Fritillary butterflies preserve genetic diversity through interbreeding
The formation of hybrids—organisms obtained after crossing genetically different forms—is more widespread in nature previously thought. Usually, only closely related species can hybridize. For example, hybrids occur in some populations of Daphnia.....»»
Scientists win World Food Prize for work on Global Seed Vault
Scientists Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler, who on Thursday received the prestigious World Food Prize for "their work to preserve the world's heritage of seeds", are on a mission......»»
Genetic study finds early summer fishing can have an evolutionary impact, resulting in smaller salmon
Atlantic salmon are caught by fisheries when the fish are migrating to spawn. A new study led by the University of Helsinki explored how salmon caught at different times during their spawning migration differ from each other genetically. The study on.....»»
Study underscores new strategies to fight drug-resistant bacteria
Several billion years ago, a genetic arms race began between bacteria and their viral killers. This seemingly eternal struggle continues today, with implications for diseases killing tens of thousands of people around the world each year......»»
Researchers study the intricacies of homologous recombination and abnormal chromosome bridges
Keeping the genetic information stored in genomic DNA intact during the cell division cycle is crucial for almost all lifeforms. Extensive DNA damage invariably causes various adverse genomic rearrangements, which can lead to cell death in the best c.....»»
Microbiome studies help explore treatments for genetic disorders
A collaboration has led to the identification, in a bacterium of the intestine, of new CRISPR-Cas9 molecules that could have a clinical potential to treat genetic diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, through sub-retinal injections. Anna Cereseto an.....»»
Research team develops fast-track process for genetic improvement of plant traits
Researchers interested in improving a given trait in plants can now identify the genes that regulate the trait's expression without doing any experiments......»»
Study of new method used to preserve privacy with US census data suggests accuracy has suffered
A small team of political scientists, statisticians and data scientists from Harvard University, New York University, and Yale University, has found that by switching to a new method to better protect privacy, the U.S. Census Department has introduce.....»»
Turbid waters keep the coast healthy, finds study
To preserve the important intertidal areas and salt marshes off our coasts for the future, we need more turbid water. That is one of the striking conclusions from a new study conducted by a Dutch-Chinese team of researchers and published in Nature Ge.....»»
The US Is Cracking Down on Synthetic DNA
Synthetic DNA could be used to spark a pandemic. A move by President Biden aims to create new standards for the safety and security of mail-order genetic material......»»
We still don’t understand how one human apparently got bird flu from a cow
A genetic analysis and case report reveal new insights and big gaps in our knowledge. Enlarge / Holstein dairy cows in a freestall barn. (credit: Getty | ) The US Department of Agriculture this week posted an unpublished.....»»
Male or female? Scientists discover the genetic mechanism that determines sex development in butterflies
Scientists of the Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with University of Liverpool have found the genetic mechanism that determines whether individuals of the butterfly species Bicyclus anynana become male or female......»»
"Degree of Kevin Bacon" gene provides possible basis for central players in group connectedness
A team of biologists and geneticists at the University of Toronto at Mississauga has found a possible genetic basis for a central player in group connectedness. In their study, published in the journal Nature Communications, the group conducted genet.....»»
Adaptation of photosynthetic mechanism in air plants occurs through gene duplication, study finds
Researchers at the University of Vienna, along with collaborators from France, Germany, Switzerland and the U.S., have achieved a breakthrough in understanding how genetic drivers influence the evolution of a specific photosynthesis mechanism in Till.....»»
Genetic adaptations have impacted the blood compositions of two populations from Papua New Guinea, finds study
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a wide range of environments, each presenting unique challenges to human survival. Highlanders and lowlanders of PNG are striking examples of populations facing distinct environmental stress. Whereas the highlanders encount.....»»
Scientists" research on RNA editing illuminates possible lifesaving treatments for genetic diseases
A team at Montana State University published research this month that shows how RNA, the close chemical cousin to DNA, can be edited using CRISPRs. The work reveals a new process in human cells that has potential for treating a wide variety of geneti.....»»
Study sheds light on the diversity of carnivore skull shapes and their function
In a study published in Nature Communications, a team of international researchers led by Gabriele Sansalone and Carmelo Fruciano has made a significant discovery about the diversity of skull shapes in carnivores......»»
AI deciphers new gene regulatory code in plants and makes accurate predictions for newly sequenced genomes
Genome sequencing technology provides thousands of new plant genomes annually. In agriculture, researchers merge this genomic information with observational data (measuring various plant traits) to identify correlations between genetic variants and c.....»»
Automated machine learning robot unlocks new potential for genetics research
University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research......»»
Researchers decipher how an enzyme modifies the genetic material in the cell nucleus
Inside the cell nucleus, the DNA molecule is found in a densely packed DNA-protein complex known as chromatin. Here the DNA is wrapped around a core of histone proteins and densely packed to form nucleosomes. The structure of the nucleosomes determin.....»»
Genetic hope in fight against devastating wheat disease
Fungal disease Fusarium head blight (FHB) is on the rise due to increasingly humid conditions induced by climate change during the wheat growing season, but a fundamental discovery by University of Adelaide researchers could help reduce its economic.....»»