At school, it’s often presented as a tidy double helix but scientists are revealing the varied and intricate shapes of DNA molecules.  

DNA is a molecule found in just about every living cell. Because the molecule is long, it ends up twisting on itself and getting tangled. Enzymes in the body try to regulate this process but when that fails, normal activity in the cell can be disrupted, which triggers ill health and could be a factor in diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration.

To find cures for major illnesses, scientists need to understand the complex shape of DNA tangles. Existing lab techniques enable them to plot the shape and structure of DNA tangles but it is laborious and time consuming. 

An international scientific team led by the University of Sheffield in the UK has now automated the process. Using what is known as an atomic force microscope, advanced computer software and AI - they are able to visualise the DNA molecules, trace their paths and measure them.

This new study, led by Director C. Justin LEE of the Center for Cognition and Sociality within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in Daejeon, South Korea, set out to identify the brain’s own defenses against a particularly harmful form of ROS — hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Using advanced imaging and molecular analysis, the team discovered that hemoglobin exists in the nucleolus of astrocytes — star-shaped brain cells critical for neuronal support — where it acts as a “pseudoperoxidase,” breaking down H₂O₂ into harmless water.

The fourth annual Fork It Alzheimer’s event, hosted by Daryl and Irwin Simon in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association, took place on July 12, raising funds for groundbreaking Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prevention efforts. During the event, the Simon family announced that the Fork It Fund, created in collaboration with their friend, Stacy Polley, and the Association, awarded $1 million to support a major initiative at the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. 

A centerpiece of the event was a video presentation by Stevens INI Director and Fork It-funded researcher Arthur W. Toga, Ph.D. Toga detailed the Fund’s support of the Global Alzheimer’s Association Interactive Network (GAAIN), a global data-sharing platform created at the Stevens INI intended to accelerate scientific discovery by making critical research data more accessible worldwide. The first of its kind, GAAIN is a federated network connecting independently operated Alzheimer’s disease and dementia-related data repositories from around the world. GAAIN was created in 2015 to address the challenges of making data available and accessible while supporting and connecting researchers worldwide to accelerate AD research, including advancing treatments and prevention strategies.

In a study published in Molecular Metabolism, University of Michigan researchers have shown that a specific population of neurons in the hypothalamus help the brain maintain blood glucose levels under routine circumstances.