when it comes to destroying them.

30 Jan 2023

Smallest known freshwater green algae, Medakamo hakoo, discovered

A new species of microalgae was discovered in water from a home aquarium. Scientists from the University of Tokyo noticed Medakamo hakoo while examining DNA samples taken from algae. Its DNA sequence did not match any previously known species.

30 Jan 2023

Novel protein degradation technology provides functional insights into how CTCF regulates transcription

CTCF is a critical protein known to play various roles in key biological processes such as transcription.

30 Jan 2023

Cryo-EM helps visualize the detailed structure of viral genome replication machinery

RNA viruses, such as the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, are in a life-and-death race the moment they infect a cell.

30 Jan 2023

Deep-learning model for zinc finger design allows reprogramming of human transcription factors

Researchers at the University of Toronto and New York University have developed a novel technology that can engineer proteins to target any stretch of DNA in the human genome, opening a door toward gene therapies for a broader range of health conditions.

27 Jan 2023

Analysis of pancreatic cancer's microenvironment reveals cause of tumor cell resistance to immunotherapy

A new study that analyzed the tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer revealed the cause of tumor cell resistance to immunotherapy and resulted in new treatment strategies.

27 Jan 2023

Gene editing made faster than ever before using AI

The first simple production of customizable proteins known as zinc fingers to treat diseases by turning genes on and off might be enabled with the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) program.

From New York University (NYU) 27 Jan 2023

Unboxing the mystery genome black box with the DNA sequencing method

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have described a new DNA sequencing technique that can find out where and how small molecule drugs interact with the targeted genome in a study that was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

26 Jan 2023

Highly potent antibiotic candidate identified

One of the most promising new antibiotic candidates in decades is a powerful plant toxin that harbors a novel way of killing hazardous bacteria.

26 Jan 2023

Revealing the propagation of singlet oxygen along double stranded DNA

Nucleic acid-targeting photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative type of targeted therapy that is currently being studied. This treatment is based on photosensitizers, which are drugs that attach to specific regions in a cell’s DNA.

26 Jan 2023

Figuring out how cells safeguard their genomes during replication

Cells zealously protect the integrity of their genomes, because damage can lead to cancer or cell death. The genome, a cell’s complete set of DNA, is most vulnerable while it is being duplicated before a cell divides.

26 Jan 2023

New insights into cell health and disease

Scientists from Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered a protein that not only prepares DNA for replication but also controls the replication process. The research, which was published on January 5th, 2023, in the journal Molecular Cell, resolves a puzzle that has long-baffled biologists.

26 Jan 2023

Enhancing the efficacy of CRISPR/Cas9 and related methods

The effectiveness of molecular genetic techniques like CRISPR/Cas9 and related systems has been significantly improved, and their range of applications has been expanded, by researchers from the Department of Developmental Biology/Physiology at the Centre for Organismal Studies of Heidelberg University.

26 Jan 2023

Researchers use supercomputer to unveil new methods for DNA mosaic recognition

As humans, we each have trillions of cells. And each cell has a nucleus with individual genetic information –DNA – that can mutate to create an abnormality.

25 Jan 2023

New genetic condition that raises vulnerability to opportunistic infections

An international consortium co-led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center immunogeneticist Rubén Martínez-Barricarte, PhD, has discovered a new genetic disorder that causes immunodeficiency and profound susceptibility to opportunistic infections including life-threatening fungal pneumonia.

24 Jan 2023