Genes – PossibleThreat Articles

Schizophrenia risk gene linked to cognitive deficits in mice

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Disorders and Syndromes, Gene Therapy, Genes, Memory, Mental Health, Mental Health Research, Personalized Medicine, Schizophrenia

Researchers have discovered in mice how one of the few genes definitively linked to schizophrenia, called SETD1A, likely confers risk for the illness. Mice genetically engineered to lack a functioning version of the enzyme-coding gene showed abnormalities in working memory, mimicking those commonly seen in patients. Restoring the gene's function corrected the working memory deficit and counteracting its deficiency also repaired neuronal circuit deficits in adult mice — suggesting clues for potential treatment strategies.

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Sensing sweetness on a molecular level

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Cancer, Dietary Supplements and Minerals, Diseases and Conditions, Genes, Human Biology, Medical Topics, Staying Healthy

Whether it's chocolate cake or pasta sauce, the sensation of sweetness plays a major role in the human diet and the perception of other flavors. While a lot is known about the individual proteins that signal ''sweet,'' not much is known about how the proteins work together as a receptor to accomplish this feat.

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IQSEC1 gene mutations cause new intellectual disability syndrome

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Autism, Birth Defects, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Diseases and Conditions, Disorders and Syndromes, Genes, Human Biology, Huntington's Disease

Researchers identify gene causing intellectual disability syndrome that is common in countries where consanguineous marriages are prevalent.

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Single mutation dramatically changes structure and function of bacteria's transporter proteins

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Cell Biology, Genes, Genetics, HIV and AIDS, Molecular Biology, Personalized Medicine, Pharmacology

Swapping a single amino acid in a simple bacterial protein changes its structure and function, revealing the effects of complex gene evolution, finds a new study. The study — conducted using E. coli bacteria — can help researchers to better understand the evolution of transporter proteins and their role in drug resistance.

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Kirigami inspires new method for wearable sensors

October 22, 2019 0 Comments Genes, Healthy Aging, Medical Topics, Pharmacology

As wearable sensors become more prevalent, the need for a material resistant to damage from the stress and strains of the human body's natural movement becomes ever more crucial. To that end, researchers have developed a method of adopting kirigami architectures to help materials become more strain tolerant and more adaptable to movement.

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Listening in to how proteins talk and learning their language

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Artificial intelligence, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Computer Modeling, Dietary Supplements and Minerals, Engineering and Construction, Genes, Genetics, Human Biology, Molecular Biology, Neural Interfaces, Organic Chemistry

A research team has created a third approach to engineering proteins that uses deep learning to distill the fundamental features of proteins directly from their amino acid sequence without the need for additional information.

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Pinpointing biomolecules with nanometer accuracy

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Biology, Biotechnology, Genes, Genetics, Graphene, Medical Devices, Medical Imaging, Nanotechnology, Organic Chemistry

Scientists demonstrate a new approach in fluorescence microscopy that can be used to locate individual biomolecules in 3D space with nanometer-scale precision.

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New CRISPR genome editing system offers a wide range of versatility in human cells

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Biochemistry Research, Biometric, Biotechnology, Computational Biology, CRISPR Gene Editing, Genes, Human Biology, Math Puzzles, Neural Interfaces, Organic Chemistry, Personalized Medicine

A team has developed a new CRISPR genome-editing approach by combining two of the most important proteins in molecular biology — CRISPR-Cas9 and a reverse transcriptase — into a single machine.

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DNA-reeling bacteria yield new insight on how superbugs acquire drug-resistance

October 21, 2019 0 Comments Bacteria, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Genes, HIV and AIDS, Human Biology, Infectious Diseases, Microbiology, New Species

A study has revealed a protein's role in helping bacteria 'reel in' DNA from their environment to acquire new traits, such as antibiotic resistance.

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Researchers quantify Cas9-caused off-target mutagenesis in mice

October 19, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, CRISPR Gene Editing, Gene Therapy, Genes, Genetically Modified, mice, Microarrays, Organic Chemistry, Personalized Medicine

Scientists are finding new ways to improve the use of the CRISPR enzyme Cas9 and reduce the chances of off-target mutations in laboratory mice, according to new results. The findings will help scientists contextualize a common concern related to gene editing and identify new strategies to improve its precision.

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