DNA

DNA mutates regularly, for better or worse, driving both evolution and disease. Researchers at the University of Surrey have now found evidence that some of these spontaneous mutations could be caused by the spooky realm of quantum mechanics.

Evidence is mounting that the key building blocks of life may have been delivered to our home planet from space. Scientists have now identified in meteorites the last two DNA nucleobases that hadn’t yet been found in extraterrestrial samples.

An international team of scientists has published the first complete, gap-free sequence of the human genome. The new reference genome adds hundreds of millions of base pairs to earlier drafts, filling in crucial gaps to improve studies of disease.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created an RNA molecule that can not just replicate, but “evolve” into a diverse range of more complex molecules. This find could plug a major gap in the puzzle of how life on Earth began.

Researchers have found that the “mother” of stem cells, known as totipotent stem cells, have a much slower rate of DNA replication, which helps improve their differentiation efficiency. This could lead to major breakthrough for regenerative medicine.

As with most things, nature’s data storage system, DNA, far surpasses anything we’ve created. Now, researchers have doubled its already incredible storage capacity by adding extra letters to its “alphabet,” and developed a new way to read it back.

Biologists have discovered the largest bacterium ever found, with a single cell measuring a mammoth 2 cm long. Visible to the naked eye, this new species has bizarre characteristics that make it like a missing link in the evolution of complex cells.

New research in old mice undergoing an increasingly demanding fitness regime has shown how exercise can lead to rejuvenated skeletal muscle, with the tissue showing characteristics of mice eight weeks younger.

Genome sequencing can determine whether a patient’s illness is genetic, but results usually take weeks. A new ultra-rapid technique can sequence a person’s genome and diagnose genetic diseases in just a few hours, earning it a Guinness World Record.

The DNA mutations that drive evolution are generally thought to be random, but a new study suggests otherwise. Comparing the genomes of plants grown in a lab, scientists found mutations are far less likely to occur in genes essential for survival.

Researchers in Canada have developed a new tool that can let scientists examine proteins more closely, aiding study of disease and drug development. The team used DNA to create nanoantennas that fluoresce in response to different protein functions.

Two new studies collected air samples from zoos and demonstrated the ability to identify a range of animals living there from their airborne DNA. This could eventually be used as a non-invasive way to track biodiversity.