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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).

Boise State professor wins federal grant to explore basic functions of the genome

It's rare for a faculty member in any physics department to earn a federal grant administered by the National Institutes of Health, but that is exactly what Boise State assistant professor and biophysicist Matt Ferguson has done.

14 Sep 2017

Large genetic study uncovers new risk factors for DCM, other heart conditions

With participation of the Helmholtz Zentrum München, an international research team has discovered a number of new risk factors for dilated cardiomyopathy and other heart conditions. In the largest transcriptome study to date, the researchers analyzed the RNA of transplanted hearts.

14 Sep 2017

DNAe announces pipeline of genomic-based tests for everyday workflow of physicians and hospitals

DNAe, the inventor of next generation semiconductor DNA sequencing technology and developer of a new, game-changing test for bloodstream infections, announces that its CBO, Nick McCooke presented an update on its first product, the LiDia bloodstream infections (BSI) test, and outlined DNAe’s pipeline of genomic-based tests at BioCentury’s 24th Annual Newsmakers in the Biotech Industry.

14 Sep 2017

Novel technology holds promise for improving accuracy of type 1 diabetes tests

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Stanford University and the University of Florida report the development of a novel antibody detection technology that holds promise for improving the accuracy of diagnostic tests for type 1 diabetes in young children and making populationwide screening practical.

13 Sep 2017

Arkansas professor makes strides toward developing enhanced cancer treatment

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor is making strides toward developing an effective cancer treatment without the severe side effects of traditional therapies.

13 Sep 2017

Disrupting DNA loops could be potential strategy to reduce tumor proliferation

The discovery of a mechanism by which normal brain cells regulate the expression of the NFIA gene, which is important for both normal brain development and brain tumor growth, might one day help improve therapies to treat brain tumors. The study appears in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

13 Sep 2017

Low-level radiation exposure poses less threat to health than modern lifestyle risks

Human populations have always been exposed to ionizing radiation, and more so in modern life due to its use in medicine, industry and the armed forces.

13 Sep 2017

Immunotherapy could help some breast cancer patients based on genetic changes in their tumors

Immunotherapy drugs could help some breast cancer patients based on the genetic changes in their tumors, researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators find.

13 Sep 2017

Scientists use novel microscopy to illuminate chromosomal 'dark matter'

Using a microscope invented at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), a collaborative team of biologists, instrument developers, and computational scientists has for the first time measured the density of a relatively inscrutable, highly condensed form of chromosomal material that appears in the cells of human beings and other eukaryotes.

13 Sep 2017

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria work together to cause infection, research suggests

What's worse than getting exposed to a kind of bacteria that modern antibiotics can't kill? Getting exposed to more than one - because they may work together to cause an infection, new research suggests.

12 Sep 2017

Epigenetic changes triggered by cigarette smoke may be earliest step in lung cancer development

Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center say they have preliminary evidence in laboratory-grown, human airway cells that a condensed form of cigarette smoke triggers so-called "epigenetic" changes in the cells consistent with the earliest steps toward lung cancer development.

12 Sep 2017

Phthalate levels in expectant fathers influence sperm epigenetics, study suggests

Early results from a larger, ongoing study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on couples' reproductive success via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA.

12 Sep 2017

‘Nanoswitches’ could be key to faster, more sensitive tests for detection of biomarkers

Engineered strands of DNA -- nanoscale tools called "nanoswitches" -- could be the key to faster, easier, cheaper and more sensitive tests that can enable high-fidelity detection of biomarkers indicating the presence of different diseases, viral strains and even genetic variabilities as subtle as a single-gene mutation.

12 Sep 2017

TSRI scientists find new approach to reprogram ordinary adult cells into IPSCs

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a new approach to the "reprogramming" of ordinary adult cells into stem cells.

12 Sep 2017

Old lab technique helps researchers better understand circular DNA

A 50-year-old lab technique is helping researchers better understand circular DNA, a lesser-known and poorly understood cousin of the linear version commonly associated with life's genetic blueprint.

12 Sep 2017

Syngene launches new G:BOX mini for all types of gel and Western blot imaging

Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, today introduced the G:BOX mini, a compact, upgradeable, multi-application system for all types of gel and Western blot imaging.

12 Sep 2017

Researchers identify protein that offers likely target for treating high-risk pediatric cancers

Oncology researchers studying high-risk children's cancers have identified a protein that offers a likely target for immunotherapy--harnessing the immune system in medical treatments. In cell cultures and animal models, a potent drug attached to an antibody selectively zeroes in on cancer cells without harming healthy cells.

11 Sep 2017

Genome sequence cannot predict radiation resistance, say researchers

For the last two decades, researchers worldwide have been using whole genome sequencing to understand what makes cells radiation-resistant, hoping to solve an old biological mystery: why is it that one of the most radiation-resistant organisms, Deinococcus radiodurans, aka "Conan the bacterium," can survive hundreds of times more DNA damage caused by gamma rays than most other organisms? According to a study published recently in Standards of Genomic Sciences by researchers at the Uniformed Services University (USU), the amount of radiation a Deinococcus cell can survive in fact has little to do with the number and types of its DNA repair proteins.

11 Sep 2017

Campylobacter infection outbreak linked to puppies

There is a warning about a multi-state outbreak of human Campylobacter infections that seemed to have originated from the puppies sold through Petland, a national pet store chain.

11 Sep 2017

Researchers develop model to explore hard-to-study mutations in human genome

A team of researchers led by a bioinformatician at the University of California San Diego has developed a method to help determine whether certain hard-to-study mutations in the human genome, called short tandem repeats or microsatellites, are likely to be involved in harmful conditions.

11 Sep 2017

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Boise State professor wins federal grant to explore basic functions of the genome

Large genetic study uncovers new risk factors for DCM, other heart conditions

DNAe announces pipeline of genomic-based tests for everyday workflow of physicians and hospitals

Novel technology holds promise for improving accuracy of type 1 diabetes tests

Arkansas professor makes strides toward developing enhanced cancer treatment

Disrupting DNA loops could be potential strategy to reduce tumor proliferation

Low-level radiation exposure poses less threat to health than modern lifestyle risks

Immunotherapy could help some breast cancer patients based on genetic changes in their tumors

Scientists use novel microscopy to illuminate chromosomal 'dark matter'

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria work together to cause infection, research suggests

Epigenetic changes triggered by cigarette smoke may be earliest step in lung cancer development

Phthalate levels in expectant fathers influence sperm epigenetics, study suggests

‘Nanoswitches’ could be key to faster, more sensitive tests for detection of biomarkers

TSRI scientists find new approach to reprogram ordinary adult cells into IPSCs

Old lab technique helps researchers better understand circular DNA

Syngene launches new G:BOX mini for all types of gel and Western blot imaging

Researchers identify protein that offers likely target for treating high-risk pediatric cancers

Genome sequence cannot predict radiation resistance, say researchers

Campylobacter infection outbreak linked to puppies

Researchers develop model to explore hard-to-study mutations in human genome

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