• HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • HOME
  • NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Only half of a chromosome is DNA, 3-D imaging study shows

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
November 21, 2016
in Science News
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

DNA makes up only half of the material inside chromosomes — far less than was previously thought — a study has revealed.

Up to 47 per cent of their structure is a mysterious sheath that surrounds the genetic material, researchers say.

While the precise function of this sheath is unknown, researchers suggest it may keep chromosomes isolated from one another during the key process of cell division.

Researchers say this so-called chromosome periphery could help to prevent errors from occurring when cells divide — a hallmark of some forms of cancer and diseases associated with birth defects.

Using advanced imaging techniques, researchers have for the first time produced detailed 3D models of all 46 human chromosomes — the structures inside cells that contain our genetic material.

Since their discovery in 1882, chromosomes have been the focus of intensive study. In spite of major technical advances, the complete structure and organisation of chromosomes has remained a mystery, researchers say.

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh developed a precise microscopy technique that allows them to study the structure of chromosomes in unprecedented detail. The method — known as 3D-CLEM — combines light and electron microscopy with computational modelling software to produce high-resolution 3D images of chromosomes.

Analysis of the images reveals that material containing DNA and supporting proteins — known as chromatin – accounts for between 53 and 70 per cent of the total contents of chromosomes. The remaining 30 to 47 per cent is composed of the chromosome periphery.

The study, published in the journal Molecular Cell, was funded by The Wellcome Trust. The research was carried out in collaboration with the Kazusa DNA Research Institute, Japan, National Cancer Institute, US, and the University of Liverpool.

Dr Daniel Booth, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, who co-led the study, said: "The imaging technique we have developed to study chromosomes is truly groundbreaking. Defining the structure of all 46 human chromosomes for the first time has forced us to reconsider the idea that they are composed almost exclusively of chromatin, an assumption that has gone largely unchallenged for almost 100 years."

Professor Bill Earnshaw, of the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, who co-led the study, said: "We now have to re-think how chromosomes are built and how they segregate when cells divide, since the genetic material is covered by this thick layer of other material."

###

Media Contact

Corin Campbell
[email protected]
44-131-650-6382
@edinunimedia

http://www.ed.ac.uk

############

Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag

Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

blank

Revolutionary Coupling Model Enhances Lithium-Ion Battery Performance

September 9, 2025
Allicin-Silver Nanoparticle Hydrogel: A Breakthrough in Wound Healing

Allicin-Silver Nanoparticle Hydrogel: A Breakthrough in Wound Healing

September 9, 2025

Addressing Therapeutic Inertia in U.S. Diabetes Care

September 9, 2025

Distinguishing Thyroid Nodules: Risk Factors and Ultrasound Insights

September 9, 2025
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • blank

    Breakthrough in Computer Hardware Advances Solves Complex Optimization Challenges

    151 shares
    Share 60 Tweet 38
  • New Drug Formulation Transforms Intravenous Treatments into Rapid Injections

    116 shares
    Share 46 Tweet 29
  • First Confirmed Human Mpox Clade Ib Case China

    56 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • A Laser-Free Alternative to LASIK: Exploring New Vision Correction Methods

    48 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Recent News

Revolutionary Coupling Model Enhances Lithium-Ion Battery Performance

Allicin-Silver Nanoparticle Hydrogel: A Breakthrough in Wound Healing

Addressing Therapeutic Inertia in U.S. Diabetes Care

  • Contact Us

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

Bioengineer.org © Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved.