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a person in a white lab coat with a blue glove inserting a clear pcr tube into a which thermocycler while holding an orange box
Coronavirus Mutations Could Muddle COVID-19 PCR Tests
Jack J. Lee | May 17, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers find that SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade primer-probe sets and recommend that diagnostic assays include multiple targets for reliability.
Aphid Salivary Gene May Regulate Gall Color
Asher Jones | May 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Whether the galls that aphids make on witch hazel leaves are red or green is associated with a gene expressed in the insects’ salivary glands.
obituary, obituaries, microbiology, molecular genetics, biochemistry, bioinformatics, Stanford University, University of Southern California, cell & molecular biology
Laurence “Larry” Kedes, Molecular Geneticist, Dies at 83
Amanda Heidt | Apr 26, 2021 | 4 min read
In addition to isolating the first protein-coding gene from a eukaryote, Kedes furthered scientists’ understanding of actin genes and also laid the foundations for modern DNA databases such as GenBank.
Cancer May Be Driven by DNA Outside of Chromosomes
Paul Mischel | Apr 1, 2021 | 10+ min read
In the last decade, researchers have come to realize that tumors harbor bits of extrachromosomal DNA that can drive malignancy.
“Rogue” Protein Could Contribute to Humans’ High Cancer Rates
Asher Jones | Apr 1, 2021 | 2 min read
A mutant protein called Siglec-XII may promote carcinoma progression in humans, but inactivation of its gene seems to avoid the problem, according to a study.
Infographic: The Role of Extrachromosomal DNA in Cancer
Paul Mischel | Apr 1, 2021 | 2 min read
Researchers are uncovering how circular bits of DNA found in some cancer cells can help tumors evolve and kill.
Lab-Grown Mouse Embryos Form Limbs and Organs
Lisa Winter | Mar 19, 2021 | 3 min read
The embryos completed one-third of their total gestation outside of a uterus.
Derek Applewhite’s Actin Research Inspires the Next Generation
Lisa Winter | Mar 1, 2021 | 4 min read
The biologist’s undergraduate-centered lab allows students to play a meaningful role in research.
Gene-Edited Organoids Explore Neanderthal Brain Function
Jef Akst | Feb 12, 2021 | 3 min read
Using CRISPR to swap an archaic variant of the NOVA1 gene into human stem cells, researchers create organoids with neurodevelopmental differences from those carrying modern DNA.
Siobhán Brady Uses Big Data to Investigate Plant Development
Shawna Williams | Feb 1, 2021 | 3 min read
The University of California, Davis, professor is a pioneer in teasing apart the changes in gene expression that drive root development.
Q&A: How Animals Change in Space
Jef Akst | Nov 25, 2020 | 4 min read
Weill Cornell Medicine geneticist Christopher Mason speaks with The Scientist about a bolus of new work on the physiological, cellular, and molecular effects of leaving Earth.
model organism, zebrafish, sponge, cell &molecular biology, genetics & genomics, enhancer, transcription, non-coding DNA, gene regulation, evolution
Regulators of Gene Activity in Animals Are Deeply Conserved
Amanda Heidt | Nov 6, 2020 | 5 min read
Enhancers, short regions of DNA that direct gene expression, of species separated by 700 million years of evolution worked interchangeably, according to a new study.
How a Centipede Survives its Own Species’ Venom
Shawna Williams | Nov 1, 2020 | 2 min read
The same toxin targets different receptors in prey and conspecifics to deliver either a lethal or non-lethal blow.
Contributors
The Scientist | Sep 1, 2020 | 4 min read
Meet some of the people featured in the September 2020 issue of The Scientist.
Gene Splicing Pioneer Dale Kaiser Dies
Ashley Yeager | Jun 29, 2020 | 5 min read
Working with a virus that infects bacteria, the Stanford University biochemist and developmental biologist helped to develop a way to stitch DNA together, a discovery that gave rise to genetic engineering.
How a Pea Aphid Decides to Make Wings or Not
Viviane Callier | Jun 1, 2020 | 2 min read
Wing development in females is environmentally controlled, but in males, an insertion on the sex chromosome appears to dictate whether the insects grow wings, according to a study.
Infographic: How Does Cell Senescence Drive Aging and Disease?
Katarina Zimmer | Mar 1, 2020 | 4 min read
The accumulation of zombie-like cells seems to accelerate aging and promote aging-related disease. Researchers are trying to figure out how.
a baby's hand cradled by an adult hand
Lottery Underway for Rare Muscle-Wasting Disease Gene Therapy
Lisa Winter | Jan 7, 2020 | 2 min read
The announcement by Novartis, the maker of Zolgensma, has drawn mixed reactions from the spinal muscular atrophy community.
Circulating Fetal Cells Sequenced for Prenatal Testing Study
Emily Makowski | Dec 10, 2019 | 3 min read
Trophoblasts, collected from the mother during a blood draw, can determine fetal genetic abnormalities currently diagnosed through amniocentesis or chorionic villi sampling.
Spaceflight Alters Genes of Human Stem Cell–Derived Heart Cells
Emily Makowski | Nov 7, 2019 | 3 min read
Cardiomyocytes made from iPSCs aboard the International Space Station had upregulated mitochondrial functioning.
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