In a breakthrough for synthetic biology, an international team of researchers constructed a functioning yeast genome where more than half of its chromosomes were made in a lab. Continue reading Scientists create yeast with a half-man-made genome
A group of researchers from across the country found that whole genome sequencing identified more potentially disease-causing variants than targeted gene panels in hospitalized infants Continue reading Genome Sequencing Finds More Rapid Diagnoses Than Targeted Gene Panels in Hospitalized Infants
In a recent study from UCSF and MIT, researchers found that they could identify evolutionary differences in biological function by comparing the results of CRISPR screens in humans and chimpanzees. Continue reading Scientists compare CRISPR screens in chimpanzee and human cells to understand evolution
New research from Northwestern University found that, when predicting heart disease, including genetic information had a minimal improvement compared to a more common test. Continue reading Genetic risk prediction for heart disease underperforms in large research cohort
by Emily Goeringfigures by Andrea Luviano Did you know that sea lampreys are more likely to grow into males if they aren’t fed enough food? Or that one type of shrimp produces male offspring in the long days of summer, but females in shorter fall days? Sexual determination systems are the methods by which organisms produce offspring with differing biological sexes. Although all vertebrates evolved … Continue reading On the Basis of (Fish) Sex
by Carlos Moralesfigures by Shreya Mantri Our cells perform extraordinary functions using information stored in their genetic material, known as DNA. Changes in DNA, known as mutations, can make cells behave erratically, which may lead to cancer. But how does cancer begin? A new model proposes that RNA — the molecular link between DNA and proteins — is at the heart of this phenomenon. How … Continue reading RNA plays a newly discovered role in the development of cancer
by Olubusola Olukoyafigures by Corena Loeb Our ability to take in information from the world around us, make inferences, and execute appropriate reactions is generated by our brains. The brain, which weighs about 1.5 kilograms in the average adult, takes up 20% of our body’s energy expenditure to power a network of roughly 86 billion cells. Ongoing research in the field of neuroscience utilizes various … Continue reading What it Takes to Make a Brain: Cellular diversity in cortical development
by Jackson Weirfigures by Jasmin Joseph-Chazan Why is cancer so difficult to cure? Why do available treatments only help a subset of patients? Why are some cancers more aggressive than others? These are questions that clinicians, scientists, and the public have pondered for generations. As it turns out, the answers are complicated because cancer biology is complicated. Luckily, new tools and technologies are helping us … Continue reading Dissecting cancer complexity across space and time
The ability to digest milk into adulthood has recently evolved in humans. What has driven this evolution? Scientists have found that the ability to digest could have helped ancient peoples survive famines and plagues. Continue reading Ability to digest milk could have helped ancient peoples survive famine