Hijacking the double helix for replication

For years, scientists have puzzled over what prompts the intertwined double-helix DNA to open its two strands and then start replication. Knowing this could be the key to understanding how organisms - from healthy cells to ...

A new approach to amplifying DNA

Analyzing DNA is useful for a number of vital applications. This includes diagnosis and monitoring of diseases, identification of criminals, and studying the function of a targeted segment of DNA. However, methods used for ...

Electronic zippers control DNA strands

A research team from NPL and the University of Edinburgh have invented a new way to zip and unzip DNA strands using electrochemistry.

Deciphering potent DNA toxin's secrets

One of the most potent toxins known acts by welding the two strands of the famous double helix together in a unique fashion which foils the standard repair mechanisms cells use to protect their DNA.

Single-DNA images give clues to breast cancer

For the first time, researchers at the University of California, Davis, have watched single strands of DNA being prepped for repair. The research, published this week in the journal Nature, has implications for understanding ...

Molecular forces: The surprising stretching behavior of DNA

When large forces act on a heavy beam, for example, in bridge construction, the beam will be slightly deformed. Calculating the relationship between forces, internal stresses and deformations is one of the standard tasks ...

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