Primordial DNA could have appeared spontaneously, suggests new study
The self-organization properties of DNA-like molecular fragments four billion years ago may have guided their own growth into repeating chemical…
Male genetic diversity strangled by wealth and power
Genetic researchers have discovered an extremely dramatic decline in male genetic diversity between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, while in…
“Quantum jitter” mechanism behind the random mutations that drive evolution and cancer
The molecular machines that copy DNA in a living cell are fast and accurate at pairing up the correct bases…
Study questions whether lab-grown cells are a faithful model for human disease
Studies of human diseases such as cancer rely on the use of laboratory-grown cell cultures that have often been grown…
Algae turn quantum coherence on and off
A team of researchers has discovered how algae that survive in very low levels of light are able to switch…
Mug shots from DNA possible, say scientists
DNA can already tell us the sex and ancestry of unknown individuals, but now an international team of researchers is…
Genetics play no role in disease risk, claims controversial new study
Genes have been implicated in influencing everything from our sexual orientation to our risk of cancer, but a new paper…
Sperm-like biological robot displays “remarkable” self-organization
Powered by cultured heart cells, tiny, self-organizing bio-hybrid machines that swim like sperm have been created by scientists at the…
Gene expression altered with meditation
Previous studies have shown that meditation can trigger changes in the brain and body but the biological mechanism for these…
Bio-computer combines DNA memory and cellular logic gates
MIT scientists have created genetic circuits in bacterial cells that not only perform logic functions, but also remember the results,…
Quadruple helix DNA discovered in human cells
Cambridge University researchers have published a paper in Nature Chemistry showing that four-stranded “quadruple helix” DNA structures exist within the…
Neanderthal nookie notion nixed
Hybridization, the idea that modern humans and Neanderthals once interbred is probably wrong, say researchers at the University of Cambridge…
First genetically evolved semiconductors created
By directing the evolution of silicateins, the proteins responsible for the formation of silica skeletons in marine sponges, scientists at…
Spin sensitivity of DNA surprises researchers
Weizmann Institute researchers investigating quantum interactions in biological molecules have shown that DNA is extremely sensitive to particle “spin.” Their…
Molecular “robot” built from DNA
Scientists from Columbia University, Arizona State University, the University of Michigan, and Caltech have programmed an autonomous molecular “robot” made…
Worm DNA preserved in tequila
Not swallowing the worm at the bottom of a bottle of mescal doesn’t mean you’ll avoid worminess, say scientists at…
Daily sex boosts male fertility
Ejaculating more frequently improves men’s sperm quality by reducing the amount of DNA damage and improving sperm motility, Australian researchers…
BPA exposure during pregnancy alters offspring’s DNA
In animal studies, exposure to bisphenol A (BPA – a common chemical found in many plastic household items) during pregnancy…
Redefining DNA’s structure for fun and profit
In a bold rewrite of the recipe for life, scientists have designed a new type of DNA with 12 chemical…
Social interactions alter gene expression
Our DNA determines a lot about who we are and how we relate to others, but recent studies involving social…
“Junk” DNA anything but, new study finds
The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) reports that what was previously believed to be “junk” DNA is in fact a…
Herpes Virus Transferred To Infants Via Parental DNA
Parents expect to pass on their eye or hair color to their children through their genes but new research from…
DNA Precursors In Meteorite Confirmed As Extraterrestrial
Panspermia, the theory that life on Earth may have evolved from simple bacteria that arrived via meteorite is still a…
Viking DNA Retrieved
As well as raping and pillaging, Vikings are usually remembered for their horned helmets, but in a new study published…
Physicists Mull Whether Inorganic Dust Formations Could Be Alive
Intriguing new evidence of life-like double-helix structures formed from inorganic substances in space has been reported in the New Journal…
Human Genome “Far More Complex Than Anyone Imagined,” Lament Researchers
It looks like it may be back to the drawing board for many of the new gene therapy treatments being…
UV Damage To DNA Clocked
Ohio State University chemists and their colleagues in Germany have used a special technique to watch strands of DNA sustain…
Biochemists Mull Alternative DNA Structures
Scientists are trying to establish how nature arrived at DNA’s simple and elegant structure by putting together alternative DNA forms…
DNA Structure Still Surprises
Biological dogma has long held that as a molecule of DNA is stretched, its double helix starts to unwind; but…
Protein Complex Fixes Knotty DNA Problem
Our bodies are continually replenishing cells by way of cell division, but occasionally things can go awry during this process,…