Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

New Gene-Editing Approach Eliminates Painful Crises in Sickle Cell Disease

New results from a clinical trial show promising outcomes for a gene-edited treatment for severe sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder with few curative options.

2 Apr 2026

Excessive RNA Editing May Explain Neurological Differences in Down Syndrome

A collaborative research study co-led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Liber Institute for Brain Development has for the first time identified a biological process that may help explain how the brain develops differently in people with Down syndrome. The study was a collaboration among scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Lieber Institute for Brain Development, the Medical University of Sofia in Bulgaria, and the University of Arizona.

2 Apr 2026

Researchers Use Retron Systems to License DNA for Cellular Tasks

Stepping away from its billions-of-years-old role as a genetic "blueprint," DNA is now embarking on a new journey as an active "field agent" within cells. This research by a team led by Professor Jongmin Kim and Ph.D. candidate Geonhu Lee from the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology) was published in the online edition of the international chemistry journal, Nature Chemistry.

2 Apr 2026

Study Reveals How Biological Machines Write New Genetic Information

New research has discovered that the molecular machines responsible for copying our DNA have a surprising hidden talent – an ability to create entirely new and highly sophisticated DNA sequences from scratch.

1 Apr 2026

New Framework Prioritizes Uncertain Genetic Variants in Cancer Profiling

Hiroshima University researchers have developed a practical framework to identify candidate pathogenic variants hidden among the large number of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) detected in comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of cancers.

1 Apr 2026

Antibiotic Degrading Bacteria Enhance Microbial Stability and Ecosystem Resilience

By comparing natural microbial adaptation with targeted bioaugmentation using an antibiotic-degrading strain, the study reveals how biodegradation capacity fundamentally reshapes microbial succession, stability, and resilience under sustained antibiotic exposure.

1 Apr 2026

Nonviral Nanoparticles Show Promise for Safer Gene Delivery Methods

In a demonstration that helps pave the way for gene therapies with fewer side effects, several human cell types were genetically modified with protein nanoparticles designed at University of Michigan Engineering and Michigan Medicine.

1 Apr 2026

Study Reveals Hidden Diversity in Rising Strep Bacterium

Scientists at Houston Methodist Research Institute have discovered that a fast‑rising strep bacterium comes in more forms than expected, including ones that may lead to life-threatening infections.

1 Apr 2026

Zebrafish Use Integrated Visual Signals to Move Up and Down in the Ocean

Using zebrafish, researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU) have identified the tegmentum region in the fish midbrain as the area where light input from both the fish's eyes and the pineal organ-the 'third eye'-is integrated.

31 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How Trypanosomes Fine-Tune Protein Production Through Destruction

To survive in the human bloodstream, the African trypanosome parasite wears a "cloak" made of proteins known as a variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The study, published in Nature Microbiology, identifies the protein that allows the parasite to fine-tune this "cloak".

31 Mar 2026

Study Reveals How Distributed Networks Support Complex Behavior

Understanding how the brain works requires more than studying single regions in isolation. The cerebral cortex depends on long-distance connections that link specialized areas into coordinated networks. But scientists have had limited tools for selectively turning these specific connections "on" or "off" in animal models that most closely resemble the human brain.

31 Mar 2026

Advanced Testing Methods Uncover Previously Hidden Bacterial Genetic Variants

Scientists at Houston Methodist Research Institute have discovered that a fast‑rising strep bacterium comes in more forms than expected, including ones that may lead to life-threatening infections.

31 Mar 2026

Novel Immunotherapy Disrupts the Protective Tumor Microenvironment Ecosystem

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy - CAR T for short - has been a major advance in treating blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. But the immunotherapy has struggled against solid tumors for two main reasons: tumor cells often don't share one consistent surface target, and many solid tumors are protected by a dense network of scar tissue and immune-suppressive cells that blocks T cells.

31 Mar 2026

Study Highlights the Vast Untapped Potential Within the Global Protein Universe

The number of known proteins is infinitely small in comparison to the universe of possible proteins which could in theory be realized. Yet these known proteins are the only major training ground for future protein design. Understanding how representative these proteins are of the overall potential diversity can therefore help inform strategies for a wide range of applications, including therapeutic, biocatalysis, or biomaterials development.

31 Mar 2026

Autism-Associated Genes are Largely the Same Across Different Global Ancestries

A new study, co-led by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published March 30 in Nature Medicine, demonstrates that genes associated with autism risk are largely the same across people of different ancestries.

31 Mar 2026

New Computational Tools Improve Gene Function Determination Within Fungal Organisms

While RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has become a standard tool for profiling which genes are active in an organism, determining the actual biological functions of those genes in fungi remains a significant technical challenge. Most existing software tools are designed to cover a broad range of species, often lacking the specificity required for the unique genetic landscape of fungi.

31 Mar 2026

New Genetic Pathways and Compounds Identified to Prevent Cone Degeneration

Scientists led by Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) and collaborators have identified genetic pathways and compounds capable of protecting cone photoreceptors from the degeneration that underlies conditions like age-related macular degeneration.

30 Mar 2026