Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Grasping the Concept of Mendelian Randomization

Mendelian randomization, a key method in medical research, aids in determining whether certain factors actually cause disease.

4 Mar 2024

3D Visualizations of the Copying Machinery Found in Chloroplasts

Plants have to carry out photosynthesis and ultimately synthesize oxygen and chemical energy with the assistance of sunlight to support life on Earth.

4 Mar 2024

Unlocking the Potential of Fonio Seed Microbiome Engineering for Climate-Resilient Crops

Fonio (Digitaria exilis), a type of millet, is the oldest indigenous crop in West Africa and one of the fastest maturing cereals.

1 Mar 2024

DNA Analysis Uncovers 18 New Fern Species in the Amazon

Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods.

1 Mar 2024

Study Reveals Genomic Insights into Vocal Learning Across Mammals

The vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. Humans and birds, for example, are separated by some 300 million years of evolution.

1 Mar 2024

Paleogenomics Unveils the Evolutionary Journey of Modern Humans

Writing a commentary in the 50th anniversary issue of Cell, FU Qiaomei and E. Andrew Bennett, both of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored the contribution of paleogenomics to our understanding of the evolution of modern humans.

1 Mar 2024

Microbial Viruses Found to be Key Players in Methane Cycling and Climate Change

In a new study, scientists have discovered that viruses that infect microbes contribute to climate change by playing a key role in cycling methane, a potent greenhouse gas, through the environment.

1 Mar 2024

Researchers Unveil a Key Gene with a Central Role in Learning and Memory Across Mammalian Brain Cells

Discoveries in mice could guide the quest for treatments aimed at addressing brain developmental disorders in children with SYNGAP1 gene mutations.

1 Mar 2024

Newly Discovered Bacterial Species Shed Light on Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic-resistant infection is projected to catch up to cancer as the leading cause of death by 2050, making understanding and limiting the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria a priority worldwide.

1 Mar 2024

Discovery of Crym-Positive Astrocytes Sheds Light on Neuropsychiatric Disorders

UCLA Health researchers have discovered a group of specialized support cells in the brain that can regulate behaviors associated with human neuropsychiatric disorders.

1 Mar 2024

Astrocyte-Rich Brain Organoid Model Unveils Insights into Neuroinflammation

The brain is typically depicted as a complex web of neurons sending and receiving messages. But neurons only make up half of the human brain.

1 Mar 2024

SOX17 Gene Identified as Critical for Immune Evasion in Early-Stage Colon Cancer

One of the immune system's primary roles is to detect and kill cells that have acquired cancerous mutations.

29 Feb 2024

Breakthrough Studies Shed Light on Origins of Homochirality in Biology

Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions, akin to the left and right versions of human hands.

29 Feb 2024

Genomic Study Warns of H5N1 Adaptation to Marine Mammals

The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina.

29 Feb 2024

Study Reveals Genetic Mechanism Behind Human Tail Loss

A genetic change in our ancient ancestors may partly explain why humans don't have tails like monkeys, finds a new study led by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

29 Feb 2024

Exploring Gene Behavior Patterns With Cutting-Edge Technology

In an effort to comprehend how the genetic makeup and environment interact to cause diseases, scientists have studied the structure, sequencing, and interactions of genetic material with proteins in great detail.

29 Feb 2024

Study unveils how our cells outsmart invaders without turning against us

The human immune system is a sophisticated network of cells and proteins created to defend against dangerous infections, and cells continuously repel invaders in a microscopic war raging inside human bodies.

29 Feb 2024

Genetic Mechanisms of Alzheimer's Revealed in Colombian Kindred

UC Santa Barbara researchers and collaborators in Colombia, Brazil and Germany are progressing toward an understanding of mechanisms that underlie Alzheimer's disease, in particular an early-onset, genetic form that has afflicted generations of an extended family in Colombia.

28 Feb 2024

Integrating Environmental Factors in Genetic Research: A New Perspective

It has long been known that there is a complex interplay between genetic factors and environmental influences in shaping behavior.

28 Feb 2024

How Agriculture Shaped Malaria Resistance in Ancient Eastern Arabia

According to a recent study, people in ancient Eastern Arabia seem to have been resistant to malaria once agriculture arrived in the area about 5,000 years ago.

28 Feb 2024