Tag Archives: genetic

Pie charts show the proportion of chromosomes within different populations worldwide that carry a non-working copy of the FLG gene, a primary risk factor for eczema. Even in East Asia, where the rates are high, the scientists found no evidence that preserving this genetic mutation has an evolutionary benefit to …

The genetic cause of a syndrome characterized by multiple frustrating and difficult-to-treat symptoms, including dizziness and lightheadedness, skin flushing and itching, gastrointestinal complaints, chronic pain, bone and joint problems, is now better understood. Jonathan J. Lyons et al identified a genetic explanation for a syndrome characterized by multiple frustrating and …

A new study published in the journal PLoS Genetics has confirmed a genetic link between mitochondrial DNA, which is passed on from the mother, and some forms of autism spectrum disorder. Structure of the human mitochondrial genome. Image credit: Shanel / CC BY-SA 3.0. Mitochondria contain their own genome, the …

A large genome-wide association study of more than 560,000 people has identified 10 new genetic regions associated with the number of children we have during the course of our life, and the age at which we have our first child. Nicola Barban et al identified ten new areas of the …

New research suggests that smallpox may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination. The findings appear today in the journal Current Biology. This transmission electron micrograph depicts a number of variola virions. Image credit: …

There’s a common misconception that genes determine our physiologic destiny. And it’s well and good to go around exploding such untruths — except when they turn out to be true. For a minority of people, those with inherited Mendelian disorders like cystic fibrosis, genes do in fact seem to determine …

Right now, the problems with DNA have nothing to do with DNA. The molecule itself, deoxyribonucleic acid, is extremely well characterized at this point. We can read it, write it, and manipulate it. We can edit it in living cells, and create alternate versions of it with special properties we …