Genetics
9 articles
Scientists successfully double genetic alphabet to eight DNA letters
For the first time, a natural enzyme has accurately read and transcribed an eight-letter genetic alphabet, effectively doubling the fundamental code of life.
What is Epigenetics and How Do Environment Factors Affect Gene Expression?
A sweeping meta-analysis, synthesizing 140 studies and 65,919 participants, reveals a profound truth: social determinants of health are deeply linked to changes in our 'epigenetic clocks.
Evolutionary History Reveals Genetic Links to COVID-19 Severity
Two rare genetic changes in the TLR2 gene, identified in Italian COVID-19 patients, were directly linked to more severe forms of the disease.
Scientists Discover Universal Gene Activation Language
The instructions for activating genes are essentially the same in humans, sea anemones, and soil amoebas.
Manakins evolved to eat fruit by repurposing umami receptors
A single male manakin can consume its entire body weight in berries in only 1.5 hours.
What Is the Human Microbiome and How Does It Influence Health?
The human gut alone harbors over 100 trillion microorganisms, encoding more than 3 million genes — a genetic library vastly larger than our own human genome.
What is the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis?
In 2014, a prominent article in Nature directly posed the question: 'Does evolutionary theory need a rethink?
What are CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing applications and how do they work?
At the molecular level, the Cas9 protein initiates a double-strand break at a locus just 3-nucleotides upstream of a specific PAM sequence, demonstrating an almost surgical precision in genetic modifi
Mobile DNA's role in brain development revealed: 20,000+ sites identified
Scientists have just mapped over 20,000 previously hidden DNA binding sites in the developing human brain, revealing that 'junk DNA' actively orchestrates neuron formation.