DNA

A new study published in the journal Nature is describing the extraction and sequencing of the oldest known sample of DNA. The sample comes from an ancient species of mammoth found in the Siberian permafrost and dates back nearly 1.2 million years.

Scientists have sequenced the genome of a “living fossil” from the time our ancestors first crawled out of the oceans. The Australian lungfish genome is the largest of any animal sequenced so far, revealing it to be our closest living fish relative.

Like weeds that grow back if you don’t remove the roots, cancer can keep returning thanks to stem cells. A new “designer” DNA molecule eradicates these cancer stem cells, with tests in mice showing promising early results in preventing relapse.

A new piece of open source software can radically speed up the process of DNA sequencing, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers. Using a portable sequencer, the UNCALLED software can cut a 15-day operation down to three days, or even one.

Scientists have successfully extracted DNA from insects trapped in amber – but any creatures you might revive from this would hail from the not-so-distant past of 2014. The study aims to work backwards to find the limits of DNA preservation.

Engineers have developed a simple way to make colloidal diamonds that self-assemble. These structures have traditionally been tricky to manufacture in bulk, but with this new method they could be used to help make better photonic devices.

It can be hard to determine if an animal is extinct or just really good at hiding. A new study shows how environmental DNA can help the hunt, with several missing frog species rediscovered in Brazil, including one that hasn’t been seen in 50 years.

As if they don't already face enough challenges from bleaching, many of the world's coral reefs are currently being eaten by the crown-of-thorns starfish. A simple new portable test kit, however, could detect their presence sooner than ever before.

New research suggests violent or traumatic experiences in childhood can accelerate biological signs of aging. Early puberty, rapid cellular aging, and structural brain changes could all be linked to violent childhood trauma, but not poverty or neglect.

It’s generally believed that the Clovis people were the first humans to inhabit the Americas, as long as 15,000 years ago. But now archaeologists have found evidence in a cave in Mexico that suggests humans visited as early as 30,000 years ago.

A new cancer-detecting blood test has been found to catch five common types of cancer up to four years before any other conventional diagnostic tool, but further verification is needed before the test is clinically available.

In a landmark new study, geneticists have completely sequenced the entire human X chromosome. Using a new technique that takes "ultra-long" reads of DNA sequences, the team revealed more than three million base pairs that were previously unmapped.