Latest Gene Stories

Caltech biologists scour mouse genome for genes and markers that lead to T cells What happens to a stem cell at the molecular level that causes it to become one type of cell rather than another? At what point is it committed to that cell fate, and how does it become committed? The answers to these questions have been largely unknown. But now, in studies that mark a major step forward in our understanding of stem cells' fates, a team of researchers from the California Institute of...

Study published in Cell by Allen Institute for Brain Science examines cellular and molecular organization of human and mouse brain Scientists at the Allen Institute for Brain Science have identified similarities and differences among regions of the human brain, among the brains of human individuals, and between humans and mice by analyzing the expression of approximately 1,000 genes in the brain. The study, published online today in the journal Cell, sheds light on the human brain in...

Findings provide tools for better understanding of the human genome Chromosomes are strands of DNA that contain the blueprint of all living organisms. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes that instruct how genes are regulated during development of the human body. While scientists have developed an understanding of the one-dimensional structure of DNA, until today, little was known about how different parts of DNA are folded next to each other inside the nucleus. Using a powerful DNA...

Anyone who's tried a weekend home improvement project knows that to do a job right, you've got to have the right tools. For cells, these "tools" are proteins encoded by genes. The right genes for the job are turned on only in the specific cells where they are needed. And every cell in your body has a specific job to do. Cells in your pancreas have to produce insulin, while cells in the retina of your eye must be able to sense light and color. Like using the wrong tool for the job, if the...

The missing link that spans the gap between the genes and environment could be a sugar – in this case, a special one that regulates histone 3, part of the DNA backbone, said researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Georgia in a report that appears online in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The sugar in question is called beta-N-acetylglucosamine or O-GlcNAc, said Dr. Richard Sifers, professor of pathology & immunology at BCM, and corresponding author of...

First-of-its-kind discovery used revolutionary data crunching computer program running on 48 computer processors for 4 weeks to complete 32 billion searches Analyzing massive amounts of data officially became a national priority recently when the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced the Big Data Research and Development Initiative. A multi-disciplinary team of University of Missouri researchers rose to the big data challenge when they solved a major biological...

Courtship rituals can be all-consuming, demanding time and effort – but now scientists have discovered why it might be worth it Courtship rituals can be all-consuming, demanding time and effort – but now scientists have discovered why it might be worth it. Attracting a mate – which can take significant effort, such as in a peacock's show of feathers or the exhaustive rutting of stags – can produce benefits for a species in the long term, a study suggests. Scientists have...

Research published in the Genetics Society of America's journal Genetics uses a new technique to determine which patients with homocystinuria are most likely to respond to vitamin B6 treatment based on their genotypes Scientists have moved a step closer to correcting some unhealthy gene mutations with diet, according to a new research report appearing in the April 2012 issue of the journal GENETICS (http://www.genetics.org/). Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley,...

Discovery may create dialogue about DNA and RNA data bank privacy issues Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have developed a method to derive enough DNA information from non-DNA sources—such as RNA—to clearly identify individuals whose biological data are stored in massive research repositories. The approach may raise questions regarding the ability to protect individual identity when high-dimensional data are collected for research purposes. A paper introducing the...

With a pinpoint UV laser beam, researchers are able to learn more about protein synthesis University of Oregon scientists collaborating with an Oregon company that synthesizes antisense Morpholinos for genetic research have developed a UV light-activated on-off switch for the vital gene-blocking molecule. Based on initial testing in zebra-fish embryos, the enhanced molecule promises to deliver new insights for developmental biologists and brain researchers. The seven-member team...