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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).

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

The virus's cytosolic tail also interacts with the host cell to promote its entry into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). A new study appearing on the bioRxiv preprint server elucidates the conformation of this region of the virus, which will help understand how its form is related to its function in viral entry.

12 Jan 2021

Daily circadian cycles may impact our ability to fight disease

An analysis of an exhaustive dataset on cells essential to the mammalian immune system shows that our ability to fight disease may rely more heavily on daily circadian cycles than previously assumed.

12 Jan 2021

UTSW study uncovers a gene linked to growth of breast cancer

A team of UT Southwestern researchers has identified a gene involved in the growth of breast cancer, a finding that could lead to potential new targets for treatment.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers develop saliva testing method for SARS-CoV-2 using robotic RNA extraction

Researchers have developed an automated method of RNA extraction from saliva samples to allow faster processing times and high test sensitivity. Saliva testing could be used as an alternative to swab testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) surveillance.

12 Jan 2021

Study: Anal intraepithelial neoplasia is a precursor lesion for anal squamous cell carcinomas

Oncotarget recently published "PD-1/PD-L1 expression in anal squamous intraepithelial lesions" which reported that the presence and distribution of CD8 lymphocytes and the presence of PD-1 lymphocytes and PD-L1 epithelial cells were assessed.

12 Jan 2021

Researchers develop improved process for large-scale electron microscopy to visualize small structures

How are networks of neurons connected to make functional circuits? This has been a long-standing question in neuroscience. To answer this fundamental question, researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School developed a new way to study these circuits and in the process learn more about the connections between them.

12 Jan 2021

Stress during pregnancy could affect the baby's chance of developing multiple diseases

Stress on an expectant mother could affect her baby's chance of developing disease - perhaps even over the course of the child's life, UC researchers have found.

12 Jan 2021

Mosaic mutations during embryonic development can cause autism spectrum disorder

Two studies in today's Nature Neuroscience, led by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), and Harvard Medical School (HMS), implicate mosaic mutations arising during embryonic development as a cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings open new areas for exploring the genetics of ASD and could eventually inform diagnostic testing.

11 Jan 2021

Study monitors spatial shifts of liver gene expression in relationship to the circadian clock

Nothing in biology is static. Biological processes fluctuate over time, and if we are to put together an accurate picture of cells, tissues, organs etc., we have to take into account their temporal patterns. In fact, this effort has given rise to an entire field of study known as "chronobiology".

11 Jan 2021

Master Regulator proteins control cancer transcriptional identity

Thousands of different genetic mutations have been implicated in cancer, but a new analysis of almost 10,000 patients found that regardless of the cancer's origin, tumors could be stratified in only 112 subtypes and that, within each subtype, the Master Regulator proteins that control the cancer's transcriptional state were virtually identical, independent of the specific genetic mutations of each patient.

11 Jan 2021

Vimentin could be a major co-factor that aids SARS-CoV-2 infection

A recent study has found that extracellular vimentin can bind to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in vitro, and antibodies against vimentin can decrease virus infectivity by up to 80%. This suggests vimentin could aid the virus’s binding to host cells and help in infection.

11 Jan 2021

Researchers identify biomarkers in sperm for paternal offspring autism susceptibility

Biomarkers in human sperm have been identified that can indicate a propensity to father children with autism spectrum disorder.

11 Jan 2021

Naturally selected mutations of SARS-CoV-2 easily duplicated in vitro

In a recent and timely paper, currently available on the bioRxiv preprint server, researchers from Israel and France demonstrated how in vitro evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) receptor-binding domain (RBD) follows contagious mutation spread – but can also generate an efficient infection inhibitor.

10 Jan 2021

Modeling study sheds light on SARS-CoV-2 genome packaging

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have conducted a study exploring how the spatial patterning of certain genomic RNA regions in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) promotes compaction, packaging, and cyclization of the viral genome.

10 Jan 2021

New test detects SARS-CoV-2 in less than 5 mins

A fast and accurate virus detection strategy is very crucial to reduce the rate of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for COVID-19. The global scientific research community responded to this unprecedented demand in diagnostic testing by developing several detection platforms, the most sensitive of which detect the viral RNA.

10 Jan 2021

Gene therapy can effectively treat mice with tuberous sclerosis complex, shows study

Patients with tuberous sclerosis complex, a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of noncancerous tumors in multiple organs of the body, have limited treatment options.

8 Jan 2021

NIST compiles the first detailed tutorial on DNA origami

In a technique known as DNA origami, researchers fold long strands of DNA over and over again to construct a variety of tiny 3D structures, including miniature biosensors and drug-delivery containers.

8 Jan 2021

Single-dose nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine elicits virus-neutralizing antibody response in mice

Across the world, health care workers and high-risk groups are beginning to receive COVID-19 vaccines, offering hope for a return to normalcy amidst the pandemic.

8 Jan 2021

Novel coloring technique helps identify each neuron in the worm's nervous system

The human brain contains approximately 86 billion neurons, or nerve cells, woven together by an estimated 100 trillion connections, or synapses. Each cell has a role that helps us to move muscles, process our environment, form memories, and much more.

8 Jan 2021

Researchers develop new statistical method that generates significant genetic insights

Pleiotropy analysis, which provides insight on how individual genes result in multiple characteristics, has become increasingly valuable as medicine continues to lean into mining genetics to inform disease treatments. Privacy stipulations, though, make it difficult to perform comprehensive pleiotropy analysis because individual patient data often can't be easily and regularly shared between sites.

8 Jan 2021

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Structure of SARS-CoV-2 cytoplasmic tail uncovered

Daily circadian cycles may impact our ability to fight disease

UTSW study uncovers a gene linked to growth of breast cancer

Researchers develop saliva testing method for SARS-CoV-2 using robotic RNA extraction

Study: Anal intraepithelial neoplasia is a precursor lesion for anal squamous cell carcinomas

Researchers develop improved process for large-scale electron microscopy to visualize small structures

Stress during pregnancy could affect the baby's chance of developing multiple diseases

Mosaic mutations during embryonic development can cause autism spectrum disorder

Study monitors spatial shifts of liver gene expression in relationship to the circadian clock

Master Regulator proteins control cancer transcriptional identity

Vimentin could be a major co-factor that aids SARS-CoV-2 infection

Researchers identify biomarkers in sperm for paternal offspring autism susceptibility

Naturally selected mutations of SARS-CoV-2 easily duplicated in vitro

Modeling study sheds light on SARS-CoV-2 genome packaging

New test detects SARS-CoV-2 in less than 5 mins

Gene therapy can effectively treat mice with tuberous sclerosis complex, shows study

NIST compiles the first detailed tutorial on DNA origami

Single-dose nanoparticle COVID-19 vaccine elicits virus-neutralizing antibody response in mice

Novel coloring technique helps identify each neuron in the worm's nervous system

Researchers develop new statistical method that generates significant genetic insights

eBook: A guide to RNA sequencing eBook

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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