DNA Polymerase News and Research

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A DNA polymerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides into a DNA strand. DNA polymerases are most well-known for their role in DNA replication, in which the polymerase "reads" an intact DNA strand as a template and uses it to synthesize the new strand. The newly-polymerized molecule is complementary to the template strand and identical to the template's original partner strand. DNA polymerases use a magnesium ion for catalytic activity.

IDT introduces novel rhAmp technology for accurate, cost-effective SNP analysis

Reflecting its mission to provide innovative solutions to the genomics community, Integrated DNA Technologies introduces its unique rhAmp™ SNP Genotyping System, enabling researchers to make accurate and confident SNP calls both quickly and cost-effectively.

19 Jun 2017

Biochemists create new tool to help diagnose POLG disorders and predict outcomes

Providing answers -- or at least more information -- to the most difficult medical questions is the aim of medical scientists. And how research findings are translated and made available can be as important as the discoveries themselves.

24 May 2017

High-resolution images of protein complex performing first step in genome-replication dance captured

It's a good thing we don't have to think about putting all the necessary pieces in place when one of our trillions of cells needs to duplicate its DNA and then divide to produce identical daughter cells.

17 Mar 2017

Novel antiviral drug can protect transplant patients against CMV infections

In a significant advance in improving the safety of donor stem cell transplants, a major clinical trial led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital has shown that a novel agent can protect against the most common viral infection that patients face after transplantation.

24 Feb 2017

How does the brain control appetite?

Energy balance between energy intake and expenditure in our bodies is important for maintaining energy homeostasis to keep our bodies functioning properly. The appetite determines how much we eat, the energy intake, by communication between the brain and body.

4 Jan 2017

New database of PCR primers enables effective detection and identification of RNA viruses

Scientists at Korea's Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology scientists have compiled a comprehensive new public database of genetic information to enable the detection and identification of RNA viruses using the polymerase chain reaction assay.

28 Dec 2016

UPCI scientists reveal how cancer cells hijack DNA repair pathways to stay alive

Research by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute has revealed how cancer cells hijack DNA repair pathways to prevent telomeres, the endcaps of chromosomes, from shortening, thus allowing the tumor to spread. The findings are published today in the journal Cell Reports.

8 Nov 2016

Researchers develop new detection systems for genotyping DNA and RNA with naked eye

DNA polymerases are the “Xerox machines” that replicate our DNA. They must work with great precision to keep errors from creeping into our genes.

14 Jul 2016

Researchers develop real-time single molecule electronic DNA sequencing platform

Researchers from Columbia University, with colleagues at Genia Technologies, Harvard University and the National Institute of Standards and Technology report achieving real-time single molecule electronic DNA sequencing at single-base resolution using a protein nanopore array.

25 Apr 2016

UT Southwestern scientists discover mutation that causes X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered a mutation that causes a rare systemic disorder known as X-linked reticulate pigmentary disorder (XLPDR) and, significantly, the unexpected cellular mechanism by which the mutation causes the disease.

29 Mar 2016

Over-expression of heme oxygenase-1 enzyme protects the heart from doxorubicin damage

Life-threatening heart damage is an adverse side effect of the cancer drug doxorubicin, damage that also limits the use of newer chemotherapeutic agents such as trastuzumab and imatinib. The ability to protect the heart from these side effects would benefit patients, including cancer survivors who are at risk of developing heart damage years later, and it also could allow safer use of these drugs at higher doses.

26 Feb 2016

Scientists identify new agent to combat tuberculosis

According to figures of the World Health Organization, some 8.7 million people contracted tuberculosis in 2012 and this disease is fatal for approximately 1.3 million people throughout the world each year. One of the main problems is that the tuberculosis pathogens have become resistant to the antibiotics used to fight them.

5 Jun 2015

New prenatal test introduced for detecting Down’s Syndrome

A new prenatal test for Down’s Syndrome may be more effective at diagnosing the condition than the standard screening that is currently used, suggests a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

2 Apr 2015

New research identifies promising drug therapy target for breast cancer

The genome of a cell is under constant attack, suffering DNA damage that requires an army of repair mechanisms to keep the cell healthy and alive. Understanding the behavior of the enzymes defending these assaults helps determine how - and where - cancer gets its foothold and flourishes.

18 Mar 2015

NEB announces introduction of one-step cloning and multiple DNA fragment assembly

New England Biolabs announces the introduction of the NEBuilder HiFi DNA Assembly Cloning Kit and Master Mix for one-step cloning and multiple DNA fragment assembly in as little as 15 minutes.

From New England Biolabs 31 Jan 2015

SLU investigators find promising candidates for new herpes virus treatments

Saint Louis University research findings published in the December issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy report a family of molecules known as nucleotidyltransferase superfamily (NTS) enzyme inhibitors are promising candidates for new herpes virus treatments.

19 Dec 2014

Study reveals how one type of DNA damage may lead to several human diseases

Using a new imaging technique, National Institutes of Health researchers have found that the biological machinery that builds DNA can insert molecules into the DNA strand that are damaged as a result of environmental exposures. These damaged molecules trigger cell death that produces some human diseases, according to the researchers.

26 Nov 2014

Molecular diagnostics and blood screening systems: an interview with Dr Bos and Dr Koppelman

Screening blood donations and molecular diagnostics for patients started in the nineties. At the beginning, the level of automation in molecular diagnostic testing was limited; most of the work had to be done manually.

12 Oct 2014

TSRI scientists awarded DARPA grant to build artificial immune system

Scientists from both campuses of The Scripps Research Institute have been awarded a total of $7.9 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

25 Sep 2014

Unnatural DNA bases: an interview with Professor Floyd E. Romesberg, The Scripps Research Institute

The natural DNA bases that form the letters of DNA are usually referred to as G, C, A, and T. Those are only the first letters of the chemical names. They’re often called nucleotides by their scientific name and all of them have in common a phosphate part, a sugar part and a nucleobase part.

21 Jul 2014