Field: Genetics

Newly created gene-edited hens lay eggs without ovomucoid, the protein most likely to trigger an egg allergy.

Genetic genealogy not only helps us understand where we came from, but it could also be used for tracing the origin of genetic mutations.

Billions of bananas are wasted every year, but that may change soon.

The discovery of a second person naturally resistant to a genetic form of Alzheimer’s could lead to treatments for the disease.

A new study suggests we may be able to convert dormant eye cells into photoreceptors to reverse retinal degeneration.

By toggling an important heart gene, scientists have treated mice for a heart attack preemptively.

Did He Jiankui "Make People Better"? A new documentary leans toward a different narrative about gene-editing than we've heard before.

Researchers have engineered bacteria to create a “living medicine” against a nasty respiratory bug.

After a monumental year of breakthroughs, scientists, investors, and CEOs share which areas of biotech they are eagerly watching this year.

Microproteins encoded in short strands of DNA reveal our recent evolutionary history, and hint at how human genetics may be changing.

A new hypothesis suggests that Alzheimer's disease is the result of "jumping genes" in the brain, not inflammation or plaque.

Researchers have resurrected an ancient CRISPR system 2.6 billion years old, capable of editing genes in the modern day.

Biotech startup Rejuvenate Bio says it has extended the lives of elderly mice by 7% using a technique called “partial reprogramming.”

A new therapy that treats children with rare mtDNA mutations using mitochondria sourced from their mothers has now been tested in patients.

A dog's breed has a big impact on their personality, but whether they fit your lifestyle is also down to good training.

A new multiple myeloma therapy that uses an antibody to bring T cells to the cancer has shown efficacy in clinical trials.

Neoplants' $179 genetically engineered houseplant pulls VOCs from the air 30 times more efficiently than plants found in nature.

In a medical first, doctors were able to prevent heart and muscle damage using enzyme replacement therapy.

The FDA has approved biotech company CSL Behring's Hemgenix, a hemophilia B treatment that costs $3.5 million per dose.

A possible phenylketonuria therapy using engineered bacteria has shown positive results in a small phase 2 trial.

Researchers have discovered that cancer’s epigenome — changes to how genes are expressed that aren’t mutations — may play a key role in its behavior.

You are what you eat, and what your parents ate, and what their parents ate. An expert explains how the foods you eat can reprogram your genes.

Researchers have discovered a new blood group which may have been behind the tragic loss of two babies.

Not only did microbes diversify with their early modern human hosts as they traveled across the globe, they followed human evolution.

With just an incubator and some broth, researchers can grow reusable filters made of bacteria to clean up pollution and more.

Harvard-affiliated researchers have discovered a form of double-stranded RNA which may be a potent antiviral.

Researcher Nako Nakatsuka has turned to DNA to tackle an important challenge: how do we measure chemicals in the brain?

After two years of effort, China's Sinogene Biotechnology has created the world’s first cloned arctic wolf.

After being separated as toddlers, two identical twins were raised apart in the US and South Korea.

A woman in Scotland was found to feel virtually no pain and report zero trace of any anxiety or depression.

In a small study, researchers have engineered soy plants to have higher yields thanks to improved photosynthesis.

Researchers from the UK, US, and Singapore are beginning work on a genetic heart cure they hope to begin clinically testing within five years.

The FDA has approved a trial for the first personalized CRISPR therapy, which was developed to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

A microbiologist looks at how home test kits work, what kind of information they provide and if they can really help change your gut.

Damage to the ends of the chromosomes can create “zombie cells” that are still alive but can’t function, researchers say.

While many of the technologies upon which transhumanists base their dream are real and world-changing, they have major limitations.

Natural "short sleepers" thrive on only four to six hours of sleep per night. Could their genetics explain why?

UNC researchers have found evidence that the genetic makeup of a crucial receptor may impact your psychedelic experience.

Mars Petcare has announced the opening of a massive biobank to study aging and pet diseases.

University of Arizona researchers have uncovered a protein that might be behind some epilepsy cases with currently unknown causes.

A new CRISPR system was far more effective and precise than CRISPR-Cas9 when tested in fruit flies.

A trial testing a new CRISPR-based treatment to lower cholesterol has officially kicked off in New Zealand.

A common HIV drug could potentially be a Down syndrome treatment, improving cognition in mouse models of the condition.

A team of scientists used gene editing to create what they thought would be a calmer rodent. Instead, the gene-edited rodents were angrier.

A CRISPR therapy for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia looks close to 100% effective three years after infusion.

German researchers have created genetically engineered bacteria that can rapidly store and release hydrogen fuel.

Researchers used a single-cell sequencing tool Perturb-seq on every expressed gene in the human genome, linking each to its job in the cell.

How long can a human being not only live but thrive? A race to find out involves some of the biggest names (and bank accounts) in tech.

Cleveland Clinic researchers have developed a gene therapy that cured arrhythmias in mice.

A robot that automates a common technique for animal cloning has been used to produce a litter of pigs in China.

A gene therapy tested in animals may be a safe, permanent, and non-addictive treatment for neuropathic pain in humans.

Identifying the difference between normal genetic variation and disease-causing mutations is vital for determining a person's treatment.

Gene editing may be a treatment for anxiety and alcoholism in adults who were exposed to binge-drinking in their adolescence.

Researchers believe they have identified how herpes hiding in your cells wakes back up to cause symptoms.

A study of nearly 6,000 stroke patient genomes suggests a treatment idea abandoned for decades should get a second look.

Researchers believe they have found a single point mutation in an infection-sensing gene that causes the autoimmune disorder.

Langer published the first paper to show that it was possible to deliver nucleic acids like RNA and DNA to the body via tiny particles.

By analyzing genetic code determining susceptibility to health conditions like diabetes, it tells you which foods are best for you.

Researchers have resurrected an ancient version of the enzyme Rubisco in the hope of supercharging photosynthesis in today’s plants.

A surprising pattern in how often mammal cells undergo somatic mutations could be a boon to longevity research.

These discoveries help scientists better understand not only the evolutionary history of viruses but also the evolution of life on Earth.

The results of a recent study found that genetically engineering cats could be a solution to eliminating cat allergies.

A line of honey bees bred to resist the Varroa mite parasite has proven itself in a large-scale trial involving more than 350 bee colonies.

Over the years, many different people, from preachers to philosophers, have voiced their concerns over the safety and ethics of gene editing.

Purple tomatoes modified to be packed with antioxidants found in blueberries could soon be approved for sale by the FDA.

A topical gene therapy helped heal the wounds of people with “butterfly disease,” a painful disorder that makes the skin incredibly fragile.

Researchers have mapped the genetic ties between every person who ever lived, in the "first draft" of our shared family history.

Researchers using cell phone records, shipment logs, and elephant DNA have solved poaching mysteries and identified trafficking networks across the continent.

A new study suggests that the causes of these disorders are hidden in "dark genes," which may account for the enigma of their development.

Using DNA or an mRNA vaccine, researchers are investigating the feasibility of essentially replacing missing genes that cause disease.

Golden blood, despite sounding like medical nonsense, is actually the nickname for Rh-null, the world’s rarest blood type.

Scientists have created the world's smallest antenna, measuring only five nanometers in length. It is designed to decipher real-time changes in proteins and records and transmits data via light signals.

After 14 years in development, gene therapy has helped two children surpassed their life expectations and live seizure-free.

German researchers are breeding a new type of pig that’s been genetically modified to have organs ideal for human transplantation.

A new Dravet syndrome treatment that targets genes could help extend the lives of people with the rare, but severe form of epilepsy.

Northwestern University has launched a new longevity research center where scientists will look for ways to combat biological aging.

The jellyfish nervous system, revealed by glowing genes, may help unlock the secrets of how our own brain evolved.

It’s all well and good to discuss how our humanity evolved – but what even is humanity?

Researchers have discovered genes linked to plant survival in Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the world's harshest desert environments.

A USC study that prompted lizards to regenerate tails that were “perfect” could help facilitate breakthroughs in human regeneration.

Harvard geneticist George Church’s new de-extinction startup aims to resurrect the woolly mammoth to help combat permafrost thaw.

An mRNA cancer treatment in human trials has proven incredibly effective in mice, shrinking tumors in 85% of the rodents tested.

Forensic scientists have identified two more 9/11 victims and will soon use next-generation sequencing to analyze unidentified remains.

Researchers have developed a brain-wide gene editing technique that treated Alzheimer’s disease in mice.

Researchers have proven that the atmosphere contains measurable amounts of eDNA, and they can vacuum it from the sky.

Kenya is moving forward with developing a cassava plant that’s been genetically modified to resist cassava brown streak disease.

A new mouse study suggests we may be able to reverse permanent hearing loss in humans by tapping into a latent regenerative ability.

The insertion of a gene found in animals prompted potato and rice plants to produce 50% more food and exhibit drought-resistant qualities.

A treatment that reversed age-related memory loss in mice could one day treat or prevent such cognitive decline in older people.

Researchers have sequenced the genome of one of the ancient humans who lived in Satsurblia Cave 25,000 years ago using samples of cave dirt.

An oral cholera vaccine that’s grown in genetically modified rice and can be stored at room temperature has passed its first human trial.

By modifying just one gene, researchers were able to extend the life expectancy of mice by 23%, and they think their results may translate to humans.

Researchers have finally sequenced the complete human genome, filling the gaps in the Human Genome Project’s historic first draft.

Researchers have demonstrated that restoring limited vision to people suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, a historically permanent type of blindness, is within reach.

A growing field called "nutrigenomics" aims to provide people with personalized lifestyle guidance based on their DNA

A new gene therapy designed to treat children with ADA-SCID, a form of “bubble boy disease,” was incredibly successful in trials.

Oxitec recently released genetically modified mosquitoes on three of the Florida Keys. The idea is that they will curb the spread of diseases by decreasing populations of Aedes aegypti.

A human longevity study involving people over the age of 105 has found that genetic variants linked to DNA repair appear to contribute to a longer life.

New evidence shows that plants have been genetically modifying themselves for decades in a process called lateral gene transfer.

A new genetic test offers prospective parents a "polygenetic risk score," or an estimate of their potential offspring's predisposition to certain conditions.