Probiotic powers genes to relieve constipation, without upsetting gut

At any given time, as many as four million Americans are suffering through bouts of constipation, which has many causes but can also prove stubborn to relieve and hugely impact daily life.Continue ReadingCategory: Medical, ScienceTags: Gut Bacteria, Ce… Continue reading Probiotic powers genes to relieve constipation, without upsetting gut

Mostly armless: A starfish is one big “head crawling along the seafloor”

Patrick Star of SpongeBob SquarePants fame had already stretched the boundaries of anatomical correctness, yet it turns out that what all of us think about the bodily composition of a sea star is most likely wrong, thanks to new genetic work that sugge… Continue reading Mostly armless: A starfish is one big “head crawling along the seafloor”

One-off gene-editing treatment lowers inherited bad cholesterol levels

Researchers have presented the interim results of a clinical trial that used a single infusion of CRISPR gene-editing technology to permanently switch off low-density lipoprotein cholesterol production in people with a genetic condition that causes ele… Continue reading One-off gene-editing treatment lowers inherited bad cholesterol levels

Yeast with 50% synthetic DNA engineered in breakthrough genetic studies

Scientists have hit a major milestone in a 15-year project trying to build a completely synthetic yeast genome. Reporting in a bumper crop of new papers, the team has engineered viable yeast cells with more than 50% synthetic DNA for the first time, an… Continue reading Yeast with 50% synthetic DNA engineered in breakthrough genetic studies

One-dose drug reduced genetic bad cholesterol by 94% for almost a year

Researchers have conducted the first human trials of a new drug, lepodisiran, and found that a single injection reduced lipoprotein(a) – a ‘bad’ cholesterol with a genetic basis – to undetectable levels for almost a year. It has the potential to elimin… Continue reading One-dose drug reduced genetic bad cholesterol by 94% for almost a year

Genetic ringleader responsible for prostate cancer spread identified

Researchers have identified the gene responsible for setting off a cellular chain reaction that causes prostate cancer to metastasize to the bone, making it almost impossible to treat. The discovery could have significant implications for treating pros… Continue reading Genetic ringleader responsible for prostate cancer spread identified

Scientists solve the mystery of what happens when we faint

While nearly 40% of the population will faint in their lifetime, until now scientists have not known the exact mechanism at play when we experience that brief, terrifying lack of consciousness. That is, until now.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, Scie… Continue reading Scientists solve the mystery of what happens when we faint

Scientists solve the mystery of what happens when we faint

While nearly 40% of the population will faint in their lifetime, until now scientists have not known the exact mechanism at play when we experience that brief, terrifying lack of consciousness. That is, until now.Continue ReadingCategory: Biology, Scie… Continue reading Scientists solve the mystery of what happens when we faint

New DNA tech uses a single cat hair to hone in on crime suspects

Lending new meaning to the phrase ‘cat burglar’, a single feline hair left at a crime scene can be traced back to an individual animal through a new method that can highlight a unique, rare genetic ‘fingerprint’.Continue ReadingCategory: ScienceTags: U… Continue reading New DNA tech uses a single cat hair to hone in on crime suspects

Sunflowers salute the Sun in a totally different way to what we thought

The way a young sunflower turns its bright yellow head to follow the movements of the Sun across the sky each day can be quite dramatic, in terms of plant activity. Now scientists have been surprised to discover that it does this through a novel geneti… Continue reading Sunflowers salute the Sun in a totally different way to what we thought