Study reveals hidden regulatory roles of 'junk' DNA
Friday, July 18, 2025 - 18:56
in Biology & Nature
A new international study suggests that ancient viral DNA embedded in our genome, which were long dismissed as genetic "junk," may actually play powerful roles in regulating gene expression. Focusing on a family of sequences called MER11, researchers from Japan, China, Canada, and the US have shown that these elements have evolved to influence how genes turn on and off, particularly in early human development.