Genes News and Research

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New effort to generate high quality reference genomes for 1,000 known species of euglenoids

The Euglena International Network (EIN) (https://euglenanetwork.org/), founded in 2020, is a global consortium of hundreds of scientists around the world with the collective goal of supporting euglenoid science through collaborative and integrative omics between academics and industry.

23 Nov 2022

Highlighting the potential of new techniques to study mental disorders

Researchers investigating the fundamental brain mechanics of autism spectrum disorder have discovered that a gene mutation known to be connected with the illness causes considerably more overstimulation of brain cells than in neuronal cells without the mutation.

23 Nov 2022

The influence of genes and small molecules on personal disease risk

Each individual has a unique chemical fingerprint. Small molecules in the blood, like fats or sugars, have a significant impact on how the human body responds to stress, which diseases people are predisposed to, and how serious an illness will be.

23 Nov 2022

Molecular motion of “undruggable” proteins reveals drug-binding sites

“Undruggable” proteins, whose structures and roles in disease are known but who appear unable to be targeted by drugs that will bind to them, present some of the hardest problems in disease treatment.

23 Nov 2022

3D “mini eyes” provide insight into genetically induced blindness

The development of “mini eyes” by researchers at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health (UCL GOS ICH) has made it possible to study and comprehend the onset of blindness in the rare genetic disease known as Usher syndrome more.

From University College London 22 Nov 2022

Genetics and extensive schooling likely cause nearsightedness in children

Researchers have discovered five genetic variations that, the longer a person attends school, increase their risk of developing nearsightedness. These results were published on November 17th, 2022 in the open-access journal PLOS Genetics by a team at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, led by Jeremy Guggenheim.

21 Nov 2022

Adaptation to climate change in plants aided by epigenetic memories

Animals are able to quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions and survive. There is growing evidence that plants can, too.

21 Nov 2022

Mitochondria play a crucial role in the regulation of the NF-κB signaling pathway

Mitochondria are highly regarded as the cell's powerhouse. However, these cellular organelles are essential for more than only energy production: Professor Konstanze Winklhofer and her colleagues at Ruhr University Bochum’s Faculty of Medicine have found that mitochondria play an essential role in signal transduction in innate immune pathways.

21 Nov 2022

Revealing the functional significance of DDX41 in great detail

The DDX41 gene encodes the nuclear enzyme DEAD-box-type RNA helicase. Hematopoietic malignancies are caused by DDX41 mutations. However, the mechanism behind the development of this malignancy remains unknown.

21 Nov 2022

Scientists discover how plant roots adapt their shape to maximize water uptake

Researchers have discovered how plant roots adapt their shape to maximise their uptake of water, pausing branching when they lose contact with water and only resuming once they reconnect with moisture, ensuring they can survive even in the driest conditions.

19 Nov 2022

Waste disposal mechanism of mitochondria to remove mtDNA mutations

University of Cologne researchers have uncovered the mechanism by which cells can get rid of mutated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)—the heart of each of our cells, the mitochondria.

17 Nov 2022

The genetic mechanisms that induce protein decline in modern maize

The wild ancestor of maize, teosinte, contains three times as much seed protein as the majority of cultivars of maize today. The mechanisms causing the declining seed protein content in maize hybrids and inbred lines were identified by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters.

17 Nov 2022

New guidelines for genomic consent benefit patients and researchers

How can Canada maximize the benefits of human genomic sequencing to deepen knowledge of disease? For researchers and decision-makers in this expanding field, new guidance published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) establishes the essential components for obtaining patient consent.

16 Nov 2022

Revealing cancer development in people carrying inherited BRCA1 mutations

Researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine have discovered that people who inherit a mutant copy of the BRCA1 gene may develop mutations and cancer due to error-prone DNA replication and repair.

16 Nov 2022

New study figures out which patients will react to immunotherapy

According to a new study, patients with head and neck cancer who have more chromosome 9 genetic material in their cancer cells survive three times longer after accepting immunotherapy than patients who have less of it.

From New York University (NYU) 15 Nov 2022

Statistical methodology uncovers changes in genomic data

A novel statistical technique makes it easier to find biologically significant changes in genomic data that span multiple conditions, like cell types or tissues.

From Penn State University 15 Nov 2022

Researchers create genetic 'devices' to perform computations like artificial neural circuits

Bringing together concepts from electrical engineering and bioengineering tools, Technion and MIT scientists collaborated to produce cells engineered to compute sophisticated functions – "biocomputers" of sorts.

15 Nov 2022

Rapid fluctuations in electrical activity within breast cancer cells identified

Recent research has discovered that the membranes of breast cancer cells have varying voltages, revealing information regarding their growth and spread.

15 Nov 2022

Researchers naturally breed new varieties of popcorn with improved taste, texture and prebiotics

A Nebraska-led coming attraction may soon pop into a global blockbuster. Through a decade-long project supported by Conagra Foods, a University of Nebraska–Lincoln research team led by David Holding has naturally bred new varieties of popcorn that outperform today's most popular kernels in their intrinsic nutritional value and taste.

14 Nov 2022

CRISPR technology to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy

Using CRISPR technology for the first time, researchers have inserted genes that enable immune cells to concentrate their attack on cancer cells, potentially sparing healthy cells and boosting the effectiveness of immunotherapy.

14 Nov 2022