Genetics
- Life
Year in review: ‘Minimal genome’ makes its debut
A synthetic cell reported this year jettisons unnecessary genes and embraces human design principles.
- Oceans
Readers contemplate corals and more
Coral engineering, ancient almanacs and more in reader feedback.
- Genetics
Epigenetic marks may help assess toxic exposure risk — someday
Exposure to things in the environment may change chemical tags on DNA and proteins, but it’s still unclear how to use that data to assess health risks.
- Life
Having an extra chromosome has a surprising effect on cancer
Extra chromosome copies may protect against, not cause, cancer.
- Plants
Tweaking how plants manage a crisis boosts photosynthesis
Shortening plants’ recovery time after blasts of excessive light can boost crop growth.
- Health & Medicine
Chinese patient is first to be treated with CRISPR-edited cells
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to engineer immune cells that were then injected into a patient with lung cancer, the journal Nature reports.
- Genetics
Cancer mutation patterns differ in smokers, nonsmokers
The DNA of smokers shows more damage than the DNA of nonsmokers who have the same kind of cancer.
- Genetics
Gene gives mice and chipmunks their pinstripes
A recycled regulator paints on rodents’ light stripes.
- Genetics
Protective genetic variant may offer a path to future autoimmune therapies
A natural tweak in the TYK2 protein strikes a balance between weak and overactive immune systems.
- Genetics
Genetic variant protects against rash of autoimmune diseases
A natural tweak in the TYK2 protein strikes a balance between weak and overactive immune systems.
- Genetics
Ancient hookups gave chimps a smidge of bonobo DNA
Genetic evidence suggests bonobos and chimpanzees interbred after becoming separate species.
- Genetics
HIV came to NYC at least a decade before virus ID’d
DNA analysis of early viral strains tracks U.S. debut to early ’70s
