Genetics

In the first study of its kind, a Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute-led team of researchers has uncovered the genetics of the ancient Canaanites and a firm link with people living in Lebanon today. The Grapes of Canaan, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot. Image credit: Jewish Museum, New York. …

DNA testing is not new to consumers, but it’s a one-shot deal. You send in your sample, then you get to see ancestry and health data provided by the company you chose to use for testing. Some new insights might be added over time, but there’s not much else you …

A mysterious hominin species mated with the ancestors of modern-day Sub-Saharan Africans, according to an analysis of modern human genomes published this month in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. Xu et al find genetic proof of interbreeding between an unknown ancient hominin and the ancestors of modern-day Africans. Image …

In a paper published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution, University of Houston Professor Dan Graur says that the functional portion of the human genome probably falls between 10% and 15%, with an upper limit of 25%. These figures are very different from one (about 80%) given in 2012 …

Ancient, independent inactivations of the ucp1 gene, which encodes the uncoupling protein 1, or UCP1 (essential for thermogenesis in brown fat), were a major force driving the evolution of nearly half of all placental mammal orders, according to new research published in the journal Science Advances (biorXiv.org preprint). Gaudry et …

A group of researchers at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has identified a protein called Blimp-1 as a likely primary cause of the adverse reaction of the immune system in lupus patients. Common signs and symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus, the most common type of lupus. Image credit: Mikael …

For the first time, researchers have used the CRISPR-Cas microbial immune system to encode a primitive digital movie into — and then ‘play it back’ from — the genomes of living E.coli bacteria. DNA is emerging as an excellent medium for storing data. Image credit: Shipman et al, doi: 10.1038/nature23017. …

In a genome-wide association study, researchers from the University of Cambridge and elsewhere have identified 16 common genetic variants which influence muscle strength in humans. The results appear today in the journal Nature Communications. Willems et al identified 16 genetic variants associated with maximal hand grip strength. Image credit: Skeeze. …

Outside of evolutionary biology, the human body is often spoken of as a miracle of engineering. But those more familiar with its workings point out evolution is no perfectionist, often favoring clunky ad hoc solutions over those more elegant in design. In fact, the comparison of evolution to a gambler might …

An international research team led by Tel Aviv University scientist Dr. Assaf Distelfeld has reconstructed the genome of the wild wheat Triticum turgidum, the original form of nearly all the domesticated wheat in the world. Triticum turgidum. Image credit: Stan Shebs / CC BY-SA 3.0. Wheat is one of the …