New DNA Research Shows Humans Did Not Cause Woolly Mammoths To Go Extinct – Climate Change Did
New DNA research shows the world got too wet for the giant animals to survive. For five million years, woolly mammoths roamed the earth until…
DNA
What Makes Us Human? The Answer May Be Found in Overlooked “Junk” DNA
Our DNA is very similar to that of the chimpanzee, which in evolutionary terms is our closest living relative. Stem cell researchers at Lund University…
So-Called Junk DNA – Genetic “Dark Matter” – Is Actually Critical to Survival in Mammals
Knocking out transposon promoter leads to pup death in mice; similar promoters found in many mammals. Nearly half of our DNA has been written off…
Spectroradiometer “Ray Guns” Let Scientists Use Light Instead of DNA To Tell Plants Apart
In Star Trek, characters carry a little handheld device called a tricorder that they can point at objects to analyze and identify them. When the show’s…
Bacteria Evolved a Multitude of Defense Systems That Offer Strong Immunity for Protection Against Viruses
A new study led by a team of bioscientists from Durham University, UK, in collaboration with University of Liverpool, Northumbria University and New England Biolabs,…
Nuclear Pore Complex: Cellular Environments Shape Molecular Architecture
Researchers glean a more complete picture of a structure called the nuclear pore complex by studying it directly inside cells. Context matters. It’s true for…
Weird and Wonderful: Coral Symbionts Have a Genome Like No Other
The weird and wonderful genome of dinoflagellates looks nothing like other eukaryotic genomes. The genome of single-celled plankton, known as dinoflagellates, is organized in an…
Enzymatic Synthesis: Our DNA Is Becoming the World’s Tiniest Hard Drive
Researchers propose faster method for recording data to DNA, showing promise in fields of digital data storage, neuron recording. Our genetic code is millions…
Using Synthetic Biology To Shed Light on “Biological Dark Matter”
A new body of research, published in Nature Communications, suggests synthetic biology could help to better characterize complex microbial communities, unlocking their potential for industrial…
Decoding Human History With Ancient DNA From Extinct Archaic Humans
This year is the 20th anniversary of sequencing the human genome. In honor of this event, a research team led by Prof. FU Qiaomei from…
New DNA Sensor Quickly Determines Whether Viruses Are Infectious
A new sensor can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether it’s infectious – an important distinction for containing viral spread. Researchers…
Dynamic Twists and Supercoiling Loops Can Enable DNA To Adjust Its Function
When people think of DNA, they visualize a string-like double helix structure. In reality, the DNA double helix in cells is supercoiled and constrained into…
DNA Found in Poop Helps Scientists Learn About Elusive Fox Species
There’s an elusive fox roaming the southern Sierra Nevada, and experts are trying to learn more about its behavior and breeding success by analyzing one…
Potential Remnants of Original Dinosaur DNA Discovered in Exquisitely Preserved Dinosaur Cells
Organic molecule remnants found in nuclei of 125-million-year-old dinosaur cells. A team of scientists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the…
So-Called “Junk” DNA Is Essential, Plays a Key Role in Speciation
More than 10 percent of our genome is made up of repetitive, seemingly nonsensical stretches of genetic material called satellite DNA that do not code for…
Ancient DNA Extracted From Human Bones Rewrites Early Japanese History – Modern Day Populations Have Tripartite Genetic Origin
Ancient DNA extracted from human bones has rewritten early Japanese history by underlining that modern day populations in Japan have a tripartite genetic origin –…
Mending Broken DNA: Researchers Solve Puzzling Biological Search Problem
How the cell can mend broken DNA using another DNA copy as template has puzzled researchers for years. How is it possible to find the…
Early Warning: DNA Researchers Develop Critical Shortcut To Detect Known and Emerging Pathogens
Researchers at McMaster University have developed a sophisticated new tool that could help provide early warning of rare and unknown viruses in the environment and…