To obtain high-quality, purified nucleic acids, scientists can use several different methods, including phenol-chloroform extraction, cesium chloride/ethidium bromide (CsCl/EtBr) gradient ...

Four billion years ago, the Earth looked very different than it does today, devoid of life and covered by a vast ocean. Over the course of millions of years, in that primordial soup, life emerged.

DNA is the poster child for high-specificity binding. As long as their base sequences match, two complementary strands of DNA can navigate through a sea of biomolecules, find each other, and hold fast ...

Nucleic acids are complex biological molecules that store and transmit genetic information in all living organisms. They are essential for the survival and reproduction of life on Earth. The two main ...

Everything on Earth is made of atoms, most of which are closely packed together in the form of minerals. Life has its uses for minerals—ask a coral reef—but its essence lies in atoms arranged as ...

Nucleic acid extraction is a fundamental step in unlocking the genetic information contained within biological samples. Isolated nucleic acids are the basis for a multitude of analyses and ...

Back in the bad old days, dealing with DNA and RNA in a lab setting was often fraught with peril. Detection technologies were limited to radioisotopes and hideous chemicals like ethidium bromide, a ...

The biosecurity risks associated with an unregulated industry became evident when, in 2006, a Guardian reporter successfully ordered parts of the smallpox genome through the mail. Although ordering ...