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).

Ancient genomes reveal remarkable information about human evolution

Ancient DNA, including samples from human remains that are about 45,000 years old, has helped researchers understand a previously unrecognized facet of human evolution.

1 Nov 2022

New tool advances potential means to deliver gene therapy

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine claim to have successfully “slid” genetic instructions into a cell and produced essential proteins that were lacking from those cells using a cell’s normal process for creating proteins.

1 Nov 2022

Understanding the architectures of proteins and the machinery at genes

Researchers from Cornell University have discovered a crucial mechanism in how genes are controlled thanks to yeast, a small organism that is necessary for the production of beer and bread.

1 Nov 2022

Plant root reprogramming via synthetic genetic circuits

An essential stage in genetically modifying plants to create better bioenergy crops is gene activity control. The results of this research led to the creation of artificial genes that could be coupled to produce certain patterns of gene expression in plants.

28 Oct 2022

Inexpensive recombinant protein production induced by urea

A common chemical present in the urine can be utilized to initiate large-scale production of proteins needed by biotech companies, like hormones and antibodies.

28 Oct 2022

Newly sequenced Honeycrisp apple genome could be a boon for scientists and breeders

A team of researchers has sequenced the Honeycrisp apple genome, a boon for scientists and breeders working with this popular and economically important cultivar.

27 Oct 2022

Pioneering gene editing approach could lead to new treatments for CTLA-4 insufficiency

A fault in cells that form a key part of the immune system can be repaired with a pioneering gene editing technique, finds new research demonstrated in human cells and mice, led by UCL scientists.

From University College London 27 Oct 2022

PacBio announces the commencement of external beta testing of the Onso Sequencing System

PacBio, a leading developer of high-quality, highly accurate sequencing solutions, today announced the commencement of external beta testing of the Onso™ Sequencing System. This innovative benchtop short-read DNA sequencing platform is expected to provide an extraordinary level of accuracy by utilizing PacBio’s unique sequencing by binding (SBB) technology.

26 Oct 2022

Genome Editing Has A New Code

In this interview, we speak to Samantha Maragh, the leader of the genome editing program at NIST, about the genome editing vocabulary and what this means for researchers worldwide.

From National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 21 Oct 2022

Black death and the development of immune genes

The Black Death, which wiped off up to 50% of the European population in less than five years, was the single-worst mortality catastrophe in recorded history.

21 Oct 2022

Saving ocean habitats with newer genomic technologies

In an essay published on October 17th, 2022 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, Madeleine van Oppen of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Melbourne and Melinda Coleman of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries argue that genetic and genomic technologies have tremendous potential for protecting marine life but are currently underutilized.

20 Oct 2022

New gene linked to the growth of colon cancer discovered

Researchers at Mount Sinai’s Tisch Cancer Institute have discovered a new gene that is crucial to the development of colon cancer and established that inflammation in the region surrounding the tumor can contribute to the development of tumor cells.

20 Oct 2022

Harsh parenting leads to depression later in life

Strict parenting can influence how the body reads the children’s DNA. These modifications can become “hard-wired” into the DNA of kids who consider their parents to be harsh, enhancing their biological risk for depression in adolescence and later life.

20 Oct 2022

High-quality chromosome-level reference genome for A. gigantea

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List, Aldabra giant tortoises are in danger of extinction, which means the species stands a high risk of extinction in the wild.

14 Oct 2022

Two endemic Ochrosia species turn out to be kindred strangers

When classifying two species of the same flowering plant, the similarities and differences between them are considered.

13 Oct 2022

Research team discovers “trapped” unknown insect genus

Micro-computed tomography was used in a significant work by Professor Javier Alba-Tercedor of the Department of Zoology at the University of Granada to produce sharp pictures that allowed the insect to be examined and identified.

12 Oct 2022

A more efficient way to deliver gene therapies to the CNS

For gene therapy, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses a formidable obstacle. The BBB, which is made up of cells that are closely packed together, prevents poisons and pathogens from accessing brain tissue while also blocking potential treatments for diseases that impact the CNS.

12 Oct 2022

Adults with congenital blindness experience striking recoveries of night vision after gene therapy

Adults with a genetic form of childhood-onset blindness experienced striking recoveries of night vision within days of receiving an experimental gene therapy, according to researchers at the Scheie Eye Institute in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

11 Oct 2022

Distinct roles of aging and genetics on expression phenotypes

Research conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, found that individual distinctions in human DNA matter less as people age and become more susceptible to aging disorders like diabetes and cancer.

10 Oct 2022

Insights into the evolution of banana domestication

People on the island of New Guinea are said to have domesticated bananas 7,000 years ago. However, the history of banana domestication is convoluted, and their categorization is widely discussed, as the boundaries between species and subspecies are frequently ambiguous.

10 Oct 2022