Genetic Information News and Research

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Innovative nanopore system enables controlled DNA unzipping

DNA holds the instructions that make us who we are. If we want to read those instructions, say to understand our predisposition to genetic disorders, we need to carefully 'unzip' DNA's iconic double-helix structure.

30 Jul 2025

States pass privacy laws to protect brain data collected by devices

More states are passing laws to protect information generated by a person's brain and nervous system as technology improves the ability to unlock the sensitive details of a person's health, mental states, emotions, and cognitive functioning.

23 Jul 2025

Genetic secrets of Spanish flu revealed through century-old sample

Researchers from the universities of Basel and Zurich have used a historical specimen from UZH's Medical Collection to decode the genome of the virus responsible for the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic in Switzerland.

14 Jul 2025

Researchers uncover molecular switch controlling DNA packing in cell division

If measured from beginning to end, the DNA in our cells is too long to fit into the cell’s nucleus, explaining why it must be constantly folded and packaged.

10 Jul 2025

Scientists reveal how chemotherapy causes genetic damage in healthy blood

For the first time, scientists have systematically studied the genetic effects of chemotherapy on healthy tissues.

2 Jul 2025

Researchers turn a deadly fungus into potent cancer-fighting compound

Penn-led researchers have turned a deadly fungus into a potent cancer-fighting compound. After isolating a new class of molecules from Aspergillus flavus, a toxic crop fungus linked to deaths in the excavations of ancient tombs, the researchers modified the chemicals and tested them against leukemia cells.

23 Jun 2025

Histone modification involved in chromosome and spindle stabilization in mouse oocytes

The accurate distribution of chromosomes in an oocyte is essential for the correct transmission of genetic information to the next generation.

20 Jun 2025

Why Alzheimer’s DNA tests don’t treat all populations equally

A major global study tested whether European-derived polygenic risk scores (PGS) for Alzheimer’s disease can predict risk across diverse populations. While PGS performed well in many groups, it was less accurate in individuals of sub-Saharan African and Indian ancestry, highlighting the urgent need for more inclusive genetic data.

19 Jun 2025

Scientists find hundreds of genes that behave like light switches

Gene expression, where cells use the genetic information encoded in DNA to produce proteins, has been thought of as a dimmer light.

19 Jun 2025

Full tumor DNA sequencing becomes standard for children with cancer

Readouts of the full DNA of children with cancer at diagnosis have been implemented as the standard of care in a European first.

19 Jun 2025

AI model detects brain tumors with high precision using epigenetic fingerprints

The MRI image shows a brain tumor in an inauspicious location, – and a brain biopsy will entail high risks for the patient, who had consulted us due to double vision.

6 Jun 2025

AI agent shows promise to support oncologists in everyday clinical practice

Clinical decision-making in oncology is challenging and requires the analysis of various data types – from medical imaging and genetic information to patient records and treatment guidelines.

6 Jun 2025

Mitochondrial DNA variant predicts resistance to melanoma immunotherapy

Results from a new study help resolve the decade-long mystery of why many patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer do not respond to the latest cancer treatments.

6 Jun 2025

Mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin may lead to increased drug resistance

Efforts to reduce child mortality in Africa via mass treatment with the antibiotic azithromycin (AZM) may lead to increased drug resistance in bacteria that frequently cause pneumonia and meningitis, highlighting the need for careful monitoring, finds a new study led by UCL.

4 Jun 2025

Salk researchers create detailed genetic atlas of cannabis to date

Cannabis has been a globally important crop for millennia. While best known today as marijuana for its psychoactive cannabinoid THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), historically, cannabis has been a cornerstone of human civilization, providing seed oil, textiles, and food for more than 10,000 years.

29 May 2025