The information of the human genome is encoded by approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs and packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes. If all chromosomes could be disentangled and linearly aligned, they would be a thin thread of about 2…
Read More
New approach can help identify patients at risk for esophageal cancer
A combination of esophageal brushing and extensive genetic sequencing of the sample collected can detect chromosome alterations in people with Barrett's Esophagus, identifying patients at risk for progressing to esophageal cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the…
Read More
Large-scale genome analysis identifies differences by sex in major psychiatric disorders
An analysis of sex differences in the genetics of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorders indicates that while there is substantial genetic overlap between males and females, there are noticeable sex-dependent differences in how genes related to the central…
Read More
White-tailed deer susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, finds study
White-tailed deer have been observed to be susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They can also transmit the virus both through direct and indirect contact to one another, researchers find. The research paper is available to be…
Read More
How do viruses evolve in bats?
Bats have played a crucial epidemiological role in the evolution of many viruses and house many coronaviruses. Until 2002, coronaviruses had been known to cause mild respiratory ailments in human beings. However, this notion changed in the same year when…
Read More
Could rotavirus vaccine platforms aid in the immunization campaign against SARS-CoV-2?
Rotavirus is a common diarrheal disease that affects young children. Live oral rotavirus vaccines have been used to reduce its incidence in many countries. However, with the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and amid focus on vaccines…
Read More
Modified CRISPR/Cas9 complex targets specific histones
Finding a needle in a haystack is hard enough. But try finding a specific molecule on the needle. Rice University researchers have achieved something of the sort with a new genome editing tool that targets the supporting players in a…
Read More
What are Viral Retroposons?
By Gillian D’Souza, MSc Retroposons are repetitive DNA fragments that are inserted into a host chromosome after reverse transcription from an RNA molecule. Credit: Katryna Kon/Shutterstock.com Retroposons that share structural similarities with retroviruses, such as the HIV virus, are called…
Read More
What is SATI Gene Editing?
Skip to: The Process Application of SATI in a Mouse-model Progeria Study The Future of Gene Editing? One strategy for studying and understanding biological processes and inherited conditions is gene splicing. The technology lies at the cutting-edge of research into…
Read More
Oldest ‘nearly complete’ HIV genome found in forgotten tissue sample from 1966
The oldest known nearly complete gene sequence from the HIV strain that spread across the world has been found in a tissue sample from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a new study finds. The tissue sample was taken…
Read More