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 the cellular machinery responsible for making proteins. Through this process, RNA acts as the go-between, translating DNA’s blueprints into real-time cellular activity. This research reveals an RNA molecule that regulates key cellular functions without turning into protein, thus functioning as a “non-coding” RNA CUL1-IPA that originates from the well-characterized CUL1 protein-coding gene. Unlike the canonical RNA that produces the CUL1 protein, this newly discovered RNA stays in the nucleus. Instead, it performs a completely different cellular function, supporting the structural integrity and activity of the nucleolus, the essential center for ribosome production.

MIT researchers developed a miniaturized ultrasound system that could make it easier for ultrasounds to be performed more often, either at home or at a doctor’s office. The system could help more breast tumors to be diagnosed at earlier stages.

DNA’s iconic double helix does more than “just” store genetic information. Under certain conditions it can temporarily fold into unusual shapes. Researchers at Umeå University, Sweden, have now shown that one such structure, known as i-DNA, not only forms in living cells but also acts as a regulatory bottleneck linked to cancer.