DNA Sequencing News and Research

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Important discovery about male infertility could lead to new treatments

Using a new mouse model, Penn Medicine researchers have identified defects in the sperm epigenome that cause male infertility.

16 Dec 2019

New Method of Creating Synthetic DNA Nanopores

A team has created a synthetic DNA nanopore that can translocate protein-sized macromolecules across lipid bilayers selectively.

16 Dec 2019

DNA site GEDmatch sold to forensic genomics firm

A DNA site has been bought by a forensic genomics firm, prompting discussion over future use of genetic data in solving crime.

11 Dec 2019

Genetic variant mainly found in individuals of African ancestry increases odds of heart failure

A genetic variant in the gene transthyretin (TTR)- which is found in about 3 percent of individuals of African ancestry- is a more significant cause of heart failure than previously believed, according to a multi-institution study led by researchers at Penn Medicine.

10 Dec 2019

Rutgers researchers identify small mutations for AML and MDS through deep DNA sequencing

Deep DNA sequencing analysis conducted by Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey investigators examining genomic differences within tumors for prediction of disease relapse in certain hematologic malignancies has identified small mutations.

9 Dec 2019

New study could help prevent fatal infections in babies

Premature infants born before 28-30 weeks of life are at high risk for many complications, among which the chances of dying from an infection starting in the intestine are very great. A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine reports that such infections are very much more likely if something interferes with the normal microbial accumulation in the gut. Adding certain bacterial strains protects against such infections, on the other hand.

3 Dec 2019

Medicinal plants: from genes to drugs

We eat plants, wear their products, burn them for fuel, and use them to build our houses. Plants are the very basis of the food chain on earth. They are also the source of oxygen in the atmosphere, and a treasure house containing a host of compounds that have biological effects on the body. Some of these chemicals are produced as self-defence, to guard against pests and diseases.

27 Nov 2019

Discovery in C. difficile biology opens new window to developing treatments for dangerous infections

A process called sporulation that helps the dangerous bacterium Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) to survive inhospitable conditions and spread is regulated by epigenetics, factors that affect gene expression beyond the DNA genetic code, researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai report.

25 Nov 2019

Recent discovery about C. difficile could pave the way for new treatments

Researchers have found that sporulation, which helps the bacterium C. difficile survive and spread, is regulated by epigenetics.

25 Nov 2019

DNA-modulated liquid droplets may explain how prion proteins clump

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, in Brazil, have identified that the interaction between prion proteins and DNA may be behind the formation of protein amyloid aggregates and of the emergence of neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other spongiform encephalopathies.

22 Nov 2019

Rutgers researcher receives $600,000 grant to study chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey researcher Hossein Khiabanian, PhD, has received a $600,000 Translational Award from the V Foundation for Cancer Research to study chronic lymphocytic leukemia with the aim of developing research models that may help investigators better understand how CLL cells are influenced by new therapies.

11 Nov 2019

New recommendations aim to improve outcomes of Parkinson's disease patients

Since the discovery that the gut microbiome may play a role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD), this fresh scientific approach has produced varying results. In this review published in the Journal of Parkinson's Disease scientists compare results of current research and provide recommendations to increase the comparability and utility of these studies with a view towards improving patient outcomes.

11 Nov 2019

New method for identifying 'biomarkers' of drug response in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines

Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive cancer, one that's likely to recur and to metastasize.

10 Nov 2019

NTU study: Microorganisms show a precise daily rhythm in tropical air

Scientists from the Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have found that the air in the tropics is teeming with a rich and diverse range of at least 725 different microorganisms.

30 Oct 2019

Liquid biopsy can predict prognosis in patients with glioblastoma

A blood test that measures the amount of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the bloodstream - called a liquid biopsy - correlates with how patients will progress after they are diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), the deadliest and most common primary brain tumor in adults.

30 Oct 2019

Some types of proteins can stabilize damaged DNA

At the University of Copenhagen, researchers have discovered how some types of proteins stabilize damaged DNA and thereby preserve DNA function and integrity. This new finding also explains why people with inborn or acquired defects in certain proteins cannot keep their DNA stable and develop diseases such as cancer.

28 Oct 2019

Gut microbiome is a reality in fetal life also

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows that in both mice and humans, the fetal gut has its own microbiome, which is probably derived straight from the maternal organism.

24 Oct 2019

Dartmouth scientist awarded grant to build new AI technologies for lung cancer management

Lung cancer is the second most common type of cancer and leading cause of cancer death in men and women, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for up to 90% of cases. Somatic mutations heavily impact the sensitivity of NSCLC patients to various drug treatments, and are critical for choosing the most effective targeted therapies for this cancer.

23 Oct 2019

Findings point to potential interventions to improve preemie growth during high risk pregnancy

A study in humans and mice demonstrated that a fetus has its own microbiome, or communities of bacteria living in the gut, which are known to play important roles in the immune system and metabolism.