📄 Category

molecular biology

316 papers

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

High-coverage DNA sequence and modification profiling of targeted genomic elements using Nanopore-based Cas12a Targeted Ligation and Enrichment Sequencing (nCasTLES).

This paper introduces nCasTLES, a nanopore-based targeted sequencing method using Cas12a-generated overhangs for bead enrichment that eliminates inert off-target DNA, thereby enabling high-coverage profiling of genomic elements and modifications while significantly improving flow cell throughput and allowing for the simultaneous analysis of whole-genome libraries.

Vantine, M., Kishimoto, K., Pacheco, B. A., Flavahan, W. A.2026-08-26
📄 molecular biology

A transcription-driven microgel network poised near the sol-gel transition

This study reveals that the cell nucleus functions as an active, transcription-driven microgel network poised near a sol-gel transition, where RNA production and degradation dynamically tune its connectivity to reconcile solid-like and fluid-like behaviors and regulate molecular transport.

Marenda, M., Chiang, M., Czapiewski, R., Michieletto, D., Stocks, J., Winterbourne, S. M., Miles, J., Fleming, O. C., La (…)2026-08-25
📄 molecular biology

CpG islands act as topological sinks for transcription-induced DNA supercoiling

This study demonstrates that CpG islands function as sequence-encoded topological sinks that buffer transcription-induced DNA supercoiling by leveraging their intrinsic physical properties to promote nucleosome depletion and localized DNA melting, thereby maintaining promoter architecture and genome stability.

Naughton, C., Bonato, A., Chiang, M., Corless, S., Stocks, J., Grimes, G. R., Halliday, D., Bentivoglio, A., Brackley, C (…)2026-08-25
📄 molecular biology

Irregular nucleosome positioning governs a crystalline to liquid-like phase transition and tunes chromatin accessibility

This study demonstrates that the degree of irregularity in nucleosome positioning acts as a physical switch governing a transition from compact, ordered chromatin to a dynamic, liquid-like state, thereby tuning chromatin accessibility and mechanical fragility to regulate gene expression.

Albawardi, W., Thomas, M., Kuijntjes, G.-J., Wheeldon, H., Kaczmarczyk, A., Allan, J., Ding, J., Chiang, M., Vanderlinde (…)2026-08-25
📄 molecular biology

Embryonic stem cells do not have a globally disrupted higher-order chromatin fibre structure

Contrary to the prevailing hypothesis that embryonic stem cell pluripotency relies on a globally "open" chromatin architecture, this study demonstrates that higher-order chromatin fibre structures in embryonic stem cells are largely similar to those in differentiated cells, with only a slightly more disrupted conformation rather than a fundamentally open state.

Ding, J., Boyle, S., Allan, J., Gilbert, N.2026-08-24
📄 molecular biology

K2P Channels Regulate Presynaptic Organisation through a Membrane Potential-Independent Mechanism

This study reveals that the C. elegans K2P channel TWK-40 regulates presynaptic organization and function through a membrane potential-independent mechanism by modulating intracellular potassium levels, which in turn activates the potassium-sensitive enzyme PYK-1 and specific transcription factors to control presynaptic assembly.

Meng, J., Ramakrishnan, N., Li, Y., Boulin, T., Gao, S., Zhen, M., Beets, I., Schafer, W.2026-08-24
📄 molecular biology

A protein-dependent riboswitch activates ribosomal frameshifting in cardioviruses

This study reveals that the cardiovirus PRF element functions as a protein-dependent riboswitch, where binding of the viral 2A protein induces a conformational switch from a stem-loop to a pseudoknot, thereby activating the exceptionally high ribosomal frameshifting efficiency required for viral replication.

Betts, J. K., Jeffries, C. M., Passchier, T. C., Kung, H. C. Y., Graham, S. P., Abdelhamid, M. A. S., Howard, J. A. L. (…)2026-08-19
📄 molecular biology

MiRNA let-7a-5p Ameliorates Pulmonary Fibrosis by Suppressing TGFBR1-Mediated Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition

This study demonstrates that serum exosomal let-7a-5p ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis by directly targeting TGFBR1 to inhibit endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, thereby suppressing TGF-β/Smad signaling and offering both a potential therapeutic strategy and a biomarker for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Pang, J., Shen, J., Yang, W., Wu, Z., Gu, X., Xia, Y., Wang, R., Wang, L., Cao, Y., Li, J., Shen, H., Shang, F.2026-08-19