A new article analyzes in depth the physical problems associated with DNA packaging that have often been neglected in structural models of chromosomes. The study demonstrates that the multilaminar ...

Scientists have discovered a new property of the molecular motors that shape our chromosomes. While six years ago they found that these so-called SMC motor proteins make long loops in our DNA, they ...

Among the many marvels of life is the cell's ability to divide and thus enable organisms to grow and renew themselves. For this, the cell must duplicate its DNA—its genome—and segregate it equally ...

Research shows synthetic chromosomes can be transferred to human cells with potential to improve viral resistance ...

The human genetic blueprint is deceptively simple. Our genes are tightly wound into 46 X-shaped structures called chromosomes. Crafted by evolution, they carry DNA and replicate when cells divide, ...

Small, cancer-associated DNA circles "hitchhike" on chromosomes during cell division to spread efficiently to daughter cells ...

Inside every human cell, six feet of DNA folds into a nucleus that is only a few micrometers wide, yet still manages to ...

When DNA breaks, cells must repair it accurately to prevent harmful mutations. Researchers have discovered that during a key ...

One of the challenges of working with ancient DNA samples is that damage accumulates over time, breaking up the structure of the double helix into ever smaller fragments. In the samples we've worked ...

UC San Diego researchers uncover enzyme behind cancer genome chaos, pointing to potential therapies for aggressive tumors.