Broad Institute

Researchers are confident they've uncovered 12,000 variants that account for nearly all the genes that influence height in humans

Biology

Milestone study answers genetic mysteries of human height

The results of the world's largest ever gene study have revealed almost all the genetic variants that influence a person's height. The study analyzed DNA from five million people and homed in on 12,000 variants that play a role in how tall we are.

Dopamine-producing neurons can be seen in green within brain tissue samples from patients who died from Parkinson's disease

Medical

Signature of brain cell death in Parkinson's points to new treatments

Scientists probing the biological underpinnings of Parkinson's disease have made an important discovery, shedding new light on the demise of cells that drives neurodegeneration linked to the condition.

A new genetics study has found that stereotyping dog behavior based on their breed could be misguided

Science

Genetics study upends stereotypes around modern dog breeds and behavior

A fascinating new study has provided compelling evidence that all is not what it seems when it comes to stereotypes around modern day dog breeds and certain behaviors, finding modern breed classification has only a small influence on behavior.

New research has homed in on the bacterial gene responsible for metabolizing cholesterol, although the exact gut microbiome microbe doing this in humans is still unknown

Science

How gut bacteria can break down cholesterol to improve cardiac health

A new study, led by researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, is shedding light on a century-old mystery. The study describes how bacteria in the gut can metabolize cholesterol at levels high enough to improve a person’s cardiac health.

Scientists have uncovered how an anti-cancer molecule works

Medical

Solving a molecular mystery may have opened new class of cancer drugs

Researchers at the Broad Institute have solved a molecular mystery that might lead to new treatments for cancer. The team has uncovered just how a strange molecule works to kill cancer by inducing a little-known type of cell death.

Harvard and MIT researchers have developed a new CRISPR gene-editing system called prime editing

Medical

Next-gen CRISPR system allows precise search-and-replace gene editing

CRISPR is a powerful gene-editing tool – but it has its own problems too. Now, Harvard and MIT scientists have created a new approach called prime editing, which could correct almost 90 percent of disease-causing genes.

A visualization of the data for cell populations in a sample, provided by DNA microscopy

Science

DNA microscopy offers a new way to image molecules

A completely new category of microscopy has been invented by researchers in the US. Dubbed DNA microscopy, the technique tags RNA molecules with a range of DNA "barcodes" which in turn flag the identity and location of the molecules, even when they're stacked on top of each other.

Newly discovered anti-CRISPR molecules can quickly inhibit the activity of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing process

Medical

Anti-CRISPR molecules discovered that can block the gene editing technology

New work from the Broad Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital has presented a study that homes in on small molecules that may have the ability to safely block the CRISPR gene editing process.