Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Study reveals genetic divergence and drug resistance mechanisms in two critical superbugs

Infectious diseases caused by pathogenic strains of bacteria are a global cause of morbidity and mortality. Hospital-acquired infections caused by Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were found vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.

29 Apr 2024

Genetic associations of key genes in breast cancer pathogenesis

Breast cancer remains a significant global health concern, warranting further exploration into its genetic basis and potential therapeutic targets.

29 Apr 2024

Unlocking the mechanisms of pluripotent cell's fate determination

As embryos, all complex organisms are partially made up of pluripotent stem cells, a term for cells that have the capacity to differentiate into any kind of cell: nerve cells, muscle cells, blood cells, skin cells, and the like.

29 Apr 2024

Newly developed organoid model can be used to study thymus function

Researchers from the Organoid group have developed a new organoid model that can be used to study the thymus.

29 Apr 2024

SCA4 genetic breakthrough: Unveiling the cause of a devastating neurological disease

Some families call it a trial of faith. Others just call it a curse. The progressive neurological disease known as spinocerebellar ataxia 4 (SCA4) is a rare condition, but its effects on patients and their families can be severe.

29 Apr 2024

Largest study of BRCA1 and BRCA2 carriers refines cancer risk estimates in Asian population

A team of clinician-scientists and scientists from the University of Nottingham (Malaysia campus), National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), Cancer Research Malaysia, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), University of Malaya, University of Cambridge, A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and other institutions, have conducted the largest study done to date of BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer Gene 1 and 2) carriers in an Asian population and refined breast and ovarian cancer risk estimates for this population.

26 Apr 2024

Machine learning-powered robot streamlines genetic research process

University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research.

26 Apr 2024

Genetic variants linked to Parkinson's risk from pesticide exposure

A new UCLA Health study found certain genetic variants could help explain how long-term pesticide exposure could increase the risk of Parkinson's disease.

25 Apr 2024

Machine learning system offers new hope for diagnosis of rare genetic disorders

Diagnosing rare Mendelian disorders is a labor-intensive task, even for experienced geneticists. Investigators at Baylor College of Medicine are trying to make the process more efficient using artificial intelligence.

25 Apr 2024

Genetics studies have a diversity problem that researchers struggle to fix

When he recently walked into the dental clinic at the Medical University of South Carolina donning a bright-blue pullover with "In Our DNA SC" embroidered prominently on the front, Lee Moultrie said, two Black women stopped him to ask questions.

25 Apr 2024

New system personalizes chemotherapy doses for cancer patients

When cancer patients undergo chemotherapy, the dose of most drugs is calculated based on the patient's body surface area. This is estimated by plugging the patient's height and weight into an equation, dating to 1916, that was formulated from data on just nine patients.

24 Apr 2024

Prenatal opioid exposure not associated with risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in children

Opioid use during pregnancy is not associated with a substantial increase in the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as ADHD in children, finds a large study from South Korea published by The BMJ today.

24 Apr 2024

Timelapse breakthrough: Scientists capture secrets of early embryonic cell division

The beginning of life is shrouded in mystery. While the intricate dynamics of mitosis is well-studied in the so-called somatic cells – the cells that have a specialized function, like skin and muscle cells – they remain elusive in the first cells of our bodies, the embryonic cells.

24 Apr 2024

Study explores parents' struggle with children's avid eating behaviors

Study investigates parental experiences and challenges in feeding preschoolers with avid eating behavior, highlighting strategies to foster healthy eating habits and prevent obesity.

24 Apr 2024

$4.8 million grant supports research on TDP-43 misfolding in neurodegenerative diseases

A new $4.8 million grant will support researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine and the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology to study how human neurodegenerative diseases are affected by the misfolding of the protein TDP-43.

23 Apr 2024

Genetic insights into type 2 diabetes risk in childhood cancer survivors

Survivors of childhood cancer are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, for which a risk factor is their greater prevalence of type 2 diabetes, with a disproportionate impact on those of non-European heritage.

23 Apr 2024

Study discovers hidden mechanism behind rapid COVID variants

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID has the unsettling ability of often generating variants of itself. Other viruses also mutate, but as SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread throughout the entire human population during the pandemic, killing millions, the virus' dynamic evolution posed a serious problem: it repeatedly challenged our bodies' immune response fighting the virus and hindered the process of getting updated vaccines ready.

23 Apr 2024

Womb pressure shapes facial features, UCL study reveals

Physical cues in the womb, and not just genetics, influence the normal development of neural crest cells, the embryonic stem cells that form facial features, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

23 Apr 2024

Scientists map all yeast proteins across cell cycle for the first time

An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has mapped the movement of proteins encoded by the yeast genome throughout its cell cycle. This is the first time that all the proteins of an organism have been tracked across the cell cycle, which required a combination of deep learning and high-throughput microscopy.

23 Apr 2024