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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).

Research project aims to develop new chip-sized optical microscope with high resolution capabilities

Creating a new type of chip-sized optical microscope with high resolution capabilities is the challenge of ChipScope, a European project led by the University of Barcelona which counts with the participation of SMEs, universities and research institutes from five European countries.

6 Apr 2017

New paper-based device shows great potential for whooping cough diagnosis in low-resource settings

A mother lovingly cradles her sick baby in her arms. As the infant coughs and gasps for air, his anguished mother looks up and warns that the safest place for your baby is not always in your arms.

6 Apr 2017

Overall balance of bacteria on skin may be key factor for acne development

Researchers, led by Dr Huiying Li, an associate professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, used over-the-counter pore cleansing strips to obtain skin follicle samples from 72 individuals: 38 with acne and 34 who didn't have the disease.

6 Apr 2017

BWH researchers develop ‘age-predicting clock’ for studying how to extend lifespan

Lots of factors can contribute to how fast an organism ages: diet, genetics and environmental interventions can all influence lifespan.

6 Apr 2017

OIST scientists use zebrafish model to unravel causes behind human LCA

Newborns babies can be at risk of congenital blindness, presenting sight defects due to lesions or to genetic mutations in their genome.

5 Apr 2017

Paternal diet affects cognitive skills of offspring, mice study shows

The father's lifestyle affects the cognitive skills of his offspring -- at least in mice. Scientists at the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases have now shown that if male rodents are fed a diet rich in folic acid, methionine and vitamin B12, their progeny do not perform well in memory tests.

4 Apr 2017

Researchers show how cellular stress regulates production of hemoglobin

Our ability to breathe oxygen is critical to our survival. This process is mediated by the hemoglobin in our blood, which carries oxygen. Since air contains less oxygen on high mountains, the body is under pressure to make hemoglobin rapidly -- a stressful time.

4 Apr 2017

Study reveals link between rare NKPD1 gene and depressive symptoms

A study of people from an isolated village in the Netherlands reveals a link between rare variants in the gene NKPD1 and depressive symptoms.

4 Apr 2017

Researchers find no connection between serotonin gene, stress and depression

New research findings often garner great attention. But when other scientists follow up and fail to replicate the findings? Not so much.

4 Apr 2017

Meningitis bacterium appears to be adapting to urogenital environment, DNA analysis shows

Neisseria meningitidis, a bacterium usually associated with meningitis and sepsis, is the cause of a recent cluster of sexually transmitted infections in Columbus, Ohio and in other US cities. The bacterium appears to be adapting to a urogenital environment, an analysis of the organism's DNA shows.

4 Apr 2017

Attacking TERT protein may be effective approach to destroying ALM cancer cells

A team of researchers report a significant genetic association linked to an aggressive form of melanoma in a study published today in the journal Genome Research.

4 Apr 2017

Scientists develop novel technique to screen non-coding DNA of genome for diseases

Researchers have developed a method to swiftly screen the non-coding DNA of the human genome for links to diseases that are driven by changes in gene regulation.

4 Apr 2017

New imaging test can show key enzyme in ovarian cancer to help guide treatment choices

A new imaging test may provide the ability to identify ovarian cancer patients who are candidates for an emerging treatment that targets a key enzyme cancer cells need to survive.

3 Apr 2017

New study illuminates dark side of p53 gene in cancer

The gene p53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer - it is p53's job to monitor cells for DNA damage and to mark damaged cells for destruction and so cancer cells with mutated DNA must disable p53 before it disables them.

3 Apr 2017

Extreme short and long telomeres linked to increased cancer risk

The length of the telomere "caps" of DNA that protect the tips of chromosomes may predict cancer risk and be a potential target for future therapeutics, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute scientists will report today at the AACR Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

3 Apr 2017

Pioneering IVF technique offers hope to families with inheritable mitochondrial disorders

Details of a pioneering IVF technique using mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) have been revealed, giving hope to those families with inheritable mitochondrial disorders that they may be able to have healthy children in the future.

3 Apr 2017

Researchers shed light on how immune cells weaken with age

Researchers from the European Bioinformatics Institute, University of Cambridge, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and the Cancer Research UK–Cambridge Institute have shed light on a long-standing debate about why the immune system weakens with age.

3 Apr 2017