How a Tangled Protein Kills Brain Cells, Promotes Alzheimer’s Disease
Look deep inside the brain of someone with Alzheimer’s disease, most forms of dementia or the concussion-related syndrome known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and…
RNA
Discovery Points Toward the Next Revolution in Genome Editing Technology
New Programmable Gene Editing Proteins Found Outside of CRISPR Systems Researchers find RNA-guided enzymes are more diverse and widespread than previously believed. Within the last…
Supercomputers Reveal the Secrets of How X Chromosomes Fold and Deactivate
Combining lab data with supercomputing power reveals role of RNA and chromosome structure in regulating gene expression. Using supercomputer-driven dynamic modeling based on experimental data,…
How To Modify RNA: Crucial Steps for Adding Chemical Tag To Transfer RNA Discovered
The chemical steps in an important cellular modification process that adds a chemical tag to some RNAs have been revealed in a new study. Interfering…
COVID-19: Achilles’ Heel of SARS-CoV-2 Viral RNA Identified
Certain regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome might be a suitable target for future drugs. This is what researchers at Goethe University, together with their collaborators…
The Future of Medicine: New Invention Yields More, Purer RNA at Fraction of the Cost
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently unveiled their discovery of a new process for making RNA. The resulting RNA is purer, more copious…
RNA Modification May Protect Against Fatty Liver Disease
May also explain liver fat differences among men & women. A chemical modification that occurs in some RNA molecules as they carry genetic instructions from…
COVID-19 Virus Produces microRNA That Can Have Impacts on Infected Cells
New research published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine indicates that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, produces microRNAs that can have impacts on infected…
A Molecule That Shouldn’t Exist – “The Biggest Scientific Shock of My Life”
Some RNA Molecules Have Unexpected Sugar Coating Sugars attach to certain RNA molecules on the outside membrane of the cell. The newly discovered “glycoRNAs” may…
RNA Molecules Are Masters of Their Own Destiny – Regulating Their Own Production Through a Feedback Loop
Research suggests the products of transcription — RNA molecules — regulate their own production through a feedback loop. At any given moment in the human…
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…
Scientists Use CRISPR to Target Gene Messages Involved in Early Development
CRISPR is a gene-editing tool that has enabled researchers to study the function of different genes in model organisms. Scientists at the Stowers Institute for…
Sex-Specific Genetic Processes Shown in Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder
Small RNAs Link Immune System and Brain Cells Recent studies have found a high genetic similarity of the psychiatric diseases schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, whose…
New Technique Identifies T Cells Primed for Certain Allergies or Infections
Researchers develop a method to isolate and sequence the RNA of T cells that react to a specific target. When your immune system is exposed…
Key Found to Origin of Life on Earth? Deliquescent Salts and Hot, Humid Summers
Uncovering how the first biological molecules (like proteins and DNA) arose is a major goal for researchers attempting to solve the origins of life. SLU…
Tiny RNA Provides Big Protection After a Heart Attack
Heart muscle can continue to die even after restoring blood following a heart attack, and scientists have new evidence that one way to help it…
Researchers Solve Puzzle of Origin of Life on Earth
First cells on ancient Earth may have emerged because building blocks of proteins stabilized membranes. Life on Earth arose about 4 billion years ago when…
MIT Engineers Create an Inhalable Form of Messenger RNA
Messenger RNA, which can induce cells to produce therapeutic proteins, holds great promise for treating a variety of diseases. The biggest obstacle to this approach…