How an RNA Gene Silences a Whole Chromosome
Researchers at Caltech have discovered how an abundant class of RNA genes, called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, pronounced link RNAs) can regulate key genes. By studying an important lncRNA, called…
Genomes
The Rumors Were True: Scientists edited the genomes of human embryos for the first time
Excerpt: “In March, a rumor surfaced in the scientific community that was intriguing, and perhaps a bit chilling: According to those in the know, researchers in China had successfully edited…
Why Iceland Is the World’s Greatest Genetic Laboratory
Today, the journal Nature Genetics released a set of four papers based entirely on the genetic sequences of Icelanders. Their results, which range from the identification of a new Alzheimer’s-associated…
Do Your Genes Determine Your Entire Life?
Whenever you read stories about identical twins separated at birth, they tend to follow the template set by the most remarkable of them all: the “two Jims”. James Springer and…
Genetically Speaking, Mammals Are More Like Their Fathers
You might resemble or act more like your mother, but a novel research study from UNC School of Medicine researchers reveal that mammals are genetically more like their dads. Specifically,…
Unlocking the Key to Immunological Memory in Bacteria
A powerful genome editing tool may soon become even more powerful. Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have unlocked the key to how bacteria are able to…