Genetics News and Research

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Genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of getting a certain disease) from parents to offspring.

Gene Editing Creates Prickle-Free Eggplants for Easier Farming

Eggplants, a staple crop globally, present significant challenges in cultivation and harvesting due to their prickles. These prickles, which serve as a natural defense mechanism, complicate handling and reduce efficiency in agricultural practices. Addressing these issues is crucial for improving farming outcomes. Consequently, researchers are focused on understanding the genetic basis of prickle formation to develop prickle-free eggplant varieties. Based on these challenges, there is a pressing need to conduct in-depth research and identify solutions for more efficient eggplant cultivation.

9 Aug 2024

Advancements in Grape Genomics Promise Enhanced Breeding Strategies

Grapes are economically and culturally significant worldwide, but climate change has posed substantial challenges to grape production in recent decades.

8 Aug 2024

Detailed Analysis of Cucumber Centromeres Uncovers Key DNA Sequences and Retrotransposons

Centromeres are crucial for chromosome segregation during cell division and consist of repetitive DNA sequences.

8 Aug 2024

Shared Mechanisms in Human and Yeast DNA Replication Revealed

Humans and baker's yeast have more in common than meets the eye, including an important mechanism that helps ensure DNA is copied correctly, reports a pair of studies published in the journals Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

5 Aug 2024

Megamonas Bacteria Identified as Potential Obesity Culprit

A recent study from Cell Host & Microbe identifies Megamonas as a possible bacteria linked to obesity based on a large-scale cohort of obese Chinese people. This study demonstrates how the bacterium increases lipid absorption, breaks down intestinal myo-inositol, and causes obesity, which may lead to future approaches for managing obesity.

5 Aug 2024

Geographic Origin Plays Key Role in Tuberculosis Infection, Harvard Study Finds

For some forms of tuberculosis, the chances that an exposed person will get infected depend on whether the individual and the bacteria share a hometown, according to a new study comparing how different strains move through mixed populations in cosmopolitan cities.

2 Aug 2024

Study Reveals Strigolactones as Key Regulators of Tomato Flowering

In an article published in the journal PNAS, researchers at the University of São Paulo's Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ-USP) in Brazil describe for the first time how strigolactones, plant hormones discovered several decades ago, control flowering and fruiting in the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The findings of their study point to a new opportunity for management of fruiting time and could have a significant impact on total yields for this crop.

1 Aug 2024

Exploring the Hidden Costs of Industry-Funded Genetic Testing

According to authors writing in a commentary for the Canadian Medical Association Journal, free genetic testing that is either fully or partially funded by business may have trade-offs.

30 Jul 2024

IL-22BP Protein's Influence on Gut Microbiota and Infection Response Revealed

A study reported in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows how the presence of a specific protein called IL-22BP affects the composition of the gut microbiota and the body's response to bacterial infection.

30 Jul 2024

Transposable Elements Influence Genome Size and Gene Expression in Rosaceae Plants

Transposable elements are mobile DNA sequences that play a crucial role in plant genome architecture and gene regulation.

30 Jul 2024

Study Reveals Widespread Gene Misbehavior in Healthy Humans

Scientists have uncovered that ‘gene misbehaviour’ – where genes are active when they were expected to be switched off – is a surprisingly common phenomenon in the healthy human population.

29 Jul 2024

Researchers Discover Link Between Neolithic Farming and Brucellosis

Scientists believe the bacterial infection brucellosis, which affects millions of people every year and causes significant harm to the welfare of livestock, may have evolved along with the development of farming. They came to this conclusion after performing analyses of ancient DNA extracted from an 8,000-year-old sheep bone, in which the Brucella melitensis pathogen was detected.

29 Jul 2024

Unraveling the Complexities of X Chromosome Inheritance

A new study published in Nature Genetics by the Lymphoid Development Group at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences has reveals that the contribution of cells expressing maternal or paternal X chromosomes can be selectively skewed in different parts of the body.

26 Jul 2024

New Insights into the Mechanisms of Gene Misbehavior

Researchers have discovered that a startlingly widespread occurrence in the healthy human population is "gene misbehavior," or the state in which genes are active when they should be inactive.

25 Jul 2024

DNA Sequence Variants Drive Link Between Methylation and Gene Expression

The relationship between DNA methylation and gene expression is driven by sequence variants, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at deCODE Genetics, an Amgen subsidiary.

25 Jul 2024

New Tool GeneMAP Unveils Key Insights into Cell Metabolism

There's a glaring gap in our knowledge of cell metabolism: in many cases, we still don't know exactly how nutrients are transported into the cell.

24 Jul 2024

Study Shows the Ability of Protein 'Signatures' to Predict Onset of 67 Diseases

Research on thousands of proteins measured from a drop of blood demonstrates the ability of proteins to predict the onset of many diverse diseases.

24 Jul 2024

Genomic Insights into Prunus Species Evolution and Traits

The Prunus genus, encompassing apricots, peaches, plums, and mei, is vital due to its economic and nutritional value.

22 Jul 2024

Ginseng Genome Map Unlocks New Possibilities for Medicinal Applications

A landmark study has successfully decoded the complete ginseng genome, unveiling the genetic mechanisms that govern saponin biosynthesis. This detailed genetic map illuminates the evolutionary and metabolic pathways of Panax ginseng, a staple in traditional medicine.

19 Jul 2024

Global Gene Expression Data Improves Precision in Genetics

The majority of human genetics research has traditionally concentrated on individuals with European ancestry, a long-standing bias that may reduce the precision of scientific predictions for individuals from other populations.

18 Jul 2024