How RNA formed at the origins of life
A single process for how a group of molecules called nucleotides were made on the early Earth, before life began, has been suggested by a UCL-led team of researchers.
May 19, 2017
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Imaging mRNA right where it is made—at the site of translation
Think of life as a house: if DNA molecules are blueprints, then messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are orders, describing the required parts (proteins) and when they should arrive. But putting in many orders doesn't always mean you'll ...
Scientists develop a new method to understand what and where the DROSHA protein is cutting
Each cell of our body is the result of an orchestra of sophisticated mechanisms that control which genes are and are not expressed at any given time. Partly, this is possible thanks to the coordination of several types of ...
Study reveals the multitasking secrets of an RNA-binding protein
Researchers from Princeton University and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences have discovered how a fruit fly protein binds and regulates two different types of RNA target sequence. The study, which will ...
Research shows that circular RNAs, until now considered non-coding, can encode for proteins
A group of scientists in Israel and Germany, led by Prof. Sebastian Kadener from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, have discovered a protein-encoding function for circular RNA. This kind of RNA molecule is highly active ...
Genome editing: Pressing the 'delete' button on DNA
Until recently, genomics was a "read-only" science, but scientists have developed a tool for quick and easy deletion of DNA in living cells. This software, published in PLOS Computational Biology, will boost efforts to understand ...
New tool to map RNA-DNA interactions could help researchers translate gene sequences into functions
Bioengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new tool to identify interactions between RNA and DNA molecules. The tool, called MARGI (Mapping RNA Genome Interactions), is the first technology that's ...
Making single-cell RNA sequencing widely available
Sequencing messenger RNA molecules from individual cells offers a glimpse into the lives of those cells, revealing what they're doing at a particular time. However, the equipment required to do this kind of analysis is cumbersome ...
'Junk RNA' molecule found to play key role in cellular response to stress
A study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found a surprising role for what had been considered a nonfunctional "junk" RNA molecule: controlling the cellular response to stress. In their report in ...
Ribosome recycling as a drug target
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich researchers have elucidated a mechanism that recycles bacterial ribosomes stalled on messenger RNAs that lack termination codons. The protein involved provides a potential target for ...
