Group items tagged

In the study, published Monday (May 1) in Nature Biotechnology,  Luo and colleagues set their sights on two fusions genes they had previously found to be associated with prostate cancer and various forms of rapid and invasive cancer, including liver tumors. Using a modified CRISPR-Cas9 tool that creates a single- rather than double-stranded break in DNA, they targeted the chromosomal breakpoints that form these fusion genes and replaced fusion DNA with a gene encoding the enzyme HSV1-tk. This enzyme effectively kills tumor cells by converting the drug ganciclovir into its active form, which then blocks DNA synthesis and leads to cell death. (Ganciclovir is used to treat cytomegalovirus in humans.)

Genetics Drop Box curricular unit

In order to be useful in treating human infections, antibiotics must selectively target bacteria for eradication and not the cells of its human host. Indeed, modern antibiotics act either on processes that are unique to bacteria--such as the synthesis of cell walls or folic acid--or on bacterium-specific targets within processes that are common to both bacterium and human cells, including protein or DNA replication. Following are some examples.

Your cells contain an amazing factory that builds the RNA and protein machines that keep you alive. Learn how this factory works and what the relationship is between DNA, RNA, and proteins.

4 min video

3 minute video

Teacher website with great worksheets and links

14 minute video using hot pocket analogy for the central dogma

3:30 min video emphasizing key molecules