DNA

Using a virus-mimicking DNA scaffold instead of the usual protein one to deliver a vaccine to mice not only generated a robust immune response but avoided the off-target effects sometimes seen when proteins are used.

MIT scientists have developed an easier method for diagnosing lung cancer – breathe in some inhalable nanoparticle sensors, then pee on a stick. The method should be less invasive than CT scans, and easier to perform in low-income regions.

Researchers have demonstrated a programmable nano-scale robot, made from a few strands of DNA, that's capable of grabbing other snippets of DNA, and positioning them together to manufacture new UV-welded nano-machines – including copies of itself.

A study has found that an electric eel’s discharge is strong enough to transfer genetic material from the environment into the cells of nearby animals. The finding suggests that electric eels could affect genetic modification in nature.

Daily finger-prick blood tests are an uncomfortable fact of life for diabetics, but they may not always have to be. Scientists from Canada and the US have developed a prototype home-use device that measures blood glucose levels via saliva samples.

Vitamin B12 doesn't get much time in the spotlight, but as well as its role in red blood cell formation and DNA synthesis, scientists have now found that it is key to cellular reprogramming and tissue regeneration, as well as curtailing inflammation.

Researchers have discovered how a metabolite involved in repairing damaged DNA not only controls a person’s sensitivity to cancer therapies but can also protect healthy tissues from damage. The findings may lead to more effective cancer treatments.

Lending new meaning to the phrase ‘cat burglar’, a single feline hair left at a crime scene can be traced back to an individual animal through a new method that can highlight a unique, rare genetic ‘fingerprint’. You could say it turns the cat into a rat.

Scientists have “painted” with DNA, creating 16 million colors to accurately reproduce digital images with 24-bit color depth. The resulting images are incredible, and represent not just a new art form but potential advances for storing data on DNA.

When doctors want to see if someone has a certain illness, they may check the patient's blood or urine for the DNA of a specific virus or bacteria, or for a mutated version of the person's own DNA. A new device should make doing so much easier.

Time capsules are a fun way to get a glimpse into life in the past, and now scientists have opened one from almost 3,000 years ago. The team successfully extracted DNA from inside an ancient clay brick, revealing the area's ecosystem at the time.

Ötzi the Iceman is one of the most well-studied individuals in human history, but there always seems to be more to learn about him. A new genomic study has now found that he looked very different from the way previous studies had imagined him.