Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Inhibiting host cell proteases can help prevent COVID-19 infection

How can we prevent the novel coronavirus from invading a host cell in an attempt to prevent infection?

2 Jun 2020

Recombineering technique may overcome barriers in bacterial engineering

Genetic engineering of bacteria has transformed contemporary medicine, from bacterial-based insulin to a deeper insight into infectious diseases.

From Harvard Medical School 1 Jun 2020

Study may help develop medical implants for diabetic patients

For the first time, a research team led by Martin Fussenegger, a professor at ETH Zurich, has successfully used electric current to directly manipulate gene expression.

1 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

Sheep poo could hold the key to developing new antiparasitics

Sheep poo could hold the key to developing the next generation of antiparasitic treatments that could protect Australian livestock and save the industry millions of dollars a year.

29 May 2020

New insights into recombination of sex chromosomes during meiosis

As chromosomes go, X and Y make an unlikely pair. The X is large and contains thousands of genes critical for life.

29 May 2020

Research identifies how neuronal transmission is disrupted in ALS

Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, lose muscle control as nerve cells or neurons in the brain and spinal cord degenerate and can no longer send signals to muscles.

29 May 2020

gnomAD Consortium releases first set of discoveries on human genetic variation

For the last eight years, the Genome Aggregation Database Consortium (and its predecessor, the Exome Aggregation Consortium, or ExAC), has been working with geneticists around the world to compile and study more than 125,000 exomes and 15,000 whole genomes from populations around the world.

29 May 2020

Biophysicists shed light on how optogenetic tool works

An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state.

29 May 2020

Research project launched to find new treatments for rare genetic diseases

The University Carlos III Madrid, Almirall, S.A. and the MEDINA Foundation have launched a project to find new treatments for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and other genetic diseases caused by nonsense mutations.

29 May 2020

Study identifies potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2

A joint research team led by Sunney Xie, Director of Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics at Peking University has successfully identified multiple highly potent neutralizing antibodies against the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the causative virus of the respiratory disease COVID-19, from convalescent plasma by high-throughput single-cell sequencing.

29 May 2020

ADHD-associated genetic variants have reduced progressively in human lineage

According to a study published in the Scientific Reports journal, the frequency of genetic variants linked to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has reduced progressively in the evolutionary human lineage from the Palaeolithic to the present day.

29 May 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

Chicken cells show promise for producing more effective human antibodies

Antibodies meant for potential drug applications can be produced quickly in chicken cells cultured in laboratories.

29 May 2020

Warwick researchers discover how cells respond to fasting and activate autophagy

As modern life-styles and high-calorie diets drive the UK's obesity levels up, researchers from the University of Warwick have found how cells respond to fasting and activate the process called autophagy, which means a healthier lifestyle can be promoted to help people maintain a healthy body weight.

From The University of Warwick 28 May 2020

Gene linked to dementia increases the risk of developing severe COVID-19

Having a faulty gene linked to dementia doubles the risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a large-scale study.

From University of Exeter 28 May 2020

New CRISPR-Cas9 based method for directed protein evolution

"Directed evolution" is the process by which scientists produce tailor-made proteins for cell biology, physiology and biomedicine in the laboratory.

28 May 2020

New technique enables high-resolution visualization of tumor heterogeneity patterns

Malignant tumors consume nutrients and oxygen faster than healthy cells. To do so, they recruit blood vessels in their environment.

28 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 study outlines the mechanisms behind cell fusion

Scientists have known for a decade that cells that fuse with others to perform their essential functions - such as muscle cells that join together to make fibers - form long projections that invade the territory of their fusion partners.

28 May 2020