MOLECULAR NUGGETS
Cancer’s Hidden Circles: How Extra DNA Helps Tumors Survive
Fri, Oct 17th, 2025 11:48 am
It seems like cancer cells are always one step ahead of us. In many cases whatever we throw at them, they can adapt and survive. Don’t get me wrong, we have made tremendous progress in targeting specific cancer cells and holding the disease at bay, but in some cases, the ability of the cancer cells to mutate and dodge everything that we have in our arsenal is both admirable and frustrating.
Cell Division Secrets: The Tiny Tug-of-War Inside You
Wed, Sep 17th, 2025 8:48 am
When cells divide, they must ensure that each daughter cell receives an identical set of chromosomes. To achieve this, each chromosome is first duplicated, forming two identical sister chromatids that are connected at a central point called the centromere. During cell division, these duplicated chromosomes align at the center of the cell. Spindle fibers, made of microtubules, attach to the chromosomes at the centromeres onto protein structures called kinetochores, and also anchor to opposite sides of the cell.
Genes That Rise Like Dough
Thu, Aug 21st, 2025 2:15 pm
When we think of genome evolution, we typically think of the accumulation of mutations and variants within a gene that renders its function to be improved or altered and allows the individual to be better adapted to the environment and more likely to thrive. The outcome in ancient Humans (or I guess any other species for that matter) is that individual would be stronger and more likely to reproduce, and perhaps even produce more offspring that would ultimately carry the beneficial traits forward.
