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.
DNA isn't just a long string of genetic code, but an intricate 3D structure folded inside each cell. That means the tools used to study DNA need to be just as sophisticated—able to read not only the code itself, but how it's ...
Biotechnology
Nov 6, 2025
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Scientists from Oxford's Radcliffe Department of Medicine have achieved the most detailed view yet of how DNA folds and functions inside living cells, revealing the physical structures that control when and how genes are ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 6, 2025
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Genome size exhibits extensive variation across the life of a tree. Previous studies have predominantly focused on interspecific comparisons. However, the ecological drivers and adaptive implications of the variation, particularly ...
Plants & Animals
Nov 5, 2025
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Genomes are key to unlocking life's evolutionary history. The presence and absence of certain genetic sequences and mutations can give us clues to the order in which species diverge. However, even state-of-the-art methods ...
Evolution
Nov 5, 2025
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Every cell in the body has the same DNA, but different cell types—such as muscle or brain cells—use different parts of it. Transcription factors help cells activate specific genes by reading certain DNA sequences, but since ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 4, 2025
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Could yeast and humans be any more different? Going by looks alone, probably not. But peering into our genomes reveals surprising similarities. That's because we share a common ancestor called LECA (last eukaryotic common ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 28, 2025
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DNA, often called the blueprint of life, is built from four chemical building blocks known as deoxy-nucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs)—dATP, dTTP, dGTP, and dCTP. Cells constantly need these molecules to duplicate their DNA ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 27, 2025
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Some genetic disorders—such as cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and Tay Sachs disease—involve many mutations in a person's genome, often with enough variation that even two individuals who share the same disorder might have a ...
Biotechnology
Oct 23, 2025
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Long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1 or L1) is the only active, self-copying genetic element in the human genome—comprising about 17% of the genome. It is commonly called a "jumping gene" or "retrotransposon" because ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 20, 2025
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129
An international team led by Monash University researchers has uncovered the genetic code governing the way genetic mutations affect mRNA and result in disease.
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 20, 2025
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