DNA

If you want to know which animals are present in a given location, a good way of finding out is to look for their cast-off DNA. A new drone is designed to help scientists do so, by autonomously sticking itself to tree branches.

Researchers have resurrected ancient CRISPR proteins from millions and even billions of years ago. Not only can they still edit human cells, but they’re more versatile than modern versions, paving the way for new synthetic CRISPR gene-editing tools.

Researchers have developed a new open-source program that can convert drawings or digital models into nanoscale sculptures made of DNA. In tests, the system nailed rounded objects like vases and bowls.

Researchers in Japan have demonstrated a promising new cancer treatment. The team developed artificial DNA sequences shaped like hairpins that latch onto molecules overexpressed in cancer and trigger a strong immune response.

The record for world’s oldest surviving DNA has been shattered. An international team of scientists has discovered DNA dating back 2 million years, preserved in Ice Age sediment that captures an entire ecosystem of known – and unknown – lifeforms.

In order to better understand how mosquitoes spread diseases such as malaria, it's important to know how far they range within a given region. A new technique could help scientists do so, and it involves feeding the insects DNA.

DNA is a promising data storage medium, but it’s difficult to retrieve and manipulate data written to it. Now a team has developed “chemical neurons” that can conduct calculations on data stored in DNA and read back the answers easily.

A new technique has been added to the CRISPR gene-editing toolbox. Known as PASTE, the system uses virus enzymes to “drag-and-drop” large sections of DNA into a genome, which could help treat a range of genetic diseases.

Scientists have sequenced the genomes of two ancient skeletons and found the oldest human DNA in the British isles. The data reveals the story of two separate migrations of early humans into what is now the UK, and how these different cultures lived.

New research has provided unprecedented insights into the genetics and social structures of Neanderthals. Scientists have sequenced the genomes of 13 individuals that lived in a close-knit community, revealing some specific family ties.

The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to geneticist Svante Pääbo for tracing human evolution by constructing the genomes of extinct hominins. Pääbo sequenced the Neanderthal genome and discovered a brand new human relative.

Researchers at UNC have discovered that a common lab molecule, used to label DNA, can trigger a runaway process that eventually leads to cell death. But the team says this could have a positive use too, as a potential cancer treatment.