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Displaying 210 of 2850 articles.

New study on mating behaviors offers clues into the evolution of attraction

In examining the mating rituals of roundworms, researchers uncovered a unique approach to reproduction that maximizes genetic fitness.

Double trouble at chromosome ends

The end replication problem dictates that telomeres shrink unless telomerase intervenes. But the problem is actually twice as complicated, with telomerase providing only part of the solution.

Keeping telomerase in check

Telomerase could run amok, deleteriously capping damaged DNA, were it not for a first responder to DNA damage.

Luciano Marraffini wins Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science

Marraffini is honored for his pioneering research on the study of CRISPR-Cas systems.

Newly discovered genetic malfunction causes rare lung disease

The absence of a single immune cell receptor has been linked to both fewer defenses against mycobacterial infections, such as TB, and damaging buildup of sticky residue in the lungs.  

Innovative method identifies rare brain cell types for the first time

It also reduces the cost of a million single-cell transcriptomes from $10,000 to $700—and the time necessary down to about a day.

New method tracks how brain cells age

The novel technique may offer panoramic view into the mechanisms of many diseases and the enigma of aging.

Vocal learning linked to problem solving skills and brain size

The better a songbird is at working its way around obstacles to retrieve a snack, the more complex its vocal learning ability will be.

Kivanç Birsoy named a 2023 Blavatnik National Awards finalist

Birsoy is honored for groundbreaking research uncovering metabolic weaknesses of diseased cells, such as cancer, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.

An immune flaw may cause West Nile virus’s deadliest symptoms

With 40% of encephalitis cases now explained by an autoimmune deficiency, West Nile virus "is by far the best understood human infectious disease in the world. It’s stunning.”

The clearest snapshot of human genomic diversity ever taken

The human reference genome has always been a remarkable but flawed tool. A new "pangenome" aims to correct its oversights and omissions.

Homing in on the genetics of severe COVID in children

A trio of faulty genes fail to put the brakes on the immune system’s all-out assault on SARS-CoV-2, leading to the inflammatory overload characteristic of MIS-C.

How the intestine replaces and repairs itself

A new study suggests that stem cells are able to integrate cues from their surroundings and coordinate their behavior across tissue through networks of vasculature in their close vicinity.

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Building a human ‘pangenome’ to capture global genomic diversity

The human reference genome, the most widely used resource in human genetics, is getting a major update.

The genetic underpinnings of severe staph infections

A mutated gene may explain why some Staphylococcus aureus infections turn lethal, a finding with significant implications for people living with 5p- syndrome.

Titia de Lange elected to the Royal Society

She receives the honor for elucidating mechanisms of telomere protection and genome maintenance.

Kivanç Birsoy, expert on cancer cell metabolism, is promoted to associate professor 

Birsoy's groundbreaking research has highlighted key nutrients that cancer cells need to survive, while shedding light on debilitating mitochondrial diseases and rare genetic disorders.

The human genome is, at long last, complete

Even after 20 years of upgrades, eight percent of the human genome was still left unsequenced and unstudied. Until now.

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New comprehensive map of the portal to the cell’s nucleus

The findings, which may have implications for a wide range of human diseases, suggest that nuclear pore complexes vary in structure and function even within a single nucleus.

Llama antibodies could help fight SARS-CoV-2 variants

Scientists have identified hundreds of llama-derived antibodies that potentially could be developed into a COVID treatment. They hope such a drug would be potent against different variants of the coronavirus, including Omicron.

Stem cell memories may drive wound repair—and chronic disease

Epidermal stem cells that hail from the hair follicle retain memories of their journey to the skin's surface. Those memories are a boon for wound repair, but may also contribute to chronic diseases and cancer.

Study detects origins of Huntington's disease in two-week-old human embryos

The findings shed new light on the root causes of this disease, which leads to the degeneration of neurons in midlife.

Lonely flies, like many humans, eat more and sleep less

If COVID-19 lockdowns scrambled your sleep schedule and stretched your waistline, you're not alone. Fruit flies quarantined in test tubes sleep too little and eat too much after only one week of social isolation.

How cells draw on memories of past inflammation to respond to new threats

A new study uncovers a near-universal mechanism behind this phenomenon, known as inflammatory memory.

Putting the brakes on immune reactions

Helper T cells may play a dual role in the immune system, both encouraging and suppressing the process by which B cells mature.

New findings to boost IVF success rates

New research casts doubt on a genetic test used to screen would-be embryos for IVF implantation. The findings suggests that these embryos can develop into healthy babies regardless of whether or not they’ve been flagged as defective by the test.

Scientists release error-free genomes of 25 animals—with another 70,000 coming up

Scientists have launched an ambitious effort to produce high-quality reference genomes for all vertebrate species, from mammals to birds and reptiles. The result could be discoveries with implications for animal conservation as well as human health and disease.

A case for simplifying gene nomenclature across different organisms

Scientists call it oxytocin in humans, isotocin in fish, mesotocin in birds, and valitocin in sharks. But according to a new study, it’s all the same hormone—and high time we settled on just one name.


Paul Cohen, expert on fat, is promoted to associate professor

Cohen, a physician-scientist exploring obesity and metabolic disease, has conducted groundbreaking research on the complex inner workings of fat tissue.

Financial crashes, pandemics, Texas snow: How math could predict "black swan" events

Statistical modeling may one day help scientists anticipate and manage a wide range of extreme occurrences, according to a new study.

Why male mosquitoes leave humans alone

Unlike their female counterparts, male mosquitoes have no desire to bite us. But the hardware for host-seeking is hidden in the male mosquito brain, locked behind a simple genetic switch. 

Synthetic “micro lungs” could take COVID-19 research to the next level

Scientists have developed stem-cell technology to mass-produce tissue cultures resembling our breathing organs. These tissues offer a powerful model in which to study how SARS-CoV-2 wreaks havoc in the lungs and to screen for new drugs.

The blood may hold clues to some of COVID-19’s most mysterious symptoms

COVID-19 causes a host of diverse complications, from lung inflammation to blood clots, heart failure, and brain fog. A team of scientists believes these attributes may have a single culprit—and that findings from research on Alzheimer’s disease might give them a leg up in finding it.

What bats can teach us about COVID-19

Unlike most humans, bats are naturally resistant to coronavirus infection. Researchers are now searching their genomes for clues that might explain why SARS-CoV-2 can cause devastating disease in our own species.

Telomere shortening protects against cancer

Researchers have found the first evidence that telomere shortening is not just a sign of aging, but a key component of the body's cancer prevention system.

Conservation of resources is hardwired into the genetic code

A study of marine microbes reveals that conservation of nutrients is a fundamental property of cells in all living organisms, from plants to humans.

New atlas reveals the journey of human cells throughout development

The largest map of gene expression in over 4 million human cells charts the dynamic path to forming different organs.

How the immune system deals with the gut's plethora of microbes

New research suggests that our immune system may play an active role in shaping the digestive-tract flora, which is tightly linked to health and disease.

Rockefeller issues license for the development of novel anti-inflammatory drug

The novel compound, discovered in Jan L. Breslow’s lab and now licensed to Bridge Medicines, will be designed to treat immune-mediated diseases without harming the rest of the immune system.

Scientists discover mosquitoes’ unique blood-taste detectors

Female mosquitoes are armed with syringe-like stylets that begin to pump furiously only in the presence of blood. Scientists are now studying the specific neurons that line the stylet, and asking what mosquitoes taste when they bite us.

Rockefeller's Charles M. Rice honored with Nobel Prize for research that contributed to a cure for hepatitis C

Rice will receive the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for research that led to a cure for hepatitis C, a viral disease affecting 170 million people worldwide. His lab worked on the virus for three decades and became the first to produce a version of it that could be grown and studied i...

How mechanical forces nudge tumors toward malignancy

Researchers studying two forms of skin cancer identified a long-overlooked factor determining why some tumors are more likely to metastasize than others: the physical properties of the tissue in which the cancer originates. The findings might set the stage for new ways to monitor and treat the di...

How neurons in body fat grow to boost calorie-burning capacity

Scientists have found that a hormone tells the brain to dramatically restructure neurons embedded in fat tissue.  Their work widens our understanding of how the body regulates its energy consumption, and how obesity might be treated in the future.

How antibodies from llamas may lead to COVID-19 treatment

Llamas make antibodies that are much smaller than their human counterparts, yet still potent. Scientists hope that future drugs based on these molecules could provide new weapons against SARS-CoV-2.

Unique mutation reveals a new role for well-known DNA-repair gene

The discovery of a rare mutation in BRCA2, commonly known as the breast cancer gene, has shed new light on how cells safeguard their genetic material.
 

Rockefeller scientists investigate life-threatening inflammation affecting children with COVID-19

The condition resembles a rare childhood illness, Kawasaki disease. Researchers are analyzing blood samples to find genetic clues to what might be causing it.

The gene hunt to explain why some young, healthy people die from COVID-19

People under 50 without preexisting conditions typically develop mild symptoms of coronavirus infection—but there are exceptions. Researchers are working to identify rare genetic variations that may explain why some in this group have succumbed to the disease.

Rockefeller scientists launch a broad range of studies into novel coronavirus

Over 130 scientists in 18 labs are conducting research to advance the development of new, urgently needed approaches for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

Patient with unusually severe infection leads scientists to a rare type of immune deficiency

A rare genetic change may explain why some people die from cytomegalovirus, a stealth pathogen that is often asymptomatic.

New clues about why a universal flu vaccine is so elusive

To scientists' surprise, the immune system develops its response to each virus variant mostly from scratch, instead of building on what it has already learned.

Researchers discover a new mechanism in childhood kidney cancer

A problem in reader proteins that identify which gene is up for expression may cause normal cells to turn malignant during development.

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Study sheds new light on how epigenetic events might spur disease

Research that began with the analysis of two developmental syndromes ultimately helped scientists understand how diverse epigenetic mechanisms can combine to drive tissue overgrowth in cancer.

Study pinpoints rare genetic change that may boost risk of HPV-related illness

The human papilloma virus is usually kept in check by the immune system, but scientists identified a genetic variant that makes some infected children prone to developing warts in the throat.

C. David Allis elected to the National Academy of Medicine

Allis, whose pioneering research established that enzymes that modify histone proteins, which package DNA in the nucleus, regulate gene expression, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

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Study gives clues to the origin of Huntington’s disease, and a new way to find drugs

Using a new technique to study brain development, scientists were able to trace the causes of Huntington's back to early developmental stages when the brain has only just begun to form.

Jeffrey M. Friedman to receive 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences

Friedman's discovery of the hormone leptin has transformed our understanding of obesity.

From the tiny testes of flies, new insight into how genes arise

A common birthplace of new genes, the male testes are a hotspot for biological innovation. Within these organs, scientists have found a trove of virgin genetic sequences—and a better understanding of how evolution moves forward.

With tiny technological tweezers, researchers uncover new aspects of cell division

Cell division is critical to creating and sustaining life. It’s also incredibly difficult to study. Now, advanced technology is enabling researchers to take their understanding of this process to the next level.

Three-dimensional model illuminates key aspects of early development

Researchers have created a new 3D model of human embryonic tissue that promises to shed light on critical components of development—including processes that go awry during pregnancy complications.

New research raises prospect of better anti-obesity drugs

Scientists have found a group of brain cells that influence body mass in two ways, by controlling how much we eat as well as how much energy we burn. The findings could lead to new drugs to help people shed weight.
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