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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).

Camena Bioscience and Constructive Bio join synthetic biology collaboration to develop plant genomics

Camena Bioscience (Camena), an innovator in enzymatic DNA synthesis, and Constructive Bio (Constructive), a pioneer in whole genome writing, today announced they have joined a collaborative project led by the Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology (MPI-MP), Germany, for a research initiative to develop synthetic chloroplast genomes.

14 Aug 2025

Rare immune mutation unlocks universal antiviral protection

For a few dozen people in the world, the downside of living with a rare immune condition comes with a surprising superpower-the ability to fight off all viruses.

14 Aug 2025

New study explains why neuroblastoma returns years later

Cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death in childhood. This is in part due to cancer-associated genes called oncogenes that can be found far from chromosomes in cell nuclei on ring-shaped DNA inside tumor cells.

14 Aug 2025

Love hormone oxytocin found to be critical for the formation of friendships

A new UC Berkeley study shows that the so-called love hormone, oxytocin, is also critical for the formation of friendships.

12 Aug 2025

Nudibranchs (sea slugs) emerge as a promising source of cancer drugs

Researchers reviewed the antitumor potential of bioactive compounds from nudibranchs, marine mollusks that acquire or synthesize potent chemical defenses. These compounds, often sourced from their diet, show promising cancer-fighting activity through mechanisms like DNA damage, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

12 Aug 2025

Polyphenols and exercise show promise in fighting gliomas

A new review in Food Science & Nutrition highlights how combining dietary polyphenols with structured exercise can enhance brain function, regulate epigenetics, and support glioma management. The authors outline mechanisms, patient-centered strategies, and research gaps for turning this synergy into clinical practice.

12 Aug 2025

New method greatly improves the precision of genome editing

A research team headed by the University of Zurich has developed a powerful new method to precisely edit DNA by combining cutting-edge genetic engineering with artificial intelligence.

12 Aug 2025

Blocking CREB may prevent alcohol-related pancreatic cancer

Despite increasing evidence linking alcohol consumption to cancer, little is known about the biological mechanisms behind the association.

12 Aug 2025

AI discovers promising antibiotic compounds in Archaea microbes

They've survived for billions of years in boiling acid, deep-sea vents and salt flats. Now, some of Earth's oldest life forms - microbes called Archaea - are offering a new weapon in the fight against one of today's most urgent health threats: antibiotic resistance.

12 Aug 2025

Exercise can be a powerful tool to slow epigenetic aging

A new research perspective was published in Aging (Aging-US) on July 8, 2025, titled "Exercise as a geroprotector: focusing on epigenetic aging."

12 Aug 2025

Novel vaccine shows promise against KRAS-driven pancreatic and colorectal cancers

A novel cancer vaccine that stimulates the immune system to target one of the most common cancer-driving mutations has shown encouraging early results in patients with pancreatic and colorectal cancer, two of the most difficult-to-treat malignancies, according to a study led in part by investigators at the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

12 Aug 2025

Research finds long-term health challenges in survivors of childhood cancer

Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States with its National Medical Center ranked among the nation's top cancer centers by U.S. News & World Report, today published a new study which found that some survivors of childhood cancer are more at risk for serious health issues as they grow older, including new cancers and chronic conditions like heart disease.

11 Aug 2025

Researchers develop machine learning models to identify biomarkers for chronic fatigue syndrome

When cells expire, they leave behind an activity log of sorts: RNA expelled into blood plasma that reveal changes in gene expression, cellular signaling, tissue injury and other biological processes.

11 Aug 2025

4,000-year-old sheep tooth sheds light on enigmatic Eurasian plague

Around 5,000 years ago, a mysterious form of plague spread throughout Eurasia, only to disappear 2,000 years later.

11 Aug 2025

Common food bacterium offers blueprint for safer and higher vitamin production

A new study reveals how Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis), a common food bacterium, regulates the production of a key precursor in vitamin K₂ (menaquinone) biosynthesis.

11 Aug 2025

New imaging technique reveals how antibodies reshape cancer cell receptors

A new study shows how the single-molecule organization of receptors in a cellular context determines the function of antibodies, opening up new pathways for the development of cancer immunotherapies.

11 Aug 2025

Epigenetic breakthrough: $200 blood test spots diabetes heart risk better than standard tools

Researchers have developed a blood-based DNA methylation risk score that predicts first macrovascular events in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients more accurately than current cardiovascular risk tools. The score, when combined with clinical factors, could help target early prevention in high-risk individuals.

11 Aug 2025

Tokyo researchers reveal key role of Fen1 in resisting antiviral and anticancer drug effects

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have discovered a new pathway by which cells counteract the action of alovudine, an important antiviral and anticancer drug.

10 Aug 2025

New insights into how MYOD controls muscle repair and regeneration

For more than 30 years, scientists have studied how the myogenic determination gene number 1 (MYOD) protein binds DNA to modify the gene expression of muscle stem cells.

8 Aug 2025

Decoding macrophage immune responses with gene editing and machine learning

Fighting off pathogens is a tour de force that must happen with speed and precision. A team of researchers at CeMM and MedUni Vienna led by Christoph Bock and Matthias Farlik has investigated how macrophages-immune cells that are the body's first responders-master this challenge.

8 Aug 2025