Field: Genetics

After death, gene expression increases in the brain’s glial cells — and those “zombie” cells could affect how we study neurological disorders.

Researchers have figured out a way to cloak the AVV so it can sneak past the human immune system and deliver its gene therapy payload undetected.

A black-footed ferret clone could inject a much-needed dose of genetic diversity into her species, which is on the brink of extinction.

While studying mutant zebrafish, scientists discovered that a single genetic mutation caused the fish to start developing the beginnings of arms.

An outbreak of avian flu in chickens can mean millions of birds dead and billions of dollars lost. This startup wants to engineer flu-resistant poultry.

Sufferers of celiac end up with some pretty lack-luster pastries. A startup thinks CRISPR can help.

Base editing has proven useful for correcting disease-causing point mutations in animals — and now, human trials are on the horizon.

A gene drive designed to remove itself from an insect population after a few generations could help bring an end to mosquito-borne diseases.

Genome sequencing tech is getting more portable. Now, there’s a genome analysis app that puts the ability to study those genomes in scientists’ pockets.

Genetic counseling services are in high demand. Now, chatbots are providing some of those services, helping patients navigate DNA testing.

Researchers have found what they believe to be a new species of beaked whale. Environmental DNA will be used to prove it.

The FDA has approved Revivicor’s genetically engineered GalSafe pigs for use as food or medical products — a first for genetically modified animals.

The latest biopharmaceutical is a drug for Parkinson’s disease, Levodopa, produced by genetically modified tomato plants.

Alzheimer’s has proved difficult to treat. But solving the mystery of this ultra-rare frontotemporal dementia may unlock new understanding.

A team of researchers have achieved sight restoration in older mice and those modeling glaucoma, in what could be an important step in understanding aging.

A mutation of the CCR5 gene can cure HIV — and thanks to CRISPR, scientists may soon be able to study it in animal models.

The Zoonomia Project is the largest database of mammalian genomes to date, and it’s already helping researchers study SARS-CoV-2 and extinction risk.

A mystery for 30 years, retrons are showing potential as genome-editing tools. Now, we know what they actually do.

A new map of the human heart details the function and location of 500,000 cells, providing a valuable tool for researchers studying cardiovascular disease.

UC San Francisco scientists have developed a new diagnostic test that uses DNA sequencing to quickly identify any pathogens in any type of patient sample.

A new gene therapy was able to repair a damaged optic nerve in mice, suggesting it might be useful for treating glaucoma in people.

Not too long ago, autism gene therapy was a pipe dream. Now, armed with specific targets and new methods, a small wave of gene therapies is gathering.

For the first time, the Nobel Prize in chemistry has gone to two women: CRISPR scientists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna.

The fall armyworm is devastating African agriculture, eating millions of pounds of crops. Can a genetically modified version control their advance?

Developed in the 1980s, RNA editing was overshadowed by CRISPR. But the last few years have seen a resurgence of interest in the gene editing technique.

Before prescribing an asthma treatment to children, doctors should use a cheap genetic test to look for a specific altered gene, according to a new study.

The first cloned Przewalski’s horse could inject the critically endangered species with a much-need dose of genetic diversity.

The New Guinea singing dog was considered extinct in the wild. But, new genetic evidence suggests otherwise.

The Asian giant hornet has invaded the Pacific Northwest. Researchers hope a map of the murder hornet’s genome can help their hunt for them.

A boy received the first gene therapy trial for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and is able to walk once again.

Researchers can now edit a part of the human genome that CRISPR has never been able to. This opens up new possibilities for research and cures for devastating rare genetic diseases.

Startup Tessera Therapeutics has developed gene writing, a new approach to genetic engineering that it says overcomes CRISPR’s shortcomings.

A newly unveiled personalized blood test for cancer monitoring has a sensitivity 10 times that of existing liquid biopsy methods.

Scholars' understanding of the Dead Sea Scrolls may be enhanced by an unusual source: the DNA of the animals they’re printed on.

A gene therapy that uses CRISPR to edit a patient's own stem cells looks like a “functional” cure for sickle cell disease and beta thalassemia.

This ethical model of a human embryo provides a look at a never-before-studied stage of embryonic development: gastrulation.

A much-needed triple negative breast cancer treatment could center on the suppression of a single gene identified in a new Tulane University study.

Using a promising new technique for gene editing — base editing — researchers corrected a deafness-causing genetic mutation in mice.

Scientists are attempting to create the world’s first truly hypoallergenic cat by deleting the feline gene that causes cat allergies.

Genetic factors may explain about 50% of the differences in people’s COVID-19 symptoms, according to a study of more than 2,600 twins in the U.K.

Scientists are looking for genetic factors that could explain varying coronavirus symptoms amongst seemingly similar COVID-19 patients.

Researchers have found what appears to be DNA in a dinosaur fossil — a discovery that could radically change our understanding of DNA’s ability to survive.

A team of researchers analyzed the COVID-19 coronavirus. Their findings debunk the conspiracy theory that the virus was lab-made.

These scientists are studying chickens to learn more about dinosaur DNA, and their findings could help us better understand our own genetic code.

China-based genome sequencing company MGI says it can sequence a human genome for just $100, a cost that could make the service available to all.

The number of poplar trees around the world has doubled, but a chemical compound in their leaves means they might be doing more harm than good.

Citizen scientists are collecting tree samples to build a genetic database that will help identify the origins of stolen lumber and stop illegal logging.

Molecular biologist Daisy Robinton speaks out on our moral imperative to solve some of humanity's greatest health threats.

When Maayan Harel paints a portrait, her subject isn't sitting in front of her. She doesn't even have a photograph...

Genomic sequencing saved his live. Now he wants everyone to have access.

Engineering bacteria in the microbiome could fix previously untreatable genetic disorders.

What you need to know about this genetic disease, explained by someone who knows it inside and out.

"Scientists work in high-security buildings that are banned to the public and then wonder why they are misunderstood."

The "Human BioMolecular Atlas" will map the active genes in over 200 types of cells and 80 different organ systems.

Why does pain hurt more for some people? Why do others feel nothing at all?

It is the first of "a wave of advances that have the potential to transform medicine."

There's more to your DNA than just letters, and mutations can lurk in that genetic "dark matter."

For years, there was no diagnosis, no treatment, and no cure — because his son's disease had never been seen before. That wasn't going to stop this dad.

Your body began with a single cell and a single genetic code. But it didn't stay that way for long.

When it comes to rare diseases, doctors often don’t have enough patients to determine the effectiveness of various treatments. Now, scientists are breeding pigs with the same genetic code as people with a disease in order to create a pool of test "patients" unlike any before.

What if we could rewrite our entire genetic code to make us invincible against viruses?

We finally have a detailed picture of an enzyme that could play a key role in fighting both aging and cancer

Saying something is “genetic” used to be a fatalistic diagnosis. But with modern medicine, it could be the key to...

23andMe has won the right to tell you what your genes say about you. It's a landmark legal achievement that could...

Could an injection of embryonic stem cells into the spinal cord reverse paralysis?

Is a spray that can mask your DNA the frontier of personal privacy or a tool for criminals?

A step toward human organs in animal embryos, the Hubble Telescope was a game changer, and Americans aren't doing...

When Karen Aiach decided to quit her finance job in 2005 in order to find a cure for the rare genetic disease that...

When Karen was told her daughter had an incurable disease, she started a gene therapy company to find a cure.