Every time a cell divides, it must copy its DNA with extraordinary precision. But this process is constantly challenged by ...

While most known types of DNA damage are fixed by our cells’ in-house DNA repair mechanisms, some forms of DNA damage evade repair and can persist for many years, new research shows. This means that ...

DNA methylation plays an important role in separating us genetically from our closest relatives.

DNA repair mechanism: HELQ helicase remodels stalled replication forks into stable structures, preventing harmful mutations under replication stress. Advanced imaging tool: RF-SIRF maps reversed forks ...

Only around two percent of the human genome codes for proteins, and while those proteins carry out many important functions of the cell, the rest of the genome cannot be ignored. However, for decades ...

Mitochondria are well known as the powerhouses of the cell because of their energy generating capabilities. These little organelles are very special, because they also carry their own tiny little ...

Despite progress in defining functional elements of noncoding DNA, it is still not fully understood. Researchers, using an experiment that elucidated the function of tens of thousands of noncoding ...

The human genome is broadly classified into the genome residing in the cell nucleus (nuclear DNA) and the genome residing in the mitochondria (mitochondrial DNA: mtDNA). Mitochondria are cell ...

The microbial toxin colibactin has just the right shape to snuggle up to DNA — but its embrace is unfortunately more cancerous than cozy. Colibactin is produced by bacteria in the gut and causes ...

Origins of the code: University of Illinois researchers found that the genetic code’s origins are tied to dipeptide composition, offering clues to life’s earliest evolution. Beyond coding DNA: Most ...