Researchers have succeeded in extracting a complete human genome from a thousands-of-years old ‘chewing gum.’ According to the researchers, it is a new untapped source of ancient DNA. …read more Source:: Science
Tag: DNA
Koala epidemic provides lesson in how DNA protects itself from viruses
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•In animals, infections are fought by the immune system. Studies on an unusual virus infecting wild koalas reveal a new form of ‘genome immunity.’ …read more Source:: Science
Harnessing tomato jumping genes could help speed-breed drought-resistant crops
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•Once dismissed as ‘junk DNA’ that served no purpose, a family of ‘jumping genes’ found in tomatoes has the potential to accelerate crop breeding for traits such as improved drought …read more Source:: Science
Prehistoric puma feces reveals oldest parasite DNA ever recorded
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•The oldest parasite DNA ever recorded has been found in the ancient, desiccated feces of a puma. …read more Source:: Science
Narwhals and belugas can interbreed
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•A team of researchers has compiled the first and only evidence that narwhals and beluga whales can breed successfully. DNA and stable isotope analysis of an anomalous skull from the …read more Source:: Science
Origin of life: A prebiotic route to DNA
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•DNA, the hereditary material, may have appeared on Earth earlier than has been assumed hitherto. Chemists now show that a simple reaction pathway could have given rise to DNA subunits …read more Source:: Science
New causes of autism found in ‘junk’ DNA
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•Leveraging artificial intelligence techniques, researchers have demonstrated that mutations in so-called ‘junk’ DNA can cause autism. The study is the first to functionally link such mutations to the neurodevelopmental condition …read more Source:: Science
A history of the Crusades, as told by crusaders’ DNA
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•History can tell us a lot about the Crusades, the series of religious wars fought between 1095 and 1291, in which Christian invaders tried to claim the Near East. But …read more Source:: Science
Poverty leaves a mark on our genes
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•In this study, researchers found evidence that poverty can become embedded across wide swaths of the genome. They discovered that lower socioeconomic status is associated with levels of DNA methylation …read more Source:: Science
Building blocks of DNA and RNA could have appeared together before life began on Earth
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•Scientists for the first time have found strong evidence that RNA and DNA could have arisen from the same set of precursor molecules even before life evolved on Earth about …read more Source:: Science