Sociability genes found in some spiders
A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Texas Tech University, Cornell University and Australian National University has found similar genes between species of spiders that have some degree of sociability. They have published their p.....»»
How female false widow spiders use their "spidey senses" to attract mates—study
When it comes to spider love, female widow spiders hold the key to attracting mates, potentially adjusting their web's attractiveness to lure males, according to new research......»»
Nanosensors target enzymes to monitor and study cancer
Cancer is characterized by a number of key biological processes known as the "hallmarks of cancer," which remodel cells and their immediate environment so that tumors can form, grow, and thrive. Many of these changes are mediated by specific genes an.....»»
Sorry, prey. Black widows have surprisingly good memory
Despite their tiny brains, spiders show some complex cognitive calculations. Enlarge (credit: Robert Llewellyn / Getty Images) Black widows must despise Clint Sergi. While working on his Ph.D. in biology at the Universit.....»»
New technique helps identify genes related to aging
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new method for determining which genes are relevant to the aging process. The work was done in an animal species widely used as a model for genetic and biological research, but the fin.....»»
A new control system for synthetic genes
Using an approach based on CRISPR proteins, MIT researchers have developed a new way to precisely control the amount of a particular protein that is produced in mammalian cells......»»
Sorry, Prey. Black Widows Have Surprisingly Good Memory
Despite having tiny arthropod brains, spiders in a new experiment showed some complex cognitive calculations......»»
Safe, sustainable photo-on-demand synthesis of polypeptide precursors
In nature, there are animals that make fibers that are strong and elastic—for example, the thread that spiders produce to make webs. These fibers have a polypeptide structure and serve as inspiration for research into the development of functional.....»»
New research reveals how genes turn on and off
Yeast, that simple organism essential to making beer and bread, has revealed for Cornell University researchers a key mechanism in how genes are controlled......»»
Q&A with a chromosome cartographer
La Jolla Institute for Immunology Associate Professor Ferhat Ay, Ph.D., is building some of the world's smallest maps. Dr. Ay harnesses computers to transform DNA genomic sequences into 3D maps. These maps can reveal how genes interact and how the bo.....»»
A broader definition of learning could help stimulate interdisciplinary research
We often conceive of learning through the lens of cramming for an exam or teaching a dog to sit, but humans and other mammals aren't the only entities capable of adapting to their environment—schools of fish, robots, and even our genes can learn ne.....»»
Discovery of 119-million-year-old selfish genes in yeast illustrates how parasitic DNA impacts genome evolution
Meiotic drivers are a type of selfish gene. Present in the genomes of nearly all species, including humans, they unfairly transfer their genetic material to more than half of their offspring, sometimes leading to infertility, and decreased organism h.....»»
Black Death etched a mark on our genetics, warping immune responses, study finds
The plague may have put selective pressure on mutations in four genes. Enlarge / Researchers extracted DNA from the remains of people buried in the East Smithfield plague pits, which were used for mass burials in 1348 and 1349. (credit.....»»
CAPITAL: A major advance in single-cell RNA data analysis
New developments in high-throughput biological studies mean that the genes that are active in just a single cell can now be determined. However, analyzing the complex datasets that result can be challenging. Now, a team at Osaka University has develo.....»»
Research shows social spiders have different ways of hunting in groups
New research has identified how social spiders evolved different ways of hunting in groups......»»
Engineering duckweed to produce oil for biofuels, bioproducts
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have engineered duckweed to produce high yields of oil. The team added genes to one of nature's fastest growing aqu.....»»
Watching plants switch on genes using a fluorescent protein
Biologists often use green fluorescent protein (GFP) to see what happens inside cells. GFP, which scientists first isolated in jellyfish, is a protein that changes light from one color into another. Attaching it to other proteins allows researchers t.....»»
Re-spun silkworm silk is 70% stronger than spider silk
Spiders hold the market for the strongest silks but are too aggressive and territorial to be farmed. The next best alternative involves incorporating spider DNA into silkworms, an expensive and difficult-to-scale process. On October 6 in the journal.....»»
How genes share their workspace
Layers of gene control allow DNA to flexibly add new information. Genes and their genetic switches are organized into functional units to turn genes on or off just as needed. Disrupting these units can lead to disease, but a new study makes clear tha.....»»
New RNA-based tool can illuminate brain circuits, edit specific cells
Duke University researchers have developed an RNA-based editing tool that targets individual cells, rather than genes. It is capable of precisely targeting any type of cell and selectively adding any protein of interest......»»
"Kipferl": Guiding the defense against jumping genes
A large part of our DNA is made up of selfish repetitive DNA elements, some of which can jump from one site in the genome to another, potentially damaging the genome. Researchers from the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy o.....»»