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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).

New strategy may prevent spread of drug resistance

Spotless surfaces in hospitals can hide bacteria that rarely cause problems for healthy people but pose a serious threat to people with weakened immune systems.

10 Jan 2019

Unusual molecular regulatory mechanism discovered in unicellular parasites

Researchers of the University of Bern have discovered a new molecular regulatory mechanism in unicellular parasites which has never before been observed.

10 Jan 2019

New method to speed up genetic diagnosis of Huntington’s disease

Elongated segments of DNA cause Huntington's disease and certain other disorders of the brain. Researchers funded by the SNSF have developed a method to determine the length of the mutated genes quickly and easily.

10 Jan 2019

Aggressive prostate cancer linked to hereditary breast cancer, confirms study

Aggressive prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in men, is associated with BRCA2 mutations, which are also linked to hereditary breast cancer, ovarian cancer and pancreas cancer, among others.

10 Jan 2019

Mapping a person's genetic makeup can help save billions each year in health costs

A UniSA scientist has called for Australia to embrace pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing to deliver medication more effectively and slash around $2.4 billion wasted each year through unsafe and ineffective drug prescriptions.

9 Jan 2019

Schizophrenia patients have higher levels of antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus, study shows

New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine and Sheppard Pratt Health System shows that people in the study with schizophrenia also have higher levels of antibodies against the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a herpes virus that causes infectious mononucleosis, so-called mono.

9 Jan 2019

FDA approves initiation of first-in-human trial of DNA-encoded monoclonal antibody

The Wistar Institute, along with partners Penn Medicine and Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc., announce that the FDA has approved the initiation of a first-in-human clinical trial investigating the safety and tolerability of a novel synthetic DNA-encoded monoclonal antibody therapeutic technology for the prevention of Zika virus infection.

9 Jan 2019

Researchers identify and overcome barrier in CRISPR gene editing to treat muscular dystrophy

The gene editing technique known as CRISPR is a revolutionary approach to treating inherited diseases. However, the tool has yet to be used to effectively treat long-term, chronic conditions.

9 Jan 2019

Study offers new insight on mechanism underlying control of gene expression

Researchers have provided new insight on the mechanism underlying the control of gene expression in all living organisms, according to a study published today in eLife.

8 Jan 2019

New molecular engineering method improves precision of biomarker analysis

Researchers from the University of Helsinki in cooperation with the University of Tartu, Competence Centre on Health Technologies from Estonia, and the Karolinska Institute, published an article in Nature's partner journal Genomic Medicine in which they present Targeted Allele Counting by sequencing along with several of its potential applications.

8 Jan 2019

PAC1R mutation in children with autism may be linked to severity of social problems

A mutation of the gene PAC1R may be linked to the severity of social deficits experienced by kids with autism spectrum disorder, finds a study from a multi-institutional research team led by Children's faculty.

8 Jan 2019

Johns Hopkins researchers identify new marker for early detection of colorectal cancers

Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a protein involved in cell proliferation and the development of new blood vessels that could serve as a marker for the early detection of colorectal cancers.

7 Jan 2019

A Light Source in Quantitative Analysis: What Role Does it Play?

In this interview, Claudia Jaffe discusses the importance of illuminators in microscopy and the different types of light used in life science research.

From Lumencor, Inc 7 Jan 2019

New bioinspired material interacts with surrounding tissues to promote wound healing

Imperial researchers have developed new bioinspired material that interacts with surrounding tissues to promote healing.

7 Jan 2019

One reason behind frequent miscarriages could be faulty sperms

Scientists at the Imperial College in London have found that one of the reasons behind frequent miscarriages in a woman could be the fault of the sperms of their partners. Recurrent miscarriages are defined as three or more miscarriages that occur before 20 weeks of pregnancy are completed. One in 50 couples in the UK are affected by recurrent miscarriages.

6 Jan 2019

Sperm health may play a role in recurrent miscarriages

The early-stage study, from scientists at Imperial College London, investigated the sperm quality of 50 men whose partners had suffered three or more consecutive miscarriages.

4 Jan 2019

New method for automation of DNA origami

Nature has made extravagant use of a simple molecule--DNA, the floorplan of all earthly life.

4 Jan 2019

Research illuminates abilities of ADAR1 to ‘hyper-mutate’ tumor suppressor RNAs in leukemia

Writing in the January 3 issue of Cancer Cell, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine report that detection of "copy editing" by a stem cell enzyme called ADAR1, which is active in more than 20 tumor types, may provide a kind of molecular radar for early detection of malignancies and represent a new therapeutic target for preventing cancer cell resistance to chemotherapy and radiation.

3 Jan 2019

Bulldogs' screw tails linked to rare inherited syndrome in humans

With their small size, stubby faces and wide-set eyes, bulldogs, French bulldogs and Boston terriers are among the most popular of domestic dog breeds. Now researchers at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine have found the genetic basis for these dogs' appearance, and linked it to a rare inherited syndrome in humans.

3 Jan 2019

Researchers reveal cause of possible genetic problems in mitochondria

A group of researchers from the Andalusian Centre for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine has revealed the importance of eliminating any excess of defective products that might have accumulated in the mitochondria, as its presence generates mitochondrial instability and information loss on the mitochondrial genome.

3 Jan 2019