Genetics

In a scientific first, a research team led by Gladstone Institutes scientists turned mouse skin cells into so-called induced pluripotent stem cells by activating a specific gene using CRISPR technology. The results appear in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Liu et al demonstrate that induced pluripotency can be achieved through …

Many of the genes involved in natural repair of the injured spinal cord of a fish called the lamprey are also active in the repair of the peripheral nervous system in mammals, according to a new study. European river lampreys (Lampetra fluviatilis) in Pirita river, Estonia. Image credit: Tiit Hunt …

Genetic analysis of DNA from a female infant found at the Upward Sun River archaeological site in Alaska has revealed a previously unknown Native American population, whom scientists have named ‘Ancient Beringians.’ The research appears in the journal Nature. A scientific illustration of the Upward Sun River camp in what …

An international team of researchers led by Karolinska Institutet scientists has successfully sequenced and analyzed the genome of a species of salamander called the Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl). Among the team’s findings is a family of genes that can provide clues to the unique ability of salamanders to rebuild …

An international team of scientists has produced the first whole-genome sequence for the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), the smallest of the five living rhino species and is one of the three species native to Asia. This is a photograph of Ipuh, the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) at the Cincinnati …

A team of scientists at Caltech has created the smallest version of the Mona Lisa ever — out of DNA. The work is described in a paper appearing in the journal Nature. DNA rendering of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa viewed with atomic force microscopy. Image credit: Tikhomirov et al. …

A team of researchers from the Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, and the Amway Botanical Research Center has sequenced the genome of Chrysanthemum indicum (Indian chrysanthemum). The Indian chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum indicum). Image credit: KENPEI / CC BY-SA 3.0. Chrysanthemums are flowering plants of the …

An international team of researchers has produced the first high-quality genome sequence for the bottle gourd, also known as calabash, and reconstructed the genome of the most recent common ancestor of cucurbits (family Cucurbitaceae). The results are published in The Plant Journal. The high-quality genome sequence of the bottle gourd …

The Yeti, a mysterious ‘hominid’-like creature said to inhabit the high mountains of Asia, looms large in the mythology of Nepal and Tibet. Now, a new DNA study of purported Yeti samples is providing insight into the origins of this legend. A still frame from the Patterson-Gimlin film, a famous …

An international team of scientists from the Johns Hopkins University, Pacific Biosciences, and Earlham Institute has produced the first near-complete genomic sequence for the common bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). The research appears in the journal GigaScience. A field of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) in Ukraine. Image credit: Oleksii Alieksieiev. Bread …