Lichens Are Way Younger Than Scientists Thought – Likely Evolved Millions of Years After Plants
You’ve probably seen a lichen, even if you didn’t realize it. If you’ve ever meandered through the forest and wondered what the crusty stuff on…
Genetics
Method for Measuring Animal Personality Developed to Explore Connections Between Genes and Behavior
A study on mice shows animal research may need to take into account the connection between genes, behavior and personality. We might refer to someone’s…
DNA Is Just One Among Millions of Possible Genetic Molecules – Clues for Origin of Life & Search for Extraterrestrial Biology
Scientists computed a zoo of millions of alternate genetic polymer molecular structures, giving context for why biology encodes information how it does, and providing potential…
Researcher Finds New Use for Revolutionary Gene-Splicing Tool CRISPR
CRISPR: More than just for gene editing? Researcher finds new use for revolutionary gene-splicing tool; Electrochemical CRISPR platform could lead to quick blood test for…
Scientists Measure Mouse Personality and Map Traits to Their Genetics
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany, together with colleagues at the Weizmann Institute of Sciencein Israel have developed a computational…
New Tools to Advance Biomedical Research Created by Biological Engineer at MIT
Paul Blainey’s technology platforms have benefited genomics, diagnostics, and drug screening. Microfluidics — the science of manipulating tiny amounts of fluid through channels — has…
Re-Cracking the Genetic Code – We May Have Only Begun to Scratch the Surface
Crack open a biology textbook and you will find a standard icon of molecular biology: the table summarizing the standard genetic code. This refers to…
Discovery Leads to Schizophrenia Biomarker and New Insights on Cause and Treatment
Working with model mice, post-mortem human brains, and people with schizophrenia, researchers at the RIKEN Center for Brain Science in Japan have discovered that a…
Major Implications for Human Disease Uncovered in Mysterious Microproteins
Salk scientists discover how microprotein PIGBOS could be a target for cancer. As the tools to study biology improve, researchers are beginning to uncover details…
1 Billion Years of Evolution Illuminated by Genetic Sequencing of 1,100 Plants
Plants are evolutionary champions, dominating Earth’s ecosystems for more than a billion years and making the planet habitable for countless other life forms, including us….
Helping Save Pumas From Inbreeding With Whole Genome Sequencing
The first complete genetic sequences of individual mountain lions point the way to better conservation strategies for saving threatened populations of the wild animals. When…
Advancing Biomanufacturing by Uncovering the Mechanisms Behind Magnetogenetics
Greater understanding of phenomena could enable unprecedented control over gene expression. Magnetogenetics — the idea that you can use magnetic fields to control cells and…
Cornell Scientists Unravel Mystery Behind DNA Replication
The molecules of life are twisted. But how those familiar strands in DNA’s double helix manage to replicate without being tangled up has been hard…
New Genetic Engineering Tool Unlocks Biochemical Treasure Chest Within Microbes
A new genetic engineering tool will help open the floodgates of microbial metabolite applications. Secondary metabolites – the compounds produced by microbes to mediate internal…
When Mutant Cells Team Up, an Even Deadlier Blood Cancer Emerges [Video]
Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have discovered that two cell mutations, already harmful…
Analyzing the Current Ethical Landscape of Ancient DNA Research
An international team seeks to integrate diverse voices, experiences and expertise into the scientific practices of ancient DNA research and foster better collaboration with Indigenous…
Rapid Evolution of Deadly Pathogen: Cholera Bacterium Can Steal Up to 150 Genes in One Go
EPFL scientists have discovered that predatory bacteria like the cholera pathogen can steal up to 150 genes in one go from their neighbors. The study…
Charles Darwin Was Right: Catching Evolution in the Act
Natural selection alters genes that control roundworms’ sense of smell. Artificial and natural selection affect the same genes in roundworms In both cases, genes are…