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.
Before cells can divide, they first need to replicate all of their chromosomes, so that each of the daughter cells can receive a full set of genetic material. Until now, scientists had believed that as division occurs, the ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 17, 2025
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Technological development is key to improving the way hematologic cancer is diagnosed and treated. With this vision, the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute is committed to the creation and implementation of new systems ...
Biotechnology
Oct 16, 2025
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23
Depending on the setting, the ability of a crucial bacterium in biotechnology—Agrobacterium tumefaciens—to transfer its DNA to a host plant can make it either a pathogen that damages crops or a powerful method for genetically ...
Biotechnology
Oct 14, 2025
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People often compare the genome to a computer's program, with the cell using its genetic code to process environmental inputs and produce appropriate responses.
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 11, 2025
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Every organism's genome contains mutations that often have unknown biological effects. In partnership with Stanford University, researchers at Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now discovered a way to predict the effects ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 10, 2025
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29
Despite rapid advances in reading the genetic code of living organisms, scientists still face a major challenge today—knowing a gene's sequence does not automatically reveal what it does. Even in simple, well-studied bacteria ...
Cell & Microbiology
Oct 6, 2025
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30
Wheat has a very large and complex genome. Researchers have found that different varieties can use their genes in different ways. By studying RNA—the molecules that carry out instructions from DNA—researchers can see which ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 6, 2025
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81
Our ancient past isn't always buried history. When it comes to our DNA, nearly 9% of the human genome is made up of leftover genetic material from ancient viruses (called endogenous retroviruses or ERVs) that infected our ...
Researchers at Integra Therapeutics, in collaboration with the Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) Department of Medicine and Life Sciences (MELIS) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), have designed and experimentally validated ...
Biotechnology
Oct 2, 2025
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177
By making the world's microbial DNA easier to explore, a new sequence alignment tool, LexicMap, lets scientists search for a DNA sequence against millions of bacterial and archaeal genomes in minutes, helping researchers ...
Biotechnology
Sep 30, 2025
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