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Gene mutations
Gene mutations describe a change in the DNA sequence that makes up a gene. There are many kinds of gene mutations which have been characterized by scientists. The main categories of mutations are germline mutations, which occur in the gametes (haploid male or female reproductive cells), and somatic mutations, occur in all other cell types. Chromosomal alterations are mutations that change the structure of chromosomes in a variety of ways such as deletion, duplication, insertion, translocation, or inversion of a section of the chromosome. Point mutations include a single nucleotide change within the DNA and these mutations can be classified as silent (the mutation codes for the same amino acid so the change has no effect), missense (the mutation codes for an alternative amino acid), and nonsense (the mutation codes for a premature stop codon). Frameshift mutations occur when the addition or deletion of nucleotide(s) alter the reading frame of the sequence altering all subsequent amino acid coding.
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NOV 08, 2017Genetics & Genomics
The flu sickens millions, and kills thousands of people every year. Researchers are always looking for ways to make a be ...Written By: Carmen LeitchNOV 06, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Chromatin remodeling is related to Fragile X Syndrome and autism; it now presents a great therapeutic target for treatme ...Written By: Carmen LeitchNOV 06, 2017Neuroscience
Autism is a neurobiological disorder that can present in hundreds of different ways. Medical experts refer to the " ...Written By: Brenda Kelley KimNOV 05, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
Nusinersen may be a life-changer for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1.Written By: Carmen LeitchNOV 05, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Economics may be a factor in deciding who is ultimately benefits from the information that genetic testing provides.Written By: Carmen LeitchNOV 01, 2017Cancer
A systematic survey of over 2200 tumors has revealed 27 new cancer-fighting genes that could help patients battle the di ...OCT 31, 2017Cancer
By now, it’s well established that high sugar consumption is linked to a host of health conditions, such as diabet ...OCT 31, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Researchers are learning more about the normal function of the gene that is the most common genetic cause of late-onset ...Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 31, 2017Microbiology
Campylobacter causes an estimated 1.3 million illnesses each year in the United States. The bacteria are curved or s-sha ...Written By: Sarah HertrichOCT 27, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Researchers have made many advances in gene-editing technology in recent years, and it's undergoing constant improvement ...Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 25, 2017Cancer
By pouring over the genetic profiles of hundreds of thousands of women, researchers have found 72 new genetic culprits b ...OCT 23, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Scientists have long wondered how many mutations have to occur within a cell for it to become cancerous.Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 21, 2017Genetics & Genomics
Scientists have learned more about a genetic disorder that affects the liver, revealing potential new therapeutic avenue ...Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 18, 2017Cancer
Using gene-editing technology in mice, scientists implicate a new fusion gene in the development of liver cancer. Becaus ...OCT 14, 2017Chemistry & Physics
The structure of the huntingtin protein. Credit: Washington University in St. Louis An international team of scientists ...Written By: Daniel DuanOCT 07, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
The most common cancer of the blood is lymphoma, but that designation encompasses a wide range of illnesses.Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 06, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
Scientists have created a new way to deliver CRISPR that doesn't require a virus, and that worked better than CRISPR-Cas ...Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 01, 2017Microbiology
Research has found a backup plan that cells use when the immune response is being evaded by pathogenic bacteria.Written By: Carmen LeitchOCT 01, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
Mutations in DNA can have a variety of harmful effects, but sometimes a mutation can confer a benefit.Written By: Carmen LeitchSEP 29, 2017Cancer
A recent study brings good news and bad news for mutations in the FANCM gene. The good news is that people with mutation ...SEP 24, 2017Microbiology
The group A Streptococcus pathogen can cause a range of illnesses, from a relatively minor case of strep throat to a fle ...Written By: Carmen LeitchSEP 19, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
Researchers have been searching for the cause of autism for many years, and now eight mutations have been found in a sin ...Written By: Carmen LeitchSEP 16, 2017Health & Medicine
Most babies born with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) don’t live past their first year of life, but there ...Written By: Kara MarkerSEP 13, 2017Cell & Molecular Biology
While the changes were small, investigators believe they have found evidence that humans are still undergoing evolutiona ...Written By: Carmen Leitch
NOV 08, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
The flu sickens millions, and kills thousands of people every year. Researchers are always looking for ways to make a be
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
NOV 06, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Chromatin remodeling is related to Fragile X Syndrome and autism; it now presents a great therapeutic target for treatme
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
NOV 06, 2017
Neuroscience
Autism is a neurobiological disorder that can present in hundreds of different ways. Medical experts refer to the "
...
Written By:
Brenda Kelley Kim
NOV 05, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
Nusinersen may be a life-changer for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
NOV 05, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Economics may be a factor in deciding who is ultimately benefits from the information that genetic testing provides.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
NOV 01, 2017
Cancer
A systematic survey of over 2200 tumors has revealed 27 new cancer-fighting genes that could help patients battle the di
...
OCT 31, 2017
Cancer
By now, it’s well established that high sugar consumption is linked to a host of health conditions, such as diabet
...
OCT 31, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Researchers are learning more about the normal function of the gene that is the most common genetic cause of late-onset
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 31, 2017
Microbiology
Campylobacter causes an estimated 1.3 million illnesses each year in the United States. The bacteria are curved or s-sha
...
Written By:
Sarah Hertrich
OCT 27, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Researchers have made many advances in gene-editing technology in recent years, and it's undergoing constant improvement
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 25, 2017
Cancer
By pouring over the genetic profiles of hundreds of thousands of women, researchers have found 72 new genetic culprits b
...
OCT 23, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Scientists have long wondered how many mutations have to occur within a cell for it to become cancerous.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 21, 2017
Genetics & Genomics
Scientists have learned more about a genetic disorder that affects the liver, revealing potential new therapeutic avenue
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 18, 2017
Cancer
Using gene-editing technology in mice, scientists implicate a new fusion gene in the development of liver cancer. Becaus
...
OCT 14, 2017
Chemistry & Physics
The structure of the huntingtin protein. Credit: Washington University in St. Louis An international team of scientists
...
Written By:
Daniel Duan
OCT 07, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
The most common cancer of the blood is lymphoma, but that designation encompasses a wide range of illnesses.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 06, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
Scientists have created a new way to deliver CRISPR that doesn't require a virus, and that worked better than CRISPR-Cas
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 01, 2017
Microbiology
Research has found a backup plan that cells use when the immune response is being evaded by pathogenic bacteria.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
OCT 01, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
Mutations in DNA can have a variety of harmful effects, but sometimes a mutation can confer a benefit.
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
SEP 29, 2017
Cancer
A recent study brings good news and bad news for mutations in the FANCM gene. The good news is that people with mutation
...
SEP 24, 2017
Microbiology
The group A Streptococcus pathogen can cause a range of illnesses, from a relatively minor case of strep throat to a fle
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
SEP 19, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
Researchers have been searching for the cause of autism for many years, and now eight mutations have been found in a sin
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch
SEP 16, 2017
Health & Medicine
Most babies born with severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) don’t live past their first year of life, but there
...
Written By:
Kara Marker
SEP 13, 2017
Cell & Molecular Biology
While the changes were small, investigators believe they have found evidence that humans are still undergoing evolutiona
...
Written By:
Carmen Leitch