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'Scissors' component of CRISPR/Cas9 sometimes gets stuck

In biotech these days, CRISPR/Cas9 is a hot topic, because of its utility as a precise gene editing tool. Before humans repurposed it, CRISPR/Cas9 was a sort of internal immune system bacteria use to defend themselves against phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, by slicing up the phages' DNA.

2 Jul 2019

Study reveals time taken for DNA repair after chemotherapy

In the time it takes for an Amazon Prime delivery to arrive, cells damaged by chemotherapy can almost completely fix their most important DNA. That is the case in the livers of mice at least, according to a new study.

2 Jul 2019

Scientists identify new genetic mutation behind serious skull disorder

A collaboration led by scientists at Oregon State University, the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and Erasmus University in The Netherlands has identified a new genetic mutation behind the premature fusing of the bony plates that make up the skull.

2 Jul 2019

Researchers determine atomic interactions that stabilize phase-changing proteins

Most of the well-studied proteins in our bodies are like metal; some can change shape easily, like aluminum foil, and others are rigid, like steel beams, but they typically have a solid, well-defined structure.

2 Jul 2019

Scientists uncover new pathway to make cancers self-destruct

For years, researchers have been trying to target a gene called MYC that is known to drive tumor growth in multiple cancer types when it is mutated or over-expressed, but hitting that target successfully has proven difficult.

1 Jul 2019

New 3D model shines light on key aspects of early development

From a biological standpoint, the earliest stages of life are the most mysterious. A developing human embryo undergoes a flurry of rapid changes, and these changes are exceedingly difficult to study because they transpire within the confines of a womb.

1 Jul 2019

Research provides genomic warning flag just in time for beach season

An article published today in the Open Access journal GigaScience might make you squirm if you plan to hit the beach this summer. The article presents the draft genomes of three different jellyfish species.

30 Jun 2019

Scientists unravel how cells unfold proteins

A happy cell is a balanced cell, but for every stupendously twisted protein it creates, it must tear the old ones asunder. That means untangling a convoluted pretzel-like mass for recycling. Cdc48 plays a critical role in unraveling the spent proteins.

29 Jun 2019

Joslin researchers selected by Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative for Human Cell Atlas project

Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have been selected by the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative as one of 38 collaborative science teams that will launch CZI's Seed Networks for a Human Cell Atlas projects.

29 Jun 2019

Artificial DNA can help release active ingredients from drugs in sequence

A drug with three active ingredients that are released in sequence at specific times: Thanks to the work of a team at the Technical University of Munich, what was once a pharmacologist's dream is now much closer to reality.

29 Jun 2019

Scientists discover neurons for 3D vision in insect brains

Scientists at Newcastle University, UK have discovered neurons in insect brains that compute 3D distance and direction. Understanding these could help vision in robots.

29 Jun 2019

Comprehensive gene activity database could significantly reduce animal use

A comprehensive database of gene activity in mice across ten disease models, which could significantly reduce animal use worldwide, has been developed by scientists at the Francis Crick Institute, which gives a full picture of the immune response to different pathogens.

29 Jun 2019

Scientists identify malaria's Achilles' heel

Scientists have finally found malaria's Achilles' heel, a neurotoxin that isn't harmful to any living thing except Anopheles mosquitoes that spread malaria.

29 Jun 2019

White matter structure in the brain reflects individual differences in music sensitivity

The white matter structure in the brain reflects music sensitivity, according to a study by the research group on Cognition and Brain Plasticity of the Institute of Neurosciences of the University of Barcelona and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute.

29 Jun 2019

New method to grow embryonic stem cells on a microfluidic chip

It's no surprise that using human embryos for biological and medical research comes with many ethical concerns. Correct though it is to proceed with caution in these matters, the fact is that much science would benefit from being able to study human biology more accurately.

29 Jun 2019

Cutting-edge electron microscopy reveals first structures of a lipid-flippase

Using cutting-edge electron microscopy, researchers from Aarhus University have determined the first structures of a lipid-flippase.

29 Jun 2019

Cells in humans are affected by thirdhand smoke, study shows

Thirdhand smoke can damage epithelial cells in the respiratory system by stressing cells and causing them to fight for survival, a research team led by scientists at the University of California, Riverside, has found. The finding could assist physicians treating patients exposed to thirdhand smoke.

28 Jun 2019