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Tag Archives: genes
Genetic pause control
Did you know that the genetic production process (gene expression) can be paused? A few years ago, most geneticists didn’t know either, and now it appears that the ability to pause genetic expression is not limited to a handful of genes (as originally thought) and may be a general capability for cells at all stages [...]
Posted in News: DNA Decoding Also tagged c-Myc, chromosome, DNA, DSIF, genetics, mRNA, NELF, nucleus, polymerase enzyme, protein, stem cells, transcription Leave a comment
Evolution treats transcription factors differently than DNA
People with reddish hair have genes for that, but what gets the job done – that is, growing reddish hair – isn’t the DNA or gene, it’s the transcription of the genes by molecules of protein, mainly RNA polymerase transcribing into messenger RNA (mRNA), which takes the designs coded in DNA and guides the production [...]
Posted in News: Proteomics Also tagged DNA, epigenetics, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, protein, proteomics, speciation, species, transcription, tRNA Leave a comment
New study: Tracking proteins that repair DNA
There are some lines of research in the development of science that in all likelihood will not have a ‘breakthrough’ – a big rush of discovery. Instead, the discovery will be piecemeal; sometimes it will be discovery in very small pieces accumulating until a hypothesis is verified. Not all tracks like this are important, but [...]
Posted in News: Proteomics Also tagged DNA, genetics, proteins, proteomics, repair complex, UvrA Leave a comment
Protein pathway competition regulates embryo development
One thing I’ve noticed in following scientific developments for a long time is that when something unexpected is discovered it very often adds to the complexity. Here’s a recent case in point, first, I’ll let a piece of the announcement speak for itself, and then I’ll explain the context: Until now, scientists believed these pathways [...]
Posted in Impact: Cell Biology Also tagged cell biology, DNA, enzyme, MAPK, microbiology, pathways, protein, proteomics Leave a comment
Can culture change the genome?
Almost from the beginning of our knowledge of genetics, it’s been asked, “Can the way we (humans) live change our genetics?” These days this is much the same as asking if culture can change the genome. It’s actually a relatively old question. The question got its biggest boost from one who is now a boogeyman [...]
Posted in Impact: Genetic Modification Also tagged biology, culture, DNA, EDAR, epigenetics, evolution, genetic modification, genetics, genome, Lamarck, molecular biology, RNA 1 Comment
More ‘junk DNA’ that actually does something
This is not a screed, or it shouldn’t be. However, the next time you read something about ‘junk DNA’ – check its provenance. It’s true that for years researchers have looked at the huge tracts of genetic material that doesn’t appear to do anything vital (that is, coding for proteins) – which is about 98% [...]
Posted in Impact: DNA Decoding Also tagged 9p21, coronary artery disease, DNA, genetics, junk DNA, non-coding Leave a comment
Disease linked genes have environmental factors too
Within the human body there are few diseases that aren’t influenced by some kind of environmental factors (stress, obesity, smoking, lack of sleep). Put another way, even diseases that have a genetic link (cancer, heart disease, diabetes) are not fully explained by genetics – environmental factors also play a role. Teasing apart the ‘who does [...]
Posted in News: Cell Biology Also tagged biochemistry, DNA, environmental factors, gene expression, genetics, microbiology Leave a comment
Plants, animals, and proteins between them
Horizontal movement of DNA (genes passing between species) is well-known and the basis of major research (and disagreement). Less known and much less researched is a similar sharing of proteins between species. Virtually unknown and probably under-researched is protein shared between plants and animals. New work by Wendy Peer at Purdue University (Indiana, USA) could [...]
Posted in News: Proteomics Also tagged DNA, epigenetics, genetics, plants, protein, proteomics Leave a comment
iGEM: Proselytizing for synthetic biology
What happens when genetic engineering goes viral? I’m using the word viral in its Internet sense. The New York Times has a fascinating article on the rise of synthetic biology and genetic engineering in the ranks of amateurs, mostly students, and under the guidance of an organization called iGEM. Here’s where “viral starts”… …synthetic biologists [...]
Posted in Impact: Synthetic Biology Also tagged BioBrick, DNA, genetic engineering, GM, splicing, synthetic biology Leave a comment
Starting an open-source BIOFAB
Saying “We now need to move beyond Lego™ metaphors and genetic toys to professional technologies,” the realization of a common repository for biogenetic components – the stuff of which genetic modifications and synthetic biology are made – is launched. The name given to the International Open Facility Advancing Biotechnology is BIOFAB, the combination of biology [...]
Posted in News: Genetic Modification Also tagged bioengineering, BIOFAB, biotechnology, genetic modification, synthetic biology Leave a comment
Stapling peptides to drug the undruggable
Turning specific genes on and off is something Nature does routinely. Not so for scientists. In particular, a class of proteins that control whether certain genes are activated or not, so called transcription factors, have been considered unreachable. Because of their complex folded configurations, transcription proteins are highly resistant to modification and have been considered [...]
Posted in News: Major Disease Cures Also tagged cancer, gene expression, NOTCH, peptides, proteins, signaling pathways Leave a comment
Royal Society says GM research needed
When the Royal Society (of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge) issues reports, lots of people pay attention. When it takes on controversy, in this case promoting (among other things) the genetic modification (GM) of food to alleviate short supply for the coming growth in world population, then it gets all kinds of attention.
Posted in News: Genetic Modification Also tagged agriculture, food shortage, global warming, GM, Royal Society Leave a comment
The race for safe stem cells
I’m loath to call anything in science a ‘race,’ since modern society is being overloaded with the race metaphor (politics, for example). There is the example of Watson and Crick racing the Pauling team to nail down the shape of DNA, but on the whole ‘racing’ in science is usually at-a-distance, not foot-to-foot. However when [...]
Posted in News: Stem Cells Also tagged biochemistry, cell, cell biology, DNA, iPS, stem cells Leave a comment
Beyond the genome: Mapping the epigenome
Given all the coverage, most people have heard about the ‘mapping of the human genome.’ It was a big project, taking many years (1990-2003) and costing about three billion dollars. Typically it was heralded as ‘one of the greatest scientific achievements of the century.’ It was that, although among those involved it was clearly a [...]
Posted in News: DNA Decoding Also tagged DNA, epigenome, microbiology, pathways, pluripotent, stem cells Leave a comment
Stem cell converts
Along many different pathways scientists are learning how to re-program stem cells into a variety of other cells. Some of the crucial genes have been identified, and certain chemicals have been used to manipulate their properties. A new study, reported in Stem Cell Digest, has made initial steps in a better way to convert stem [...]
Mapping human genome variations
The mapping of the human genome was a monumental achievement; however, it was always intended to be just a starting point. Where has the follow-up work gone? One area is mapping of copy number variants. Normally our (non-sex) chromosomes come in twos (humans are said to be diploid), but the machinery of DNA reproduction relatively [...]
Posted in News: DNA Decoding Also tagged biochemistry, chromosomes, copy number variants, DNA, genome Leave a comment
Forming the double helix – learning more about hybridization
Our knowledge of cell biology, of genetics, indeed of life itself has centered on the role of DNA. Yet since the structure of DNA was first elucidated by Watson and Crick more than fifty years ago, we are still attempting to explain the intricate processes involving DNA. One of these processes, DNA hybridization, is the [...]
Posted in News: Cell Biology Also tagged biochemistry, biology, cell biology, DNA, double-helix, hybridization, RNA Leave a comment
Learning over time better than cramming
We are just beginning to learn how memory works at the molecular and genetic level. Observations about how memory works are now acquiring fundamental explanations. For example: A new study from the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) of McGill University reveals that different patterns of training and learning lead to different types of [...]
Posted in News: Neuroscience Also tagged biochemistry, memory, microbiology, neuroscience Leave a comment
Give memory a rest
It’s been known for some time that there’s a correlation between sleep, rest, and memory. For example, it’s been shown that people who take naps while studying retain more information. A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and a team lead by Professor Yi Zhong has revealed a biochemical and genetic basis for this [...]
Posted in News: Neuroscience Also tagged biochemistry, memory, neuroscience, Noonan's disease Leave a comment
Fascinating: Many of us have genes from Neanderthals