DNA

One of the first events to signal the collapse of Napoleon's reign was his crushing defeat after an invasion of Russia in 1812. Researchers have long thought that the disease typhus played a role, but modern DNA analysis paints a different picture.

What naked mole-rats lack in the looks department they make up for it in longevity, living healthily for nearly four decades. Now, scientists have found just how they repair their DNA – and it has the potential to be harnessed by humans to do the same.

Researchers believe they have developed the first blood test to diagnose chronic fatigue syndrome, or myalgic encephalomyelitis, and it has the potential to be a game-changer for millions around the globe suffering with the debilitation condition.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that your mom and dad’s DNA don’t just pass on telomere length, they actively reshape it in the first days of life, influencing how we age and our risk of developing diseases such as cancer.

Sequencing mammoth DNA has already helped scientists map out how these Ice Age giants evolved, migrated, and survived. But there's a hidden layer of history still waiting to be decoded – the microbes that lived inside them.

A groundbreaking discovery reveals how HIV integrates its genetic material into human DNA, exposing a key viral vulnerability that could lead to new therapies and bring the world closer to a functional HIV cure.

In a groundbreaking study, scientists have mapped the most detailed genetic blueprint yet of frailty – the age-related decline that affects around 40% of people aged 65 and over. It provides new hope for developing precision anti-aging therapies.

A species loved by scientists has a new trick under its wings – a "time out" in youth that leads to significantly slower aging throughout life. This discovery, which shows that biological aging isn't fixed, is a breakthrough in human longevity science.

A groundbreaking study has revealed that white sugar doesn’t just feed bacteria in the gut – it rewires them. Consuming sugar can trigger physical flips in bacterial DNA, setting off a chain reaction that alters immune responses and gut health.

Humans have been getting infected by ancient bacteria and viruses for at least 37,000 years. Now, for the first time, pathogen DNA has uncovered a pivotal disease "turning point" that happened 6,500 years ago, which would forever change our lives.

Taking a vitamin D supplement can knock years off your biological aging, according to the results of a large, long-term study. This may not seem like a lot, but it's a significant amount as you become increasingly susceptible to disease as you age.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a bunch of genes linked to obesity in dogs – and found the very same ones in humans predisposed to putting on weight too.