Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

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

Fujifilm Invests $188 Million in New Cell Culture Media Manufacturing Facility

FUJIFILM Corporation (President and CEO, Representative Director: Teiichi Goto) today announced a $188 million investment to establish a cell culture media manufacturing facility in Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina, USA.

From FUJIFILM Corporation 22 Nov 2022

Chemically attenuated live DNA virus vaccine prevents viral infection

Rutgers researchers have devised a new way to prevent viral infections: a live-attenuated, replication-defective DNA virus vaccine that utilizes the substance centanamycin to create an altered virus for vaccine development.

From Rutgers University 22 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

Applying “programmable molecular scissors” to combat COVID-19 infection

As an approach that could be used to create a new class of antiviral drugs, synthetic biology was used by Cambridge scientists to artificially create enzymes programmed to attack the genetic code of SARS-CoV-2 and eliminate the virus.

17 Nov 2022

Enzymes hold the answer to understanding how DNA mutates

According to recent research from the University of Surrey, enzymes, which are essential for regulating how cells replicate in the human body, could be the very component that encourages DNA to spontaneously mutate, leading to potentially permanent genetic errors.

From University of Surrey 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

A gene’s function in embryonic development

An international study led by the medical school at the University of Bonn has discovered a gene that is crucial to the growth of the human embryo. Abnormalities of different organ systems may occur if it is changed.

16 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