Our DNA is often pictured as a simple spiral, like a piece of rope held taut. But inside cells, it folds into a complex three ...

Cells can switch off genes by tightly packaging DNA around proteins called histones. However, scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have discovered that under certain conditions, this ...

DNA is the blueprint of life. Genes encode proteins and serve as the body's basic components. However, building a functioning organism also requires precise instructions about when, where, and how ...

Cancer cells rely on powerful genetic switches to keep growth genes running at full speed, but that intense activity can damage their own DNA. The resulting breaks are repeatedly repaired, sometimes ...

DNA methylation is a key epigenome component that helps dictate how genes are expressed, contributing to normal cell and tissue differentiation during development, as well as the process of biological ...

Gene editing is a highly precise and powerful technology that allows scientists to insert, delete, modify or replace DNA ...

An analysis of genetic data from over 900,000 people shows that certain stretches of DNA, made up of short sequences repeated over and over, become longer and more unstable as we age. The study found ...

What if one of gene therapy's biggest obstacles isn't delivery, but the body's own cells? Discover why DNA silencing is ...

Enhancers are pieces of DNA that act like switches, regulating when genes are turned on and off and how strongly they are activated.

A baby can inherit one healthy copy of TBX5 and still develop serious heart defects if the other copy does not work. That genetic imbalance is one cause of congenital heart disease, the most common ...

DNA's iconic double helix does more than "just" store genetic information. Under certain conditions it can temporarily fold into unusual shapes. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, have now shown ...