New evidence emerges on the origins of life

In the beginning, there were simple chemicals. And they produced amino acids that eventually became the proteins necessary to create single cells. And the single cells became plants and animals. Recent research is revealing ...

Damaged DNA amplified

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in amplifying genes altered by activities such as smoking—with changes that can lead to lung cancer. As the amplified genes retain the altered information, this marks an important ...

World's first artificial enzymes created using synthetic biology

(Phys.org)—Medical Research Council (MRC) scientists have created the world's first enzymes made from artificial genetic material. Their synthetic enzymes, which are made from molecules that do not occur anywhere in nature, ...

Delegating the dirty work is a key to evolution

We have hundreds of types of cells in our bodies – everything from red blood cells to hair follicles to neurons. But why can't most of them create offspring for us?

New Study Brings Scientists Closer to the Origin of RNA

(Phys.org) —One of the biggest questions in science is how life arose from the chemical soup that existed on early Earth. One theory is that RNA, a close relative of DNA, was the first genetic molecule to arise around 4 ...

A complex logic circuit made from bacterial genes

(Phys.org)—By force of habit we tend to assume computers are made of silicon, but there is actually no necessary connection between the machine and the material. All that an engineer needs to do to make a computer is to ...

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