Collaborate Disseminate
Scientists have stored the entire human genome on a five-dimensional crystal that’s capable of digitally storing up to 360 terabytes of information and is built to survive for billions of years. The tech could be used to create an enduring record of hu… Continue reading 5D ‘eternity crystal’ stores 360 TB of data for billions of years
Scientists have assembled the most complete 3D reconstruction of the woolly mammoth genome, thanks to an incredibly well-preserved specimen that was “freeze-dried” straight after death. With its DNA preserved in a glass-like state, fossilized chromosom… Continue reading Freeze-dried mammoth reveals most complete ancient genome in 3D
We know that present-day European and Asian-derived humans have inherited between 1.5% and 4% of Neanderthal DNA, but how does that seemingly small amount of ancient genetic material impact modern physical and mental health?Continue ReadingCategory: Sc… Continue reading Autism added to growing list of things we’ve inherited from Neanderthals
Scientists have discovered the organism with the largest known genome, containing 160 billion base pairs. That makes it more than 50 times bigger than the human genome, and the organism it’s describing is a tiny fork fern you wouldn’t even notice if you tripped over it in the forest.
Tags: Plants, Genome, DNA, World’s Largest, Genetics
Continue reading Organism with largest genome packs 50x more DNA than a human’s
The first land plants burst forth from ancient algae onto the Earth about 550 million years ago. This one-off evolutionary event, known as plant terrestrialization, fundamentally changed the planet’s surface and atmosphere and made possible the develop… Continue reading ‘Genetic programs’ allowed the ancestor of all plants to conquer dry land
Aware of the link between eating red and processed meat and the incidence of colorectal cancer but not the biological basis for it, researchers have now identified two genetic markers that may explain it. Understanding the disease process and the genes… Continue reading Genetic variants link meat consumption to increased bowel cancer risk
Studying a species of microscopic worms exposed to almost forty years of high radiation following an explosion at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant, researchers couldn’t find signs of genetic damage caused by the exposure. They believe the findings will … Continue reading Radiation-proof Chernobyl worms offer answers about cancer
Researchers have identified 317 million unique gene clusters belonging to oceanic microbes. Creating the world’s largest open-source catalog representing only the ‘tip of the iceberg’ in marine metagenomics, the library offers a tool for exploring how … Continue reading 317M ocean gene clusters may be biotech boon, are “tip of the iceberg”
Researchers have developed a ‘smart tweezer’ that is able to pluck a particular bacterial strain from a microbiome of trillions and sequence its genome in a more cost- and resource-effective way than current methods allow. The versatile tool could enab… Continue reading ‘Smart tweezer’ can pluck out single bacterium target from microbiome
Commensurate with technological improvements and the subsequent rise in genetic research and genetics-based tests and treatments, the term ‘personalized medicine’ is being used more frequently. But what does it mean? This explainer outlines what person… Continue reading Personalized medicine: The pros, cons and concerns