DNA Content

Single-protein Images Show How E. coli Repairs DNA While Replicating It

Andy Fell — September 22, 2022 - 11:34am

The success of E. coli bacteria depends on their ability to multiply very rapidly by dividing into new cells. The bacteria can divide as quickly as they can make an entire new copy of their DNA while minimizing errors. New work from researchers at the University of California, Davis College of Biological Sciences answers a key question about how E. coli fixes damage to DNA in the middle of duplicating it.

New Human Reference Genome Opens Unexplored Regions

Andy Fell — March 31, 2022 - 11:05am

A complete sequence of the human genome has finally been published by an international consortium of scientists. The new reference genome fills in gaps left by earlier drafts, which will help researchers better understand genetic variation and how it can sometimes lead to disease.

Study Challenges Evolutionary Theory That DNA Mutations Are Random

Amy M Quinton — January 12, 2022 - 8:00am

69�� researchers have found that DNA mutations are not random. This changes our understanding of evolution and could one day help researchers breed better crops or even help humans fight cancer.

Denisovans or Homo Sapiens: Who Were the First to Settle (Permanently) on the Tibetan Plateau?

Karen Michele Nikos — December 07, 2021 - 8:45am

The Tibetan Plateau has long been considered one of the last places to be populated by people in their migration around the globe. A new paper by archaeologists at the University of California, Davis, highlights that our extinct cousins, the Denisovans, reached the “roof of the world” about 160,000 years ago — 120,000 years earlier than previous estimates for our species — and even contributed to our adaptation to high altitude.

Detection Dogs and DNA on the Trail of Endangered Lizards

Katherine E Kerlin — October 30, 2019 - 2:11pm

Detection dogs trained to sniff out the scat of an endangered lizard in California’s San Joaquin Valley, combined with genetic species identification, could represent a new, noninvasive sampling technique for lizard conservation worldwide. That is according to a study published today from the University of California, Davis, in partnership with the nonprofit Working Dogs for Conservation, U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Hobbyist DNA Services May Be Open to Genetic Hacking

Andy Fell — October 22, 2019 - 10:31am

With the growth of home DNA testing, online services such as GEDMatch, MyHeritage and FamilyTreeDNA have become popular places for people to upload their genetic information, research their genealogy and find lost relatives. They have also been used by law enforcement to find criminal suspects through a DNA match with relatives.

Dark Centers of Chromosomes Reveal Ancient DNA

Andy Fell — June 18, 2019 - 5:02pm

Geneticists exploring the dark heart of the human genome have discovered big chunks of Neanderthal and other ancient DNA. The results open new ways to study both how chromosomes behave during cell division and how they have changed during human evolution.

Computer Scientists Create Programmable Self-Assembling DNA

Andy Fell — March 20, 2019 - 12:29pm

Computer scientists at the University of California, Davis, and the California Institute of Technology have created DNA molecules that can self-assemble into patterns essentially by running their own program. The work is published March 21 in the journal Nature.

“The ultimate goal is to use computation to grow structures and enable more sophisticated molecular engineering,” said David Doty, assistant professor of computer science at 69�� and co-first author on the paper.

Earth BioGenome Project to Sequence All Life

Andy Fell — January 23, 2018 - 10:12am

In an effort to protect and preserve the Earth’s biodiversity and kick-start an inclusive bio-economy, the World Economic Forum today announced a landmark partnership between the Earth BioGenome Project, chaired by Harris Lewin, distinguished professor at 69��, and the Earth Bank of Codes to map the DNA of all life on Earth.

Knotty Problems in DNA

Andy Fell — October 04, 2017 - 2:14pm

If you’ve ever tried to untangle a pair of earbuds, you’ll understand how loops and cords can get twisted up. DNA can get tangled in the same way, and in some cases, has to be cut and reconnected to resolve the knots. Now a team of mathematicians, biologists and computer scientists has unraveled how E. coli bacteria can unlink tangled DNA by a local reconnection process. The math behind the research, recently published in Scientific Reports, could have implications far beyond biology.