The tight wrapping of genomic DNA around nucleosomes in the cell nucleus makes it unavailable for gene expression. A team of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now describes a mechanism ...

Society’s growing need to understand and respond to problems at the biochemical and molecular levels is boundless. Researchers are rapidly developing powerful tools in order to analyze and model ...

Biochemists study how chemical processes affect cells - the building blocks of all life on earth. Understanding how cells and chemical processes work is fundamental to scientific advancements in human ...

Scientists describes how DNA avoids damage when exposed to UV light. Too quick for the eye to see, UV light causes an electron to be transferred from one base to another on a single DNA strand. A base ...

Although four DNA bases — adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine — make up much of the genome, modified bases can serve special purposes. Trypanosomes, parasitic protozoa, contain an additional base ...

Tiny tweaks in DNA folding can have big effects. A study from Umeå University shows that even the most subtle changes in DNA's shape have an important influence on gene activity and energy production.

Bits of DNA are powerful tracers that could point the finger at fracking companies contaminating wells, help oil workers figure out where to drill, or confirm the mine of origin for precious stones.

BOZEMAN, Mont. – In the same week that the U.S. surgeon general issued a 101-page report about the dangers of skin cancer, researchers at Montana State University published a paper breaking new ground ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. – New research reveals that triggering a cell’s DNA damage response could be a promising avenue for developing novel treatments against several rare but devastating viruses for which no ...

Alcohol consumption leads to the formation of a toxic compound called acetaldehyde, which damages DNA. A research team from ...

Cancer involves more than just genetic mutations; it also involves structural failures. Consider a city where roads disappear, isolating communities from vital resources.

The tight wrapping of genomic DNA around nucleosomes in the cell nucleus makes it unavailable for gene expression. This study describes a mechanism that allows chromosomal DNA to be locally displaced ...