Tag Archives: peking university

Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells

Researchers had known for several decades that a certain chemical modification exists on messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA), which is essential to the flow of genetic information. But only recently did experiments at the University of Chicago show that one major function of this modification governs the longevity and decay of RNA, a process critical to the development of healthy cells.

The chemical modification on mRNA in question is called N6-methyladenosine (m6A). A recent study by UChicago scientists reveals how the m6A modification on mRNA could affect the half-life of mRNA that in turn regulates cellular protein quantities. That discovery could provide fundamental insights into healthy functioning and disorders such as obesity, diabetes and infertility. (more…)

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Economists provide better measurement and assessment tools for study of inequality

One-day conference in Beijing kicks off summer training for graduate students studying socio-economic inequality

A team of scholars who are engaged in researching ways to improve human capital and economic opportunity convened the “Conference on the Study of Inequality” on Monday, June 17, at the University of Chicago Center in Beijing.

The conference, which was co-sponsored by the Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Global Working Group, the University of Chicago Center in Beijing and the China Center for Economic Research at Peking University, kicked off a week of events. (more…)

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Iridescent, Feathered Dinosaur Offers Fresh Evidence That Feathers Evolved to Attract Mates

AUSTIN, Texas — A team of American and Chinese researchers has revealed the detailed feather pattern and color of Microraptor, a pigeon-sized, four-winged dinosaur that lived about 120 million years ago. A new specimen shows the dinosaur had a glossy iridescent sheen and that its tail was narrow and adorned with a pair of streamer feathers, suggesting the importance of display in the early evolution of feathers, as presented in the March 9 edition of the journal Science.

The research was conducted by scientists at the Beijing Museum of Natural History, Peking University, The University of Texas at Austin, the University of Akron, and the American Museum of Natural History. (more…)

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