Genetics

  1. Microbes

    One giant leap for zit-causing microbes

    A bacterium that lives on humans and causes acne also hopped to domesticated grapevines and relies on the plant for crucial DNA repairs.

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  2. Genetics

    Modern hunter-gatherers’ guts host distinct microbes

    A healthy collection of gut bacteria depends on the environment in which people live and their lifestyle, research shows.

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  3. Life

    How cells keep from popping

    The protein SWELL1 stops cells from swelling so much that they burst, a new study shows.

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  4. Genetics

    Five mutations could make bird flu spread easily

    Handful of alterations can turn H5N1 bird flu into virus that infects ferrets through the air.

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  5. Health & Medicine

    Changes in kids’ genomes linked to chronic stress

    In a study of 40 nine-year-old boys, kids from underprivileged backgrounds had telomeres that were 19 percent shorter than those of boys from more privileged environments.

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  6. Genetics

    Feedback

    Readers ask about Neandertal genes and electricity-generating spores and react to a fusion milestone.

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  7. Genetics

    Bank voles provide clue to prion disease susceptibility

    A protein from bank voles makes mice susceptible to disorders that wouldn’t otherwise infect them.

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  8. Genetics

    Neandertal legacy written in Europeans’ fat metabolism

    DNA inherited from Neandertal interbreeding may have helped people adjust to Europe’s environment.

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  9. Genetics

    Gene editing reverses liver disorder in mice

    By editing a mouse's genes with bacterial proteins, scientists have reversed a rare liver disorder in the animal.

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  10. Health & Medicine

    This rare skull-thickening disease led to a 3-D-printed replacement

    A skull implant made with a 3-D printer replaced the 2-inch-thick skull of a Dutch woman with the rare van Buchem disease.

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  11. Animals

    Giant pandas like sweets, but prefer the natural ones

    Despite sustaining themselves on bamboo, which isn't very sweet, giant pandas will indulge in a bit of sugar, if they can.

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  12. Genetics

    Mice lose a gene to drop some weight

    Mice lacking gene have less fat, more muscle and lived longer than normal.

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