Genome News and Research

RSS

Common genetic difference may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 and lung fibrosis

A genetic difference carried by nearly one in three people may increase the risk of severe COVID-19 and lung fibrosis by disrupting the function of a previously unknown protein, according to a new study.

24 Jun 2026

Hidden protein linked to severe COVID-19 and lung disease risk

24 Jun 2026

MSU researchers develop tool to observe complex molecular choreography in real time

A lot of things need to go right on a molecular level for immune cells to launch an adaptive response to an infection.

23 Jun 2026

Using the mathematics of quantum mechanics to improve neuroblastoma outcomes

For a child diagnosed with neuroblastoma-the most common infant cancer, occurring when early nerve cells grow out of control-the path to treatment isn't simple.

22 Jun 2026

Plague emerged earlier than thought and hit hunter-gatherers hard

Ancient DNA from 46 Lake Baikal hunter-gatherers revealed two early plague outbreak phases about 5,500 years ago, with Yersinia pestis detected in 18 individuals. The findings suggest these basal plague strains caused lethal, child-heavy outbreaks long before dense farming societies, cities, or classical flea-borne bubonic plague emerged.

21 Jun 2026

Study shows jumping genes can transfer between different species

Genes are not passed on exclusively from parents to their offspring. Some are mobile and can also jump to other species, as researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen have now shown.

19 Jun 2026

Childhood stress leaves lasting epigenetic marks across the body

The experiences we face early in life may leave their marks on our health in ways that echo across decades-and even across the entire body.

18 Jun 2026

Epigenetic drugs improve blood vessel health in obesity and diabetes

People with obesity and type 2 diabetes are at high risk of blood vessel damage. This risk depends not only on the genes a person carries, but also on how they are "read".

18 Jun 2026

PMOS rethink reframes a common hormone disorder as a whole-body disease

A new review reframes PCOS, now proposed as PMOS, as a systemic endocrine and metabolic disorder shaped by genetic, epigenetic, ovarian, metabolic, and neuroendocrine pathways. It highlights why inconsistent diagnosis and symptom-focused care have limited progress, while targeted therapies, biomarkers, machine learning, and organ-on-chip models may support more personalized treatment.

18 Jun 2026

Cerebral organoid model offers insights into the mechanisms of Ebola virus persistence

Following infection, Ebola virus can survive unnoticed in the human body for months or even years, hiding in areas with little immune surveillance like the central nervous system.

17 Jun 2026

Developing brain cells routinely repair severe DNA damage during migration

Newborn nerve cells must squeeze through crowded, narrow spaces-through dense tissue, past other cells, between fibers-to reach the areas where they form neural circuits in the brain cortex.

17 Jun 2026

Gut bacteria may help explain why fatigue appears before illness

A small study of healthy Japanese adults found that fatigue was associated with distinct gut microbiome, microbial gene, and fecal metabolite patterns. The findings suggest fatigue may track with altered microbial energy metabolism and oxidative stress-related functional potential, but larger longitudinal studies are needed to test causality and clinical value.

16 Jun 2026

Researchers urge caution over large-scale newborn genome screening

New research from large population studies provides invaluable evidence on genome screening of newborn babies to reduce risks from overdiagnosis.

15 Jun 2026

Wastewater analysis offers novel approach to track HIV burden

Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) detection in wastewater offers a novel approach to monitor the virus in communities.

15 Jun 2026

Dr. Dan Landau receives Lotus Award for ovarian cancer research

Dr. Dan Landau, the Bibliowicz Family Professor of Medicine, and a member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center and the Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, has received a Lotus Award from the Pershing Square Foundation for research aimed at uncovering new immunotherapy targets in ovarian cancer.

15 Jun 2026

Gut microbes control liver genes by flipping DNA switches

A local research study led by scientists from the A*STAR Genome Institute of Singapore (A*STAR GIS) has uncovered how the gut microbiome can influence gene activity in the liver by acting on short stretches of regulatory DNA that function like molecular "switches".

15 Jun 2026

New mRNA flu vaccine offers broader protection against influenza strains

A new study led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has found that an investigational mRNA influenza vaccine helps the immune system recognize a wider range of influenza viruses than today's standard flu shot, offering stronger and potentially longer-lasting protection.

15 Jun 2026

Australia’s diphtheria outbreak shows why boosters, antibiotics, and better housing all matter

A 131-case diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory showed how toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae can re-emerge even in highly vaccinated populations. Genomic and epidemiological evidence linked most cases to a dominant ST381 strain, with transmission shaped by overcrowding, poor skin health, and persistent health inequities.

15 Jun 2026

Genetic data may predict steroid side effect risk

Oral corticosteroids (OCSs) are widely used and effective in the treatment of chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. They work by reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and calming the immune system.

14 Jun 2026