Genetics News and Research

RSS

Genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of getting a certain disease) from parents to offspring.

Ancient Genetic Sequences Found to Drive Human Language Abilities

In a first-of-its-kind finding, researchers at University of Iowa Health Care discovered that specific genetic sequences have an outsized impact on humans' language abilities and that these sequences evolved before humans and Neanderthals diverged.

23 Apr 2026

New Molecular Imaging Technology Illuminates Proteins Inside Living Cells

Fluorescent probes have transformed modern biology by allowing researchers to tag and visualize individual molecules in living cells, tissues, and animals.

22 Apr 2026

Genetic Study Reveals Biological Drivers of Frailty in Aging

Researchers at McMaster University have identified, for the first time, a novel region of DNA and two associated genes connected to frailty, offering neurological and immune-related insights that might help explain why some older adults are more likely to be frail than others.

22 Apr 2026

Structured National Genomic Program can be Effective for Rare Disease Diagnosis

For many families, eight years of uncertainty meant repeated specialist visits, inconclusive genetic tests and the growing fear that a clear answer might never come. For nearly half of the children enrolled in the Telethon Undiagnosed Disease Program (TUDP), that wait is now over.

21 Apr 2026

Regulatory Genetic Elements Coordinate Temporal Activity of Key Developmental Gene

In a new study published in Genes & Development, research led by Dr Lila Allou at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) in London and Professor Stefan Mundlos at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics and Charité in Berlin demonstrates how different regulatory genetic elements coordinate the temporal activity of a key developmental gene.

20 Apr 2026

RNA Network Controls Cell Wall Remodeling in Apple Embryogenesis

Somatic embryogenesis is a powerful route for plant regeneration, transformation, and breeding, but one major question has remained unresolved: how highly differentiated cells regain the capacity to divide and develop like embryos.

20 Apr 2026

Study Reveals the "Black Box" of Protein Quality Control in the ER

Over the past few years, Kivanç Birsoy of Rockefeller University and his colleagues in the Laboratory of Metabolic Regulation and Genetics have uncovered amazing information about the antioxidant glutathione, which has numerous vital functions in the body, including eliminating free radicals and repairing cellular damage.

20 Apr 2026

"Zombie" Macrophages Accumulate in Aging Tissues and Diseased Livers

UCLA researchers have identified a rogue population of immune cells that quietly accumulates in aging tissues and in the livers of people with fatty liver disease. Clearing these cells, they found, dramatically reduced inflammation and reversed liver damage in mice - even while the animals remained on an unhealthy diet.

16 Apr 2026

1,116 Genomes Mapped to Reveal Hidden Human DNA Variation

The 1KCP pangenome enhances genetic research by mapping diverse DNA variations, crucial for understanding disease risk and advancing population genetics.

16 Apr 2026

Genetic Barcodes Reveal Early Origins of Human Peripheral Nerves

Millions of neurons branch throughout our bodies, keeping them in close communication with our brains. This peripheral network begins to take shape long before birth, as the cells of a growing embryo move into position and adopt their specialized roles.

15 Apr 2026

Largest Genetic Study Reveals New Biological Clues for Severe Pregnancy Sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

15 Apr 2026

Scientists Discover New Rare Genetic Disease Using Whole Exome Sequencing

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute and an international team of collaborators used a genetic sequencing technique called whole exome sequencing to discover a new rare genetic disease.

15 Apr 2026

Living Together May Drive Exchange of Gut Microbes

Living with friends may quietly be altering your gut bacteria - according to a new study from the University of East Anglia.

13 Apr 2026

CU Boulder Study Shows Genetic Link Between Mental and Physical Illness

For centuries, mental illness and physical disease have been viewed as two distinct categories, each with its own field of study, its own doctors, and its own menu of treatments.

10 Apr 2026

Redefining Cancer Therapy Through Selective Targeting of BET Protein Families

For over a decade, a class of drugs called BET inhibitors has been tested in cancer trials with high expectations.

10 Apr 2026

Genomic Study Maps the Biosynthesis of Dihydromyricetin in Vine Tea

Vine tea has been consumed in China for centuries and is valued as both a beverage and a medicinal plant.

10 Apr 2026

Non-Coding DNA Mutations Identified as Cause of Rare Neonatal Diabetes

Scientists have found new genetic causes for diabetes in babies – in a part of the genome that has historically been overlooked in genetic studies.

10 Apr 2026

Evolutionary Atlas Reveals Origin and Diversification of NF-Y Genes

Transcription factors are central to plant biology because they switch genes on and off in response to internal developmental programs and external stress.

9 Apr 2026

RNU2-2 Variants Drive Most Common Recessive Neurodevelopmental Disorder

New findings on RNU2-2 syndrome highlight its role in neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing genetic counseling and early diagnosis for affected families.

9 Apr 2026

Largest African Genomic Study Reveals New Kidney Disease Insights

An international research collaboration led by the University of the Witwatersrand and Queen Mary University of London has published the most comprehensive genomic investigation of kidney function ever conducted in African populations, shedding new light on the genetics of chronic kidney disease (CKD) across diverse African populations.

8 Apr 2026