Enzymes that cut DNA at specific sites are called endonucleases; these enzymes play many roles in genomic replication, fidelity, and defense. The initial discovery of restriction endonucleases in the ...

To many working biologists, DNA-modifying enzymes are tools, not unlike a pair of molecule-sized scissors. To Dr. Barry Stoddard, a professor in the Basic Sciences division at Fred Hutch, these ...

An important DNA modification is methylation, or the addition of a methyl group to the 5th carbon of cytosine. This forms 5-methylcytosine (5mC), typically associated with repression of gene ...

A new family of enzymes enables precise cuts in single-stranded DNA, offering powerful new tools for genetic engineering and expanding possibilities in biotechnology. (Nanowerk News) A few years ago, ...

Inside every cell, a finely tuned metabolic network determines when to build, recycle, or stop producing essential molecules. A central part of this network is folate metabolism, a process that ...

There are many health problems that can be traced back to errors in the genetic code. There are also many potential benefits to genetic engineering outside of healthcare. Nature has already found ways ...

Researchers have discovered that a DNA modification called 5-formylcytosine (5fC) functions as an activating epigenetic switch that kick-starts genes in early embryonic development. This finding ...

In white biotechnology, microorganisms serve as industrial bioreactors for large-scale production of fine chemicals, enzymes, active pharmaceutical ingredients, agro chemicals, and food additives. In ...

By resurrecting a 3.2-billion-year-old enzyme and studying it inside living microbes, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have created a new way to improve our understanding of the ...