Genomics

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Scientists Uncover Hidden Role of Cas9 in Building Bacterial Immune Memory

When scientists discovered how bacteria protect themselves against viral invaders, called phages, in the early 2000s, little did they know they'd stumbled upon a revolutionary tool researchers could use to edit the DNA of living cells.

4 Sep 2025

Microbial Signatures Help Distinguish Colorectal Tumors from Other Cancers

Colorectal cancer is unique in having its own microbial 'fingerprint' – according to new research from the University of East Anglia.

4 Sep 2025

Ancient Microbial DNA Recovered from Million Year Old Mammoth Remains

An international team led by researchers at the Centre for Palaeogenetics, has uncovered microbial DNA preserved in woolly and steppe mammoth remains dating back more than one million years.

3 Sep 2025

Automated 3D Imaging Uncovers Genetic Markers for Sorghum Leaf Arrangement

By reconstructing 366 sorghum plants from calibrated images, the team showed that automated measurements achieved near-human repeatability and enabled genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to uncover genetic markers linked to leaf orientation.

3 Sep 2025

Genetic Discovery Reveals How Plants Respond to Blue Light and Cold

Plants may be stuck in one place, but the world around them is constantly changing. In order to grow and flower at the right time, plants must constantly collect information about their surroundings, measuring things like temperature, brightness, and length of day.

3 Sep 2025

Tackling KRAS Mutations Unlocks New Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Accounting for nearly 90% of all pancreatic cancers, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a five-year survival rate of just 13%. Late-stage diagnosis, limited surgical options, and toxic chemotherapy regimens contribute to its poor outcomes.

2 Sep 2025

DNA-Wrapped Nanoparticles Enhance Efficiency of Gene Editing Tools

With the power to rewrite the genetic code underlying countless diseases, CRISPR holds immense promise to revolutionize medicine.

2 Sep 2025

Genetic Evidence Links Human Migration to Linguistic Exchange

Throughout human history, there have been many instances where two populations came into contact – especially in the past few thousand years because of large-scale migrations as a consequence of conquests, colonialization, and, more recently, globalization.

2 Sep 2025

Genetic On-Off Switch for Cilia Formation Uncovered

Some might say it looks like a finger. Others might see a worm. Scientists in the field often liken it to an antenna. The technical name is primary cilium.

2 Sep 2025

Mathematical Approach Restores Altered Cellular Responses to Normal States

Previously, research on controlling gene networks has been carried out based on a single stimulus-response of cells.

2 Sep 2025

Plants Activate Immunity Instead of Growth During Drought Recovery

A plant's number one priority is to grow-a feat that demands sunlight, nutrients, and water. If just one of these three inputs is missing, like water in a drought, growth halts.

2 Sep 2025

Cornell Study Reveals Early Genetic Differences Between Male and Female Embryos

Cornell researchers have uncovered the genetic triggers that cause male and female bovine embryos to develop differently, as early as seven to eight days after fertilization.

1 Sep 2025

Bacteria Pass Down Environmental Memories Across Generations

Bacteria aren't just mindless microbes. New research from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem reveals that single bacterial cells can carry a "memory" of their past environments-passing it down through generations-before eventually forgetting.

27 Aug 2025

New "DNA Organizer" Found to Be Essential for Sperm Stem Cell Development

A research team at Kyoto University has discovered STAG3-cohesin, a new mitotic cohesin complex that helps establish the unique DNA architecture of spermaotogonial stem cells (SSCs), the stem cells that give rise to sperm.

27 Aug 2025

Genes and Diet Work Together to Regulate the Liver’s Circadian Clock

Our bodies follow a natural 24-hour cycle known as the circadian rhythm that influences everything from sleep to metabolism.

27 Aug 2025

Exploring the Regulatory Potential of "Junk DNA"

The non-coding genome, once referred to as "junk DNA," is now understood to be a fundamental regulator of gene expression and a key factor in understanding complex diseases.

25 Aug 2025

Genome-Wide Screening Approach Uncovers Genetic Brakes on Blood Cancer Growth

Australian researchers have used an innovative genome-wide screening approach to identify genes, and their encoded proteins, that play critical roles in the prevention of lymphoma development, revealing new potential treatment targets for these blood cancers.

22 Aug 2025

Genetic Signatures of Neural Progenitor Cells Uncovered in the Adult Brain

For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration. This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons – is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.

22 Aug 2025

Ancient Interbreeding Provided Modern Humans with Useful Genetic Variation

A new study provides fresh evidence that ancient interbreeding with archaic human species may have provided modern humans with genetic variation that helped them adapt to new environments as they dispersed across the globe.

22 Aug 2025

Genetic Insights from Wild Crop Relatives may Help Secure Future Food Supplies

With climate change and more frequent extreme weather events, researchers predict that global yields of important crops like maize, rice, and soybeans could decline by 12 to 20% by the end of the century.

22 Aug 2025