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New polygenic risk scores improve prediction of metabolic disease outcomes

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity are metabolic conditions with many causes, including overlapping and distinct genetic features.

16 Mar 2026

Selfish chromosomes hijack Overdrive gene to eliminate rival sperm

A new University of Utah-led study has discovered the mechanism behind a decades-old evolutionary mystery-how "selfish chromosomes" cheat the rules of genetic inheritance.

13 Mar 2026

Vitamin B2 metabolism helps cancer cells resist ferroptosis

A lack of vitamin B2 makes tumour cells more susceptible to a unique form of cell death. This was discovered by researchers at the Rudolf Virchow Centre at the University of Würzburg.

13 Mar 2026

Predicting cancer behavior through splicing fingerprints

Cancer is caused by faulty genes, but what also shapes a cancer cell's behaviour is how a gene's instructions are trimmed and rearranged before they are turned into the proteins that keep a cell alive.

13 Mar 2026

Does coffee disrupt sleep? Large population study suggests the impact may be minimal

A large cross-sectional analysis of 25,381 Swedish adults aged 50–64 found that habitual coffee consumption showed only very weak associations with sleep quality and daytime sleepiness. Genetic analyses confirmed known coffee-related variants and suggested that long-term caffeine exposure may lead to adaptation in the brain’s adenosine signaling system.

11 Mar 2026

Scientists map epigenetic changes across aging brain cells

Neurodegenerative diseases affect more than 57 million people globally. The incidence of these diseases, from Alzheimer's to Parkinson's to ALS and beyond, is expected to double every 20 years.

11 Mar 2026

Cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines linked to higher stroke risk

Cannabis and other illicit drugs are associated with higher stroke risk, underscoring the importance of addressing substance use disorders in health strategies.

11 Mar 2026

New review reveals complex polygenic architecture underlying common epilepsies

An insightful mini-review published in Genomic Psychiatry synthesizes the rapidly expanding landscape of molecular genetic research on common epilepsies, assembling evidence from genome-wide association studies, whole-exome sequencing projects, and advanced statistical modeling to illuminate the polygenic architecture that underpins these heterogeneous neurological disorders.

10 Mar 2026

AI and genetics reveal new insights into human language development

Learning French, reading the latest Andy Weir novel, hanging out with friends for St. Patrick's Day - language is central to all these everyday activities.

10 Mar 2026

New review calls for biologically grounded approach to psychiatric diagnosis

A comprehensive invited review published today in Brain Medicine confronts one of the most persistent paradoxes in modern medicine: psychiatry remains the only major clinical discipline that diagnoses complex illness primarily through conversation and symptom checklists, while fields such as oncology and cardiology long ago embraced laboratory markers, imaging, and molecular profiling.

10 Mar 2026

Transposable elements cause majority of lethal mutations in fruit flies

Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University.

10 Mar 2026

Low-cost interventions reduce neonatal sepsis from Klebsiella pneumoniae

A new study found that a multifaceted infection prevention and control intervention could at least temporarily thwart outbreaks of infections from the Klebsiella pneumoniae bacterium, a leading cause of neonatal sepsis and mortality in Africa and South Asia.

10 Mar 2026

Sleep and diet emerge as key drivers of immunome variation

Immunome (immune cells and functions) variations are closely related to human health. Various exposures, including the external environment and personal lifestyles, are important factors affecting the immune system.

9 Mar 2026

Enzyme helps maintain retinal progenitor cells during eye development

The retina is a thin layer of neural tissue at the back of the eye that detects light and converts it into signals, sent to the brain.

9 Mar 2026

Long-read whole genome sequencing uncovers new genetic variants linked to autism

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have identified new genetic variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by using long-read whole genome sequencing (LR-WGS), an emerging approach that reads large sections of the genome at once, making it easier for scientists to find new genetic variants and understand how genetic variants affect the function of a gene.

9 Mar 2026

Largest genetic study classifies 14 psychiatric disorders into five major groups

Although mental disorders have multifactorial causes, genetics can explain some of them, yet this field remains largely unexplored in terms of guiding diagnoses and treatments.

9 Mar 2026

Scientists simulate complete life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell

By simulating the life cycle of a minimal bacterial cell - from DNA replication to protein translation to metabolism and cell division - scientists have opened a new frontier of computer vision into the essential processes of life.

9 Mar 2026

Most pandemic viruses show little adaptation before infecting humans

A new University of California San Diego study published in Cell challenges a long-standing assumption about how animal viruses become capable of sparking human epidemics and pandemics.

9 Mar 2026

Cytotrait secures £3 M seed funding to address global food security and sustainable agriculture

Cytotrait, a biotechnology spinout company from The University of Manchester focussed on the development of novel traits for food and agriculture, today announced the close of its £3 M seed funding round.

9 Mar 2026

How somatic mutations shape disease and reveal new drug targets

Researchers reviewed how somatic mutations accumulate in normal and diseased tissues, showing that natural selection can expand clones that influence disease risk, tissue adaptation, or cellular resilience. The study proposes somatic genomics as a powerful strategy to uncover disease mechanisms and identify new therapeutic targets across multiple conditions.

8 Mar 2026