According to a recent study published in Advanced Materials Technologies, electrically controllable DNA nanolevers may be an effective tool in learning more about the flu virus. German scientists used DNA nanolevers to target the interaction between a peptide known as PeB and influenza A. Study: Measuring Influenza A Virus and Peptide Interaction Using Electrically Controllable […]
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Are bat retroviruses a threat to humans?
Bats have long been known as important hosts of zoonotic viral pathogens. Zoonotic viruses that bats transmit are capable of infecting humans and have caused devastating infections throughout the world. Common zoonotic viruses include the Ebola virus and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses. Although retroviruses are known to have a major global impact […]
Machine learning technique detects epigenetic drivers of cancers
Scientists have made major advances in understanding and developing treatments for many cancers by identifying genetic mutations that drive the disease. Now a team led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian and the New York Genome Center (NYGC) has developed a machine learning technique for detecting other modifications to DNA that have a similar […]
Characterization of lab-produced neutralizing antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2
A new study led by Hans-Martin Jäck of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany engineered clusters of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies using a transgenic mouse model. A unique characteristic for the antibodies was the different ways it bound to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the overall reduction in the viral spread for […]
How brain cells repair their DNA reveals ‘hot spots’ of aging and disease
Neurons lack the ability to replicate their DNA, so they’re constantly working to repair damage to their genome. Now, a new study by Salk scientists finds that these repairs are not random, but instead focus on protecting certain genetic “hot spots” that appear to play a critical role in neural identity and function. The findings, […]
Deluge of DNA changes drives progression of fatal melanomas
Melbourne researchers have revealed how melanoma cells are flooded with DNA changes as this skin cancer progresses from early, treatable stages through to fatal end-stage disease. Using genomics, the team tracked DNA changes occurring in melanoma samples donated by patients as their disease progressed, right through to the time the patient died. This revealed dramatic […]
Random cellular changes play vital role in longevity beyond genetics and environment
A new model of aging takes into account not only genetics and environmental exposures but also the tiny changes that randomly arise at the cellular level. University Professor Caleb Finch introduced the "Tripartite Phenotype of Aging" as a new conceptual model that addresses why lifespan varies so much, even among human identical twins who share […]
Study: Quantum mechanics plays a role in biological processes and causes mutations in DNA
Quantum biology is an emerging field of science, established in the 1920s, which looks at whether the subatomic world of quantum mechanics plays a role in living cells. Quantum mechanics is an interdisciplinary field by nature, bringing together nuclear physicists, biochemists and molecular biologists. In a research paper published by the journal Physical Chemistry Chemical […]
Plant breeding can help increase crop productivity, reduce human malnutrition
Your morning cereal or oatmeal. The bread on your sandwich. The corn chips for your snack, and the cookies for dessert. Not one would be possible with the humblest of ingredients: the seed. Seeds such as wheat, rice, and corn directly provide about 70% of the calories eaten by people every day. And they ultimately […]
History of Next Generation Sequencing
Next generation sequencing (NGS), often referred to as massively parallel sequencing or deep sequencing, refers to a DNA sequencing technology that enables sequencing of millions of small DNA fragments in unison. This generates a massive pool of data and NGS has revolutionized genomic research studies. The data created can reach gigabytes in size (the equivalent […]