Czech scientists crack the mysterious genetic code of a newly discovered parasite
News — 12.01.2023

Czech scientists crack the mysterious genetic code of a newly discovered parasite

A new species of alien reptile discovered in the Turnov region represents an extraordinary discovery. The parasite turned out to have a completely unpredictable and distinct deviation from the genetic code, which is otherwise exactly the same in the vast majority of organisms, including humans. The unraveling of this genetic mystery, which was done exclusively by Czech molecular biologists, mainly from the Institute of Microbiology of the CAS and the Institute of Parasitology of the Biological Centre of the CAS with the support of the Czech Grant Agency, was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature.

Although the newly described parasitic protozoan Blastocrithidia does not directly attack humans, it is closely related to trypanosomes, which cause a number of serious diseases such as sleeping sickness. Its genetic "deviation" makes the new element very valuable for further biological research, as it may allow scientists to manipulate the genetic code in ways previously unimagined.

Link to publication: HERE

Source: Czech Academy of Sciences

An official press release in English will be published soon.

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