COVID-19 Genetic Mutation D614G Makes the Virus Up to 8x More Infectious
D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, now ubiquitous, increases virus’ ability to infect human cells. A mutation in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2—one of…
Genetics
World’s Oldest DNA – 1.2 Million Years Old – Reveals How Mammoths Evolved
An international team led by researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics in Stockholm has sequenced DNA recovered from mammoth remains that are up to 1.2…
20% of People Have a Genetic Mutation That Provides Superior Resilience to Cold
Almost one in five people lack the protein α-aktinin-3 in their muscle fiber. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that more of the…
DNA Energy Code: “Survival of the Fittest” Phenomenon Is Only Part of the Evolution Equation
Genetic code evolution and Darwin’s evolution theory should consider DNA an “energy code.” Darwin’s theory of evolution should be expanded to include consideration of a…
On the Origin of Our Species: Untangling Ancestry in the Evolution of Homo sapiens
Experts from the Natural History Museum, The Francis Crick Institute, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History Jena have joined together…
Some Coronaviruses Can Steal Their Host’s Genes to Elude Their Immune System
Some coronaviruses can add to their genetic pool some genes belonging to the host they infected. In this way, they can blend in and be…
Surprise! We’re More Like Primitive Fishes Than Once Believed
People traditionally think that lungs and limbs are key innovations that came with the vertebrate transition from water to land. But in fact, the genetic…
AI Mines Existing Biobanks to Generate Realistic Genomes for Imaginary Humans
Machines, thanks to novel algorithms and advances in computer technology, can now learn complex models and even generate high-quality synthetic data such as photo-realistic images…
New Research Highlights Risk of New COVID Mutations Emerging During Chronic Infection
SARS-CoV-2 mutations similar to those in the B1.1.7 UK variant could arise in cases of chronic infection, where treatment over an extended period can provide…
COVID Detectives on the Hunt for Animal X
An Epidemiological Blueprint for Understanding the Dynamics of a Pandemic Scientific and public health experts have been raising the alarm for decades, imploring public officials…
“Evolutionary Rosetta Stone” – New Insight Into the Biology of a Deadly Fungus
Bd’s actin structures likely play roles in causing skin disease threatening amphibians worldwide. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have gained new insight into…
Comprehensive Genetic Map Reveals Circuitry of 30,000 Human Disease Regions
Analysis reveals genetic control elements that are linked to hundreds of human traits. Twenty years ago this month, the first draft of the human genome…
Genetic Analysis Reveals Evolution of the Enigmatic Y Chromosome in Great Apes
Researchers reconstruct the ancestral great ape Y and show its rapid evolution in bonobo and chimpanzee. New analysis of the DNA sequence of the male-specific…
Plants Control the Genetics of Microbes With Which They Live in Symbiosis
Researchers from the University of Ottawa have discovered that plants may be able to control the genetics of their intimate root symbionts – the organism…
Some Sperms Poison Their Competitors: A Genetic Factor Helps Sperm Cells Outcompete Their Peers
Competition among sperm cells is fierce – they all want to reach the egg cell first to fertilize it. A research team from Berlin now…
Gut-Brain Connection: Specific Bacteria in the Gut Prompt Mother Mice To Neglect Their Pups
Salk researchers make unexpected discoveries about how a particular microbe influences animal behavior. As scientists learn more about the microorganisms that colonize the body—collectively called…
Development of Next-Generation Crops: Research Catches Up to World’s Fastest-Growing Plant
Salk researchers discover that miniature aquatic plant provides insight into genome design principles that could enable development of next-generation crops. Wolffia, also known as duckweed,…
Rebooting 50 Years of Plant Advice to Solve One of Nature’s Biggest Challenges
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have come up with a formula to help plant breeders and farmers around the…