Speaking is one of the most complicated things a human can do. Before you even say a word, your brain has to translate what you want to say into a perfectly sequenced set of instructions to the dozens of muscles you use to speak.

A groundbreaking study from Michigan State University (MSU), recently published in Nature Communications, has revealed how the multidrug-resistant superfungus Candida auris uniquely reconstructs its cell wall to survive antifungal treatments. The discovery marks a significant step toward understanding and combating one of the most dangerous fungal pathogens threatening hospitalized patients worldwide. 

New research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has challenged the belief that the likelihood of finding undiagnosed genetic conditions decreases with age. “Our study shows that genetic disorders are a surprisingly common reason people end up in the intensive care unit, even in adults,” Theodore G. Drivas says. “Genetic disease does not only affect pediatric patients and young adults but appears to be important—and underdiagnosed—across the life span.”

A team that includes Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists has unlocked some of the secrets of corn DNA, revealing how specific sections of genetic material control vital traits such as plant architecture and pest resistance.

The discovery could enable scientists to use new technologies to improve corn, making it more resilient and productive, the scientists said.

In a report in the science journal Nature Plants, researchers described finding where certain proteins called transcription factors attach to the DNA in corn plants and how this sticking changes how genes are turned on or off in a particular tissue.