Scientists create yeast with a half-man-made genome
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.
Genetics
Genome Sequencing Finds More Rapid Diagnoses Than Targeted Gene Panels in Hospitalized Infants
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
Scientists compare CRISPR screens in chimpanzee and human cells to understand evolution
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.
Genetic risk prediction for heart disease underperforms in large research cohort
New research from Northwestern University found that, when predicting heart disease, including genetic information had a minimal improvement compared to a more common test.
On the Basis of (Fish) Sex
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…
RNA plays a newly discovered role in the development of cancer
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…
What it Takes to Make a Brain: Cellular diversity in cortical development
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,…
Dissecting cancer complexity across space and time
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…
Ability to digest milk could have helped ancient peoples survive famine
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.