Posts Tagged genetics

University researchers studying the venom of parasitic wasps believe a relatively understudied mechanism for creating new gene functions may be widespread in other species as well.

Researchers at the University’s Wilmot Cancer Institute and Roswell Park in Buffalo have discovered a possible new tool for predicting whether prostate cancer will reoccur following surgery based on the expression patterns of four genes.

Researchers who specialize in the study of aging have identified a protein that may serve as a first responder, activating a “longevity gene” known as sirtuin 6 and setting in motion a cascade of molecular first responders to repair damaged DNA.

Medical Center researchers have developed a new and highly efficient method for gene transfer that could successfully deliver DNA into tens of thousands of cells simultaneously.

“There’s an explosion of insect genome sequencing right now,” said Jack Werren, a professor of biology and a member of the research team. “But the bed bug is particularly interesting because it’s a human parasite, a major pest, and has a unique biology.”

Biologists Vera Gorbunova and Andei Seluanov have discovered one reason for the the increase in DNA damage as we age: the primary repair process begins to fail and is replaced by one that is less accurate.

Histones are proteins needed to assemble DNA molecules into chromosomes. New research at the University of Rochester is causing a fundamental shift in the concept of histone balance and the mechanism behind it.