Molecular biology explores the tiny machinery inside living cells, revealing how genetic instructions are read, copied, and turned into the proteins that keep us alive. This field acts as a bridge between the static code of DNA and the dynamic processes that drive growth, disease, and life itself, offering insights into everything from cellular repair to the development of new medicines.

On Gist.Science, we track every new preprint uploaded to bioRxiv in this category to make these complex discoveries accessible to everyone. Our team processes each submission to provide both clear, plain-language explanations and detailed technical summaries, ensuring you can grasp the core findings without getting lost in dense academic jargon.

Below are the latest molecular biology papers freshly processed from bioRxiv, ready for you to explore and understand.

📄 molecular biology

The role of charge, hydrophobicity, and cooperativity in target search of SOX2 and ESRRB

This study demonstrates that the biophysical properties of charge and hydrophobicity, along with cooperative interactions between transcription factors, critically govern the efficiency and specificity of SOX2 and ESRRB target search dynamics within the nucleus, revealing that ESRRB relies heavily on SOX2-mediated confinement to locate its binding sites.

Vanzan, L., Deluz, C., Font, L., Suter, D. M.2026-02-18
📄 molecular biology

Histone variant H2A.Z mutant suppresses the senescence-associated secretory phenotype

This study demonstrates that the H2A.Z R80C mutant suppresses the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) in human fibroblasts by destabilizing nucleosomes to reduce H3K27ac levels at SASP gene loci, independent of cell cycle regulation or H2A.Z depletion.

Chua, Z. M., Tanaka, H., Abele, A., Rajesh, A., Marcos, T. G., Lei, X., Miller, K., Davis, A., Cano Macip, C., Haddadin (…)2026-02-17
📄 molecular biology

Interrogating the Mechanisms of Cas9-mediated Allele Conversion

This study introduces a Compound Heterozygous Allele Conversion Reporter (CHACR) cell line to elucidate the mechanisms of Cas9-mediated allele conversion, demonstrating that targeted DNA damage can repair heterozygous mutations using the homologous allele as a template and that this efficiency can be enhanced by modulating DNA repair pathways.

Murray, J. B., Collins, E., Lonetti, L., Nicosia, L., Crowley, T., Lee, C. M., Harrison, P. T.2026-02-17
📄 molecular biology

WITHDRAWN: The effects of estrogen on cardiac progenitor cell-derived extracellular vesicles in enhancing cardiac protection through promoting tissue repair and regeneration

This manuscript, which originally investigated the role of estrogen in enhancing cardiac protection via extracellular vesicles from cardiac progenitor cells, has been withdrawn by the authors to incorporate additional data and undergo substantial revision prior to resubmission.

Aksoy, Z. B., Aydos, D., Kocakaya, E., Uyar, R., Turan, B., Bitirim, C. V.2026-02-16
📄 molecular biology

Antisense oligonucleotide allele-specific targeting of EFEMP1 in a patient-derived model of Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy

This study demonstrates that an allele-specific antisense oligonucleotide effectively clears mutant EFEMP1 transcripts and reverses disease-associated extracellular deposits and intracellular lipid accumulation in a patient-derived model of Doyne honeycomb retinal dystrophy, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for this incurable condition.

Rezek, F. O., Sanchez-Pintado, B., Eden, E. R., Aychoua, N., Webster, A. R., Carr, A.-J. F., Michaelides, M., Cheetham (…)2026-02-16