The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in gene expression, and ...

DNA and RNA are the molecular blueprints of life, each with unique structures and roles. DNA’s double-helix stability makes it ideal for long-term genetic storage, while RNA’s versatility powers ...

Scientists are uncovering RNA's far more complex role in life’s blueprint than previously thought, revealing its power to regulate genes, shape traits, and even create new proteins. Far from being ...

RNA’s Surprising Role in DNA Repair New insights could lead to improved treatments for cancer and other diseases. Francesca Storici and her research team discovered a surprising role for RNA in DNA ...

EM, researchers showed that water mediates catalysis and important protein interactions for RNA polymerase II function in ...

Your DNA is continually damaged by sources both inside and outside your body. One especially severe form of damage called a double-strand break involves the severing of both strands of the DNA double ...

We’re celebrating 180 years of Scientific American. Explore our legacy of discovery and look ahead to the future. In 1957, just four years after Francis Crick and other scientists solved the riddle of ...

DNA and RNA methylation, initially thought to operate as distinct pathways, have been shown to interact closely, shifting our understanding of gene regulation. A team of researchers from the ...

This image illustrates the chemical structure of a purine molecule, highlighting the numbering of the carbon and nitrogen atoms. The purine structure consists of a pyrimidine ring (positions 1 to 6) ...