Genetic News and Research

RSS

Human Neurons Reveal Why Some Cells Resist Tau Protein Buildup

New research by UCLA Health and UC San Francisco has uncovered why certain brain cells are more resilient than others to the buildup of a toxic protein that is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, potentially leading to new targets for therapies or treatments.

31 Jan 2026

AI Decodes Evolutionary Programs Shaping the Mammalian Cerebellum

Artificial intelligence allows tracing the evolution of genetic control elements in the developing mammalian cerebellum.

31 Jan 2026

Cryo-EM Uncovers Alarmone-Driven RNA Transcription Initiation

Scientists at IOCB Prague are uncovering new details of gene transcription. They have identified a previously unknown molecular mechanism by which the transcription of genetic information from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) into ribonucleic acid (RNA) can be initiated.

31 Jan 2026

Ancient DNA Reveals Rare Growth Disorder in Upper Paleolithic Individuals

Researchers led by the University of Vienna and Liège University Hospital Centre have identified genetic variants associated with a rare inherited growth disorder in two prehistoric individuals who lived more than 12,000 years ago.

30 Jan 2026

Visualizing Real-Time DNA Transcription in a Living Mouse

DNA can be regarded as an extensive library that contains all genetic information. Cells do not utilize this information simultaneously.

30 Jan 2026

Abundance of Oral Microbes Is Strongly Influenced by Genetics

No matter how much they brush their teeth, some people still get more cavities than others, in part because of differences in genetics and the make-up of the microbes in their mouths.

29 Jan 2026

Autism-Linked Mutations Converge on Shared Early Brain Pathways

UCLA Health researchers have created a comprehensive map showing how eight different genetic mutations associated with autism spectrum disorder affect early brain development, providing new insights into the ways diverse genetic causes may lead to shared features and symptoms of the disorder.

29 Jan 2026

Natural Molecular Brake Prevents Uncontrolled DNA Replication in Cells

For almost 60 years, scientists have tried to understand why DNA doesn't replicate wildly and uncontrollably every time a cell divides – which they need to do constantly. Without this process, we would die.

29 Jan 2026

New Epigenetic Catalog Helps Explain Individual Differences in Immune Responses

The COVID-19 pandemic gave us tremendous perspective on how wildly symptoms and outcomes can vary between patients experiencing the same infection.

28 Jan 2026

Expanding CRISPR to Tackle Incurable Skin Diseases

Gene-editing techniques such as CRISPR have enabled new treatments for previously incurable diseases. Researchers at the University of British Columbia are now expanding those capabilities to include the skin for the first time.

28 Jan 2026

Melbourne Scientists Use AI to Tame CRISPR

Last year a ten-month old baby in the US was the first person in the world to have their rare genetic disease effectively cured through the use of CRISPR gene editing technology.

27 Jan 2026

Novel Epigenetic Regulator Enhances Downy Mildew Resistance in Brassica rapa

Downy mildew is a major constraint on Brassica crop production worldwide, especially during early developmental stages when plants are highly vulnerable to infection.

27 Jan 2026

Prehistoric Genome Pushes Back Origins of Treponemal Diseases in the Americas

Scientists have recovered a genome of Treponema pallidum – the bacterium whose subspecies today are responsible for four treponemal diseases, including syphilis – from 5,500-year-old human remains in Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia.

24 Jan 2026

Single Enzyme Enables Low-Cost Synthesis of All RNA Nucleotides

A single enzyme that can generate all four nucleotide triphosphates, the building blocks of ribonucleic acid (RNA), was identified by researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo.

24 Jan 2026

Large African Ancestry Genetic Study Reveals Shared Biology Of Schizophrenia

A team of researchers led by scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has conducted the largest and most comprehensive genome-wide association study (GWAS) to date of schizophrenia in individuals of African ancestry.

24 Jan 2026