Evolution continues despite low mortality and fertility rates in the modern...
Charles Darwin's theory on evolution still holds true despite lower mortality and fertility rates in the modern world, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.
View ArticleDNA 'cage' could improve nanopore technology
Despite having a diameter tens of thousands of times smaller than a human hair, nanopores could be the next big thing in DNA sequencing. By zipping DNA molecules through these tiny holes, scientists...
View ArticleEvolving a bigger brain with human DNA
The size of the human brain expanded dramatically during the course of evolution, imparting us with unique capabilities to use abstract language and do complex math. But how did the human brain get...
View ArticleWealth and power may have played a stronger role than 'survival of the fittest'
The DNA you inherit from your parents contributes to the physical make-up of your body—whether you have blue eyes or brown, black hair or red, or are male or female. Your DNA can also influence whether...
View ArticleScientists call for caution in using DNA-editing technology
A group of 18 scientists and ethicists today warned that a revolutionary new tool to cut and splice DNA should be used cautiously when attempting to fix human genetic disease, and strongly discouraged...
View ArticleGenome editing poses ethical problems that we cannot ignore
The ability to precisely and accurately change almost any part of any genome, even in complex species such as humans, may soon become a reality through genome editing. But with great power comes great...
View ArticleDNA can't explain all inherited biological traits, research shows
Characteristics passed between generations are not decided solely by DNA, but can be brought about by other material in cells, new research shows.
View ArticleImportant study of how climate affects biodiversity
How does climate change affect the occurrence and distribution of species? This is a key question in the climate debate, and one that is hard to answer without information about natural variation in...
View ArticleResearchers find possible universal code of protein structure
A Dartmouth College study finds there may be a universal code to predict protein structure, which could help to determine why certain mutations cause disease and how to fix them.
View ArticleMining pollution alters fish genetics in southwest England
Pollution from historic mining activities in south west England has led to a reduction in genetic diversity of brown trout according to new research from the University of Exeter. The findings, which...
View ArticlePartly human yeast show a common ancestor's lasting legacy
Despite a billion years of evolution separating humans from the baker's yeast in their refrigerators, hundreds of genes from an ancestor that the two species have in common live on nearly unchanged in...
View ArticleResearchers discover surprisingly wide variation across species in genetic...
A new Iowa State University study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals.
View ArticleNew map uncovers the traffic of life in a cell
Toronto scientists have recorded, in unprecedented detail, the locations of all proteins in a cell. This new protein map allows scientists to look much more closely into what happens in a cell when...
View ArticleResearchers develop basic computing elements for bacteria
The "friendly" bacteria inside our digestive systems are being given an upgrade, which may one day allow them to be programmed to detect and ultimately treat diseases such as colon cancer and immune...
View ArticleCell size regulation mechanism discovered
Every cell in the human body has to be a particular size in order to function correctly. The research group led by Markus Hengstschläger of the Institute for Medical Genetics at the Medical University...
View ArticleResearchers look to CNVs to better understand human ethnic diversity
(Phys.org)—A large team of international researchers has undertaken a study to better understand the genetic mechanism behind ethnic diversity. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team...
View ArticleLife in 3-D: Scientists pave the way for understanding the role of non-coding...
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and Stanford University in the USA, have shed new light on how the variations in our molecular make-up, such as...
View ArticleAncient genome from Africa sequenced for the first time
The first ancient human genome from Africa to be sequenced has revealed that a wave of migration back into Africa from Western Eurasia around 3,000 years ago was up to twice as significant as...
View ArticleScientists discover protein factories hidden in human jumping genes
Scientists have discovered a previously unknown wellspring of genetic diversity in humans, chimps and most other primates. This diversity arises from a new component of itinerant sections of genetic...
View ArticleNew model helps zero in on harmful genetic mutations
Between any two people, there are likely to be at least 10 million differences in the genetic sequence that makes up their DNA.
View Article