All Microbial Genetics articles
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NewsGenetic system makes worker cells more resilient producers of nanostructures
Researchers report the development of a new genetic regulatory system to improve cell viability during the production of gas vesicles.
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NewsNew tool shows how to enter and change pneumocystis fungi
Researchers have reported success in genetically modifying the fungal pathogen Pneumocystis murina. Their approach uses extracellular vesicles from mouse lungs to deliver gene-modifying molecules inside the fungal cells. The modified fungus expressed the introduced genomic modifications.
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NewsHow genes influence the microbes in our mouths
A new study has found human genetic factors that influence the oral microbiome and may increase risk of cavities and tooth loss in some people. Analysis of the now largest collection of oral microbiome profiles reveals interactions between human and bacterial DNA.
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News3′UTR-derived small RNA couples acid resistance to metabolic reprogramming in Salmonella within macrophages
Salmonella expresses the arginine decarboxylase AdiA, which confers acid resistance by catalyzing an H+-consuming reaction. Researchers have discovered that the 3′-untranslated region (UTR) of adiA mRNA is processed by RNase E into a regulatory small RNA, AdiZ.
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NewsAncient DNA pushes back record of treponemal disease-causing bacteria by 3,000 years
Scientists have recovered a genome of Treponema pallidum from 5,500-year-old human remains in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia. The research expands knowledge about the history of this infectious disease and its occurrence in human populations.
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NewsEndogenous retroviruses promote early human zygotic development
New findings offer insight into why some embryos fail to develop past zygotic genome activation (ZGA), pointing to an unexpected root of human infertility.
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NewsPlant discovery could lead to new ways of producing medicines
Scientists studying a plant called Flueggea suffruticosa, which produces a particularly powerful alkaloid known as securinine, investigated how this chemical is made - and discovered that the process is driven by a gene that looks more like it comes from bacteria than from a plant.
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NewsChanges in genetic structure of yeast lead to disease-causing genomic instabilities
Researchers studying a yeast model have discovered that the loss of heterochromatin can kickstart genetic changes, potentially resulting in the development of diseases like cancer.
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NewsCRISPR discovery could lead to single diagnostic test for COVID, flu, RSV
Researchers report newly discovered details about the Cas12a3 immune system that precisely targets transfer RNA in invading pathogens, without destroying host cells.
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NewsStudy identifies a molecular switch that controls transitions between single-celled and multicellular forms
How did multicellular life evolve from single cells? Researchers have identified genes in marine yeast that may help answer this fundamental question.
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NewsCandida auris: genetic process revealed which could be treatment target for deadly fungal disease
Scientists have discovered a genetic process which could unlock new ways to treat a mysterious and deadly fungal infection which has shut down multiple hospital intensive care units.
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NewsResearch reveals how ancient viral DNA shapes early embryonic development
New research focuses on a viral transposable element called MERVL. This element becomes highly active for a short window of time when a mouse embryo reaches the 2-cell stage – the point at which a fertilised egg has divided into two cells and switches on its own genome for the first time.
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NewsSmarter tools for peering into the microscopic world
In a pair of new studies, researchers introduce powerful tools that make it easier, more accurate and more scalable to figure out how microbes are related. One tool improves how scientists build microbial family trees. The other provides a software foundation used worldwide to analyze biological data.
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NewsAlgae show how to make two proteins from one messenger RNA
Scientists have uncovered a hidden feature of protein translation in green algae, offering a new perspective on the basic rules of gene expression.
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NewsAll life copies DNA unambiguously into proteins. Archaea may be the exception.
A study shows how a methane-producing member of the Archaea, interprets one three-letter sequence — normally a stop codon that signals the end of a protein — in two different ways, synthesizing two different proteins seemingly at random, though biased by conditions in the environment.
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NewsSingle-celled organisms found to have a more complex DNA epigenetic code than multicellular life
Researchers discovered that in more ‘primitive’ unicellular organisms, both the adenine and the cytosine bases are methylated. This would suggest that in some ways, these unicellular organisms are more complex than their multicellular peers.
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NewsMap of bacterial gene interactions reveals potential drug targets
Researchers have developed a new technique called Dual transposon sequencing (Dual Tn-seq), which allows for rapid identification of genetic interactions. It maps how bacterial genes work together, revealing vulnerabilities that could be targeted by future antibiotics.
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NewsFungi set the stage for life on land hundreds of millions of years earlier than thought
New research indicates the diversification of fungi hundreds of millions of years before the emergence of land plants. It suggests a common ancestor of living fungi dating to roughly 1.4–0.9 billion years ago.
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NewsHow viruses build perfectly symmetrical protective shells
Researchers used a new simulation framework to capture key biological factors like protein diffusion, genome flexibility, and shape-shifting behavior to model how viral proteins self-assemble into symmetric shells.
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NewsEngineered gut bacteria improves survival outcomes in colorectal cancer tumors
A genetically modified Salmonella typhimurium strain can colonise tumours and release a therapeutic protein, LIGHT, to induce the formation of mature tertiary lymphoid structures (mTLSs) in laboratory models.