Yeast with more than 50% synthetic genome is created in the lab

Researchers have combined over seven synthetic chromosomes that were made in the lab into a single yeast cell, resulting in a strain with more than 50% synthetic DNA that survives and replicates similarly to wild yeast strains.

Using glowing fish to detect harmful pesticides

Birth defects related to chromosomal abnormalities often stem from exposure to chemicals early in the mother's life. But determining which chemicals are at fault poses a serious challenge—akin to solving a hit-and-run case, ...

Uncovering the secrets of how chromosomes assemble

Experiments using extracts from African clawed frog eggs have revealed how a key protein complex is regulated to assemble chromosomes during cell division. This finding could help to shed light on the development of certain ...

Molecular guardians monitor chromosomes during cell division

One of the worst things that can happen to a cell is to end up with the wrong number of chromosomes. This can happen if something goes wrong during cell division, and it can lead to infertility, miscarriages, birth defects, ...

Researchers document second case of 'Down syndrome' in chimps

Japanese researchers have confirmed the second case known to science of a chimpanzee born with trisomy 22, a chromosomal defect similar to that of Down syndrome (or trisomy 21) in humans. The report on Kanako, a 24-year-old ...

Catalan researchers identify a key component of cell division

A study by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (acronym in Catalan CRG) highlights the protein Nek9 as a decisive factor in cell division, a fundamental process ...

Therapeutically useful stem cell derivatives in need of stability

Human stem cells capable of giving rise to any fetal or adult cell type are known as pluripotent stem cells. It is hoped that such cells, the most well known being human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), can be used to generate ...

Exploiting cancer cells' weaknesses

When designing new cancer drugs, biologists often target specific gene mutations found only in cancer cells, or in a subset of cancer cells. A team of MIT biologists is now taking a slightly different approach, targeting ...

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