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He wore a coat made from sheep and goat hides, but also a hat made from a bear's fur.
Tailored stem cell treatment could become a reality in the near future.
Early humans were far better smokers than Neanderthals, and this might have mattered a lot in the end.
Big data is paving the way for a new generation of studies.
Keeping your genes in good condition is priority nr.1 for all life.
A male sex hormone could keep our cells young forever.
Just one extra cell type can make a huge difference.
The trial will alter T cells in an attempt to treat lung cancer patients.
The more the merrier.
Looks like happy hour isn't just a human thing.
Even days after we die, gene expression is still active.
This could be a game changer for women.
We're still uncovering the secrets of the building blocks of life.
Researchers from Lund University in Sweden and the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona have identified four sequences of genetic code that can reprogram mice skin cells to produce red blood cells. If this method can be used on human tissues, it would provide a reliable source of blood for transfusions and people with anemia.
Scientists want to build and deploy a fully synthetic human genome in human cell lines within 10 years.
For the first time in history, scientists have cut out HIV genes from live animals.
We now know which genes are responsible for blue eyes, red hair and now, thanks to the efforts of a team at University College London, those which code nose shape.
Researchers have sequenced the genomes of the tallest mammal on Earth, as well as it's unlikely closest cousin, the okapi. By comparing the genomes of the two species, we now have a firmer grasp of the evolutionary timeline in which the split from a common ancestor took place.
Carrots are the richest source of vitamin A in the American diet, which is why you hear "they're good for your eyes". But did you know carrots were initially yellow and purple? Even further back, before humans domesticated carrots, the wild variety was white. Scientists know this by sequencing the DNA of the carrot, and a recent study deciphered its full genetic code. We now know what genes trigger the production of carrots' most important nutrients, but also what teaking is required to improve the crops.
The price was just under $10 million at the end of 2007, to being under $10,000 in 2011! In a mere four years, the price decreased by a factor of a thousand and today, you could sequence your genome for around $1,000.
There are entire “cities” of bacteria inside your mouth and researchers want to map them all. This is what they look like: Gary Borisy wants to map out colonies of microbes much like neighborhoods and cities. But there’s a problem. “You don’t have the addresses. You don’t have a GPS. You don’t know where they are,” […]
This remarkable research could open the doors for biological thermometers at the nanoscale which might tell us a thing or two about how our bodies function at the smallest level.
In a novel study, researchers have identified for the first time the heritable components that influence how early or how late people lose their virginity.
Flap your hands like a shark.
For archiving purposes, at least, DNA -- the blueprint or genetic recipe that codes all life -- might be worth considering. One team, for instance, coded digital images into synthetic DNA using a novel method, then decoded and read this data.
They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and unfortunately, that seems to be the case for HIV viruses.
Having a single copy reduces lifespan by up to one year, while individuals having both copies stand at risk of living three years less than they'd normally would.
Last week, a team published results showing that some areas in South-East Asia carry significant Denisovan DNA and now, another team has published a map of that DNA spread.
Evolution is not kind to older dads, a new research suggests. University of Göttingen in Germany researchers found that older fathers end up having fewer grandchildren. Apparently, mutations that appear in old age are transferred to the offspring.
Researchers have manipulated the genome of chicken embryos so that they develop dinosaur-like bones in their lower legs.
A new study measuring the forces that shape bacterial genomes determined that a difference in efficiency of hundredth of a percent is sufficient to determine the winners and losers in the evolutionary race.
A new study has mapped the genetic variations responsible for differences in the distribution, shape and colour of facial and scalp hair.
Scientists in China have created a platform for generating sperm cells that could one day treat male infertility - in other words, they've created sperm in a dish.
The evidence is pilling up that fish grown in hatcheries are very different from those in the wild. A new study found that after only one generation, hatchery salmon have significant genetic changes. A fish hatchery is a “place for artificial breeding, hatching and rearing through the early life stages of animals, finfish and shellfish in […]
A new study examined the way gene families evolve from ancestral genes, finding the original genes were promiscuous in that they had a wider range of function than the later descendant genes, which often evolved to be more selective in their effects.
The discovery of green fluorescent proteins heralded a revolution in cell biology, enabling researchers to monitor cellular processes by applying themselves to a variety of protein and enzyme targets. Over the years, they’ve enabled thousands of successful experiments, triggering events that ultimately saved many lives. In 1961, Osamu Shimomura and Frank Johnson, working at the Friday Harbor […]
A new study has found a way to increase the lifespan of mice by up to 35%, by simply removing the defunct cells that stop dividing and accumulate in old age.
South African scientists have recreated the quagga – an exotic animal related to the zebras that went extinct in the 19th century. Or better put, they created an animal that’s genetically similar to the quagga. The quagga is still a mysterious animal. There has been much debate over the status of the quagga in relation to […]
A new study from the University of Sydney found a surprising link between lower back pain and depression.
For the first time, the British have received a green light for editing the genes of embryos. They will remove or edit different genes of embryos and see how they develop for seven days, before destroying them.
The thymus is one of those under appreciated organs you just don’t hear much about. Sitting in your chest, just in front of your heart, the thymus is at its largest and most active during infancy and childhood. By adulthood, the thymus has shrunk to practically nothing, being mostly replaced by fat. It plays an […]
Researchers in China have genetically engineered autistic monkeys which exhibit almost no social interaction.
A new study finds that many cancers are caused by mutations that block the tumor suppressor gene’s effect, through a process called Intron Retention.
Careful with your diet, dads!
Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered a method that allows them to coax stem cells to morph into retinal ganglion cells. This type of nerve cells reside in the retina and transmit visual input from the eyes to the brain. If these cells become damaged or die vision-loss conditions develop, such as glaucoma or multiple sclerosis.
In a collaborative effort by the Oregon Healthy and Science University and the University of Pittsburgh researchers have been able to identify the genes whose role is to trigger the onset of puberty, and manipulate them to delay puberty in female rats. They hope that the discovery will help determine exactly why causes early-onset puberty in females.
Scientists from the University of Ferrara, Italy collaborating with the Beijing Genomics Institute have isolated a gene that, when mutated, causes muscle tissue to become significantly weakened and damaged. Their findings, published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, show how the gene, dubbed Popeye domain containing-1, has a role in ‘gluing’ muscles cells together.
The craziest thing you'll see all day -- predicting what you look like from DNA.
There is a long-lasting debate dividing the cancer researchers community over the point at which a skin lesion is considered a melanoma. A University of California-San Francisco team led by Hunter Shain might have found the answers to settle the debate once and for all; they have found a way to tell whether a lesion is harmless or growing into a melanoma.
It sounds like a plot from Frankenstein, but apparently there's no limit to how versatile flatworms can be. Previously, researchers at Tufts University determined that the small, yellow worm can retain its memories after it head was severed. As a reminder, flatworms can regrew new heads following decapitation. Now, the same team yet again guillotined some flatworms and interrupted gap junctions, which are protein channels that enable cells to communicate with each other by passing electrical signals back and forth - just to see what would happen. Yes, the flatworm grew a new head, but it was that of another flatworm species. They eventually induced the same flatworm species to grow the heads and brains of multiple other, closely related species. There's a lot of biology and behaviour encoded in genes, but these findings show that tweaking physiological mechanisms in a live body can actually cause new anatomical developments. We might have uncovered a new form of epigenetics.
