DNA

In a world barely nascent, scientists can create mirror images of the building blocks of life, including DNA, RNA, and protein, and use them to build a mirror image of life itself. This fantastic endeavor is not an easy task. A major…

DNA repair amplifies transcriptional noiseThe potential role of “noise,” or stochastic variations in rates of gene expression, remains to be elucidated. Desai et al. used screens to identify a compound, 5′-iodo-2′-deoxyuridine (IdU), that…

Target site selection in CAST systemsExciting genomic engineering possibilities exist for natural integration systems called transposons, which have coopted CRISPR/Cas systems. An unexplained feature of these systems involves how they…

SummaryTwo research groups have independently shown the atmosphere can contain detectable amounts of DNA from many kinds of animals. Their preprints, posted on bioRxiv last week, suggest sampling air may enable a faster, cheaper way to…

Methyl readers that repress transcriptionDNA methylation is a conserved epigenetic mark required for gene silencing in many different organisms. However, how the methyl mark is able to silence genes is still largely unknown. Ichino et al.…

SummaryA provision buried in a 2400-page bill approved last week by the U.S. Senate to help the United States compete with China is drawing fire from human genome researchers. It would require the National Institutes of Health to develop…

Cell size set by cell cycle regulationIn the Arabidopsis meristem, cell sizes are regularized despite asymmetric cell divisions. D'Ario et al. describe a balanced regulatory system that controls the duration of the growth phase of the cell…

SummaryFamily separation—whether caused by armed conflict, repressive regimes, disasters, or immigration policies—traumatizes children and parents and can have long-term impacts on physical and mental health (1). It is therefore imperative…

Science's COVID-19 reporting is supported by the Heising-Simons FoundationSome people might want to know their susceptibility to severe COVID-19 before venturing into crowds.PHOTO: APU GOMES/AFP/GETTY IMAGESFor people not yet vaccinated…