Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

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

Study shows how ocean virus captures the metabolism of carbon-storing bacteria

Below the surface of the ocean, a virus is stealing the metabolism of the most abundant organism present on Earth. That might be attractive to those who breathe above the ocean’s surface.

28 May 2020

Damped circadian oscillations observed in the absence of KaiA protein in cyanobacterium

Circadian rhythms are driven by a highly autonomous, self-sustaining circadian clock in our cells, telling us when to sleep or wake up in a 24-hour cycle.

27 May 2020

Using CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors to recombine entire chromosomes

The CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors work like a fine surgical instrument and can be used to modify genetic information in plants.

27 May 2020

Nanodevices give unprecedented peek into how cells change with time

For the first time, scientists have introduced minuscule tracking devices directly into the interior of mammalian cells, giving an unprecedented peek into the processes that govern the beginning of development.

From University of Bath 27 May 2020

New minimally invasive method allows cells to be sampled over time

At any given moment, a variety of dynamic processes occur inside a cell, with many developing over time. Because current research methods for gene profiling or protein analysis destroy the cell, study is confined to just that one moment in time, and researchers are unable to return to the cell to examine how things change beyond that snapshot.

27 May 2020

Study reveals the favorable effect of Neanderthal gene in child-bearing women

According to a new study, one in three women in Europe has inherited the progesterone receptor from Neanderthals.

27 May 2020

Mechanically rejuvenated fibroblasts show promise in stem cell engineering

Fibroblasts synthesize the collagen, creating the structural framework for animal tissues, and play a significant role in the process of wound healing.

27 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

Study finds strong link between fermented foods and the gut microbiome

According to a new international study, fermented foods can be the main source of potentially probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for the human gut.

27 May 2020

Pre-existing genes can promote metastasis

Cancer can sometimes remain dormant, but it usually metastasizes and spreads to new sites in the body.

27 May 2020

Researchers identify 29 genetic variants linked to problematic drinking

Scientists carried out a genome-wide analysis of over 435,000 people, revealing 29 genetic variants associated with problematic drinking.

27 May 2020

Bariatric surgery may change gene expression in fat tissue

Altered gene expression in fat tissue may help explain why individuals who have regained weight after weight loss surgery still experience benefits such as metabolic improvements and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

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

Gene associated with thinness may play a role in resisting weight gain

Some people can remain slim easily, irrespective of their diet, while others might be dieting and working out at the gym to maintain their shape.

25 May 2020

Introducing genetic “barcodes” to DNA samples can preserve their integrity

Researchers have developed a technique to ensure that DNA fingerprinting continues to be secure against malicious attacks or mistakes in the field.

25 May 2020

Compounds in Brazilian shrub can reduce the virulence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Researchers have discovered that the Brazilian peppertree—an invasive, weedy shrub found in Florida—contains specific compounds that lower the virulence of Staphylococcus bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

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