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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).

Researchers Map DNA Repair Protein Activity in Human Cells

New research from the Kind Group at the Hubrecht Institute sheds light on how cells repair damaged DNA. For the first time, the team has mapped the activity of repair proteins in individual human cells.

22 Nov 2024

Versatile Molecule with a New Role in Genome Maintenance

A multi-institutional team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology has uncovered a hitherto unidentified function for RNA.

22 Nov 2024

Scientists Map Microbiome of Rivers Across the U.S.

Rivers and streams serve as critical connectors across vast geographical landscapes, trickling out of tucked-away headwaters and snaking thousands of miles toward oceans and deep seas.

21 Nov 2024

Innovative Approach Reveals Brain Evolution Through Ancient DNA Methylation

This research introduces a novel method for inferring DNA methylation patterns in non-skeletal tissues from ancient specimens, providing new insights into human evolution.

21 Nov 2024

Ancient DNA Unlocks Secrets of European Genetic Adaptation

Leveraging a unique statistical analysis and applying it to ancient DNA extracted from human skeletal remains, a team of researchers from The University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, Los Angeles has revealed new insights into how ancient Europeans adapted to their environments over 7,000 years of European history.

21 Nov 2024

Discovery of Large Tandem Duplications Opens New Avenues for Cancer Treatment

Cancer researchers at the University of Chicago and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have discovered that mutations in certain genes can lead to the accumulation of DNA errors, resulting in a specific type of genetic change known as large tandem duplications (TDs) that can arise from the collision of two critical cellular processes: transcription and DNA replication.

21 Nov 2024

Cancer-Causing Mutations Found in Healthy Breast Tissue

Williams, M. J., et al. (2024) Luminal breast epithelial cells of BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers and noncarriers harbor common breast cancer copy number alterations. Nature Genetics. doi.org/10.1038/s41588-024-01988-0.

21 Nov 2024

Sylph: A Fast and Accurate Tool for Species-Level Metagenome Profiling

Sylph's innovative approach to metagenome profiling delivers high accuracy and efficiency, advancing research in microbial diversity and disease associations.

21 Nov 2024

Discovery of Oldest Known Ecdysozoan Sheds Light on Animal Evolution

Everyone has a past. That includes the millions of species of insects, arachnids, and nematode worms that make up a major animal group called the Ecdysozoa.

19 Nov 2024

Magnesium-Focused Approach to Curbing Antibiotic Resistance

According to recent estimates, the number of fatal antibiotic-resistant illnesses is expected to increase significantly over the next 25 years.

18 Nov 2024

Plastics in Wastewater Found to Harbor Foodborne Pathogens

The study identifies pathogens in plastispheres from WWTPs, underscoring the environmental risks of microplastics and the need for better management strategies.

18 Nov 2024

New Technology Isolates Key Gut Bacteria Linked to Disease

Researchers at UMC Utrecht have created a novel technique that effectively separates a particular subset of gut bacteria that are identified by IgA antibodies from fecal samples.

15 Nov 2024

Study Shows How Genetic Variations Can Enhance Cancer Drug Effectiveness

By exploiting the genetic variation in cancer cells, an already approved cancer drug demonstrated enhanced effects against cancer cells in specific patient groups.

15 Nov 2024

Integrative Taxonomy Uncovers Cryptic Daisy Species

Sometimes plants are sufficiently similar to one another that the procedures used by 18th-century scientist Carl Linnaeus for distinguishing species are insufficient.

14 Nov 2024

New Insights into the Role of Chromatin in Cellular Processes

The Mattiroli group's researchers discovered that the speed at which DNA is replicated during cell division can be directly influenced by the way DNA is packaged in cells.

13 Nov 2024

Cow Digestive Enzyme Shown to Break Down Tough Bacterial Biofilms

Most of the disease-causing bacteria secrete matrix-like layers around themselves called biofilms. These biofilms act as thick barriers limiting the entry of drugs and helping the bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

12 Nov 2024

CRISPR Reveals Hidden Functions of Noncoding RNA

Genes contain instructions for protein production, with the central dogma of biology stating that this information flows from DNA to RNA to proteins.

8 Nov 2024

Genetic Analysis Redefines Stories of Pompeii Victims

A new genetic study demands reexamination of the identities of, and relationships among, some of the people buried and preserved in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.

8 Nov 2024

New GIFT Method Outshines GWAS in Genetic Breakthrough

Genomic Informational Field Theory (GIFT) enhances genetic association detection, outperforming GWAS in mapping complex traits and subtle genetic interactions.

8 Nov 2024

New Understanding of the Evolution of Multicellular Life

In 2017, the single-celled species Chromosphaera perkinsii was found in maritime sediments in Hawaii. More than a billion years ago, long before the first animals appeared on Earth, the earliest indications of its existence were found.

7 Nov 2024