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. Precise activation of tens of thousands of genes is critical for healthy development and growth. Specialized segments of our DNA are responsible for carefully orchestrating genetic sequences that result in the production of enzymes, hormones, proteins and other crucial components underlying cell structure and function. But if these genes are not correctly activated, cells can stop functioning or result in various disorders, including cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-decodes-dna-sequence-human.html Biotechnology Sat, 22 Aug 2026 11:40:01 EDT news706614635 A human, an octopus, and a coral could hardly look more different—yet deep inside their cells, their chromosomes still carry recognizable pieces of a genome inherited from an animal ancestor that lived more than 600 million years ago. Since then, their chromosomes have fused, split and rearranged countless times. Today, thousands of animal genomes have been sequenced. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-animal-genomes-irreversible-evolutionary-highways.html Evolution Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:00:04 EDT news706454425 Age isn't just a number for one of the ocean's top apex predators. It's a mystery University of Georgia researchers are solving. A new UGA study has determined how to estimate the age of sharks by analyzing changes to individual animals' DNA. Known as epigenetic clocks, these scientific age estimators focus on chemical alterations known as DNA methylation to measure wear and tear on an animal's cells, providing a noninvasive, fast and accurate assessment of an animal's age. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-shark-dna-age.html Ecology Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:40:04 EDT news706527066 100 million years ago, long before human intervention, ancestors of grasses, including wheat, rice and maize, developed "bypasses" in chemical pathways used to create two critical compounds: lignin and starch. These more efficient pathways could explain why grass plants are so successful in nature and agriculture, according to a new paper published in Science on Aug. 20 by researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and their collaborators. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-million-year-molecular-bypasses-grasses.html Plants & Animals Thu, 20 Aug 2026 14:00:03 EDT news706369801 Nearly every cell in the human body contains essentially the same genetic information, yet different cells activate different genes. For regulatory proteins to reach these genes, DNA must be accessible. This accessibility depends not only on the genetic code itself but also on DNA's physical properties—its shape, flexibility and ability to interact with proteins. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-dna-physical-properties-mutations-evolution.html Evolution Thu, 20 Aug 2026 12:40:05 EDT news706440961 It's one of the origins-of-life chicken-or-egg problems: How could RNA have helped give rise to the first cells before there were cells to contain it? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rna-droplets-life-earth.html Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Aug 2026 08:40:04 EDT news706432081 Rye is not only a hardy and high-yielding crop, but also possesses a valuable gene pool for wheat breeding. An international research team led by the IPK Leibniz Institute has significantly improved the foundations for research and breeding by publishing a high-quality reference genome sequence. For the first time, the sequence includes the complete centromeres of all seven chromosome pairs. Centromeres are important for the correct distribution of genetic information during cell division. The results of the study have now been published in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-rye-genome-uncovers-diversity-wheat.html Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 19:00:01 EDT news706374497 Take a walk in London's Trafalgar Square this summer, and people of all body sizes—some tall, some short—will be wilting in the heat: a real mix of sizes. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-denisovans-tall-ancient-humans-skeptical.html Paleontology & Fossils Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:40:01 EDT news706362662 For more than a decade, anglers on Lake Memphremagog—which straddles the Quebec–Vermont border—have been catching brown bullhead catfish marked with distinctive black lesions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-transmissible-cancer-bullhead-catfish.html Plants & Animals Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:20:02 EDT news706362422 Scientists studying one of nature's greatest reproductive innovations have discovered how some lizards evolved from laying eggs to giving birth to live young. The new research is the first to reveal the evolutionary process behind this important biological change and offers a unique insight into how other species—including mammals—may have evolved to give birth to live young millions of years ago. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-evolutionary-birth-lizards-uncovered.html Plants & Animals Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:00:04 EDT news706362782 Cell-communication molecules called kinases play a key role in the growth and spread of many cancers. But exactly which kinases are active in a particular cancer is not always clear—there are 1.8 million sites on human proteins that kinases might act on, and researchers have fully characterized fewer than 1% of them. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-3d-cell-sites-cancer-treatment.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:00:01 EDT news706358942 Every cell in the body contains essentially the same DNA, yet a brain cell behaves differently from a muscle cell or an immune cell. The difference lies largely in how each cell reads its genetic instructions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-largest-human-cells-dna-chemical.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:20:01 EDT news706276802 In the living world, roughly a third of all proteins we know rely on metals to function. Zinc helps enzymes break down molecules, iron helps carry oxygen in the blood, calcium helps relay signals in cells and potassium flows through channels that help keep our hearts beating. But despite the important role they play, scientists have long struggled to pinpoint exactly where metal ions bind in a protein to get the job done. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-deep-approach-rapidly-metals-proteins.html Biochemistry Tue, 18 Aug 2026 16:40:05 EDT news706272722 Every time a cell divides, it must accurately copy its entire genetic instruction manual. Before this process can begin, cells load their DNA-copying motor—a complex of six subunits known as the MCM2-7 helicase—onto DNA. However, this motor is deliberately kept inactive to prevent replication from starting at the wrong time. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-snapshots-reveal-key-dna-replication.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:20:04 EDT news706271761 Between 29,000 and 19,000 years ago, the planet experienced some of its coldest temperatures and drastic landscape changes at the peak of the Ice Age, during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the period of most extensive global ice cover. Humans, despite being unaccustomed to such icy temperatures and surroundings, survived through the age. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ancient-jomon-dna-reveals-hidden.html Evolution Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:40:10 EDT news706266198 In humans and many other animals, a mother's age can affect the physical and behavioral characteristics of the next generation. Scientists call these changes maternal age effects, and while they are widespread across the animal kingdom, researchers still don't fully understand how or why they occur. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-memory-mother-age-echoes.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Aug 2026 22:20:02 EDT news706188931 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 Histone variants help establish DNA methylation at transposons (jumping genes) while preventing this epigenetic modification from spreading to essential genes in plants, a study from the Institute of Science Tokyo reveals. By revealing how these chromosome-associated proteins guide the formation of precise epigenomic patterns, the findings provide new insights into the selective silencing of transposons, laying the groundwork for future epigenome-editing technologies for crop improvement and disease research. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-silence-genes-essential.html Plants & Animals Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:40:03 EDT news706189934 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 Tiny viruses that infect bacteria could one day help us tackle infections that antibiotics can no longer treat. But first, scientists need to understand how these viruses work, and artificial intelligence could provide them with a powerful way to do that. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-nature-spent-billions-years-bacteria.html Biotechnology Sat, 15 Aug 2026 20:00:01 EDT news705678389 Researchers at the University of Maryland and their collaborators have cloned a gene that makes wheat resistant to feeding by Hessian fly larvae and demonstrated its direct interaction with a protein produced by the insect. The research breaks through a longstanding barrier to understanding and engineering pest resistance in wheat. It is described in a research paper published Aug. 14, 2026, in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-wheat-gene-hessian-fly-resistance.html Molecular & Computational biology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:20:04 EDT news705936181 A book sits atop a table. Although it's closed, its title, "Encyclopedia of Human Tissue," promises untold secrets. Perhaps with this book, you can learn about different cell types and what they look like under normal conditions or conditions of disease. Maybe you can learn how gene expression differs in the cells of younger and older people, or whether different patients' cells respond differently to the same treatments. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-method-gain-insights-tissues.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 18:20:01 EDT news705928153 The human body is teeming with more than 35 trillion bacteria, coexisting in microbiomes inside the gut, mouth, lungs, skin and urogenital tract. While it's now clear these microbes are associated with health and disease, scientists have only begun to uncover the full scale of their biology and functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-overturn-year-assumption-common-bacteria.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 14 Aug 2026 14:00:04 EDT news705931441 Madison researchers recognize a new species of baobab tree, Adansonia bozy, unique to Madagascar, according to a study published in the journal Taxon. Previously, members of A. bozy were classified within a different species of Malagasy baobab, Adansonia za. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genetic-analysis-reveals-species-endangered.html Plants & Animals Fri, 14 Aug 2026 12:20:01 EDT news705928130 Every 15 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from a drug-resistant superbug. A few decades from now, antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections threaten to become the leading cause of death worldwide, outpacing cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mutation-hotspots-friendly-viruses-outmaneuver.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 13 Aug 2026 17:50:01 EDT news705860402 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 Scientists have crossed an important line in biological engineering. In a recent study, researchers used artificial intelligence to design complete sets of genetic instructions for bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria. Some of those computer-generated designs produced working viruses when they were built and tested in the laboratory. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-aidesigned-viruses-biosecurity-pace.html Biotechnology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 19:20:07 EDT news705756534 The decades-old scientific quest to create brand-new proteins has been turbocharged in the era of artificial intelligence. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-qa-deploying-ai-proteins-nature.html Biotechnology Wed, 12 Aug 2026 13:40:04 EDT news705756123 A centromere is a specific region on a chromosome that ensures that, when a cell divides, the chromosome separates accurately so each new cell receives the correct amount of genetic material. Despite their essential role, centromeres remain one of the last major blind spots in the human genome. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-genome-reveals-centromeres-fastest-regions.html Evolution Tue, 11 Aug 2026 15:20:02 EDT news705658501 In 1968, the American biochemist and geneticist Marshall Nirenberg and his colleagues won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work deciphering how an organism's proteins are directly linked to its genetic code. That discovery is considered a "fundamental pillar of molecular biology," explained Nikolai Slavov, a distinguished professor of bioengineering. "It's in every textbook from high school to college." https://phys.org/news/2026-08-humans-highly-abundant-stable-proteins.html Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:20:02 EDT news705663918