Genetics

  1. Genetics

    How gene therapy overcame high-profile failures

    A dark period for gene therapy didn’t derail scientists determined to help patients.

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  2. Genetics

    An extinct rat shows CRISPR’s limits for resurrecting species

    Scientists recovered most of the Christmas Island rat’s genome. But the missing genes signal a problem for using gene editing to de-extinct species.

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  3. Genetics

    Africa’s oldest human DNA helps unveil an ancient population shift

    Long-distance mate seekers started staying closer to home about 20,000 years ago.

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  4. Genetics

    Gene therapies for sickle cell disease come with hope and challenges

    Pediatrician Erica Esrick discusses existing sickle cell treatments and an ongoing clinical trial.

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  5. Genetics

    How the Human Genome Project revolutionized understanding of our DNA

    Completion of the Human Genome Project was a huge milestone, but there’s more work to do to ensure equitable access to the information in our DNA.

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  6. Genetics

    How one scientist aims to boost Black people’s representation in genetic datasets

    Through information sharing, geneticist Tshaka Cunningham wants to build trust and encourage more Black people to engage with the medical community.

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  7. Archaeology

    ‘Origin’ explores the controversial science of the first Americans

    A new book looks at how genetics has affected the study of humans’ arrival in the Americas and sparked conflicts with Indigenous groups today.

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  8. Animals

    Scientists vacuumed animal DNA out of thin air for the first time

    The ability to sniff out animals’ airborne genetic material has been on researchers’ wish list for over a decade.

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  9. Genetics

    A genetic analysis hints at why COVID-19 can mess with smell

    People with some genetic variants close to smell-related genes had an 11 percent higher risk of losing their sense of taste or smell.

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  10. Microbes

    Drug-resistant bacteria evolved on hedgehogs long before the use of antibiotics

    A standoff between bacteria and antibiotic-producing fungi living on hedgehogs may have led to the rise of one type of MRSA some 200 years ago.

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  11. Animals

    50 years ago, scientists were genetically modifying mosquitoes

    In 1971, scientists turned to genetics to control disease-spreading mosquitoes without DDT. Today, there are a variety of pesticide-free methods.

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  12. Microbes

    A bacteria-virus arms race could lead to a new way to treat shigellosis

    As bacteria that cause shigellosis evolve to escape a virus, the microbes may become less deadly, a hopeful sign for “phage therapy.”

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