Node-centric expression models (NCEMs): Graph-neural networks reveal communication between cells

01-Nov-2022 - How do single cells communicate in a tissue? How can these interactions be modeled, while retaining information of spatial context? Researchers around Fabian Theis from Helmholtz Munich Computational Health Center and Technical University of Munich (TUM) have generated a new method to represent ...

New method for studying gene expression could improve understanding of brain disease

29-Nov-2018 - It takes a lot of cells to make a human brain. The organ houses not only an enormous quantity of neurons (tens of billions), but also an impressive diversity of neuron types. In recent years, scientists have been developing inventories of these cell classes--information that will be essential for ...

New informatics tool makes the most of genomic data

13-Jul-2018 - The rise of genomics, the shift from considering genes singly to collectively, is adding a new dimension to medical care; biomedical researchers hope to use the information contained in human genomes to make better predictions about individual health, including responses to therapeutic drugs. A ...

New gene expression mechanism with possible role in human disease

25-Jun-2018 - When cells grow and divide to ensure a biological function - such as a properly working organ - DNA must be unwound from its typical tightly packed form and copied into RNA to create proteins. When this process goes awry - if too little or too much RNA is produced - then the result could be ...

A new way to stimulate cellular recycling process

18-May-2018 - Brown University researchers studying the biology of aging have demonstrated a new strategy for stimulating autophagy, the process by which cells rebuild themselves by recycling their own worn-out parts. In a study the researchers show that the approach increased the lifespans of worms and flies, ...

Discovery of how HIV hedges its bets opens the door to new therapies

14-May-2018 - A stem cell is one with infinite possibilities. So, for decades, scientists have puzzled over how the cell chooses to keep being a stem cell and continue dividing, or specialize into a specific cell type, like a heart or brain cell. The same type of decision is made by HIV. When the virus infects ...

Direct optical reading of single-molecule DNA bases in modified nanopores

Unique combination of SERS and nanopore fluidics

08-May-2018 - imec describes a new concept for direct identification of single DNA bases. The technique has the potential to detect, with an unprecedented spatial resolution and without any labeling, the genetic code, as well as epigenetic variations in DNA. The combination of nanopore fluidics and surface ...

Enduring cold temperatures alters fat cell epigenetics

20-Apr-2018 - A new study in fat cells has revealed a molecular mechanism that controls how lifestyle choices and the external environment affect gene expression. This mechanism includes potential targets for next-generation drug discovery efforts to treat metabolic diseases including diabetes and ...

Non-coding RNA reveals its secrets

16-Apr-2018 - Scientists from the Schuman Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research have investigated the variety of structures and functions in non-coding parts of messenger RNA (mRNA) from brain cells. These untranslated regions (UTRs) are essential for regulating the stability and localization of ...

Specific gene region in hypertension revealed

22-Mar-2018 - Genes encode proteins and proteins dictate cell function. Therefore, the thousands of genes expressed in a cell determine what that cell can do. Among the multiple elements that are involved in the precise regulation of gene expression are enhancers, which are short region of DNA that can be ...