A NICER approach to genome editing

The gene editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 has allowed researchers to make precise and impactful changes to an organism's DNA to fix mutations that cause genetic disease. However, the CRISPR/Cas9 method can also result in unintended ...

DNA repair scheme gets closer look for cancer therapy

Researchers from Rice University and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, Have taken a close look at one of the ways cells repair broken strands of DNA and discovered details that could help make a ...

Even good gene edits can go bad

A Rice University lab is leading the effort to reveal potential threats to the efficacy and safety of therapies based on CRISPR-Cas9, the Nobel Prize-winning gene editing technique, even when it appears to be working as planned.

Structural and mechanistic insight into DNA repair

DNA double-strand breaks are one of the biggest threats to the genome and a driving force of carcinogenesis. Cellular repair mechanisms such as homologous recombination are essential for the maintenance of genome stability ...

Quantum mechanics could explain why DNA can spontaneously mutate

The molecules of life, DNA, replicate with astounding precision, yet this process is not immune to mistakes and can lead to mutations. Using sophisticated computer modeling, a team of physicists and chemists at the University ...

Biosynthesis pathway of a new DNA nucleobase elucidated

DNA is composed of nucleobases represented by the letters A, T, G and C. They form the basis of the genetic code and are present in all living beings. But in a bacteriophage, another base, represented by the letter Z, exists. ...

Molecular forces: The surprising stretching behavior of DNA

When large forces act on a heavy beam, for example, in bridge construction, the beam will be slightly deformed. Calculating the relationship between forces, internal stresses and deformations is one of the standard tasks ...

page 1 from 6