Gene News and Research

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A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

Stem Cell Models Offer Insights Into Early Brain Development and Autism

Researchers have made great strides to understand early signs of autism. Studies have found that certain factors like genetics, sleep deprivation, excess fluid in the brain-and brain size-can increase the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions, like autism.

24 Dec 2025

Genetic Factor "Fru" Influences Bees' Cooperative Food-Seeking Behavior

A team of biologists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), along with researchers from Bochum and Paris, has uncovered a genetic component underlying intricate social behaviors in bees.

24 Dec 2025

Mapping the Four Dimensional Organization of the Human Genome

A new study challenges what's long been assumed about genetic variants thought to always cause inherited blindness.

23 Dec 2025

Study Challenges Long-Held Assumptions About Mendelian Retinal Disorders

A new study challenges what's long been assumed about genetic variants thought to always cause inherited blindness.

23 Dec 2025

Calcium Signaling Suppresses Lignin Accumulation in Pear Stone Cells

Stone cells arise from lignified secondary cell walls and cause a gritty texture, reduced sweetness, and poor flavor in many pear cultivars.

23 Dec 2025

Foreign RsMYB28 Allele Boosts Glucosinolate Accumulation in Rapeseed

These bioactive compounds, found primarily in Brassicaceae plants, play crucial roles in plant defense, contribute to distinctive food flavors, and have potential health benefits, including cancer prevention.

23 Dec 2025

Researchers Map Gene Activation in Lethal Fungal Outbreaks

Scientists have discovered a genetic process which could unlock new ways to treat mysterious and deadly fungal infection which has shut down multiple hospital intensive care units.

22 Dec 2025

New Rat Study Reveals How Genetic Traits Ripple Through Social Microbiomes

The gut microbiome - made up of trillions of microbes in the digestive tract - is vital for digestion and overall health. Diet and medication shape these microbial ecosystems, but the contribution of genetics has been more difficult to ascertain.

22 Dec 2025

Study Identifies Protein Target to Overcome Drug Resistance in NSCLC

Lung cancer is the second-most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.

22 Dec 2025

Researchers Uncover Gene Control Elements Tied to Alzheimer’s Disease

When most of us think of DNA, we have a vague idea it's made up of genes that give us our physical features, our behavioral quirks, and keep our cells and organs running.

19 Dec 2025

Genes Can Spread Their Effects Through Shared Microbes

Your "roommate's" genes could be influencing the bacteria living in your gut, and vice versa, according to a study of rats published today in Nature Communications.

19 Dec 2025

Long Non-Coding RNA Found to Directly Control Cell Size

What keeps our cells the right size? Scientists have long puzzled over this fundamental question, since cells that are too large or too small are linked to many diseases.

18 Dec 2025

A Molecular Tug-of-War Shapes Gene Regulation and Disease

A newly revealed molecular tug-of-war may have implications for better understanding how a multitude of diseases and disorders - including cancers, neurodegenerative diseases and immune disorders - originate, as well as how to potentially treat them, according to researchers at Penn State.

18 Dec 2025

Essential Proteins May Have Evolved to Allow Misfolding Repair

Proteins need to fold into specific shapes to perform their functions in cells, but they occasionally misfold, which can prevent them from properly functioning and even lead to disease.

18 Dec 2025

Cell Wall Stiffness Directs Plant Stem Cell Fate

Imagine if our bodies could grow new organs throughout our entire lives. Plants do this constantly, thanks to the tiny, powerful reservoirs of stem cells. But how do these cells know when to divide, and how do they ensure each division is perfectly oriented to build a leaf, a stem, or a flower?

18 Dec 2025