Enzymes that cut DNA at specific sites are called endonucleases; these enzymes play many roles in genomic replication, fidelity, and defense. The initial discovery of restriction endonucleases in the ...

The origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains unresolved. In a non-peer-reviewed preprint published on bioRxiv on Oct. 20, 2022 three authors present analyses that, according to their interpretation, suggest a ...

To many working biologists, DNA-modifying enzymes are tools, not unlike a pair of molecule-sized scissors. To Dr. Barry Stoddard, a professor in the Basic Sciences division at Fred Hutch, these ...

Researchers have uncovered the enzyme behind chromothripsis, a chaotic chromosome-shattering event seen in about one in four cancers. The enzyme, N4BP2, breaks apart DNA trapped in tiny cellular ...

CRISPR—Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats—is the microbial world’s answer to adaptive immunity. Bacteria don’t generate antibodies when they are invaded by a pathogen and then ...

An important DNA modification is methylation, or the addition of a methyl group to the 5th carbon of cytosine. This forms 5-methylcytosine (5mC), typically associated with repression of gene ...

Epigenetics is the study of how our cells alter their function by modifying gene expression in our genetic code or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In our cells, DNA is constantly being used to generate ...

DNA is often seen as the blueprint of life—carrying the code to govern the development and traits of an organism—but “there are things beyond the DNA sequence,” says Xiaoqi Feng, a plant geneticist at ...

A new family of enzymes enables precise cuts in single-stranded DNA, offering powerful new tools for genetic engineering and expanding possibilities in biotechnology. (Nanowerk News) A few years ago, ...

There are many health problems that can be traced back to errors in the genetic code. There are also many potential benefits to genetic engineering outside of healthcare. Nature has already found ways ...