https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Humans and chimpanzees share almost all their genes. Despite this, our brains have developed in different ways. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now shown that a viral pandemic dating back several million years is likely to be part of the explanation. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-virus-chimpanzee-dna-gene.html Evolution Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:00:26 EDT news711900901 Human cells hold about two meters (6.6 feet) of DNA, folded and compacted to fit inside a nucleus. That packing is essential for life, but it creates a problem for scientists. Some of the genes that control a cell's identity are buried so deep in tightly packed DNA that gene-targeting tools such as CRISPR activation, or CRISPRa, struggle to reach them. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-quick-crispr-skin-cells-neurons.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 23 Oct 2026 09:20:09 EDT news711963602 Paired appendages—the pectoral and pelvic fins of fishes and the forelimbs and hindlimbs of tetrapods—were a major innovation in vertebrate evolution. Their emergence greatly expanded the ways vertebrates could move through their environments and ultimately provided the developmental foundation for the evolution of limbs. Yet how the genetic system responsible for building paired appendages was assembled during evolution remains an unresolved question. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ancient-hox-code-reveals-developmental.html Evolution Mon, 19 Oct 2026 10:00:22 EDT news711619981 Scientists have long used a powerful gene-editing tool called CRISPR to make precise changes to DNA. But a different version of the technology, known as Cas13a, targets RNA, the genetic material found in viruses such as HIV. Now, researchers at Rice University have developed an improved version of Cas13a that could make it easier to detect HIV and other RNA viruses in blood and environmental samples. The study was published in Cell Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-enzyme-hiv-viruses.html Biotechnology Wed, 14 Oct 2026 17:00:11 EDT news711206461 Researchers at Gladstone Institutes have uncovered an unusual bacterial immune system that operates in reverse of known defenses. The discovery, published in Molecular Cell, details the mechanics of "type VI retrons"—a counterintuitive class of bacterial defenses. More than just a biological curiosity, decoding these complex systems provides a molecular blueprint that scientists can adapt to engineer more efficient DNA-editing tools for human health and therapies. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-newly-antiviral-bacteria-strangest-kind.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:20:12 EDT news711116521 A new antiviral defense system discovered by Columbia scientists could be adapted in the future into a gene editor that slows down aging in our cells and improves cancer therapies. At the same time, the discovery also sheds light on an ancient event in evolution that may have helped set the stage for the emergence of higher organisms. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-bacterial-antiviral-defense-ancient-link.html Evolution Mon, 12 Oct 2026 18:20:02 EDT news711038641 For decades, scientists have believed that a protein called interferon tau (IFNT) is indispensable for pregnancy in cattle. Produced by the early embryo, it was thought to signal its presence to the mother and prevent the hormonal changes that would otherwise end the pregnancy. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-cows-healthy-calves-embryonic-protein.html Biotechnology Thu, 08 Oct 2026 19:20:01 EDT news710690701 A new engineered gene-editing system, proven in bacteria and showing promise for use in plants, animals and humans, addresses some limitations of current gene-editing tools, with the goal of improving their use in research, crop development and disease treatment. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-compact-crispr-alternative-bacterial-proteins.html Biotechnology Wed, 07 Oct 2026 14:40:01 EDT news710594041 How do bacteria adapt when resources run low? ISTA researchers have found that, under starvation stress, E. coli can use bacteriophages and CRISPR-Cas immunity to transfer and incorporate DNA, accelerating genetic reshuffling. The process resembles a primitive form of sexual reproduction and may help bacterial populations adapt to changing conditions. The findings were published in Molecular Biology and Evolution. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-sex-dna-exchange-starving-bacteria.html Evolution Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:00:24 EDT news710066761 A new tool to mutate bacteriophages—viruses that infect bacteria—provides a "big leap" forward in our understanding of how they function and our ability to harness their full potential. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-tool-gap-harnessing-untapped-potential.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 25 Sep 2026 05:00:01 EDT news709483201 U.S. artificial intelligence startup Anthropic on Wednesday unveiled the first discovery from its molecular biology lab, a previously unknown enzyme system spotted by its Claude model and touted by the company as proof that AI can speed up basic research. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-anthropic-touts-ai-biology-discovery.html Biotechnology Thu, 24 Sep 2026 04:40:01 EDT news709442390 The ability of cells to move and change position is essential for various processes in our bodies. Immune cells move to sites of action, epithelial cells migrate during wound closure, and neurons extend their axons for signal transmission over long distances. In metastasis, cancer cells employ their motile machinery to spread throughout the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-migrating-cells-edge-master-debate.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 21 Sep 2026 15:20:08 EDT news709214761 CRISPR may be a powerful technology for gene editing, but the system existed in bacteria long before scientists began using it. For billions of years, CRISPR has acted as a natural immune system in bacteria and other microbes, helping defend them against invading viruses. But now, two new studies, published in Science, describe a similar RNA-guided system that originated in the viruses themselves and appears to be a precursor to CRISPR. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-discovery-crispr-lost-ancestor-gene.html Evolution Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:20:12 EDT news708950672 Cysteine is one of the main building blocks that cells use to make proteins. But this amino acid is a double-edged sword—too much cysteine is toxic to the cell. Cells therefore keep free cysteine levels to a minimum, converting most of the amino acid into the antioxidant glutathione. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-high-amino-acid-cysteine-toxic.html Evolution Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:27:12 EDT news708945882 Understanding gene regulation may be key to interpreting human disease genetics. Genes are regulated in part by stretches of DNA called enhancers, which define when, where and how strongly each gene is turned on. Mapping enhancers and how they function in specific cell types is necessary for understanding gene regulation and disease-related genetic variants. But the location and activity of enhancers are highly cell type-specific, making it difficult to accurately predict enhancer–gene interactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-decoding-dna-gene.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:11 EDT news708864961 A study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has found that new cutting-edge techniques can accurately edit genes in human embryos—giving scientists indispensable tools for understanding normal human development—but has also uncovered important risks that currently preclude the use of the techniques in the clinic. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-human-embryo-base-cells-unpredictable.html Cell & Microbiology Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:00:01 EDT news708186452 Editing a plant's genes is only half the battle. Before a new, improved trait can ever reach a farmer's field, scientists must be able to grow a whole plant from just a few edited cells—a process that can be slow, unreliable and, for some plant species, impossible. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crispr-combo-regeneration-hard-perennial.html Biotechnology Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:20:05 EDT news708263041 In recent years, scientists have developed methods to measure a cell's transcriptome, or all the RNA produced by a cell, to study the cell's identity and genetic activity. However, these methods rely on killing the cell to access the bits of RNA within and offer only a one-time snapshot. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-virus-particles-enable-gene-tracking.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 04 Sep 2026 15:00:02 EDT news707739962 RNA-based therapeutics use RNA as a blueprint that enables cells to produce specific proteins—including proteins that can precisely modify genes. For this to work, the RNA must reach the inside of the cell intact. Delivery systems currently used for this purpose include virus-derived vehicles and lipid nanoparticles, tiny particles made of fat-like molecules. Both approaches have limitations. Researchers are therefore working on new mechanisms that can deliver RNA into cells more efficiently and, in the future, more selectively. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-ai-proteins-enable-generation-rna.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 02 Sep 2026 18:00:01 EDT news707581863 A research team from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has developed an innovative "one-pot" testing platform, known as TEMPO, that could transform highly sensitive nucleic acid testing from a laboratory-based procedure into a simple, single-step test that can be performed at home. With a single reaction tube, users can obtain results comparable to those of professional laboratory tests in as little as 30 minutes. The breakthrough has the potential to bridge the technological gap between existing rapid tests and laboratory-based nucleic acid diagnostics, offering a more convenient solution for future infectious disease surveillance and genetic screening. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-pot-crispr-platform-lab-sensitivity.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 18:40:03 EDT news707406541 The ability to precisely adjust the expression of genes inside the human body—ramping up protective ones and tamping down harmful ones—holds enormous potential for treating and preventing disease. But the standard molecular tools used to tune genes, such as the CRISPR system, are too bulky to package and deliver into the body's cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gene-tool-crispr-body.html Biotechnology Mon, 31 Aug 2026 10:20:01 EDT news707386154 When a cell gets ready to divide, it shuts down its gene-reading machinery almost entirely. For decades, the mechanism behind that shutdown was only partially understood. A new study co-led by Alarcón and Lilian Kabeche, associate professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale School of Medicine, identifies a missing piece: an enzyme best known for tagging RNA molecules that turns out to be wired into the cell division machinery itself. The findings, recently published in Molecular Cell, may point toward new cancer therapies. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-hidden-cell-division-cancer-treatments.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:20:05 EDT news706966931 Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have identified a potential new target to prevent the spread of Chagas disease. The parasitic infection is transmitted through the bite of the kissing bug in Central and South America and, more recently, in the United States. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chagas-parasite-survival-antimalarial-style.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:40:06 EDT news706961281 The adult human brain has limited capacity to repair or regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer's disease, the most common type of dementia. Existing treatments can slow disease progression but do not reverse cognitive decline. In a study published in the journal Cell Biomaterials on Aug. 26, researchers show that engineered nanoparticles can not only regenerate neurons in human brain organoids but also restore neural circuits and improve cognition in mice. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nanoparticles-neuroregeneration-alzheimer-disease.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 26 Aug 2026 11:00:16 EDT news706802041 Weill Cornell Medicine investigators have developed a set of molecular tools to regulate the activity of specific genes in one of the most common classes of intestinal bacteria. The ability to genetically manipulate these microbes could lead to a better understanding of the role they play in human physiology and disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-toolkit-abundant-intestinal-microbes.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 25 Aug 2026 16:40:06 EDT news706879185 As antimicrobial resistance grows around the world, novel therapies to counter it become increasingly important. Phages—viruses that infect bacteria—are an exciting avenue of research in this regard, providing a means to selectively kill pathogenic bacteria, even those resistant to traditional antibiotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-viral-loose-cannon-enzyme-phages.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 16:20:04 EDT news706360571 The deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of living organisms contains regulatory elements that control when, where and to what extent specific genes are turned on or off. They can be co-opted to create "gene switches" that hold significant potential for understanding gene expression and for therapeutic applications, particularly for the noninvasive treatment or management of genetic disorders. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-electromagnetic-sensor-enable-remote.html Biotechnology Mon, 17 Aug 2026 19:40:04 EDT news706196881 Humans love dogs, but petting them can leave some people sneezing and wheezing. About 15% of the world's population lives with a dog allergy, which can increase the risk of hay fever and asthma. The main culprit is Can f 1, a protein found mainly in dog saliva. Right now, staying away from furry friends or getting regular immunotherapy shots or tablets is the only way to deal with the symptoms. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gene-beagles-major-dog-allergen.html Biotechnology Sun, 16 Aug 2026 14:00:01 EDT news705919142 Like a delivery driver navigating crowded city streets, a gene-therapy-toting lipid nanoparticle faces a gauntlet of potential detours on its journey toward a cell's nucleus. First, there's entering the cell's plasma membrane; then navigating around organelles like the Golgi apparatus, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum—all destinations that can errantly absorb the particle's payload, rendering it ineffective at best or harmful at worst. And that's all before the particle even enters the nucleus and successfully makes a genetic change. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-crispr-roadblocks-scientists-genes-blocking.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:03 EDT news705841141 Every tomato begins with a flower. But before a fruit can grow, an intricate sequence of events must happen in perfect order. The flower's male and female organs must develop together, pollen must be released at exactly the right time, and fertilization must occur. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-tomatoes-fruit-cold-weather.html Biotechnology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:10:01 EDT news705767641