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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.

Scientists discover RNA methylation could strengthen memory formation

New insight into the process that converts experiences into stable long-term memories has been uncovered by neurobiologists from the University of California, Irvine and the University of Queensland.

23 Jun 2016

Researchers reveal DNA unwrapping can happen asymmetrically to expose specific genes

The protein complex that holds strands of DNA in compact spools partially disassembles itself to help genes reveal themselves to specialized proteins and enzymes for activation, according to Rice University researchers and their colleagues.

22 Jun 2016

Mobile devices of healthcare workers often contaminated by viral RNA

In clinical settings, mobile phones benefit patients by placing useful data and information at the fingertips of health professionals during interactions on the ward.

22 Jun 2016

Scientists join together to map urban subway microbiome

Scientists at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain, have joined today the Global City Sampling Day for the MetaSub research project. Started in 2013 in New York and led by Dr. Christopher E Mason at Weill Cornell Medicine, MetaSub is an international consortium of laboratories to establish a world-wide "DNA map" of microbiomes in mass transit systems.

22 Jun 2016

First CRISPR/Cas9 screen helps identify human proteins required for Zika virus replication

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School have performed the first CRISPR/Cas9 screen to discover human proteins that Zika virus needs for replication.

22 Jun 2016

Drexel University researchers aim to identify new molecular mechanisms involved in chronic pain

Chronic pain is one of the most prevalent, disabling and expensive public health crises in the United States. It affects more than 100 million Americans, with annual costs estimated at $635 billion, says a 2014 report from the American Pain Society.

22 Jun 2016

Rice University researchers synthesize new anti-cancer agent

Rice University scientists have synthesized a novel anti-cancer agent, Thailanstatin A, which was originally isolated from a bacterial species collected in Thailand.

20 Jun 2016

New method helps analyse how cold viruses penetrate into cells

Cold viruses cause us irritation by penetrating into our cells and transporting their RNA into the cytoplasma of the infected cells. This is the only way they can multiply. The details of how the transfer of the RNA from within the virus occurs are difficult to study.

20 Jun 2016

Absence of one specific species of gut bacteria causes autism-related social deficits in mice

The absence of one specific species of gut bacteria causes social deficits in mice, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine report June 16 in Cell. By adding this bacterial species back to the guts of affected mice, the researchers were able to reverse some of the mice's behavioral deficits, which are reminiscent of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in humans.

17 Jun 2016

RVFV uses cancer pathway to hijack host cell and cause infection

Viruses can't live without us -- literally. As obligate parasites, viruses need a host cell to survive and grow. Scientists are exploiting this characteristic by developing therapeutics that close off pathways necessary for viral infection, essentially stopping pathogens in their tracks.

17 Jun 2016

Researchers clarify cause of heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy

An international joint research group found that the cause of heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy was RNA abnormalities in the sodium channel in the heart, clarifying the symptom's mechanism. This finding will be helpful in prevention and early intervention of death in this disease, leading to the development of new treatment.

16 Jun 2016

Innovative computer HIV capsid model provides real insight into virus maturation process

From a virus's point of view, invading our cells is a matter of survival. The virus makes a living by highjacking cellular processes to produce more of the proteins that make it up.

16 Jun 2016

Four miRNAs may hold vital clue to disease progression in gliobastoma

Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich have developed a new method of predicting disease progression in gliobastoma patients who have undergone standard treatment.

14 Jun 2016

CD36 receptor in nasal sensory neurons may be linked to preference for fatty food

A paper by Brazilian researchers published in the journal Scientific Reports describes a study showing that a subgroup of olfactory neurons in the nasal cavity express a cellular receptor specializing in the transport of lipid molecules.

14 Jun 2016

Study shows similarity between embryonic and reprogrammed stem cells

Stem cells are specialized undifferentiated cells that can divide and have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth.

13 Jun 2016

RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 may play role in regeneration of leukemia stem cells

Cancer stem cells are like zombies — even after a tumor is destroyed, they can keep coming back. These cells have an unlimited capacity to regenerate themselves, making more cancer stem cells and more tumors.

10 Jun 2016

Utah researchers find way to use power of protease to destroy budding AIDS virus

When new AIDS virus particles bud from an infected cell, an enzyme named protease activates to help the viruses mature and infect more cells. That's why modern AIDS drugs control the disease by inhibiting protease.

10 Jun 2016

New RNA aptamer can prevent pathogenic protein misfolding

Several diseases occur when mutations cause misfolding of proteins. These include "serpinopathies" which is a group of rare heritable diseases. They are caused by mutations of so-called "serpin" inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes involved in blood coagulation, tissue remodeling, and other important physiological functions.

10 Jun 2016

UCLA scientists develop statistical method for conducting survival analysis of cancer patients

People with cancer are often told by their doctors approximately how long they have to live, and how well they will respond to treatments, but what if there were a way to improve the accuracy of doctors' predictions?

9 Jun 2016

Understanding DNA scrunching could help develop novel ways to fight infections

Evidence of DNA "scrunching" may one day lead to a new class of drugs against viruses, according to a research team from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Columbia University.

9 Jun 2016

RNA News and Research

Further Reading

Scientists discover RNA methylation could strengthen memory formation

Researchers reveal DNA unwrapping can happen asymmetrically to expose specific genes

Mobile devices of healthcare workers often contaminated by viral RNA

Scientists join together to map urban subway microbiome

First CRISPR/Cas9 screen helps identify human proteins required for Zika virus replication

Drexel University researchers aim to identify new molecular mechanisms involved in chronic pain

Rice University researchers synthesize new anti-cancer agent

New method helps analyse how cold viruses penetrate into cells

Absence of one specific species of gut bacteria causes autism-related social deficits in mice

RVFV uses cancer pathway to hijack host cell and cause infection

Researchers clarify cause of heart arrhythmia in myotonic dystrophy

Innovative computer HIV capsid model provides real insight into virus maturation process

Four miRNAs may hold vital clue to disease progression in gliobastoma

CD36 receptor in nasal sensory neurons may be linked to preference for fatty food

Study shows similarity between embryonic and reprogrammed stem cells

RNA editing enzyme ADAR1 may play role in regeneration of leukemia stem cells

Utah researchers find way to use power of protease to destroy budding AIDS virus

New RNA aptamer can prevent pathogenic protein misfolding

UCLA scientists develop statistical method for conducting survival analysis of cancer patients

Understanding DNA scrunching could help develop novel ways to fight infections

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