Fearful chickens and worried mice: Shared genetic influences on anxiety
Chickens that chicken out in unfamiliar surroundings may shed light on anxiety in humans, according to research published in the January issue of the journal Genetics, a publication of the Genetics...
View ArticlebioRxiv preprints can now be submitted directly to leading research journals
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) today announced that authors of manuscripts posted on its preprint server bioRxiv can now submit their papers directly to several leading research journals,...
View ArticleMolecule induces lifesaving sleep in worms
Sometimes, a nematode worm just needs to take a nap. In fact, its life may depend on it. New research has identified a protein that promotes a sleep-like state in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans....
View ArticleResearchers generate whole-genome map of fruit fly genetic recombination
As eggs and sperm, or gametes, are formed during meiosis, chromosomes carrying the genetic material from each parent must find their partners, pair, and exchange parts of their DNA. This recombination...
View ArticleBlurred lines: Human sex chromosome swapping occurs more often than...
It turns out that the rigid "line in the sand" over which the human sex chromosomes—-the Y and X—- go to avoid crossing over is a bit blurrier than previously thought. Contrary to the current...
View ArticleFirst gene linked to temperature sex switch
The sex of many reptile species is set by temperature. New research reported in the journal GENETICS identifies the first gene associated with temperature-dependent sex determination in any reptile....
View ArticleNatural selection sculpts genetic information to limit diversity
A study of butterflies suggests that when a species adapts, other parts of its genetic make-up can be linked to that adaptation, limiting diversity in the population.
View ArticleInbred Neanderthals left humans a genetic burden
The Neanderthal genome included harmful mutations that made the hominids around 40% less reproductively fit than modern humans, according to estimates published in the latest issue of the journal...
View Article'Omics' data improves breast cancer survival prediction
Precise predictions of whether a tumor is likely to spread would help clinicians and patients choose the best course of treatment. But current methods fall short of the precision needed. New research...
View ArticleDoes chronic pain run in families?
Can an increased risk of chronic pain be transmitted from parents to children? Several factors may contribute, including genetics, effects on early development, social learning, and more according to a...
View ArticleLong-term health effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs not as dire...
The detonation of atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 resulted in horrific casualties and devastation. The long-term effects of radiation exposure also...
View ArticleGenetics of African KhoeSan populations maps to Kalahari Desert geography
Geography and ecology are key factors that have influenced the genetic makeup of human groups in southern Africa, according to new research discussed in the journal Genetics, a publication of the...
View ArticleGenome of fiercely protective Fonni's Dog reflects human history of Sardinia
A genomic analysis of 28 dog breeds has traced the genetic history of the remarkable Fonni's Dog, a herd guardian endemic to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia. The results, published in the journal...
View ArticleGenomic study of high school students from Denmark reveals remarkable genetic...
People from Denmark are genetically similar to each other no matter which part of the country they come from, report researchers in the journal Genetics, a publication of the Genetics Society of...
View ArticleResearchers use mathematics to explain treatment resistance
Modern medicine and treatments for bacterial infections and cancer have significantly increased life spans and improved quality-of-life. However, many drugs eventually fail because of the outgrowth and...
View ArticleGenetic risk factors for autism, MS and other diseases differ between the sexes
A pair of studies by researchers at UC San Francisco suggest that genetic variants that have distinct effects on physical traits such as height, weight, body mass, and body shape in men versus women...
View ArticleStudy uncovers gene that may strongly influence obesity
A University of Toronto (U of T) study on fruit flies has uncovered a gene that could play a key role in obesity in humans.
View ArticleResearch shows nature can beat back scientific tinkering with genes of entire...
Rest easy, folks. Armies of genetically modified super-species are unlikely to conquer Earth anytime soon.
View ArticleMouse lemur could serve as ideal model for primate biology and human disease
The mouse lemur—the world's smallest primate—has the potential to transform the field of genetics and serve as an ideal model for a wide range of primate biology, behavior and medicine, including...
View ArticleResearchers find valuable new clues in fight against multi-drug resistance
Research into yeast, the single-celled organism behind a range of human infections, has led to University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry researchers identifying a previously unknown piece of genetic...
View ArticleResearch could give insight into genetic basis of of the human muscle...
Pioneering research using the tropical zebrafish could provide new insights into the genetic basis of myopathy, a type of human muscle disease.
View ArticleDrug may curb female infertility from cancer treatments
An existing drug may one day protect premenopausal women from life-altering infertility that commonly follows cancer treatments, according to a new study.
View ArticleStudy examines cross-species interactions
In a first-of-its-kind study, NC State researchers applied a new approach to examine how members of two different species – a plant and a pathogen, for example, or a bacterium and a human – interact at...
View ArticleBiologists identify gene involved in kidney-related birth defects
A team led by University of Iowa researchers has identified a gene linked to rare, often fatal kidney-related birth defects.
View ArticleScientists find gene linked to heightened mucus levels in lung disease
What if researchers could make breathing easier by changing how much mucus is in your lungs? Although healthy individuals have mucus in their lungs, mucus can be a major problem for people with chronic...
View ArticleMutant zebrafish help explain the cause of a rare muscle-degenerating disorder
An immobile mutant zebrafish first described by scientists more than 20 years ago turns out to have defects in the same gene as people with a rare muscle-degenerating disorder called nemaline myopathy,...
View ArticleIn populations of microbes, bioengineers find a balance of opposing genomic...
Sergei Maslov, a professor of bioengineering and physics at the University of Illinois, sees a "universe in a grain of sand." His research seeks to explore that universe by focusing on the genomic...
View ArticleDiet success may depend on your DNA
We can add one more thing to the list of traits affected by genetics: how our bodies respond to a particular diet.
View ArticleScientists develop new approach to identify important undiscovered functions...
In the bustling setting of the cell, proteins encounter each other by the thousands. Despite the hubbub, each one manages to selectively interact with just the right partners, thanks to specific...
View ArticleStressed-out worms hit the snooze button
When you catch a nasty cold, curling up in bed to sleep may be the only activity you can manage. Sleeping in response to stress isn't a uniquely human behavior: many other animals have the same...
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