Starvation effects handed down for generations
Starvation early in life can alter an organism for generations to come, according to a new study in roundworms.
View ArticleCompeting mice reveal genetic defects
In recent years, University of Utah biologists showed that when wild-type mice compete in seminatural "mouse barns" for food, territory and mates, they can suffer health problems not revealed by...
View ArticleNew gene drive technology evokes hopes and fears
The idea of introducing a novel gene into a few individuals that then spreads through an entire population sounds like a premise for science fiction. And yet fiction can be prophetic.
View ArticleModeling the promise and peril of gene drive: New paper helps assess the...
What if we could eradicate malaria by engineering a mosquito population that doesn't transmit the disease? What if we could control invasive species that outcompete natural populations? What if we...
View ArticleGenome sequencing may save California's legendary sugar pine
The genome of California's legendary sugar pine, which naturalist John Muir declared to be "king of the conifers" more than a century ago, has been sequenced by a research team led by UC Davis scientists.
View ArticleDNA research offers clues on cell mutation
A team of researchers from Colorado State University has been studying DNA damage in living cells to learn more about how genetic abnormalities arise. It has long been known that DNA molecules in every...
View ArticleFearful 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...
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