Search by tag «Genome» 17 results

• ITMO’s Monday Science Roundup #21

  We invite you to enjoy this year’s final digest of science news from ITMO University. Today, we’ve got: a breakthrough in the fight against autoimmune disease, curious projects from the realm of FoodTech, an interview with one of ITMO’s most decorated students, and more.

  26.12.2022

• Evolution Responsible? ITMO Researchers Identify Evolutionary Adaptations Connected To Autoimmune Diseases and Allergies

  Every year, the number of diagnosed autoimmune diseases grows by 3-9%. These conditions are greatly influenced by genetic factors, however these still remain to be studies on the molecular level. Researchers from ITMO and their Estonian collaborators used bioinformatics to analyze the human genome, bringing the field one step closer to mapping the molecular changes in the genome that have an effect on autoimmune diseases and allergies. In the future, this will pave the way for novel, more efficient treatment for these conditions. This resulting article was published in Nature Communications.

  14.12.2022

• ITMO Scientists Develop Tool to Boost Vaccine Effectiveness

  Researchers from ITMO University have developed a method for detection and analysis of alterations in bacterial genomes. It will allow researchers to detect new mechanisms of adaptation of bacteria to various environments, including those that increase virulence and resistance to antibiotics. In the future, this method may be used to obtain new data that will help create vaccines with higher efficacy.

  15.10.2021

• New Research Highlights History and Importance of Preserving the Lesser-Known Chinese Mountain Cat

  We know that the domestic cat has distant relatives that roam the earth – lions, tigers, cheetahs, and mountain lions. Less familiar are the 38 distinct species in the family Felidae, many with strange names like Pampas cat, kodkod and rusty-spotted cat. The new field of genomics – which engages in the unravelling of DNA genomes of separate species – is resolving old conundrums and revealing new secrets across the history of evolutionarily related species among cats, dogs, bears, and ourselves. Recently, an international research team that includes genetic researchers from ITMO University has completed a study that revealed several fascinating facts about the Chinese mountain cat. The paper on the study was published in Science Advances.

  23.06.2021

• Top Nine Questions About Genome Decoding

  These days, we often hear about scientists having decoded the genome of this or that species. ITMO.NEWS and Aleksey Komissarov, a researcher at ITMO’s SCAMT Institute, explain what DNA is, how it helps us study animal ancestry, and in what way DNA testing differs from genome research.

  20.11.2020

• Research Team from ITMO University, St. Petersburg State University, and Nova Southeastern University Is the First to Sequence the Genome of Moss Animals

  Moss animals (Bryozoa) are a source of bryostatin, a promising material to be used in medicine. However, the genome of these species hasn’t been analyzed until now. The research has been published in Scientific Data. 

  28.10.2020

• In a Nutshell: Genome Editing and the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry

  This year, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to researchers who developed the CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing method. ITMO.NEWS and Pavel Dobrynin, a researcher and engineer at ITMO’s Information Technologies and Programming Faculty, explain the essence of the winners’ research and what makes it a truly world-changing discovery. 

  08.10.2020

• Bioinformatics Explained

  DNA structure was discovered almost 70 years ago. Nowadays, scientists are not only able to decode the genome, but also to identify the functions of each gene and its sequences, as well as edit genes and create new ones. It all became possible thanks to the development of computer technologies and a new field of studies called bioinformatics.

  24.09.2020

• Scientists Create Program That Finds Synteny Blocks in Different Animals

  An international team of scientists that included researchers from ITMO University developed a software tool that makes it possible to quickly and efficiently find similar parts in the genomes of different animals, which is essential for understanding how closely related two species are, and how far they have evolved from their common ancestor. The research was published in Giga Science.

  17.06.2020

• Scientists Report on Crucial Reduction of Indian Lion Genome Diversity

  Modern bioinformatics allows us to take a look into the past and find out when certain species diverged during evolution, which of them still are genetically close to each other, and which are not. An international team of researchers, which, among others, includes the academic supervisor of ITMO University’s Laboratory of Genomic Diversity and researchers from the University of Copenhagen, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, and other research centers from all over the world, analyzed the genomes of extinct and living lions. They managed to determine when the divergence took place, as well as come to several other conclusions on genetic diversity of the modern lion population in India. The results are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

  14.05.2020