Neurons have a "hibernation mode." Scientists discover how brain cells use RNA tentacles to lock their protein factories together to survive when energy is low.

RNA, or ribonucleic acid, is a short-lived molecule copied from DNA that enables cells to use genetic information. Specific DNA sequences are copied into RNA, which then delivers these instructions to ...

Contrary to historic understanding of RNA’s longevity in cells, some RNAs can persist in cells throughout the life of an organism. Lead authors, Martin Hetzer, PhD, president of the Institute of ...

Ribosomes, the cell's protein-making factories, consume large amounts of energy as they build the proteins that keep cells alive and functioning. When cells experience stress—such as lack of nutrients ...

Two separate laboratory breakthroughs have produced RNA molecules that can build copies of themselves or assemble functional structures without any help from proteins or DNA. These results offer the ...

Phase separation in nuclear cell biology represents a conceptual framework for understanding how cells spatially and temporally regulate gene expression.

Ribonucleic acid, commonly known as RNA, is involved in many biological functions, and some, including gene silencing, are utilized to cure diseases. RNA has recently gained attention as a promising ...

A study of a bacteria commonly used in dairy fermentation revealed how organized RNA helixes, called riboswitches, can combine different signals to keep gene expression in check. Researchers from the ...

RNA in cells performs an astounding number of functions. Messenger RNA carries the sequences of active genes to cellular machinery that turns it into proteins. And transfer RNA molecules are an ...