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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).

Jumping genes play surprising role in stabilizing DNA folding patterns

"Jumping genes" -- bits of DNA that can move from one spot in the genome to another -- are well-known for increasing genetic diversity over the long course of evolution.

24 Jan 2020

A single number aids biomedical data scientists in finding deadly cancer cells

Biomedical data scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the number of genes a cell uses to make RNA is a reliable indicator of how developed the cell is, a finding that could make it easier to target cancer-causing genes.

24 Jan 2020

Meridian launches High-Specificity Pfu HS Mix to increase customers’ testing capabilities

Meridian Bioscience, Inc. today announced the launch of a High-Specificity Pfu HS Mix that not only provides high-fidelity amplification, but also offers market-leading amplification for companion diagnostic (CDx) and clinical testing.

From Meridian Bioscience, Inc. 24 Jan 2020

Iron overload, variant gene and malaria resistance linked in African study

A new study shows that a rare genetic mutation giving rise to a variant of the TP53 gene called P47S causes several linked biological processes.

24 Jan 2020

Mycoplasma in Cell Culture: Fighting Back with Rapid Detection Kits

In this interview, discussing the effects of mycoplasma contamination on cell cultures and the development of rapid detection kits that provide answers in just thirty minutes.

From Gold Biotechnology, Inc. 24 Jan 2020

Study uncovers large, giant viruses that belong to NCLDV supergroup

While the microbes in a single drop of water could outnumber a small city's population, the number of viruses in the same drop - the vast majority not harmful to humans could be even larger.

24 Jan 2020

Scientists discover why the cells need acidic lysosomes

Just like the body contains lungs, liver, and lymph nodes, so does each of the body's cells contain tiny specialized organs. Perhaps most peculiar among them are lysosomes--bubble-like sacks that act as part recycling bin, part stomach.

23 Jan 2020

Healing and hope for families affected by fragile X in Eastern Europe

Mothers and fathers and their young children crowded into an old, government-run children's hospital in Belgrade, Serbia, colorful, cartoonish drawings covering its hallway walls. Parents struggled to soothe their anxious, wriggly boys and girls. But they were patient, polite. It was, after all, a day unlike any other. A day for hope.

23 Jan 2020

Lung microbes could help predict outcomes in the seriously ill

A new study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine shows that recording the way the organisms living within the lungs change in type and numbers could reflect the response of the critically ill patient to medical care. Though changes in the lung microbiome have been known to exist even before this study, this research shows the clinical importance of this test.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists uncover genetic information of what keeps us healthy

Genetics plays a role in the overall health and well-being of humans. Genes provide instructions for making proteins, which help determine the structure and function of each cell in the body. Aside from determining the characteristics inherited, genes have been linked to many diseases. Scientists have determined the genetic information of health.

23 Jan 2020

Study reveals presence of functional extracellular mitochondria in the bloodstream

Mitochondria are organelles that are found in the eukaryotic cells. A place of cellular respiration, they are the cells' "batteries" and play a major role in energy metabolism and intercellular communication.

23 Jan 2020

Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution

Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study finds.

23 Jan 2020

Researchers solve long-standing mystery linked to contraction of heart cells

We've all felt the effects of an adrenaline rush. Faced with danger, real or perceived, the heart beats faster, breathing quickens and muscles tighten as the body prepares to fight a threat or flee from it.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists discover new drug target for prostate cancer in the non-coding genome

Scientists at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have identified the drivers of a crucial gene involved in prostate cancer, revealing new targets for drug design.

23 Jan 2020

A menu of treatments for glioblastoma

Sara Piccirillo, PhD, is passionate about finding a way to beat glioblastoma, the most aggressive type of brain cancer.

23 Jan 2020

RNAssist and Rapid Labs agree on a manufacturing and supply agreement for genoPHIX and vivoPHIX

RNAssist has developed several universal biological sample stabilization, fixation and microbial inactivation reagents.

From Rapid Labs Ltd 23 Jan 2020

New discovery changes the understanding of gene expression

A group of University of Chicago scientists has uncovered a previously unknown way that our genes are made into reality.

22 Jan 2020

Oldest African DNA on record shines light on the deep human past

A team of international researchers, which includes a Saint Louis University Madrid anthropologist, dug deep to find some of the oldest African DNA on record, in a new study published in Nature.

22 Jan 2020

New findings can help explain why immune systems are not found in many bacteria

New findings from University of Exeter researchers reveal how bacterial immune systems can be harmful for their hosts and explain why they are not found in many bacteria.

22 Jan 2020

Aging of urine fertilizer prevents transfer of antibiotic resistance

The use of human urine as fertilizer is an important step towards sustainable agriculture because the starting reagent is free, plentiful and useless in most other contexts. It has been used as such for centuries, but with the current focus on environmental sustainability, the possibility of creating a nutrient cycle is under scrutiny. In other words, sourcing fertilizer from urine can be a green way to supply plants with the nutrients they need.

22 Jan 2020