RNA Polymerase (shown in blue) moves across a template strand of DNA (shown in purple) and transcribes it into RNA (shown in red). But DNA damage blocks the RNA polymerase, causing it to stall and ...

Researchers have discovered how cells activate a last-resort DNA repair system when severe damage strikes. When genetic ...

Failure to repair DNA damage can result in DNA lesions and mutations that are a driving factors in cancer development. Recent work has identified a function for DNA damage repair mechanism beyond ...

Many people lather up with sunscreen or cover up with hats to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays. These added layers help to shield the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light, which damages DNA ...

Following a double-strand DNA break, an enzyme called PARP1 helps hold the two strands together —like superglue— and creates a safe zone for other proteins to come repair the damage. We don’t exactly ...

What scientists long believed were knots in DNA may actually be persistent twists formed during nanopore analysis, revealing ...

A new fluorescent sensor is giving scientists an unprecedented view of how cells respond to DNA damage, capturing the repair process as it unfolds in real time. The tool, developed at Utrecht ...

Researchers identified a new, sticky form of mitochondrial DNA damage that builds up at dramatically higher levels than in nuclear DNA. These lesions disrupt energy production and activate ...

A previously unknown type of DNA damage in the mitochondria, the tiny power plants inside our cells, could shed light on how our bodies sense and respond to stress. The findings of the UC ...

Tardigrades, often called water bears or moss piglets, are microscopic creatures that can survive just about anything: boiling heat, freezing cold and crushing pressure. 2 In fact, tardigrades are the ...