Lord Howe Island stick insects went extinct on their native island in the 1920s and were apparently rediscovered elsewhere decades later. There were questions about whether the living insects were the same species, but now genetic tests confirm that the stick insects really are back from the dead.
Continue Reading
If evolution works by selecting for the most advantageous genes, why haven’t we evolved immortality? A new study has identified genes that promote reproductive success in youth but aging later in life, and found that switching off those genes dramatically extended the lifespan of worms.
Continue Reading
Two new complimentary studies have utilized CRISPR gene editing technology to explore how specific genes affect wing pattern variation in butterflies. By selectively knocking out single genes and observing the effects, scientists have uncovered a key insight into how broad biodiversity can evolve.
Continue Reading
It takes cross-breeding to turn flowers certain colors, but scientists can dig right in and change them at a genetic level much faster. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing tool, scientists have changed the flowers of the Japanese morning glory from its usual violet to a pure white.
Continue Reading
“Why aren’t we still evolving?” is a common argument against evolution, but evidence shows that it is still happening if you know where to look. Now a genetic study has found evidence of natural selection at work in the genomes of over 200,000 people.
Continue Reading
Researchers have discovered that a powerful guardian gene known to protect against a variety of autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, is triggered by the bacteria in our gut. This finding offers a clue to the complex interaction between our genes, immune system and gut microbiota.
Continue Reading
A study from Yale has found specific gene "signatures" that correlate with an effective response to the flu vaccine. The new research also highlighted genetic blueprints that, while positive for younger subjects, were the exact opposite for older subjects.
Continue Reading
With the world only getting hotter, scientists are already looking at clever ways of changing up food production to make sure future generations don't go hungry. New research looks in this area looks at breeding new kinds of peas that are built to take the heat.
Continue Reading
A pair of independent studies from two teams used CRISPR technology to genetically alter ants to remove their ability to "smell," which resulted in their inability to interact with normal ants and produced changes in their brains.
Continue Reading
As we age, our brains slowly lose the ability to learn, remember, adapt and heal. This flexibility is known as brain plasticity, and a team has recently uncovered a possible key piece in the plasticity puzzle, finding a single gene that can rejuvenate plasticity in the brains of adult mice.
Continue Reading
See the stories that matter in your inbox every morning