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Researchers uncover mechanism behind mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's

A team of researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has identified a mechanism that causes mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer's patients resulting in a reduction of the supply of energy to the brain.

25 Apr 2024

Timelapse breakthrough: Scientists capture secrets of early embryonic cell division

The beginning of life is shrouded in mystery. While the intricate dynamics of mitosis is well-studied in the so-called somatic cells – the cells that have a specialized function, like skin and muscle cells – they remain elusive in the first cells of our bodies, the embryonic cells.

24 Apr 2024

Study discovers hidden mechanism behind rapid COVID variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID has the unsettling ability of often generating variants of itself. Other viruses also mutate, but as SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread throughout the entire human population during the pandemic, killing millions, the virus' dynamic evolution posed a serious problem: it repeatedly challenged our bodies' immune response fighting the virus and hindered the process of getting updated vaccines ready.

23 Apr 2024

Familial environment key factor in metacognition and mentalizing abilities

Twin studies have proven invaluable for teasing out the effects of both genetics and the environment on human biology.

18 Apr 2024

Penn State study examines how a person's telomeres are affected by caloric restriction

Penn State researchers may have uncovered another layer of complexity in the mystery of how diet impacts aging.

17 Apr 2024

Genetic predisposition for muscle strength linked to longer lifespan and lower disease risk

A study conducted at the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, showed that a genetic predisposition for higher muscle strength predicts a longer lifespan and a lower risk for developing common diseases.

13 Apr 2024

Unveiling the key role of RNA modification in HIV-1 survival and replication

A chemical modification in the HIV-1 RNA genome whose function has been a matter of scientific debate is now confirmed to be key to the virus's ability to survive and thrive after infecting host cells, a new study has found.

12 Apr 2024

Study reveals how DNA gyrase resolves DNA entanglements

Picture in your mind a traditional "landline" telephone with a coiled cord connecting the handset to the phone.

12 Apr 2024

LMU researchers shed light on DNA repair mechanisms in Cockayne syndrome

Cockayne syndrome is a severe autosomal recessive disorder caused by defective DNA repair mechanisms.

10 Apr 2024

Baylor study reveals role of newly inherited DNA variants in recessive diseases

You have your mother's eyes and your father's smile, but genetics is much more than just what's on the surface.

10 Apr 2024

Language model uses powers of semantic representation to design more effective mRNA vaccines

The same class of artificial intelligence that made headlines coding software and passing the bar exam has learned to read a different kind of text -; the genetic code.

5 Apr 2024

Personalizing exercise to fight obesity: Study finds genetics influence effectiveness

A recent study in JAMA Network Open reveals that genetic risk influences how physical activity interventions counter obesity, suggesting a personalized approach to exercise based on one's genetic makeup might be more effective in managing obesity.

28 Mar 2024

Study sheds light on the interplay of genes in smoking addiction

Take a puff of nicotine for the first time, and your DNA plays an important role, alongside social and environmental factors, in shaping what happens next.

26 Mar 2024

Unraveling epigenetic contributions to autoimmune skin diseases

The central dogma proposed that genetic information predominantly transfers from DNA to RNA during gene expression to make a functional product protein.

25 Mar 2024

Scientists uncover four proteins that govern the identity of anaplastic large cell lymphoma

A collaboration between scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute uncovered four proteins that govern the identity of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), an aggressive form of cancer.

22 Mar 2024

Smoking linked to increased abdominal fat

The worry of gaining weight is a common excuse for smokers not to quit.

21 Mar 2024

Weill Cornell Medicine receives $1.65 million grant for groundbreaking RNA research

A team led by Dr. Samie Jaffrey, the Greenberg-Starr Professor of Pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a three-year, $1.65 million grant for RNA research under a biotechnology-development program run by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

21 Mar 2024

Proteotyping unveils new extremophiles in high-altitude lakes

Perfectly adapted microorganisms live in extreme environments from deep-sea trenches to mountaintops. Learning more about how these extremophiles survive in hostile conditions could inform scientists about life on Earth and potential life on other planets.

15 Mar 2024

Study identifies CDK9's involvement in DNA repair during cell division

Researchers describe a newly-observed role for the protein Cyclin Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9) in regulating DNA repair during cellular division, where errors can become the origin of cancerous tumor growth.

14 Mar 2024