Mammalian body cells lack ancient viral defense mechanism

A team led by Chris Sullivan, a professor of molecular biosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, has provided the first positive evidence that RNA interference (RNAi), a biological process in which small RNA molecules ...

Cell nuclei harbor factories that transcribe genes

Our genetic heritage is contained—and protected—in the nucleus of the cells that compose us. Copies of the DNA exit the nucleus to be read and translated into proteins in the cell cytoplasm. The transit between the nucleus ...

Siberian hamsters show what helps make seasonal clocks tick

Many animals, including humans, have internal clocks and calendars to help them regulate behavior, physiological functions and biological processes. Although scientists have extensively studied the timekeeping mechanisms ...

Dad's genes build placentas, study shows

Though placentas support the fetus and mother, it turns out that the organ grows according to blueprints from dad, says new Cornell research. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in ...

Bacterial security agents go rogue

CRISPR, a system of genes that bacteria use to defend themselves against viruses, has been found to be involved in helping some bacteria evade the mammalian immune system. The results are scheduled for publication Sunday, ...

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