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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Schizophrenia risk detectable at birth through epigenetic signatures

Genetic susceptibility to neurodevelopmental conditions such as schizophrenia, autism, and ADHD can be linked, in part, to distinct epigenetic signatures in newborn cord blood.

17 Nov 2025

New method enables construction of complete mycobacteriophage genomes

A team co-led by University of Pittsburgh’s Graham Hatfull has developed a method to construct bacteriophages with entirely synthetic genetic material, allowing researchers to add and subtract genes at will.

17 Nov 2025

Study finds increased rates of DNA mutations in mice pups conceived with IVF

Mice pups conceived with in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the lab have slightly increased rates of DNA errors, or mutations, compared to pups conceived naturally, a new study on artificial reproductive technologies suggests.

17 Nov 2025

Study highlights need for XDP specific diagnostic assays

Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed a targeted genetic test to improve diagnosis for X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP), a rare and disabling movement disorder that affects primarily men of Filipino ancestry.

17 Nov 2025

Higher melanoma rates linked to agricultural areas in Pennsylvania

Counties in Pennsylvania that contained or were near cultivated cropland had significantly higher melanoma rates compared to other regions, according to a new study led by scientists at Penn State.

14 Nov 2025

Subtle changes in the composition of short tandem repeats may shape disease risk

Scientists at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) have revealed a previously overlooked layer of genetic variation that could help explain why people experience disease differently, and why some treatments work better for certain populations.

14 Nov 2025

Uncovering hidden causes of recurrent pregnancy loss with optical genome mapping

Pregnancy loss may occur in as many as 25% of all pregnancies. Most of these losses occur in the first trimester, and about half are caused by genetic or chromosomal issues.

14 Nov 2025

Innovative test for Lyme disease offers hope for faster diagnosis

Researchers at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center have developed a way to diagnose Lyme disease earlier and more accurately than traditional testing methods.

14 Nov 2025

New molecular test revolutionizes fungal infection diagnosis

Certain serious fungal infections occur in regions of the United States with specific environments and are often tied to soil exposure.

14 Nov 2025

Landmark Japanese genome cohort reveals best practices for managing massive DNA databases

At a time when large-scale human genome analysis was not yet common, the Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization (ToMMo) launched its genome cohort study.

13 Nov 2025

Tiny antibiotic traces found to greatly accelerate resistance spread

Antibiotic resistance is widely recognized as one of the most urgent public health challenges of the twenty first century.

13 Nov 2025

Scientists reveal how prolonged UV exposure weakens cellular defense against skin cancer

Sunlight is vital for human health as it helps the body produce essential nutrients, such as vitamin D. However, too much sun exposure can significantly increase the risk of skin cancer.

13 Nov 2025

Scientists map the genetic control system behind FOXP3 in immune cells

The immune system faces a delicate balancing act: it must be aggressive enough to fight infections and cancer, yet restrained enough to avoid attacking the body's own tissues.

13 Nov 2025

New approach revives DNA from historic medical tissues

Research institutions around the world house valuable genetic information that could help unlock countless medical mysteries. However, because DNA degrades over time, it is difficult for researchers to analyze DNA samples older than 20 years using conventional analytical approaches.

13 Nov 2025

Cornell team unveils high-resolution tool for tracking kinase activity

Cornell researchers have developed a powerful new biosensor that reveals, in unprecedented detail, how and where kinases – enzymes that control nearly all cellular processes – turn on and off inside living cells.

13 Nov 2025

Whole genome sequencing reveals how much human heritability we can finally explain

Whole genome sequencing in nearly 500,000 UK Biobank participants shows that observed rare and common variants now explain about 88% of family based heritability for many human traits. By partitioning heritability into rare versus common and coding versus non-coding components, the study narrows where missing heritability still hides and highlights traits that remain only partly understood.

13 Nov 2025

Scientists invent new method for manufacturing platelet-producing cells from stem cells

Platelets are small, disc-shaped cell fragments in the blood that are essential to stop bleeding and to initiate blood clotting after injury.

13 Nov 2025

Pig kidney transplant breakthrough uncovers immune rejection secrets

Researchers have uncovered and then overcome an obstacle that has led to the failure of pioneering efforts in xenotransplantation, in which an animal kidney is transplanted into a human.

13 Nov 2025

Carolina Molecular partners with Pixelgen, becomes first US certified service provider for Pixelgen Proxiome Kit - Pixelgen Technologies

Carolina Molecular Inc., a leading molecular testing services laboratory, and Pixelgen Technologies AB announced today a partnership to expand access to cutting-edge 3D protein interactomics capabilities to researchers and clinicians in the United States. Carolina Molecular will be the first certified U.S. service provider for Pixelgen.

13 Nov 2025

Study links common Epstein-Barr virus to autoimmune lupus

One of humanity's most ubiquitous infectious pathogens bears the blame for the chronic autoimmune condition called systemic lupus erythematosus or, colloquially, lupus, Stanford Medicine investigators and their colleagues have found.

12 Nov 2025