In human cells, there are about 20,000 genes on a two-meter DNA strand—finely coiled up in a nucleus about 10 micrometers in diameter. By comparison, this corresponds to a 40-kilometer thread packed ...

Getting DNA into a living cell sounds simple, until you remember the cell’s outer membrane acts like a guarded wall. DNA strands carry a negative charge, and they do not cross that wall easily. So for ...

Professor Indraneel Mittra and his team show that DNA fragments from dying cells function as agents of horizontal gene transfer in mammalian cells. For decades, scientists have known that bacteria can ...

Scientists have recently been learning more about the importance of small bits of circular genetic material known as extrachromosomal DNA (ecDNA). These little circles of DNA can hitch a ride with ...

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The findings ...

When cells in the body die, they release DNA. This DNA, known as cell-free DNA (cfDNA), makes its way into the bloodstream where it gets chopped up by enzymes, and in minutes to hours, the liver pulls ...

If severe DNA damage is not repaired, the consequences for the health of cells and tissues are dramatic. A study led by researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt, part of the Rhine-Main University ...

A Japanese team, which detected DNA and RNA bases in this asteroid's samples, also shared a disclaimer.

A protein found in our cells has emerged as a secret weapon against biological aging, acting like a glue to repair damaged DNA and ward off neurological degeneration including that seen in motor ...