Gene silencing drugs target the underlying causes of a disease, rather than the symptoms it causes.
The huge number of active coronavirus infections offers plenty of opportunity for mutations to occur and new variants to arise.
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When the coronavirus copies itself, there is a chance its RNA will mutate. But new variants must jump from one host to another, and the more infections there are, the better chance this will happen.
mRNA technologies for vaccine production is gaining more prominence
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Thanks to the collaborative efforts of governments, funding agencies, academia, biotech and pharmaceutical companies, large-scale manufacturing of mRNA drug products is becoming a reality.
Effective delivery of PNA therapies may offer a way to treat multidrug-resistant infections and other diseases.
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Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health threats in the world. New research, however, may have found a way to keep up with rapidly evolving bacteria.
The subtleties of how genes are transcribed into RNA molecules like the one depicted here are key to understanding the inner workings of cells.
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Shang Gao, University of Illinois Chicago et Jalees Rehman, University of Illinois Chicago
Machine learning is great at finding patterns but doesn’t know what those patterns mean. Combine it with knowledge gained from genetic research and you have a powerful view into the workings of cells.
Some long non-coding RNAs make it easier for cancer cells to multiply.
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Technology that can identify stray bits of genetic material in the environment can help scientists monitor human and animal health.
A complete human genome, seen here in pairs of chromosomes, offers a wealth of information, but it is hard connect genetics to traits or disease.
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The first full human genome was sequenced 20 years ago. Now, a project is underway to sequence 1 million genomes to better understand the complex relationship between genetics, diversity and disease.
Messenger RNA carries the instructions for life from DNA to the rest of the cell.
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In the spotlight for its role in COVID-19 vaccines – and a Nobel Prize – mRNA is not a new invention. It’s a crucial messenger molecule at work every day in every cell in your body.
RNA carries copies of genetic information from DNA.
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RNA was used to make COVID vaccines. Now it could lead to more personalised healthcare.
Pfizer stock surged higher on Nov. 9 after the company announced its vaccine is “90% effective” against COVID-19 infections.
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With COVID-19 cases soaring across the US and worldwide, the need for a vaccine could not be greater. Here’s where we stand on vaccine development, including positive results from Pfizer’s trial.
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier have been awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry for their revolutionary work on ‘gene scissors’ that can edit DNA.
Miniaturized laboratory equipment is making it easier to identify airborne pathogens in the field, but there’s still work ahead to be able to instantly determine if a room is safe or contaminated.
The polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, is used to copy strands of DNA.
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COVID-19 tests rely on a process developed at a biotech company co-founded by a Canadian. Canada’s current testing expertise needs to be channelled to prepare for the next wave, and the next pandemic.
Did coronavirus arrive in Spain over a year ago?
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Testing for coronavirus has been a fiasco in the US. But now companies are developing super fast tests, including ones that might eventually be as simple as at home pregnancy tests.