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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).

Epigenome mapping uncovers unique patterns that emerge during generation of brain circuitry

High-resolution mapping of the epigenome has discovered unique patterns that emerge during the generation of brain circuitry in childhood.

6 Jul 2013

Findings uncover epigenomic modification that occurs during brain formation

Changes in the epigenome, including chemical modifications of DNA, can act as an extra layer of information in the genome, and are thought to play a role in learning and memory, as well as in age-related cognitive decline.

5 Jul 2013

Researchers fabricate nanotweezers that could be used to control and regulate enzymes

In new research, Hao Yan and his colleagues at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute describe a pair of tweezers shrunk down to an astonishingly tiny scale. When the jaws of these tools are in the open position, the distance between the two arms is about 16 nanometers-over 30,000 times smaller than a single grain of sand.

5 Jul 2013

Collaborative research yields a wiring map on how TB responds to changes in environment

Despite decades of research on the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), scientists have not had a comprehensive understanding of how the bacterium is wired to adapt to changing conditions in the host.

5 Jul 2013

Research: People's frontal cortex undergoes a significant change from infancy to adolescence

Experience of parents with their children and teachers with their students demonstrate how kids change their behaviours and knowledge from infancy to adolescence. Until now, little was known of the causes that could lead to these changes.

5 Jul 2013

Researchers identify role of Nanog gene in embryonic stem cell differentiation

Whitehead Institute researchers have determined that the transcription factor Nanog, which plays a critical role in the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, is expressed in a manner similar to other pluripotency markers.

4 Jul 2013

Genetic cause identified for diffuse non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma

Scientists have identified the genetic cause of a rare skin condition that causes the hands and feet to turn white and spongy when exposed to water.

4 Jul 2013

New research shows that exercise changes expression of innate DNA

Exercise, even in small doses, changes the expression of our innate DNA. New research from Lund University in Sweden has described for the first time what happens on an epigenetic level in fat cells when we undertake physical activity.

4 Jul 2013

Study identifies genomic regions associated with cholera susceptibility

An international research team has used a novel approach to identify genetic factors that appear to influence susceptibility to cholera. The findings by investigators from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the Broad Institute and the International Center for Diarrh-al Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) indicate the importance of pathways involved in regulating water loss in intestinal cells and of the innate immune system in the body's response to the bacteria that causes cholera, which affects from 3 to 5 million people each year and causes more than 100,000 deaths.

4 Jul 2013

New study finds inherited genetic contribution in autism with intellectual disability

Researchers are striving to understand the different genetic structures that underlie at least a subset of autism spectrum disorders. In cases where the genetic code is in error, did that happen anew in the patient, perhaps through mutation or copying error, or was it inherited? A new study in the American Journal of Human Genetics finds evidence that there may often be a recessive, inherited genetic contribution in autism with significant intellectual disability.

4 Jul 2013

MGN1703 drug provides a new treatment approach to colorectal cancer

New data on an emerging treatment that aims to fight colorectal cancer by stimulating the immune system have been presented at the ESMO 15th World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer.

4 Jul 2013

Study shows miR-22 plays a key role in breast and blood cancers

A mere 25 years ago, noncoding RNAs were considered nothing more than "background noise" in the overall genomic landscape. Now, two new studies reveal that one of these tiny noncoding molecules - microRNA-22 - plays an outsized role in two types of cancer.

4 Jul 2013

Research shows over 50% of tumors have mutations in p53

Researchers of the Cancer Metabolism group at the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Catalan Oncology Institute (ICO) and the Division of Hematology-Oncology of the University of Cincinnati, led by George Thomas, have discovered a role for ribosomal 5S RNA in the formation of a complex that regulates the stability of p53.

4 Jul 2013

Scientists uncover easy strategies to prevent harmful side-effects of antibiotics responses

A team of scientists at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University has discovered why long-term treatment with many common antibiotics can cause harmful side effects-and they have uncovered two easy strategies that could help prevent these dangerous responses.

4 Jul 2013

Metastasis can occur when leukocyte and cancer cell fuse to form genetic hybrid

Yale Cancer Center scientists, together with colleagues at the Denver Police Crime Lab and the University of Colorado, have found evidence that a human metastatic tumor can arise when a leukocyte (white blood cell) and a cancer cell fuse to form a genetic hybrid.

3 Jul 2013

Researchers identify two promising candidates for development of drugs to combat adenovirus

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have identified two promising candidates for the development of drugs against human adenovirus, a cause of ailments ranging from colds to gastrointestinal disorders to pink eye.

3 Jul 2013

NIDA grants $3.3M to design vaccine conferring immunity to nicotine

A chemical component present in the nightshade family of plants is one of the world's most tenaciously addictive substances. It is the nicotine contained in tobacco and found in high concentrations in cigarettes. Smoking remains a global scourge; in the U.S. it is the leading source of preventable death.

3 Jul 2013

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Epigenome mapping uncovers unique patterns that emerge during generation of brain circuitry

Findings uncover epigenomic modification that occurs during brain formation

Researchers fabricate nanotweezers that could be used to control and regulate enzymes

Collaborative research yields a wiring map on how TB responds to changes in environment

Research: People's frontal cortex undergoes a significant change from infancy to adolescence

Researchers identify role of Nanog gene in embryonic stem cell differentiation

Genetic cause identified for diffuse non-epidermolytic palmoplantar keratoderma

New research shows that exercise changes expression of innate DNA

Study identifies genomic regions associated with cholera susceptibility

New study finds inherited genetic contribution in autism with intellectual disability

MGN1703 drug provides a new treatment approach to colorectal cancer

Study shows miR-22 plays a key role in breast and blood cancers

Research shows over 50% of tumors have mutations in p53

Scientists uncover easy strategies to prevent harmful side-effects of antibiotics responses

Metastasis can occur when leukocyte and cancer cell fuse to form genetic hybrid

Researchers identify two promising candidates for development of drugs to combat adenovirus

NIDA grants $3.3M to design vaccine conferring immunity to nicotine

Bioline announces worldwide release of MyTaq Extract-PCR Kit

Study offers new insights into how genome gets regulated by signalling molecules within human cells

Cannabis users appear to lack motivation

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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