PAC-MAN: Scientists Aim Gene-Targeting Breakthrough Against COVID-19
Cellular delivery system developed at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry could be missing link in battle against SARS-CoV-2. A team of scientists from Stanford University is…
Genetics
Evolution of Pandemic Coronavirus Outlines Path From Animals to Humans – Highlights Future Danger
The virus’s ability to change makes it likely that new human coronaviruses will arise. A team of scientists studying the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the virus…
New Genetic Identification of COVID-19 Susceptibility Will Aid Treatment
The clinical presentation of Covid-19 varies from patient to patient and understanding individual genetic susceptibility to the disease is therefore vital to prognosis, prevention, and…
One-in-a-Million “Shellebrity” Garden Snail: Global Campaign Finds Two Lefties Make a Right
A global campaign to help find a mate for a left-coiling snail called ‘Jeremy’ has enabled scientists to understand how mirror-image garden snails are formed….
Bats, Pangolins and Humans: COVID-19 Virus Likely Emerged From Recombination of Viral Genes Across Different Species
Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) through recombination and strong purifying selection. A combination of genetic shuffling and evolutionary selection of near-identical genetic…
New Research Points to Treatment for COVID-19 Cytokine Storms, Solution to Global Pandemic
How mice that model immune disease’s cytokine storms may point to solution for global pandemic. A transgenic mouse developed at Cincinnati Children’s to model the…
Sea Snakes Have Been Modifying Genetically to See Underwater for 15 Million Years
Sea snakes first entered the marine environment 15 million years ago and have been evolving ever since to survive in its changing light conditions, according…
How Gene Flow Between Species Influenced the Evolution of Darwin’s Finches
Despite the traditional view that species do not exchange genes by hybridization, recent studies show that gene flow between closely related species is more common…
Dementia Gene Doubles the Risk of Developing Severe COVID-19
Having a faulty gene linked to dementia doubles the risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a large-scale study. Researchers at the University of Exeter…
New Sex Hormone Discovered by Biologists
New hormone that stimulates sexual functions in fish could lead to novel infertility treatments in humans. When University of Ottawa biologists Kim Mitchell and Vance…
New Rare Disease Uncovered With Own Facial Features, Cardiac Defects and Developmental Delay
TRAF7 syndrome: The first 45 patients An international multicenter study describes a rare disease characterized by a series of recognizable facial features, cardiac defects and…
Scientists Explore Molecular Connections Between Genetics, Gut Microbiome, and Memory
A molecule commonly produced by gut microbes appears to improve memory in mice. A new study is among the first to trace the molecular connections…
Close Genetic Relative of SARS-CoV-2 Found in Bats Offers More Evidence It Evolved Naturally
There is ongoing debate among policymakers and the general public about where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, came from. While researchers consider bats the…
Arks of Genetic Diversity in Terrestrial Mammals Uncovered by Scientists
Maximizing the protection of life on Earth requires knowledge of the global patterns of biodiversity at multiple dimensions, from genetic diversity within species, to species…
DNA May Not Be the Blueprint for Life – Just a Scrambled List of Ingredients
University of Maryland researcher develops potentially revolutionary framework for heredity and evolution in which inheritable information is stored outside the genome. The common view of…
Scientists Identify Gene Linked to Thinness – Unique to People That Can Eat Anything and Not Gain Weight
While others may be dieting and hitting the gym hard to stay in shape, some people stay slim effortlessly no matter what they eat. In…
“Superpower” Discovered in Squids: They Can Massively Edit Their Own Genetics
Revealing yet another super-power in the skillful squid, scientists have discovered that squid massively edit their own genetic instructions not only within the nucleus of…
New Tool Developed to Sequence Circular DNA
New method will provide insight into genomes of bacteria and viruses, as well as extrachromosomal circular DNA in mammals and plants. University of Alberta biologists…