Newsletter

Newsletter 지난호

2022
- vol. 2 September
- vol. 1 May

NEWSLETTER : 생명과학 학술정보큐레이션서비스

May 2022 vol. 1

According to a new concept by LMU chemists led by Thomas Carell, it was a novel molecular species composed out of RNA and peptides that set in motion the evolution of life into more complex forms. Investigating the question as to how life could emerge long ago on the early Earth is one of the most fascinating challenges for science. Which conditions must have prevailed for the basic building blocks of more complex life to form? One of the main answers is based upon the so-called RNA world idea, which molecular biology pioneer Walter Gilbert formulated in 1986. The hypothesis holds that nucleotides—the basic building blocks of the nucleic acids A, C, G, and U—emerged out of the primordial soup, and that short RNA molecules then formed out of the nucleotides. These so-called oligonucleotides were already capable of encoding small amounts of genetic information.

[과학의날-한국생명공학연구원] 국민의 건강한 삶 지키는 K-바이오

금강일보 20 Apr 2022

현재 인간이 살아감에 있어 코로나19와 같은 신·변종 감염병이 발생하는 등 현실의 새로운 문제에 직면하고 있다. 이러한 현실의 문제에 대해 끊임없이 탐구하고 연구를 통해 답을 찾는 사람들이 있다. 바로 우리나라 대표 바이오 분야 전문 연구기관인 한국생명공학연구원이다.

Important genetic origin of our senses identified

phys 18 May 2022

Having a head is quite an advantage. Although this may sound banal, it had to be tested in a long evolutionary process: As animal life developed, invertebrates initially dominated the oceans. These had already developed head structures, but the development of a novel, improved head led to the success of vertebrates. This "new head" allowed a wide spatial distribution and multiplication of sensory cells, and thus a much better perception of the environment. This was also essential for the development of a predatory lifestyle.

Gene-editing cockroaches with CRISPR-Cas9 – and maybe other insects

COSMOS 17 May 2022

Researchers have found a simpler way to genetically modify cockroaches with CRISPR-Cas9, considerably reducing the time needed to conduct insect research. CRISPR-Cas9 is a molecule first discovered in bacteria, which has made genetic modification a much faster and more efficient process. The new technique, called direct parental CRISPR, or DIPA-CRISPR, allows researchers to avoid having to microinject CRISPR materials into insect embryos. Apparently, this is a major inconvenience in the genetically modified insect world, and it doesn’t work for every insect. In fact, cockroaches’ odd reproductive systems prevent them from being genetically modified with embryo microinjections.

New insights on link between genetic mutations and biological evolution

phys 17 May 2022

In biological evolution, we know that it's all about the survival of the fittest: organisms that develop genetic traits that allow them to better adapt to their physical environment are more likely to thrive, and thus pass down their winning genes to their offspring.