Breaks in the double-strands of the DNA helix can spell trouble, destabilizing the genome and resulting in changes that drive cancer, antibiotic resistance and, on a more positive note, evolution.
Scientists can generate these breaks by a variety of extraneous methods in the laboratory, but Baylor College of Medicine scientists Dr. Philip Hastings and Dr. Susan Rosenberg wondered how such breaks occur without outside help – and how they occur in resting cells not actively making new copies of their DNA. Many of the fully differentiated cells in the body are maintained in a resting state with no need to replicate.
Read the full article here: Baylor Scientists Unravel Mystery Behind DNA Breaks In Resting Cells
