Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Latest Genetics and Genomics News and Research

Kingfisher Genes Reveal Secrets of How They Dive Without Sustaining Brain Damage

If you've ever belly-flopped into a pool, then you know: water can be surprisingly hard if you hit it at the wrong angle. But many species of kingfishers dive headfirst into water to catch their fishy prey.

24 Oct 2023

The Exclusome, A New Mammalian "Container"

We speak to Dr. Ruth Kroschewski about new research that details the existence of an 'exclusome', a cytoplasmic container that appears to explain where extra-chromosomal DNA goes once it is in a cell.

24 Oct 2023

Software Tool Paves the Way for Safer CRISPR Genome Editing

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking software tool known as DANGER analysis, offering a solution for safer and more precise genome editing.

23 Oct 2023

Reassessment of the Role of Background Mutations in Genome Editing

More than a thousand years ago, tomatoes evolved through natural mutations. After human evolution, they cherry-picked tomatoes with preferred traits.

20 Oct 2023

Phylogenomics Provide Insight About Mosquitoes’ Previous Host Use

The mapping of the mosquito’s tree of life by North Carolina State University researchers and international partners is a significant step in comprehending key characteristics, such as how the insects select their hosts, feed on blood, and transmit disease.

19 Oct 2023

The Story of Sapiens and Neanderthals as Told by Genomes

Neanderthals, who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years on the western half of the Eurasian continent, gave way to Homo sapiens, who had come from Africa, some 40,000 years ago.

19 Oct 2023

Study Uncovers New Mechanism for Plant-Microbe Communication

Microorganisms that live on or in plant tissues form what is known as a plant microbiome. This interface plays an important role in plants' survival due to the existence of beneficial microorganisms.

19 Oct 2023

Yeast-Based Method Could Accelerate Discovery of Plant-Based Medicinal Compounds

Cornell researchers have harnessed the power of baker's yeast to create a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for unraveling how plants synthesize medicinal compounds, and used the new method to identify key enzymes in a kratom tree.

19 Oct 2023

Scientists Decode Plant 'Warning Messages'

Plants release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere when they experience mechanical damage or insect attacks. New research offers great insight into how this mechanism works.

18 Oct 2023

Creating a DNA Color Code With 16 Million Colors

Researchers at the University of Vienna have achieved a remarkable feat by developing fluorescent duplexes capable of producing up to 16 million colors.

18 Oct 2023

Researchers Sequence the Entire Genetic Code of Possums

In a five-year long study, just published in Nature Communications, an international group of researchers led by the University of Otago, has assembled the entire genetic code of the marsupial mammal.

18 Oct 2023

Understanding How E. coli Strains Outcompete One Another

Different strains of E.coli can outcompete one another to take over the gut, a new study reveals.

18 Oct 2023

Developing Regenerative Therapies to Treat Neurological Conditions

The primary cells that make up our brain and spinal cord, called neurons, are among the slowest to heal after injury, and many neurons never fully recover. Although research into neural regeneration has advanced, it is still unclear why certain neurons recover while others do not.

17 Oct 2023

Genomic Surveillance Shows Antibiotic Resistance in Ghana Driven by Clinical Use of Antibiotics

Some strains of heavily antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Ghana are not successful at spreading outside of the hospital, suggesting that control measures can be focused on clinical settings to help curb treatment-resistant infections.

17 Oct 2023

Delta Electronics Foundation and National Museum of Marine Science & Technology Set Up Asia's First Zero-Carbon Coral Conservation Center for Endangered Corals

Delta Electronics Foundation and the National Marine Science & Technology (NMMST) have jointly announced the opening of the Chaojing Coral Conservation Center on September 23rd with the aim of restoring internationally recognized endangered corals.

17 Oct 2023

"Old School" Genetics may be Just Fine for Species Conservation, Study Suggests

In the world of threatened and endangered species conservation, the genomic revolution has raised some complicated questions: How can scientists justify assessing species genetic diversity without consulting entire genomes now that they can be sequenced?

17 Oct 2023

Scientists Develop Novel Glycoengineering Platform to Revolutionize Vaccine and Therapeutic Production

A novel glycoengineering platform, created by the laboratory of Assistant Professor Chris Lok-To Sham from the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine), is poised to revolutionize future production of vaccines and therapeutics to fight infectious diseases.

17 Oct 2023

Marine Bacteria Could Help Tackle Plastic Pollution in the Oceans

A bacterium that can degrade the common polymer polybutylene succinate (PBS), which naturally biodegrades to only a limited extent in marine environments, could lead to improved ways to recycle this polymer.

17 Oct 2023

MIT Chemists Discover Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Ion Channel in Open State

The genome of the SARS-CoV-2 virus encodes 29 proteins, one of which is an ion channel called E. This channel, which transports protons and calcium ions, induces infected cells to launch an inflammatory response that damages tissues and contributes to the symptoms of Covid-19.

16 Oct 2023

Breakthrough Research Discovers How the Body Controls Itch

It can be a relief to scratch the occasional itch, but when itch gets out of control, it can become a serious health problem. How does the body know when to stop?

16 Oct 2023