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A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

Gene that regulates cadmium distribution between leaf and grain in rice

Due to its accumulation in crops, specifically rice, cadmium (Cd), a hazardous heavy metal contaminant of cultivated land, poses a threat to human health. Thus, it is vital to develop methods to prevent Cd from accumulating in rice grains.

14 Mar 2023

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

The product of a gene expressed in most cancers, including the most prevalent type of head and neck cancer, has been linked to elevated levels of white blood cells that produce antibodies inside tumors, according to researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center.

14 Mar 2023

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Synthetic biologists at Rice University are embarking on a three-year project to create "genetically encoded antibiotics," strands of RNA that bacteria will readily copy and share that will selectively kill only disease-causing, pathogenic bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Understanding the factors that impact CRISPRa efficiency

Investigators, from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and partners, utilized human stem cells and neurons to explore what attributes impact how well CRISPR activation works for different sets of genes.

14 Mar 2023

SMART researchers develop the world's first microneedle-based drug delivery technique for plants

Researchers from the Disruptive & Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) Interdisciplinary Research Group (IRG) of Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT’s research enterprise in Singapore, and their collaborators from Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), have developed the first-ever microneedle-based drug delivery technique for plants.

14 Mar 2023

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

In the human body, virus particles are identified by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) either within or on the cell surface. When a receptor is activated, a signaling cascade is initiated, which results in the production and release of signaling molecules like interferons and cytokines.

14 Mar 2023

Significance of astrocyte–neuron interactions in fine-tuning brain function

Humans learn to handle a variety of skilled movements throughout their lives, from driving a car to swinging a tennis racket. Neurons are not the only ones who implement this learning, but a new study from The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT shows that astrocytes play an important role as well.

From Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 14 Mar 2023

Study investigates schizophrenia risk across African ancestry

Researchers have identified two previously unknown genes linked to schizophrenia and newly implicated a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. Led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the multi-center study further demonstrated that the schizophrenia risk conferred by these rare damaging variants is conserved across ethnicities. The study may also point to new therapeutics.

14 Mar 2023

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

As conventional antibiotics continue to lose effectiveness against evolving pathogens, scientists are keen to employ the bacteria-killing techniques perfected by bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria.

14 Mar 2023

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used machine learning to automate the identification of defects in sister chromatid cohesion. They trained a convolutional neural network (CNN) with microscopy images of individual stained chromosomes, identified by researchers as having or not having cohesion defects. After training, it was able to successfully classify 73.1% of new images. Automation promises better statistics, and more insight into the wide range of disorders which cause cohesion defects.

14 Mar 2023

New class of oral drugs inhibits a diverse range of SARS-CoV-2 strains

The constant evolution of new COVID-19 variants makes it critical for clinicians to have multiple therapies in their arsenal for treating drug-resistant infections. Researchers have now discovered that a new class of oral drugs that acts directly on human cells can inhibit a diverse range of pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 strains.

13 Mar 2023

Study investigates the complex evolutionary history of jewel beetles' vision

Jewel beetles are striking insects, easily recognized by their vivid colors and metallic sheen. Possessing large, well-developed eyes, jewel beetles use vision and color for a range of different behaviors, including finding mates and host plants.

13 Mar 2023

A reliable way to downregulate gene translation in plants

By carefully constructing upstream open reading frames (uORFs), Caixia Gao’s team at the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has created a new technique for downregulating gene translation to a predictable and desirable level in plants.

10 Mar 2023

Study identifies previously unknown cell types that drive the onset of osteoarthritis

A Michigan Medicine study has identified a new potential target for treating osteoarthritis – a debilitating joint disease that affects over 31 million Americans and is a leading cause of disability worldwide.

10 Mar 2023

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

The accumulation of amyloid beta proteins, which encourage synaptic malfunction, causes cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to scientific evidence.

10 Mar 2023

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Two proteins help in protecting and stabilizing RNA as it travels through the cell carrying muscle-forming code. Studying this RNA-stabilizing complex further may have ramifications for muscle recovery and disease treatment.

10 Mar 2023

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Harlequin ichthyosis (HI) is a severe genetic skin disorder characterized by thick white, brown, or dark brown patches on the skin covering a newborn's entire body. HI has a low incidence of 1 per 300,000 live births but comes with the highest mortality rate among skin conditions. It is caused by a mutation in the ABCA12 gene, which codes for a protein involved in transporting lipids necessary for the formation of the skin barrier. Such protein shortage leads to a weaker epidermal barrier.

9 Mar 2023

Gene News and Research

Further Reading

Gene that regulates cadmium distribution between leaf and grain in rice

High correlation between the product of a gene in the majority of cancers

Rice biologists embark on a three-year project to create genetically encoded antibiotics

Understanding the factors that impact CRISPRa efficiency

SMART researchers develop the world's first microneedle-based drug delivery technique for plants

Effective backup mechanism ensures efficient antimicrobial responses in humans

Significance of astrocyte–neuron interactions in fine-tuning brain function

Study investigates schizophrenia risk across African ancestry

Bacteriophages might hold the key to fighting antibiotic resistance

Neural-network-based image recognition models for examining SCC defects

New class of oral drugs inhibits a diverse range of SARS-CoV-2 strains

Study investigates the complex evolutionary history of jewel beetles' vision

A reliable way to downregulate gene translation in plants

Study identifies previously unknown cell types that drive the onset of osteoarthritis

Novel model tracks hippocampal synaptic plasticity to reveal molecular mechanisms

Novel protein complex plays a significant role in RNA protection

Study identifies a novel rare mutation in gene linked to Harlequin Ichthyosis

Potential therapeutic can synergize with existing drugs to effectively destroy leukemia cells

Pathogenic fungus binds to a human protein to escape elimination from lung cells

Deeper understanding of T-cell responses may lead to better, more personalized immunotherapies

Driving Support for Pharmaceutical Testing Through Continuous Innovation

From Memory to Metaplasticity: Unraveling the Brain's Secrets

Revolutionizing Mass Spectrometry: A Deep Dive into Plasmion’s SICRIT® Technology

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