Genomes, as physical systems, comprise the complete set of nucleic acid molecules (typically DNA, or RNA in some viruses) that encode the hereditary information of an organism, including all chromosomes and extrachromosomal genetic elements. They are organized into linear or circular polymers of nucleotides, with specific higher-order structures such as chromatin in eukaryotes or nucleoid organization in prokaryotes. At the physical level, genomes exhibit defined sequence composition, length, and structural features (e.g., replication origins, regulatory regions, repetitive elements) that collectively determine their stability, replication dynamics, mutational patterns, and interactions with cellular molecular machinery.
Much of the genome is made up of repetitive DNA sequences that trace back to ancient mobile elements, many of which have lost their ability to copy themselves into new locations but can still cause problems if they become ...
Cell & Microbiology
7 hours ago
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In a study published in Science Translational Medicine, a team of researchers led by Dr. Wang Yu from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed PRINCE and Little Prince, dual ...
Biotechnology
Jul 3, 2026
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Researchers have spent decades—and billions of dollars—sequencing animal and crop genomes, but fungi have historically been the forgotten middle child of genomics, only noticed when they're ruining bread or colonizing toes.
Biotechnology
Jul 3, 2026
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In the study of bacteria, a longstanding dogma has held that two molecular machines—RNA polymerase, which leads the way in transcribing DNA into RNA, and ribosomes, which bring up the rear translating RNA into proteins—worked ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 2, 2026
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All living organisms are known to inherit genes, DNA sequences that contain instructions for producing specific proteins and performing biological functions, from their parents. In some cases, however, genes can also shift ...
Decades-old hospital samples have helped University of East Anglia (UEA) researchers uncover how a deadly antibiotic-resistant "superbug" quietly tightened its grip across the globe. It lurked in hospital corridors for decades, ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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202
A new evolutionary theory suggests that some asexual parasites may temporarily be able to infect a wider range of hosts as harmful genetic mutations build up. In a paper published in Trends in Parasitology, Cock van Oosterhout, ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 1, 2026
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While many of life's mysteries remain unsolved, every biologist can describe the basic processes performed by a living organism, including energy use, reproduction, growth and development. While these characteristics can ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 1, 2026
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A research team led by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) has revealed how the genome is reorganized in 3D during male germ cell formation in vertebrates, leading to important new insights into how biodiversity is ...
Evolution
Jun 30, 2026
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For more than three decades, researchers studying genomes have relied on foundational resources such as Repbase and, more recently, Dfam to identify and classify transposable elements—the mobile DNA sequences that shape genome ...
Biotechnology
Jun 29, 2026
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