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Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a biologically important type of molecule that consists of a long chain of nucleotide units. Each nucleotide consists of a nitrogenous base, a ribose sugar, and a phosphate.

Garlic compounds can kill foodborne pathogen present in infant formula powder

Garlic may be bad for your breath, but it's good for your baby, according to a new study from the University of British Columbia.

26 Nov 2013

Arrowhead seeks approval to start ARC-520 phase 2a trial for chronic hepatitis B infection

Arrowhead Research Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted RNAi therapeutics, today announced that it recently filed an application for approval to begin a phase 2a clinical trial of its RNAi-based therapeutic candidate, ARC-520, for the potential treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection.

25 Nov 2013

CRISPR-Cas-system: A promising tool for genetic engineering

Viruses cannot only cause illnesses in humans, they also infect bacteria. Those protect themselves with a kind of 'immune system' which - simply put - consists of specific sequences in the genetic material of the bacteria and a suitable enzyme. It detects foreign DNA, which may originate from a virus, cuts it up and thus makes the invaders harmless.

25 Nov 2013

Researchers identify immune cell protein that sets off body's initial response against viral infection

A Massachusetts General Hospital-led research team has identified an immune cell protein that is critical to setting off the body's initial response against viral infection. The report that will be published in an upcoming issue of Nature Immunology and is receiving early online release describes finding that a protein called GEF-H1 is essential to the ability of macrophages - major contributors to the innate immune system - to respond to viral infections like influenza.

25 Nov 2013

Scientists use RNAi technology to reveal genes responsible for treating Parkinson's disease

Scientists at the National Institutes of Health have used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to reveal dozens of genes which may represent new therapeutic targets for treating Parkinson's disease. The findings also may be relevant to several diseases caused by damage to mitochondria, the biological power plants found in cells throughout the body.

24 Nov 2013

Researchers study role of small non-coding RNAs expressed in the human male germline

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, have studied the role of a peculiar class of small non-coding RNAs that are mainly expressed in the human male germline.

22 Nov 2013

Studies link hundreds of gene mutations in the brain to increased autism risk

Pity the poor autism researcher. Recent studies have linked hundreds of gene mutations scattered throughout the brain to increased autism risk. Where do you start?

22 Nov 2013

Brown University biologists find way to measure effects of aging

Biologists at Brown University have found a way to measure the effects of aging by watching the ebb and flow of chromatin, a structure along strands of DNA that either silences or permits gene expression. In several newly published experiments they show that gene silencing via chromatin in fruit flies declines with age.

21 Nov 2013

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

In developing nations, rural areas, and even one's own home, limited access to expensive equipment and trained medical professionals can impede the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

21 Nov 2013

TSRI researchers solve structure of key protein in deadly, but little known virus

What began as a summer internship project designed for an undergraduate student evolved into a one-year study of one of the deadliest, but little known viruses. Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have now solved the structure of a key protein in the Nipah virus, which could pave the way for the development of a much-needed antiviral drug.

20 Nov 2013

NIAID awards $4.4M grant to study unknown gene function in bacteria that cause plague, brucellosis

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has awarded the University of Chicago $4.4 million over five years to study genes of unknown function in bacteria that cause plague and brucellosis.

20 Nov 2013

MO BIO Laboratories announces launch of PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits

MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., the leader in microbial, stool, plant, and soil nucleic acid purification, announces the launch of the PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits, featuring a fast, 7 minute protocol for removal of amplification inhibitors including humic substances, polysaccharides, polyphenolics, heme, and lipids from purified DNA or RNA.

20 Nov 2013

Philipp E. Scherer honored with 15th Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Research in Diabetes

Columbia University Medical Center has honored Philipp E. Scherer, PhD, with the 15th Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Research in Diabetes, for his work that helped usher in a new understanding of fat and its role in diabetes and other metabolic diseases. His discovery of adiponectin, a hormone produced by fat, helped transform the scientific concept of fat as an inert storage depot to one of it as an endocrine "organ" that exerts control over the brain, muscles, and other organs. The award, given annually by CUMC's Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, is Columbia's top honor for excellence in diabetes research.

19 Nov 2013

Researchers solve structure of key protein in Nipah virus

What began as a summer internship project designed for an undergraduate student evolved into a one-year study of one of the deadliest, but little known viruses.

18 Nov 2013

Habitual dietary intake of monozygotic twins associated with fecal microbiota composition

The establishment of microbial populations in the gastrointestinal-tract is a complex process, involving microbial and host interactions eventually resulting in a dense and stable population.

18 Nov 2013

Researchers explore how certain molecular signaling pathways control aging across all species

Fruit flies are notoriously short-lived but scientists interested in the biology of aging in all animals have begun to understand why some fruit flies live longer than others. They have documented a direct association between insulin and life span, for example, and have observed a tradeoff between prolific reproduction and longevity. A new study, which may have broad implications across species, ties those findings more closely together by tracing an insulin signaling cascade through to protein quality control in muscle tissue and shortened life span.

18 Nov 2013

Heidelberg scientists identify protein motifs that influence gene silencing

Bioscientists at Heidelberg University have studied the function of certain proteins, known as Argonaute (Ago) proteins, in the process of gene regulation. They sought to understand why only the Ago2 protein is able to target and directly turn off genes in humans, while the closely related Ago3 protein is not.

16 Nov 2013

Collaborative initiative set up to create precision medicine treatment pathways for advanced cancers

The Joint Center for Cancer Precision Medicine, a collaborative initiative among Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston Children's Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, has been established to create "precision medicine treatment pathways" for patients with advanced cancers and to speed the development of personalized therapies.

16 Nov 2013

Scientists identify genetic signature of respiratory syncytial virus

Scientists have identified the genetic signature of respiratory syncytial virus, the leading cause of infant hospitalizations around the world. The work is a key step toward a better understanding of the immune response to RSV, which will aid the development of a vaccine and a tool that could allow physicians to determine the severity of the infection when symptoms first develop. The study, from a team at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, was published this week in PLOS Medicine.

15 Nov 2013

Researchers create new statistical tools to find clues about cancer from raw data

Researchers at Rice University, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and the University of Texas at Austin are working together to create new statistical tools that can find clues about cancer that are hidden like needles in enormous haystacks of raw data.

15 Nov 2013

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Garlic compounds can kill foodborne pathogen present in infant formula powder

Arrowhead seeks approval to start ARC-520 phase 2a trial for chronic hepatitis B infection

CRISPR-Cas-system: A promising tool for genetic engineering

Researchers identify immune cell protein that sets off body's initial response against viral infection

Scientists use RNAi technology to reveal genes responsible for treating Parkinson's disease

Researchers study role of small non-coding RNAs expressed in the human male germline

Studies link hundreds of gene mutations in the brain to increased autism risk

Brown University biologists find way to measure effects of aging

New method uses lab-on-a-chip device and cell phone to determine concentration of molecules

TSRI researchers solve structure of key protein in deadly, but little known virus

NIAID awards $4.4M grant to study unknown gene function in bacteria that cause plague, brucellosis

MO BIO Laboratories announces launch of PowerClean Pro DNA and RNA Clean-Up Kits

Philipp E. Scherer honored with 15th Naomi Berrie Award for Outstanding Research in Diabetes

Researchers solve structure of key protein in Nipah virus

Habitual dietary intake of monozygotic twins associated with fecal microbiota composition

Researchers explore how certain molecular signaling pathways control aging across all species

Heidelberg scientists identify protein motifs that influence gene silencing

Collaborative initiative set up to create precision medicine treatment pathways for advanced cancers

Scientists identify genetic signature of respiratory syncytial virus

Researchers create new statistical tools to find clues about cancer from raw data

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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