mutations

Mistakes happen. Especially when it comes to the replication of vast sequences of DNA inside our cells. It's a good thing too. If not for the errors in our genes we refer to as mutations, natural selection would be a no-go, and life would be dead in the water.  As crucial as mutations are to everything from disease to biodiversity, we know shockingly little about the physics of the process.Findings from the University of Surrey in the UK have revived speculations that a primary trigger behind the chemical sleight-of-hand…

DNA is known to mutate regularly, for better or worse, driving both evolution and disease. Researchers at the University of Surrey have now found evidence that some of these spontaneous mutations could be caused by the spooky realm of quantum mechanics.DNA gets its famous double helix shape from molecules called bases that pair up through hydrogen bonds. These bases, denoted by the letters A,C, T and G, usually follow strict rules about how they link up – A bonds to T and C bonds to G. But sometimes these hydrogen bonds…

A massive study has analyzed the genomes of cancer cells from more than 12,000 patients, identifying 58 new mutational signatures that offer clues to novel causes of cancer. The landmark findings offer researchers a whole trove of new resources to guide future studies on tailored cancer treatments.Cancer cells can harbor thousands of different and unusual mutations but only a few are known to really drive the development of a tumor. A groundbreaking 2020 study was first to begin seriously cataloguing these mutational…