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.
When scientists want to trace how a species has changed over time—and predict its prospects for survival—they turn to DNA. But what if the genetic map guiding them belongs to the wrong animal?
Plants & Animals
Sep 22, 2025
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71
A research team led by Prof. Wang Yanli from the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the structure and mechanism of a highly active Type II-D Cas9, offering a promising new tool for genome ...
Biotechnology
Sep 22, 2025
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34
A research team led by scientists from the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) has introduced a new way to fine-tune genetic material. Their study, published in Nature Biotechnology, describes an innovative ...
Biotechnology
Sep 18, 2025
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90
How did digits evolve? While it is clear that they derive from genetic programs already present in fish, their precise origin remains a matter of debate. An international team led by the University of Geneva (UNIGE) with ...
Evolution
Sep 17, 2025
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246
Aging, neurological diseases and our bodies' stress response are all linked to the tiny power plants inside each cell known as mitochondria. To function properly, mitochondria must first read instructions from their DNA and ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 16, 2025
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172
Before a cell divides, its DNA is replicated so that each daughter cell inherits the same genetic information. The two copies, known as "sister chromatids," are held together by a ring-shaped protein complex called cohesin ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 16, 2025
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28
A research team led by Professor Simona Giunta at the University of Rome La Sapienza has produced the first reference-quality genome assembly of an experimentally relevant human cell line, the widely used retinal pigment ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 15, 2025
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34
Researchers at the Max Delbrück Center have developed a new method to discover how DNA controls genes. Their technique, published in Cell Genomics, can reveal the genetic "switches" that regulate important genes more quickly ...
Biotechnology
Sep 9, 2025
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140
In human cells, there are about 20,000 genes on a two-meter DNA strand—finely coiled up in a nucleus about 10 micrometers in diameter. By comparison, this corresponds to a 40-kilometer thread packed into a soccer ball. Despite ...
Biotechnology
Sep 9, 2025
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94
Essentially all cells in an organism's body have the same genetic blueprint, or genome, but the set of genes that are actively expressed at any given time in a cell determines what type of cell it will be and its function. ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Sep 6, 2025
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