A surprising new function for small RNAs in evolution

An international research team in including Christian Schlötterer and Alistair McGregor of the Vetmeduni Vienna has discovered a completely new mechanism by which evolution can change the appearance of an organism. The ...

How cells optimize the functioning of their power plants

Mitochondria, which are probably derived from distant bacterial ancestors incorporated into our cells, have their own DNA. However, we know little about how these organelles, which convert oxygen and consumed nutrients into ...

Protein paves the way for correct stem cell differentiation

A single embryonic stem cell can develop into more than 200 specialized cell types that make up our body. This maturation process is called differentiation and is tightly regulated. If the regulation is lost, specialized ...

Accelerating cellular assembly lines

The immune system generates antibodies to mark threats that need to be eliminated, and these protein complexes bind their targets with remarkable strength and selectivity. Scientists have learned how to generate cell lines ...

Trying to halt hepatitis C's molecular hijacking

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have figured out intimate details of how the hepatitis C virus takes over an invaded cell, a breakthrough that could point to way for new treatments for the virus.

New calculations solve an old problem with DNA

The normal (B-form) DNA will switch to left-handed DNA when it is physically twisted, or when a lot of salt is added to the solution. Researchers at the University of Luxembourg were able to accurately calculate for the ...

Unravelling the function of small RNAs

Small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play a hitherto unrecognised role in regulation of gene expression. To broaden knowledge on the function and evolution of these molecules, a EU project investigated various classes of regulatory ...

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