Genetic News and Research

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UNC Professor Receives Grant to Investigate Origins of the Genetic Code

Over the course of natural history, animals and plants have evolved to adapt to an ever-changing environment and increase the chances of survival. So, too, has our own DNA.

7 May 2026

Interactions Across the Genome Drive Neurodevelopmental Risks

People who have the same deletion of a section of chromosome 16 are susceptible to neurodevelopmental disorders; however, some may simply show moderate psychological symptoms like anxiety or depression, while others may have significant intellectual disability or developmental delay.

6 May 2026

AI Model Reads DNA Like Language to Trace Ancestry

Researchers at the University of Oregon have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can read genetic code the way large language models like ChatGPT read text. Scanning the genome for biological mutation patterns, the computer model traces pairs of genes back in time to their last common ancestor.

5 May 2026

Discovery Shows How Plants Prevent Excess Immune Responses

Salicylic acid, the active molecule in aspirin and some acne medications, is a hormone in plants that is essential for immunity, but it's a double-edged sword: Too much can cause autoimmunity and stunt growth.

5 May 2026

New Model Explains How Genetic Information Maintains Cellular Order

A Moffitt Cancer Center researcher has introduced a new model that addresses one of biology's most fundamental questions: How does genetic information keep living systems organized and therefore alive?

5 May 2026

Engineered Bacteriophage Speeds up the "Training" of Plastic-Eating Bacteria

Millions of tons of plastic waste build up in landfills and oceans each year. One promising approach is to engineer microbes to break plastic down into useful chemical building blocks.

4 May 2026

Genomic Tool TRACS Improves Tracking of Microbial Transmission Patterns

The research, published today (24 April) in Nature Microbiology, describes how the new tool, called TRAnsmision Clustering of Strains (TRACS), uses genomics to distinguish between closely related bacterial strains.

4 May 2026

Host Genetics and Sex Shape Evolution of Viral Virulence

During the early stages of a pandemic, viruses tend to evolve in ways that enhance their ability to reproduce and spread, rather than to evade the host's immune system.

4 May 2026

Accelerating Enzyme Discovery With the SMART Single-Molecule Screening System

Enzymes are proteins that catalyze chemical reactions in living organisms. They are widely applied in industries such as food production, detergents, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals.

30 Apr 2026

Pronuclei Size Competition Maintains Gene Regulation in Early Embryos

The sperm and the egg cell's nuclei compete for size directly after fertilization and this is necessary for the proper embryonic development.

30 Apr 2026

Long Read Sequencing Uncovers Telomere Length Variation Across Chromosomes

In a new proof-of-concept study published in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Chicago analyzed genomic data from more than 2,500 participants in the national All of Us research program to estimate chromosome-specific telomere length (csTL).

30 Apr 2026

Intermediate PRRX1 Levels Drive Breast Cancer Metastasis Risk

The study identifies PRRX1 as a critical factor in breast cancer metastasis, highlighting its potential as a biomarker for predicting aggressive disease.

29 Apr 2026

Drug Development: Development of Dextran Nanoparticles for Stabilizing Delicate Proteins

Nanoscale Research Letters, an open access journal published under Springer Open, presented a study entitled "Development of Dextran Nanoparticles for Stabilizing Delicate Proteins." In this study, a Brookhaven NanoBrook 90Plus Particle Size Analyzer was used to help develop a novel approach to stabilize and encapsulate proteins into dextran nanoparticles.

From Brookhaven Instruments 29 Apr 2026

MD Anderson Researchers Map DNA Replication Stress at Single-Cell Resolution

Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a new imaging method, known as RF-SIRF, that quantitatively detects and maps reversed DNA replication forks with single-cell resolution.

28 Apr 2026

Obesity Leaves Persistent Epigenetic Marks on Immune Cells

People who live with obesity are 'tagging' a memory of being overweight on a key part of the immune system - leaving people with ongoing risk of obesity-related conditions years after losing weight, according to a 10 year-long study published in EMBO Reports.

28 Apr 2026

Influenza D Virus Shows Potential to Infect Human Cells

The influenza D virus that researchers say has been flying under the radar since its detection in animals in 2011 can vigorously make copies of itself in human cells and lung tissue samples, a new study shows.

27 Apr 2026

Discovery of Heme Transport Pathway Solves Longstanding Red Blood Cell Enigma

Scientists have long been puzzled by how maturing red blood cells manage to produce all the hemoglobin they need to carry oxygen to tissues, even after shedding the vital structures they need to produce it.

25 Apr 2026

Re-Engineering the Cellular Factory to Build a Better Delivery System for Gene Editors

Gene editing has emerged as a powerful approach for targeting the genetic causes of disease, but getting the editing machinery into the right cells efficiently, safely, and at the scale needed for therapies remains one of the biggest set of challenges in the field.

25 Apr 2026

New Genetic Pathways Linked to Cardiometabolic Disease Identified

A study published today in PLOS Medicine has identified two new genetic pathways that contribute to cardiometabolic disease, which includes heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

24 Apr 2026

New Study Uncovers Previously Undetected Form of DNA Damage

In everyday life, our genetic material is constantly under attack from many factors. Environmental influences such as light, along with internal processes like inflammation, can generate oxidative stress that damages DNA and its downstream partner, RNA, which can lead to faster aging and diseases such as cancer.

24 Apr 2026