Genetics

by Caitlin Nichols figures by Krissy Lyon We’ve all heard the saying that quality is more important than quantity. The preference for quality over quantity applies in the human body as well. Cancer, for instance, is caused by malfunctioning cells that…

by Patty Rohs figures by Anna Maurer New technology is allowing scientists to investigate natural history museum specimens in ways that we never thought were possible. To the public eye, these museums may seem like an unchanging archive of life on earth.…

Analysis of human DNA reveals a distinctive genetic “fingerprint” [Image: Micah’s DNA under CC BY-SA 2.0 licence]Spitting into a plastic tube normally doesn’t cost $199, but the personal genomics company 23andMe has recently won FDA…

Charles Darwin’s 1837 sketch of an evolutionary tree – the Open Tree Taxonomy’s tree has significantly more branches. Charles Darwin [Public domain], via Wikimedia CommonsIf asked what animal is genetically closest to a hippo, you might…

Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, and this map from 2007 shows the percentage increase in cases of obesity by state in the US between 1987 and 2007. Identifying the causes of obesity, both environmental and genetic, is important to…

by Heather Landry Summary: The vast diversity in gene sequences are what create the large variety of plants and animals we see today. Genetic diversity is crucial for adapting to new environments, as more variation in genes leads to more individuals of…

by Matthew Niederhuber figures by Kaitlyn Choi Summary: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is a common bacteria that has played a very uncommon role in agriculture and the development of genetically modified foods. The natural insecticidal abilities of these…

by Pierre Baduel figures by Kaitlyn Choi Summary: The legality of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) remains a controversial issue around the world, especially in Europe. Recent discoveries in the field of epigenetics, or heritable information not…

by Jordan Wilkerson figures by Brian Chow Summary: In the history of agriculture, no technology has been adopted so quickly and completely as genetically engineered crops. Particularly useful crops are ones that have an engineered resistance to…

Visualizing DNA on a DNA gel. While the techniques to visualize and analyze DNA are commonplace, our ability to interpret what our DNA says about our likelihood to develop a particular disease is still lacking. Many human diseases are influenced by…