Genes News

Obesity due to genes, environment and time

Framingham - New research indicates that a common genetic variant increases the risk of obesity only in people born after 1942. This means genes, environment and time are key factors.

Op-Ed: Should a genetics company plan to create new creatures?

San Francisco - A San Francisco-based biotech wants to see its technology applied for inventing new organisms. This has raised concerns about so-called “Frankenstein science.”

New business venture to make rare disease drugs

A new company called Vtesse is to work with the U.S. National Institutes of Health to advance treatments for Niemann-Pick Type C disease and other similar disorders.

Scientists reveal the genetic history of corn

A genetic analysis of ancient and modern maize has revealed the crop’s complex domestication history. It began as a Mexican wild grass and developed into the plant capable of being used to produce corn porridge and tortillas.

Review: Trials and Triumphs of Huntington Disease Special

Toronto - Meghan Andrews has linked together two of her interests: photography and raising awareness about Huntington disease in a new photo book that captures the journeys of Canadian families affected by Huntington disease.

Genes and environment link up to trigger diabetes

A new study into lean and obese mice and humans has unearthed the combined influence of both genetics and the environment upon the risk of developing diabetes.

Broccoli can help counter a rare genetic disease

A low number of children around the world suffer with a rare disease called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome. This condition leads to premature ageing and it is caused by a defective protein. A substance from broccoli may provide a treatment.

Gene jumps across three domains of life

Through a mechanism termed horizontal gene transfer, an antibacterial gene family has dispersed to a plant, an insect, several fungi, and an archaeon.

Next generation sequencing helps with fertility Special

Chicago - Next Generation DNA Sequencing has been made available for clinical. This new technology offers a 1000-fold precision increase over previous methods. It is known as Preimplantation Genetic Screening.

Mapping the human interactome predicts cancer genes Special

Researchers have developed the largest-scale map of direct interactions between proteins encoded by the human genome. This allows for predictions about the genes involved with cancer.

Genetic history of tomatoes unveiled

Davis - DNA sequencing of 360 tomato varieties has produced a genetic history of the fruit. The study has revealed that DNA around genes can lead to larger fruit size or enhanced resistance against diseases.

Hospital challenges the patenting of genes

Toronto - Who owns your genes? You? Big Pharma? Or should it be for the public good? At present the balance is with the company that patents the genetic material. Is this right? Not according to an Ottawa hospital.

Can crime be linked to genetics?

The nature-nurture debate has resurfaced in relation to a new scientific study which argues that certain genes are connected to violent crimes.

Breast cancer rates lower among Latina women

A genome-wide association study has identified that a specific gene could help explain the relatively low rates of breast cancer among Latina women.

Study of zebrafish helps boy with rare disease

A study into zebrafish has helped identify the cause of an unknown genetic disorder affecting a boy and two of his uncles. Although no cure is imminent, the study could pave the way to alternative approaches for dealing with rare genetic diseases.

Is a taste for Java in the genes?

Why do some people drink more coffee than others? The answer could lie with genetic differences, according to a new study.

Op-Ed: The patent gene debate: who owns your genes?

The Federal Court of Australia has rejected an appeal of a ruling that allows companies to patent isolated human genes. This reignites the debate: who owns your genes - you or the company that extracts them?

Scientists identify gene responsible for jet lag

Research from the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences has pin-pointed the gene responsible for sleep and wake cycles, and could explain the reason why many folk find it difficult to adjust their sleep cycles when flying between time zones.

Mother’s diet can influence obesity in her young

Ramat Gan - By studying rats, researchers have unearthed an epigenetic link between a mother's diet and an offspring's risk of future obesity. This link relates to the blocked expression of a gene which goes onto trigger overeating.

New findings into an alcohol dependence gene

Scientists have linked a gene, already identified with alcohol dependence, with a neurotransmitter involved in anxiety and relaxation.

How genes tune the internal body clock

The human body clocks are regulated by a type of molecule known as long non-coding RNA, according to new research. Understanding this promises new insights into human health.

Genetic recipe allows lizards to re-grow their tails

Scientists have discovered the genetic “recipe” for lizard tail regeneration. This comes come down to using genetic ingredients in just the right mixture and amounts.

Fighting malaria by targeting genes

A new approach to preventing malaria by knocking out parasite's genes has been proposed. Biological engineers have demonstrated that a new genome-editing technique can disrupt a single parasite gene with a success rate of up to 100 percent.

Gene treatment for rare blood disorder

The blood disorder β-thalassemia is caused by a mutation in the HBB gene, which results in a severe hemoglobin deficiency. Researchers have successfully corrected the mutation in human induced stem cells.

Genetic engineering increases tomato yields

Enhancing the expression of a single gene in tomatoes seemingly improves the plant’s ability to withstand light and increases yields.

New autism genetic link revealed

In a new study, researchers determine that heritability outweighs non-genetic risk factors when it comes to the developmental disorder.

Genetic causes of schizophrenia are 'considerable'

The number of known genetic variants linked with schizophrenia has more than tripled, following a massive genome-wide association study.

Elephants are the greatest 'sniffers' on the planet

African elephants have the largest number of olfactory receptor genes known in mammals, nearly twice as many as dogs have, and five times more than humans.

Is there a genetics of 'friendship'?

A new study suggests that people tend to choose friends who share their genes. The inference is that humans tend to associate with other people who are very similar to themselves. Not all biologists agree.

Is intelligence inheritable?

Atlanta - The inheritance of intelligence has proved to be a controversial subject over many decades, and one fused with the nature-nurture debate. To add to the mix, some researchers have said that chimpanzees inherit general intelligence from their parents.

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Representative image of the region of the brain affected by Huntington Disease.

Susann Schweiger

Warner Bros