Ancient DNA Reveals Secrets of the “Terrifying” Dire Wolf – Famous From Game of Thrones
The iconic, prehistoric dire wolf, which prowled through Los Angeles and elsewhere in the Americas over 11 millennia ago, was a distinct species from the…
Genetics
First-Ever Data-Driven Videos Illuminate RNA’s Mysterious Folding Process
A new Northwestern University-led study is unfolding the mystery of how RNA molecules fold themselves to fit inside cells and perform specific functions. The findings…
Genetic Diversity Project Adds Missing Pieces to Human Diversity Puzzle
International Ukraine Genetic Diversity Project finds a quarter of the genetic variation in Europe, dramatically increasing information on population diversity and medical genetic variation. Today,…
Fluoride to the Rescue? A Big Leap Forward in Addressing Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
In Michelle O’Malley’s lab, a simple approach suggests a big leap forward in addressing the challenge of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Scientists have long been aware of…
Scientists Develop New Gene Therapy Strategy to Delay Aging and Extend Lifespan
Cellular senescence, a state of permanent growth arrest, has emerged as a hallmark and fundamental driver of organismal aging. It is regulated by both genetic…
Natural Reward Theory: A New Foundation for Biology?
A link between evolution over short time frames (microevolution) and long time frames (macroevolution) that could open new approaches to understanding some of biology’s deepest…
Bacteria Can Tell the Time With Internal Biological Clocks
Humans have them, so do other animals and plants. Now research reveals that bacteria too have internal clocks that align with the 24-hour cycle of…
Scientists Discover a Way to Control the Immune System’s “Natural Killer” Cells With “Invisible” Stem Cells
UC San Francisco scientists have discovered a new way to control the immune system’s “natural killer” (NK) cells, a finding with implications for novel cell…
New Genetics Research Reveals How Earth’s Oddest Mammal Got to Be So Bizarre
Often considered the world’s oddest mammal, Australia’s beaver-like, duck-billed platypus exhibits an array of bizarre characteristics: it lays eggs instead of giving birth to live…
Analysis of Ancient DNA Reveals Asian Migrations and Plague Outbursts
Northeastern Asia has a complex history of migrations and plague outbursts. That is the essence of an international archaeogenetic study published in Science Advances and…
Extraordinary Diversity: Unusual Sex Chromosomes of Platypus, Emu and Duck
Three papers unveil the extraordinary diversity of animal sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes genetically define the developmental fate of an embryo to become a male…
Researchers Zero In on Natural Products That Disrupt Lethal Viruses, Including the COVID-19 Coronavirus
Review of the life histories of RNA viruses, their genetics, and the compounds that could disrupt them offers hope for curtailment of future pandemics. Researchers…
Neuroscientists Link Brain Cancer to Tissue Healing
Increase of inflammation markers in tumor-initiating cells believed to be a response to brain injury. The healing process that follows a brain injury could spur…
Common Brain Malformation – Affecting About 1 in 100 Children – Traced to Its Genetic Roots
Discovery could aid early screening, shed light on how Chiari malformation arises. About one in 100 children has a common brain disorder called Chiari 1…
Genomic Study Reveals Evolutionary Secrets of Banyan Tree and a Wasp That Coevolved With It
The banyan fig tree Ficus microcarpa is famous for its aerial roots, which sprout from branches and eventually reach the soil. The tree also has…
New Drug Starves Cancer Cells by Attacking Their “Power Plants”
Blocking gene expression in mitochondria in mice stops cancer cells from growing. A newly developed compound starves cancer cells by attacking their “power plants” –…
Discovery Supports a Surprising New View of How Life on Earth Originated
Discovery boosts theory that life on our planet arose from RNA-DNA mix. Chemists at Scripps Research have made a discovery that supports a surprising new…
New Forensic DNA Technology to Combat Terrorism – Dust on Boots, Baggage Can Track Down Suspects
Forensic science experts at Flinders University are refining an innovative counter-terrorism technique that checks for environmental DNA in the dust on clothing, baggage, shoes, or…