A gene that helps our pancreata repair can also lead to sickness.
Scientists perform billion-atom simulation of a human gene
The model could solve mysteries about DNA and lead to novel medicines.
The ‘forager gene’ of humans and fruit flies works in practically the same way
No time like mealtime.
Grasses steal neighbors’ genes to one-up other species
“They’re OUR genes, tovarish plant” — grasses.
Scientists harvest wild genes to give food crops an edge against diseases
Back to the wild for inspiration.
One broken gene made us very good runners
A genetic fluke two to three million years ago turned humans into the best endurance runners around.
This fungus senses gravity using a gene it borrowed from bacteria
Don’t mind me, just borrowing some genes to make gravity-sensing crystals. Sorry, what?
Scientists discover why cockroaches are such good survivors
Their insane ability to survive almost anything is written in their DNA.
Gene mutation doesn’t make women diagnosed with breast cancer more likely to die
A gene mutation that makes it likely for women to develop breast cancer doesn’t actually make the disease worse.
Gene mutation very common in a Amish community might extend lifespan by 10 years
The Amish could hold the secret to the ‘fountain of youth’.
Biologists find genetic master switch for the butterfly’s wing color
Only two genes code both the canvas and paintbrush for the intricate butterfly wing patterns.
Exposure to BPA might reprogram the brains of turtles — affecting them genetically
It changes their genes.
Researchers find 6,500 genes expressed differently in men and women
The genes, it’s all in the genes.
Researchers complete 30% of the synthetic yeast chromosome — synthetic life is just around the corner
Immense potential in a small cell.
Scientists engineer mosquitoes that could stop malaria spread
A mosquito with a gene that blocks the malaria parasite has been created in the laboratory, a new research reports.
Scientists figure out why snakes have such long bodies
Researchers from Portugal believe they finally have the answer.
Human limbs might have evolved from shark gills
Flap your hands like a shark.
Activating a single gene could reverse colon cancer growth
A new study on mice shows great promise for treating colon cancer – a simple genetic tweak can turn colorectal cancer cells into healthy tissue in a matter of days.
Big-brained mice engineered using human DNA
In the quest to understand what are the crucial differences between human and chimpanzee brains, scientists have isolated a stretch of DNA, once thought to be “junk”, near a gene that regulates brain development in mice. The engineered mouse embryos grew significantly larger brains. Those which received human brain DNA strands had 12% larger brains than those bred with chimp brain DNA. Research like this, though ethically controversial, might help identify which DNA sequences give a brain human characteristics, but also aid in findings treatment or cures for brain diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Would you clone your dog for $100,000?
We’ve come a long way since the first mammal, a sheep named Dolly, was cloned. Now, a lab in South Korea will clone your dog for around $100,000; so far, they’ve cloned 400 pets since 2006. Cloning is still tabu in many parts of the world, but it’s a process which is no longer reserved for the future – it’s happening
