RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome - scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease

Although there are striking differences between the cells that make up your eyes, kidneys, brain and toes, the DNA blueprint ...

Tiny protein pair discovery could reveal how the genetic code first began

Life runs on instructions you never see. Every cell reads DNA, turns that message into RNA, and then builds proteins that ...

Versatile enzyme that quickly, accurately synthesizes RNA can also perform reverse transcription

From vaccines and diagnostics to emerging gene-based therapies, RNA molecules are now central to modern medicine. But as ...
Nanowerk

Pyrimidine: Essential Building Block of DNA and RNA

This diagram depicts the chemical structure of pyrimidine, a six-membered aromatic ring with two nitrogen atoms at positions 1 and 3 (highlighted in blue). The remaining positions are occupied by ...
PBS

Your DNA's Codes Are (Probably) From Outer Space

Did you know that many of us have up to 4% neanderthal DNA? Did you know that many of us have up to 4% neanderthal DNA? And that 100% of your DNA may come from outer space? No joke. The biochemistry ...
Nanowerk

Base Pair: The Building Blocks of DNA and RNA

Comparison of a single-stranded RNA and a double-stranded DNA with their corresponding nucleobases. (Image: Wikimedia Commons, CC SA 3.0) The most common type of base pairing is the Watson-Crick base ...
Chemistry World

How RNA reveals clues to life’s origins on Earth

The discovery of catalytic RNA transformed our understanding of life's beginnings. Clare Sansom explores how the RNA world ...