New computational method opens window into immune cell behavior

Immune cells have many jobs to do: Some identify infected cells and eliminate them. Others help rein in inflammation to prevent damage to healthy tissue. And many are critical components of cancer treatment. Researchers know ...

Plant-microbe homeostasis: A delicate balancing act

Plants grown in soil are colonized by diverse microbes collectively known as the plant microbiota, which is essential for optimal plant growth in nature and protects the plant host from the harmful effects of pathogenic microorganisms ...

A comprehensive map of the SARS-CoV-2 genome

In early 2020, a few months after the Covid-19 pandemic began, scientists were able to sequence the full genome of the virus that causes the infection, SARS-CoV-2. While many of its genes were already known at that point, ...

Machine-learning how to create better AAV gene delivery vehicles

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) have become promising vehicles for delivering gene therapies to defective tissues in the human body because they are non-pathogenic and can transfer therapeutic DNA into target cells. However, ...

CRISPR technology shown to dial down gene activity in bacteria

In a series of experiments with laboratory-cultured bacteria, Johns Hopkins scientists have found evidence that there is a second role for the widely used gene-cutting system CRISPR-Cas9—as a genetic dimmer switch for CRISPR-Cas9 ...

Editing immune response could make gene therapy more effective

Gene therapy generally relies on viruses, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV), to deliver genes into a cell. In the case of CRISPR-based gene therapies, molecular scissors can then snip out a defective gene, add in a missing ...

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