A component of the human intestinal flora that has been little studied to date is the focus of a new study. Plasmids are small extrachromosomal genetic elements that frequently occur in bacterial ...

The degree to which selfish genetic elements are actually selfish may need a rethink. For decades, it has been assumed that the typical selfish genetic element is a bit of DNA that resides in a host’s ...

Evolution has allowed organisms to adapt to their environments, sometimes in very specific ways, through changes in their genetics. These adaptations can happen when changes occur randomly in the ...

A recent study in genetic control elements revealed around 11,000 gene regulators active in every cell type, also known as housekeeping cis-regulatory elements (HK-CREs). These elements are vital in ...

The human genome is littered with "selfish genetic elements," which do not seem to benefit their hosts, but instead seek only to propagate themselves. Selfish genetic elements can wreak havoc by, for ...

Technological advancements have enabled scientists to comprehensively explore genetic control elements, unraveling the complexities of gene activation mechanisms in our genetic code. New evidence ...