Genetics
The DNA-based diet you’ll be hearing about everywhere
A growing field called "nutrigenomics" aims to provide people with personalized lifestyle guidance based on their DNA
Gene therapy appears to cure “bubble boy disease”
A new gene therapy designed to treat children with ADA-SCID, a form of “bubble boy disease,” was incredibly successful in trials.
1 billion genetically modified mosquitoes will be released in the U.S.
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.
Supercentenarians’ DNA reveals clues to human longevity
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.
These plants have been genetically modifying themselves for decades
New evidence shows that plants have been genetically modifying themselves for decades in a process called lateral gene transfer.
This spit test will help couples know their baby's risk of genetic disease
A new genetic test offers prospective parents a "polygenetic risk score," or an estimate of their potential offspring's predisposition to certain conditions.
A single gene turns on humans' rapid brain growth
Researchers have looked at gene expression in human brain organoids compared to other apes to discover the genetic mechanism crucial to triggering the human brain's rapid growth.
Penn scientists correct genetic blindness with a single injection into the eye
Antisense oligonucleotide therapy uses small molecules to alter RNA. Researchers have now used those molecules to alleviate a genetic form of blindness.
A major Huntington’s trial has failed. Here’s why there is still hope.
A simple genetic test can determine a person's fate for one of the worst diseases on the planet. But research offers new hope for Huntington's disease.
Argentina’s songbirds explain a mysterious type of speciation
With the help of a group of songbirds, researchers have uncovered the mystery of an evolutionary process called “sympatric speciation.”