Thanks to advances in genomics in recent decades, researchers now know the genetic mutations responsible for many diseases. However, researchers often still do not know how the mutation leads to the disease—what it changes ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 11, 2022
0
500
The human genome is littered with "selfish genetic elements," which do not seem to benefit their hosts, but instead seek only to propagate themselves.
Evolution
Jul 6, 2022
0
94
New research by a scientist at the Milner Center for Evolution at the University of Bath suggests that "selfish chromosomes" explain why most human embryos die very early on. The study, published in PLoS Biology, explaining ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 5, 2022
1
2235
When the coronavirus causing COVID-19 infects human cells, the cell's protein-processing machinery makes modifications to the spike protein that render it more flexible and mobile, which could increase its ability to infect ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 5, 2022
0
274
Rice has a long history as a staple food in Japan and other parts of Asia. The results of a new study by an international research collaboration suggest that the emergence of cultivated rice from wild rice plants is the result ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2022
0
107
A natural small molecule derived from a cypress tree can transport iron in live mice and human cells lacking the protein that normally does the job, easing a buildup of iron in the liver and restoring hemoglobin and red blood ...
Biochemistry
Jun 24, 2022
0
169
A pair of researchers at Michigan State University has conducted an experiment with Escherichia coli bacteria meant to help settle a long-time debate in the evolutionary community. They have written a paper describing their ...
The structure of how DNA is stored in archaea makes a significant difference to how quickly it evolves, according to a new study by Indiana University researchers.
Evolution
Jun 14, 2022
0
506
In biology, getting rid of stuff can be just as important as making it. A buildup of cells, proteins, or other molecules that are no longer needed can cause problems, so living things have evolved several ways to clean house.
Biotechnology
Jun 9, 2022
0
65
In the prelude to cancer, genetic mutations can sometimes lead to the formation of chimeric proteins made from parts of two different proteins that are usually separate.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 9, 2022
0
32
