How does DNA structure itself from the very first moments of life? A team of researchers has just observed that DNA adopts a defined three-dimensional architecture much more rapidly than ...

The first crystal structure of an alternative DNA shape from the insulin gene has been revealed by a UCL-led research team. DNA is widely accepted to be formed of two strands that wind around one ...

The human genome has to be carefully organized so it will fit inside of the nuclei of cells, while also remaining accessible to the cellular machinery that works to express the right genes at the ...

New work from UC Davis and the University of Utah shows how the 3D structure of DNA inside a germ cell commits it to develop into a sperm cell. The discovery could improve understanding of fertility ...

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 ...

Nucleic acids are complex biological molecules that store and transmit genetic information in all living organisms. They are essential for the survival and reproduction of life on Earth. The two main ...

Beef jerky and some woolly mammoths have at least one thing in common: Drying turns their DNA into super-tough glass. This glassy DNA is so stable that it preserved the three-dimensional structure of ...

When DNA breaks, cells must repair it accurately to prevent harmful mutations. Researchers have discovered that during a key repair process called homologous recombination, the cell uses loops in its ...

Researchers uncovered millions of ancient plant DNA switches—some older than flowering plants themselves—revealing a hidden evolutionary blueprint stretching back 400 million years. Most people have ...

DNA can also be demethylated, either through passive or active processes. Passive DNA demethylation occurs when the methylation pattern is not replenished during DNA replication and gradually ...