Genetics News and Research

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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.

Chemical tools can regulate lipid concentration in living cells

Lipids have several crucial functions in the human body: They serve as messengers, which mediate the growth of cells and regulate the release of hormones.

20 Apr 2020

Scents regulate fat metabolism without affecting feeding habits

Dr. Ayse Sena Mutlu, a postdoctoral fellow at Baylor's Huffington Center On Aging, had an intriguing question. Is it possible to change the body's fat storage without changing eating habits?

17 Apr 2020

Study clears potential obstacle to using gene drive strategy to control mosquitoes

New research from entomologists at UC Davis clears a potential obstacle to using CRISPR-Cas9 "gene drive" technology to control mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika.

From The University of California, Davis 17 Apr 2020

Rare structural genetic variants could play a role in schizophrenia

Most of the research focused on the genetics of schizophrenia has aimed at understanding the function played by genes in the development and heritability of schizophrenia.

17 Apr 2020

Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Secrets Of Schizophrenia

Most research about the genetics of schizophrenia has sought to understand the role that genes play in the development and heritability of schizophrenia.

17 Apr 2020

Study shows how vulnerable cells armor themselves against infection

Cells in some of the body's most vulnerable entry routes to bacterial infection buffer themselves when the immune system detects danger by reorganizing the cholesterol on their surfaces, a new study led by UTSW scientists suggests.

16 Apr 2020

New study on transposable elements could help advance understanding of genetic evolution

There has been very little knowledge of ways in which transposable elements play a role in gene regulation. Transposable elements are small DNA pieces with the ability to replicate and scatter themselves in the genome.

16 Apr 2020

New algorithm predicts the evolution of genetic mutations in species

David McCandlish and Juannan Zhou, both quantitative biologists at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, have designed a new algorithm that has predictive power, providing researchers the ability to observe the way particular genetic mutations combine to make crucial proteins change over the duration of a species’ evolution.

16 Apr 2020

Genetic architecture of life span is context dependent, study finds

Scientists believe about 25 percent of the differences in human life span is determined by genetics -- with the rest determined by environmental and lifestyle factors. But they don't yet know all the genes that contribute to a long life.

15 Apr 2020

Plant genes control microbiome diversity inside leaves to stay healthy

In a new study, published in the journal Nature, Michigan State University scientists show how plant genes select which microbes get to live inside their leaves in order to stay healthy.

14 Apr 2020

New model can improve prediction of genetic modification with unintended consequences

Scientists have often demonstrated their interest in genetically modifying tree species for a wide range of applications, ranging from paper to biofuel production, while staying clear of those modifications that lead to unexpected outcomes.

14 Apr 2020

Study reveals new mechanism that controls chromosome inheritance

During the process of each single cell division, the chromosomal genetic data should be uniformly distributed between the freshly developing daughter cells.

13 Apr 2020

Exposure to even low levels of air pollution can change gene expression

New data from a landmark study done by Monash University researchers in Australia raises significant concerns that even short-term exposure to low-level air pollution can affect gene expression, leaving us at risk of other diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.

9 Apr 2020

Online tool to refine results from RNA sequencing from clinically accessible tissues

DNA sequencing has turned out to be a common method for diagnosing diseases and enhancing precision medicine.

9 Apr 2020

Using expansion microscopy for research on fungi

Fungi play an important role for mankind. In the soil, they decompose dead organic material, making it accessible to plants as a nutrient.

8 Apr 2020

Researchers decode the mechanism of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus

The Structural Biology Lab at Kazan Federal University and the Institute of Proteins at the Russian Academy of Sciences represent the Russian side for the current study.

8 Apr 2020

New genetic techniques expand microbial research

A team of international scientists has developed a suite of more than 200 new genetic techniques for using marine microbes to investigate a host of questions in biology.

7 Apr 2020

Memory cells that help to interpret new situations identified

Imagine you are meeting a friend for dinner at a new restaurant. You may try dishes you haven't had before, and your surroundings will be completely new to you. However, your brain knows that you have had similar experiences -- perusing a menu, ordering appetizers, and splurging on dessert are all things that you have probably done when dining out.

7 Apr 2020

Study shows promise for treating different types of cancer

This story looks into the potential to treat various types of cancers using cells and the process of apoptosis.

7 Apr 2020

UMSOM researchers uncover mechanism to explain role of genetic mutations in kidney disease

Researchers from the Center for Precision Disease Modeling at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have uncovered a mechanism that appears to explain how certain genetic mutations give rise to a rare genetic kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome.

6 Apr 2020