New PRA gene identified in Phalenes and Papillons

Finnish researchers have identified a genetic mutation causing progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in the Phalene and Papillon dog breeds. PRA is one of the most common causes of blindness in dogs and in human. This study highlights ...

New mouse model reveals a mystery of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy often die as young adults from heart and breathing complications. However, scientists have been puzzled for decades by the fact that laboratory mice bearing the same genetic mutation ...

DNA repeats—the genome's dark matter

Expansions of DNA repeats are very hard to analyze. A method developed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin allows for a detailed look at these previously inaccessible regions of the ...

Diphthamide is an Achilles heel shared by both plants and animals

The biomolecule diphthamide is essential for the proper formation of proteins in cells. When humans are infected with diphtheria, diphthamide is altered by the diphtheria toxin so that life-threatening complications can arise ...

Scientists engineer synthetic DNA to study 'architect' genes

Researchers at New York University have created artificial Hox genes—which plan and direct where cells go to develop tissues or organs—using new synthetic DNA technology and genomic engineering in stem cells.

Scientists find new variations among sperm cells

The behavior of sperm cells is due, in part, to the individual DNA make-up of these cells, rather than only to the genetics of males, finds a team of scientists. Its results, which provide a new understanding of the competition ...

Producing more efficient all-organic catalysts for fuel cells

Organic catalysts are a breakthrough in the quest for inexpensive and efficient materials for environmentally friendly production of energy in fuel cells. A new study by physicists at Umeå University in Sweden, published ...

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