Nearly half of our DNA has been written off as junk, the discards of evolution: Sidelined or broken genes, viruses that got stuck in our genome and were dismembered or silenced, none of it relevant to the human organism or ...
Evolution
Oct 18, 2021
0
785
The protection of genome integrity of germ cells is essential for animal fertility. Researchers from the Grosshans group characterized a defense mechanism against selfish genetic elements in the C. elegans germline. They ...
Cell & Microbiology
Apr 14, 2021
0
65
In the same way that Lego pieces can be arranged in new ways to build a variety of structures, genetic elements can be mixed and matched to create new genes, according to new research.
Evolution
Feb 22, 2021
0
48
The capture of the first living Coelacanth, a mighty ocean predator, off the coast of South Africa caused quite a stir in 1938, 65 million years after its supposed extinction. It became known as a "living fossil" owing to ...
Evolution
Feb 9, 2021
5
6792
About half of our genome is made up of transposable elements (TEs), also known as transposons. These 'jumping genes' are short stretches of DNA that have the unique ability to duplicate themselves and change their position ...
Transposons are foreign DNA elements capable of random insertion into the genome, an event that can be very dangerous for a cell. Their activity must be silenced to maintain genomic integrity, which is primarily achieved ...
Biotechnology
Jan 15, 2021
0
28
Deep inside your cells, DNA provides the instructions to produce proteins, the essential molecules that grow and maintain your body.
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 17, 2020
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1720
All life depends on a genome, which acts as an instruction manual for building all the products essential for development and survival. But knowing which of these individual instructions—or genes—need to be read, and ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 30, 2020
0
9
Researchers have discovered a novel parasitic gene in fruit flies that is responsible for destroying the eggs in the ovaries of their daughters.
Plants & Animals
Dec 17, 2019
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3
EMBL scientists have developed a new variant of the so-called Sleeping Beauty transposase. It has dramatically improved biochemical features, including enhanced stability and intrinsic cell penetrating properties. This transposase ...
Biotechnology
Nov 4, 2019
0
23
