Tag Archives: DNA

American Scientist Magazine – March 2024

Current Issue

American Scientist (February 15, 2024): The latest issue features “Deconstructing DNA Beyond the Helix” – science educator and artist Caryn Babaian explores through illustration the molecular details and interactions that can affect DNA’s structure. She contends that for people to fully understand DNA, it must be shown in relationship to water. 

Deconstructing DNA Beyond the Helix

BY CARYN BABAIAN

An artist’s experimental approach to Rosalind Franklin’s Photo 51 reveals the molecule’s intricate biochemistry.

When Sharks Eat an Angler’s Haul

BY DAVID SAMUEL SHIFFMAN

Tensions are rising as the ocean’s great predators nab fish on the line, inciting a major new challenge in human–wildlife conflict.

Covers: Science Magazine November 17, 2023 Preview

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Science Magazine – November 17, 2023: The new issue features Heaps of Warming – Municipal solid waste emits large amounts of greenhouse gases; AI is set to revolutionize weather forecasts; Rewriting DNA in the body lowers cholesterol, and more….

AI is set to revolutionize weather forecasts

Cheap and fast algorithms are matching—and surpassing—the world’s top models

Deal to build pint-size nuclear reactors is canceled

NuScale Power’s small modular reactors promised cheaper nuclear power, but costs soared and utilities balked

Rewriting DNA in the body lowers cholesterol

Verve Therapeutics says its base-editing approach may help prevent heart disease in many people

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Nov 2, 2023

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nature Magazine – November 2, 2023: The latest issue cover features an artist’s impression of the collision between the protoplanet Theia and proto-Earth about 4.5 billion years ago. It has been suggested that it was this ‘Giant Impact’ that formed the Moon, but direct evidence for the existence of Theia remains elusive.

Ancient DNA reveals traces of elusive first humans in Europe

Europe’s earliest Homo sapiens seemed to have vanished without a genetic legacy — but genomic studies now show otherwise.

‘Mind-blowing’ IBM chip speeds up AI

IBM’s NorthPole processor sidesteps need to access external memory, boosting computing power and saving energy.

Research Preview: Science Magazine – Oct 13, 2023

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Science Magazine – October 13, 2023: The new issue features the genetic organization of the human brain; Diversity of primate brain cells unraveled; A single-cell genomic atlas for maturation of the human cerebellum during early childhood, and more…

A family portrait of human brain cells

A cell census provides information on the source of human brain specialization

The brain is composed of multiple regions associated with distinct functions, which have become further specialized in the human lineage. To define how this specialization is implemented, how it arises during development, and how it has emerged over the course of human evolution, a detailed understanding of the cells that make up the human brain is required. 

The ecology of whales in a changing climate

Some whale populations are exhibiting unexpected cycles of boom and bust

Research Preview: Science Magazine – October 6, 2023

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Science Magazine – October 6, 2023: The new issue features Ancient DNA; The risks of radioactive waste water release; Dating the arrival of humans in the Americas; and more…

The risks of radioactive waste water release

The wastewater releas e from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is expected to have negligible effects on people and the ocean

In 2011, the east coast of Japan suffered an earthquake and tsunami that resulted in the meltdown of three of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This led to an uncontrolled release of large amounts of radioactive material to the surrounding land and to the Pacific Ocean. 

Dating the arrival of humans in the Americas

A debate about the age of ancient footprints continues

Dating the oldest evidence for the presence of Homo sapiens in the Americas is a matter of ongoing debate. One view is that the earliest such evidence is from 16,000 to 14,000 years ago, after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when people would have crossed the Beringian strait from Siberia over a dry land bridge.

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – August 10, 2023

Volume 620 Issue 7973

nature Magazine – August 10, 2023 issue: Algorithm designs 3D shapes to follow specific pathways; Why Indigenous youth need a voice in the climate debate; DNA leaks linked to inflammageing in the brains of mice; JWST spots what could be a quasar from the early Universe….

JWST spots what could be a quasar from the early Universe

Composite-colour image of the central core of a massive galaxy cluster.

The object’s deep red colour suggests it existed when the Universe was less than 700 million years old.

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has seen what is probably a quasar from the early Universe1.

ChatGPT-like AIs are coming to major science search engines

The Scopus, Dimensions and Web of Science databases are introducing conversational AI search.

A hand holds a phone displaying the OpenAI website ChatGPT.

The conversational AI-powered chatbots that have come to Internet search engines, such as Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Bing, look increasingly set to change scientific search, too. On 1 August, Dutch publishing giant Elsevier released a ChatGPT-like artificial-intelligence (AI) interface for some users of its Scopus database, and British firm Digital Science announced a closed trial of an AI large language model (LLM) assistant for its Dimensions database. Meanwhile, US firm Clarivate says it’s working on bringing LLMs to its Web of Science database.

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – June 29, 2023

Volume 618 Issue 7967

nature Magazine -June 29, 2023 issue: RNA molecules can adopt complex 3D structures, but whether DNA can self-assemble into similar 3D folded structures has been less clear. In this week’s issue, Luiz Passalacqua and his colleagues use a DNA mimic of green fluorescent protein (GFP) to investigate this question.

Underwater volcano triggered the most intense lightning ever recorded

Satellite video of Tonga's Hunga Volcano eruption.

The huge eruption of the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha‘apai volcano generated more than 2,600 lightning flashes per minute.

Open-source AI chatbots are booming — what does this mean for researchers?

A green unlocked padlock symbol is pictured amongst a binary code sequence on a computer screen.

Freely accessible large language models have accelerated the pace of innovation, computer scientists say.

The craze for generative artificial intelligence (AI) that began with the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT shows no sign of abating. But while large technology companies such as OpenAI and Google have captured the attention of the wider public — and are finding ways to monetize their AI tools — a quieter revolution is being waged by researchers and software engineers at smaller organizations.

Epigenetics & Aging: DNA Breakage & Repair Effects

Harvard Medical School – A 13-year international study in mice demonstrates that loss of epigenetic information, which influences how DNA is organized and regulated, can drive aging independently of changes to the genetic code itself.

It also shows that restoring the integrity of the epigenome reverses age-related symptoms.

Learn more at https://hms.harvard.edu/news/loss-epi…

Science: 2 Million Year-Old DNA Unveils Ancient Greenland Landscape

Two million year-old DNA found in frozen soil has been sequenced, revealing a surprising picture of an ancient landscape. Extinct creatures including, unexpectedly, elephant-like mastadons turn out to be among the beasts roaming Greenland. Researcher Eske Willerslev explains how DNA found in the environment can be used to reconstruct the past as so-called ‘eDNA’ becomes a vital tool for palaeontologists.

Read the paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s4158…

Research Preview: Nature Magazine – Dec 1, 2022

Volume 612 Issue 7938

Science Magazine – December 1, 2022 issue:

Research Highlights

Fast-evolving genome regions point to DNA that sets humans apart

The collection of 1,500 rapidly changing segments is rich in sequences associated with brain development and disease.

Prehistoric rubbish hints that early cooks cared about flavour

Ancient chefs made bitter plants taste better with techniques such as grinding and soaking.

Off the hook: electrical device keeps sharks away from fishing lines

Such interventions could greatly reduce accidental catches of threatened species.

Devastating drought in East Africa is traced to nearby seas

Understanding the weather pattern known as the Indian Ocean Dipole might help to predict lack of rainfall in countries such as Kenya.