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molecular biology

Latest Articles

Illustration of a doctor trying to get to a patient
molecular biology

Bacteria Sacrifice DNA Repair for Better RNA

By Jordana Cepelewicz
November 22, 2017
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Preserving its DNA ought to be a cell’s top priority. But bacteria slow their DNA repair to a crawl in favor of proofreading gene transcripts.

evolution

Simple Bacteria Offer Clues to the Origins of Photosynthesis

By Jordana Cepelewicz
October 17, 2017
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Studies of the energy-harvesting proteins in primitive cells suggest that key features of photosynthesis might have evolved a billion years earlier than scientists thought.

Evolving bird
genetics

Beating the Odds for Lucky Mutations

By Jordana Cepelewicz
August 16, 2017
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If DNA repair makes useful mutations more likely, it could accelerate cells’ adaptations to harsh environments.

Illustration of bats shedding their genome by Skip Sterling
molecular biology

Shrinking Bat DNA and Elastic Genomes

By Ariel Bleicher
August 1, 2017
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Species gain and shed startling amounts of DNA as they evolve, and even genomes that look stable churn furiously. What does it mean?

Virus Hamiltonian Path
molecular biology

The Illuminating Geometry of Viruses

By Jordana Cepelewicz
July 19, 2017
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Mathematical insights into how RNA helps viruses pull together their protein shells could guide future studies of viral behavior and function.

Missing Mutations Suggest a Reason for Sex
molecular biology

Missing Mutations Suggest a Reason for Sex

By Veronique Greenwood
July 13, 2017
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Sex might help natural selection purge excessive mistakes from our genes.

GFAP staining in glial cells, neurofilament protein in axons and DNA in cell nuclei
Abstractions blog

Cell Atlases Reveal Biology’s Frontiers

By Jordana Cepelewicz
July 12, 2017
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New techniques expose unexpected diversity within seemingly uniform tissues.

Bear melting still
molecular biology

How Heat Kills Cells

By Veronique Greenwood
May 9, 2017
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The proteins that unravel as the temperature starts to rise turn out to be among the most vital.

Abstractions blog

How Viruses May Have Led to Complex Life

By Jeanette Kazmierczak
January 24, 2017
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Without viruses, we might never have evolved.


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