Category: Genetics
-
Health. Disease. Blurry lines…
Our genome is made up of 20,000 genes, all of which may cause disease. At present, 4,141 genes have been identified as being responsible for genetic abnormalities, leaving around 16,000 genes with unknown implication in disease. Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, -- working in collaboration with scientists from Pakistan and the USA…
-
Replication and cell identity. The birth of death.
The set of genes a cell expresses determines if it's a skin cell, nerve cell or a heart muscle cell, among the 200 or so different cell types found in the human body". Prior to cell division, chromosomes are seemingly a jumbled mess. During cell division, parent cell chromosomes and their duplicates sort themselves out…
-
Mapping the genome. The illusion of “dimensions”…
Cells face a daunting task. They have to neatly pack a several meter-long thread of genetic material into a nucleus that measures only five micrometers across. This origami creates spatial interactions between genes and their switches, which can affect human health and disease. Now, an international team of scientists has devised a powerful new technique…
-
Knowing. Bacteria’s memory (x 100). Humans…
Researchers have identified a mutation that prompts bacterial cells to acquire genetic memories 100 times more frequently than they do naturally. This discovery provides a powerful research tool and could bring scientists one step closer to developing DNA-based data storage devices. (1) We insist on making the cosmos a big computer. We want to make…
-
Die. Reborn. F**k your genes!
Is the secret to long life in a gene? We don't know, for now. A recent project to read the entire DNA sequence of 17 people aged 110 or older has found… there's nothing particularly different from ordinary folks. It is known that super-longevity is inheritable. It runs in families. An analysis of twins suggests…
You must be logged in to post a comment.