Sociability genes found in some spiders
A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, Texas Tech University, Cornell University and Australian National University has found similar genes between species of spiders that have some degree of sociability. They have published their p.....»»
Wolves survived the ice age as a single, global population
Many dog populations seem to have two doses of wolf genes. Enlarge / An Eastern Gray Wolf is a mix of Siberian ancestry and coyote DNA. (credit: Michael Cummings) Man's best friend was the first of many animals humans have dom.....»»
Ancient wolf genomes indicate an East Asian origin for dogs
Many dog populations seem to have two doses of wolf genes. Enlarge / An Eastern Gray Wolf is a mix of Siberian ancestry and coyote DNA. (credit: Michael Cummings) Man's best friend was the first of many animals humans have dom.....»»
Sea dragons" genes give clues to their distinctive looks
Even with plenty of fish in the sea, sea dragons stand out from the crowd......»»
Gene fusion as an important mechanism to generate new genes in Oryza genomes
Events of gene fusion have been reported in several organisms. However, the role of gene fusion as part of new gene origination remains unknown. Evolutionary new genes, fused from more than two parental genes, can duck out of the detrimental step of.....»»
Octopus brain and human brain share the same "jumping genes"
The octopus is an exceptional organism with an extremely complex brain and cognitive abilities that are unique among invertebrates. So much so that in some ways it has more in common with vertebrates than with invertebrates. The neural and cognitive.....»»
Light it up: Using firefly genes to understand cannabis biology
Cannabis, a plant gaining ever-increasing attention for its wide-ranging medicinal properties, contains dozens of compounds known as cannabinoids......»»
Cut and stretch assay reveals resistance genes
Which antimicrobial resistance genes are present in bacteria, for example in a hospital ward? For laboratories with limited financial resources characterizing bacterial DNA is difficult, as this often requires expensive equipment. Researchers at Chal.....»»
Scientists unravel the mystery of genes that are key to brain development
Scientists are starting to understand the precise workings of a type of gene that, unlike other genes, does not code for proteins—the building blocks of life......»»
Mutations thought to be harmless turn out to cause problems
Mutations in genes that don't alter proteins can still alter survival in yeast. Enlarge / The genetic code. Note that a lot of the amino acids (the outer layer, in grey) are encoded by several sets of three-base codes that share the fi.....»»
JcSEP3 regulates stamen development in Jatropha curcas
SEPALLATA (SEP) genes are the plant-specific MIKC-type MADS-box genes, belonging to the class E genes in the ABCE model of flower organ development......»»
Genetics breakthrough in sea urchins to aid in biomedical research
Marine biologists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have created a line of sea urchins whose genetic makeup is fully mapped and can be edited to study human disease genes. The creation of these new research model organisms will a.....»»
A New Kind of Genome Editing Is Here to Fine-Tune DNA
Instead of deleting genes, epigenetic editing modulates their activity. A new paper tests if it’s able to undo a genetic effect of early alcohol exposure......»»
This Australian grasshopper gave up sex 250,000 years ago and it"s doing fine
Most animals on Earth have two sexes, male and female, that combine and mix their genes when they reproduce. We are so accustomed to this state of affairs that the existence of all-female species that don't have sex, but instead reproduce by cloning,.....»»
Molecular archaeology: What ancient genes tell us about who we are
Using the latest scientific methods, Tom Higham and Katerina Douka from the University of Vienna want to solve a great mystery of human evolution: Why are we the only humans left? Higham and Douka were the first ones to find a first-generation offspr.....»»
Breakthrough study examines evolution of snake venom genes
A new study from biologists at The University of Texas at Arlington and an international team of collaborators provides the first comprehensive explanation of how snake venom regulatory systems evolved—an important example that illuminates the evol.....»»
The scientist helping to develop the axolotl as a model
With its amazing capacity to regenerate tissues and organs, its ability to reproduce in a laboratory environment and the ease with which its genes can be manipulated, the Mexican salamander, or axolotl, holds enormous promise as a model for the study.....»»
New study indicates how deep learning can improve gene therapies and antiviral drugs
The nuclease Cas13b associated with CRISPR defense systems—also known as genetic scissors—has the potential to be used in the future in hereditary diseases to silence adverse genes. In the fight against infections, it is also being researched as.....»»
New single-cell RNA-sequencing method has potential to become universal tool of choice
A new single-cell RNA-sequencing protocol developed at Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB) enables the detection of a significantly higher number of genes per cell than any existing method. It is also faster, less expensive.....»»
While the fetal clock develops, mom"s behavior tells the time
During fetal development, before the biological clock starts ticking on its own, genes within the fetus's developing clock respond to rhythmic behavior in the mother, according to a new study publishing May 24th in the open-access journal PLOS Biolog.....»»
Sociological study finds genes play a significant role in shaping our cultural tastes
Do you like opera and classical music? Would you rather go to pop concerts? Or do you belong with those who are all-consuming when it comes to music, books, movies, and other cultural manifestations?.....»»