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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Fate-seq technique shows structural differences between COVID-19 and SARS viruses

Scientists have discovered certain segments of the genetic codes of the SARS and COVID-19 viruses that may support the lifecycle of the viruses.

4 Jun 2020

Building blocks of DNA and RNA could have co-existed in the primordial Earth

Scientists have long debated which genetic information carrier - DNA or RNA - started life on Earth, but a new study suggests life could have begun with a bit of both.

4 Jun 2020

Study takes important step forward to understand the chemical origins of life

Researchers have long sought to understand the origins of life on Earth. A new study conducted by scientists at the Institute for Advanced Study, the Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI), and the University of New South Wales, among other participating institutions, marks an important step forward in the effort to understand the chemical origins of life.

3 Jun 2020

Study identifies key protein required for optimal immune responses to cancer

A new study led by researchers at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute has identified a protein within certain immune cells that is required for optimal immune responses to cancer.

3 Jun 2020

Scientists uncover a moving target in small cell lung tumors

Lung cancers account for approximately 25 percent of all cancer deaths. Even among those who do not smoke, 1 in 15 men and 1 in 17 women are expected to develop lung cancer in their lifetime, according to the American Cancer Society.

2 Jun 2020

Study reveals a new method for efficient production of proteins

Researchers have studied over 30,000 variants of genetic sequences to determine which traits of mRNA can enhance translational efficiency.

1 Jun 2020

Study provides new strategies for treating different types of cancer

An RNA molecule involved in preventing the formation of tumors can modify its structure and thus regulate the production of proteins in the cell.

29 May 2020

Study highlights crucial role of immune-system molecule in Huntington's disease

More than a decade before people with Huntington's disease show symptoms, they can exhibit abnormally high levels of an immune-system molecule called interleukin-6 (IL-6), which has led many researchers to suspect IL-6 of promoting the eventual neurological devastation associated with the genetic condition.

28 May 2020

New sequencing method helps map the spatial arrangement of DNA

A sequencing technique helps to map the spatial arrangement of DNA in the cell nucleus, revealing which regions of the genome are at greater risk of mutation.

27 May 2020

EKF secures COVID-19 novel sample collection kit manufacturing and supply contracts

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces it has secured new contracts for the manufacture and supply of a novel, patented sample collection device which allows COVID-19 samples to be rapidly inactivated in the collection tube, avoiding contamination and preserving RNA without need for refrigeration.

From EKF Diagnostics 26 May 2020

New tool shows how microbes influence health and promote diseases

Scientists from the Quadram Institute and Earlham Institute have developed a unique tool that is helping them to translate the complex communication that takes place between the body and the microbiome.

25 May 2020

Genetic 'memory' of ancestral homelands helps organisms adapt to environmental change

Organisms carry long-term "memories" of their ancestral homelands that help them adapt to environmental change, according to a new study that involved raising chickens on the Tibetan Plateau and an adjacent lowland site.

22 May 2020

Study shows senotherapy blunts the progression of liver tumors

According to a new study performed by researchers, “senotherapy” blunts the progression of liver tumor in animal models.

22 May 2020

Texas A&M lab produces 3D-bioprinted bone tissues

Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar, associate professor, has developed a highly printable bioink as a platform to generate anatomical-scale functional tissues. This study was recently published in the American Chemical Society's Applied Materials and Interfaces.

20 May 2020

MicroRNAs play a key role in regulating the function of immune cells

According to a recent study, the ability of the immune system to mobilize specialized cells to fight against infections depends partly on small molecules.

19 May 2020

Scientists develop a new way to reactivate silenced genes

All cells in an organism are known to have the same genetic data but not all carry out the same function. This is because all the cells do not contain the same active genes.

19 May 2020

Scientists study how brain cancer cells acquire radiation resistance

In a vertical climb to avoid collision with a towering mountain, a plane ejects cargo to gain altitude. Investigators at the University of Minnesota showed that cancer cells perform similar feats in escaping the killing effects of radiation.

18 May 2020

Researchers develop a reliable technique for assessing the role of lncRNAs

The discovery of a huge number of long non-protein coding RNAs, aka lncRNAs, in the mammalian genome was a major surprise of the recent large-scale genomics projects.

18 May 2020

Aging neurons build up DNA damage, study finds

MIT neuroscientists have discovered that an enzyme called HDAC1 is critical for repairing age-related DNA damage to genes involved in memory and other cognitive functions.

18 May 2020

Researchers discover group of genes with altered expression in autism

Autism has long been associated only with behavioral and environmental factors, but the role of genetics in its development is now increasingly evident. Some 100 genes have been found to play a role in autism spectrum disorder, and another thousand are being studied to the same end.

15 May 2020