Cancer Treatment from a DNA “Trojan Horse”
Scientists have crafted a cancer-fighting Trojan horse by making folded DNA and filling the tiny pockets with anti-cancer drugs.
Scientists have crafted a cancer-fighting Trojan horse by making folded DNA and filling the tiny pockets with anti-cancer drugs.
We now know more about plant DNA and how plants share genetic material with one another. Welcome to the horizontal genome transfer!
You can help collect data for studies of DNA by mailing researchers your dog’s saliva, samples of the forest floor, and even spiny anteater scat.
Another great video from our friend Dr. Joe Hanson and the team behind the video series It’s Okay to Be Smart, brought to you by PBS Digital Studios. This time, we’re looking at the proof of evolution that’s embedded right there in our DNA. According to Dr. Hanson, “Humans are special, and we got that way thanks to evolution and natural selection. The proof is right there in our bodies! From anatomy to genes, here are some stories of how you got to be the way you are.” Evolution of…
By Katherine Lindemann Researchers have long recognized only a single species of giraffe, thought to be made up of several subspecies. However, a research collaboration has now identified four distinct species. Conservation biologist Julian Fennessy of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, geneticist Axel Janke of the Senckenberg Research Institute, and their colleagues collected and analyzed samples from giraffes across the African continent. Their results appear in the journal Current Biology. ResearchGate: When and why did you start genetically testing giraffes across Africa? Julian Fennessy: When I approached Axel Janke to help…
By Shayna Keyles @shaynakeyles Bacteria, those mysterious, microscopic creatures living in, on, and around us, are very often our benign neighbors with whom we quietly cohabitate and occasionally exchange mutual support. However, as anyone who has ever gotten pneumonia or strep throat knows, bacteria are not always looking out for our best interests. Occasionally, bacteria become pathogenic and infect their hosts, and if we are their hosts, we get sick. In a groundbreaking study published on July 29 in Science Access, researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory uncovered the molecular…
We all carry remnants of DNA from viruses that infected our ancestors millions of years ago. In fact, all mammals have virus DNA in their genes, but the human species has far less, according to a new study. Why? The reason could be that humans were exposed to fewer blood-borne viruses as we evolved to use tools, rather than our teeth for hunting and fighting. If you’re surprised to learn that we do have some virus DNA in our genes, don’t panic. It’s normal. Despite natural defense systems, a retrovirus…
Scientists study role of mRNA and protein synthesis to overcome infections. This finding could lead to improved crops and medical treatments.
Scientists examine how soil microbial communities resume ecosystem functioning after a wildfire, with a focus on the effects of dispersal.
X-rays reveal how cholera bacteria from contaminated food and water effectively survives in the human gut.