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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).

Study examines effect of phthalate exposure in humans’ sperm epigenetics

A new three-year, $440,000 study led by environmental health scientist Richard Pilsner at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is now underway to investigate whether phthalate levels in expectant fathers have an effect on the couples' reproductive success, via epigenetic modifications of sperm DNA.

12 Jun 2014

Leica Application Suite Advanced Fluorescence 4.0 now launched for advanced life science research

Leica Microsystems has launched the Leica Application Suite Advanced Fluorescence (LAS AF), the software platform for advanced life science research in widefield and confocal microscopy, in its 4.0 version.

12 Jun 2014

Researchers study structural aspects of DNA-particle/lipid interface directly using x-ray scattering

Scientists seeking ways to engineer the assembly of tiny particles measuring just billionths of a meter have achieved a new first-the formation of a single layer of nanoparticles on a liquid surface where the properties of the layer can be easily switched.

11 Jun 2014

Modified mosquitoes produce sperm that only creates males

Scientists have modified mosquitoes to produce sperm that will only create males, pioneering a fresh approach to eradicating malaria.

11 Jun 2014

Dendrimer offers a simple way of creating vesicles

One of the defining features of cells is their membranes. Each cell's repository of DNA and protein-making machinery must be kept stable and secure from invaders and toxins. Scientists have attempted to replicate these properties, but, despite decades of research, even the most basic membrane structures, known as vesicles, still face many problems when made in the lab. They are difficult to make at consistent sizes and lack the stability of their biological counterparts.

11 Jun 2014

Gene variant that increases risk of type 2 diabetes identified in Latino individuals

A genetic analysis of DNA samples of approximately 3,700 Mexican and U.S. Latino individuals identified a gene variant that was associated with a 5-fold increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes, findings that may have implications for screening in this population, according to a study in the June 11 issue of JAMA, a diabetes theme issue.

11 Jun 2014

Research to identify new potential targets for cancer therapy

In 2012, about 8.2 million people died of cancer making the disease a major cause of death worldwide. According to the WHO World Cancer Report 2014, this figure is expected to rise within the next two decades.

11 Jun 2014

Autism Speaks collaborates with Google to develop world's largest genomic database on autism

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced a collaboration with Google to develop the world's largest database of genomic sequence information on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their family members.

11 Jun 2014

Celsion signs definitive asset purchase agreement to acquire EGEN

Celsion Corporation (Celsion) (NASDAQ: CLSN), an oncology drug development company, and EGEN, Inc. (EGEN), a privately-held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of nucleic acid-based therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and other difficult to treat diseases, today announced the signing of a definitive asset purchase agreement in which Celsion will acquire substantially all of the assets of EGEN, including its Phase Ib DNA-based immunotherapy product candidate EGEN-001 and its therapeutic platform technologies, TheraPlas™ for delivery of DNA and mRNA, TheraSilence™ for delivery of RNA, and RAST™ for Cell Enabled Expression and Secretion of RNA.

10 Jun 2014

Inovio evaluates responses of immunotherapy product in treating HPV linked head and neck cancer

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE MKT: INO) today announced it has initiated a phase I/IIa clinical trial to evaluate safety, immunogenicity and clinical responses of its immunotherapy product, INO-3112, in treating human papillomavirus (HPV)- associated head and neck cancer.

10 Jun 2014

Wistar findings suggest means of boosting initial immune response

Your first response to an infectious agent or antigen ordinarily takes about a week, and is relatively weak. However, if your immune system encounters that antigen a second time, the so-called memory response is rapid, powerful, and very effective.

10 Jun 2014

Researchers solve structure of key protein that drives DNA copying in plasmids

Staph infections that become resistant to multiple antibiotics don't happen because the bacteria themselves adapt to the drugs, but because of a kind of genetic parasite they carry called a plasmid that helps its host survive the antibiotics.

10 Jun 2014

MERS virus can be transmitted from camel to man

A report published yesterday provided the first solid evidence that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus (MERS-cov) can be contracted by man through close contact with an infected camel.

9 Jun 2014

Rubicon signs agreements with 7 distributors to expand availability of DNA library preparation products

Rubicon Genomics, Inc., today announced that it signed agreements with seven distributors in Europe to expand the availability of its leading DNA library preparation products, including ThruPLEX®-FD Prep Kit and PicoPLEX™ DNA-seq Kit for use with Illumina® next-generation sequencing (NGS) systems and PicoPLEX™ WGA Kit for use on arrays, and to prepare for new product launches planned for the coming months.

9 Jun 2014

Sequenom signs national agreement to provide MaterniT21 PLUS LDT

Sequenom, Inc., a life sciences company providing innovative testing and genetic analysis solutions, announced today its wholly owned subsidiary, Sequenom Laboratories, has signed a national agreement with a leading health insurance company covering 13 million people throughout the United States, to provide the MaterniT21™ PLUS laboratory-developed test (LDT).

9 Jun 2014

Research finding paves way for targeted approaches to treating cancer patients

Twelve years ago, UNC School of Medicine researcher Brian Strahl, PhD, found that a protein called Set2 plays a role in how yeast genes are expressed - specifically how DNA gets transcribed into messenger RNA. Now his lab has found that Set2 is also a major player in DNA repair, a complicated and crucial process that can lead to the development of cancer cells if the repair goes wrong.

9 Jun 2014

New class of genetic switches gives clues on stem cell development

Case Western Reserve researchers have discovered landmarks within pluripotent stem cells that guide how they develop to serve different purposes within the body.

9 Jun 2014

Scientists unravel how herpesviruses fight against our immune system

How the virus does this was unknown until now. The scientists from the HZI research group "Viral Immune Modulation" under the leadership of Prof. Melanie Brinkmann have now been able to show that the virus is actively preventing activation of the innate immune system through Toll-like receptors.

9 Jun 2014