Genomics

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Fruit fly model sheds light on genetic roots of cocaine addiction

In a new JNeurosci paper, Adrian Rothenfluh and colleagues from the University of Utah developed a fruit fly model of cocaine self-administration that can be used to explore the genetic underpinnings of cocaine addiction.

3 Jun 2025

Canine DNA study uncovers new genes linked to gastric cancer

Dogs share our homes, our habits and sometimes, our diseases. Gastric cancer is rare in dogs, but when it does strike, it closely resembles gastric cancer in humans: subtle clinical signs, comparable tumor subtypes, late-stage diagnosis and poor outcomes.

2 Jun 2025

Researchers identify gene driving aggressive prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center identified a gene that plays a key role in prostate cancer cells that have transitioned to a more aggressive, treatment-resistant form.

2 Jun 2025

Genome doubling identified as common event in metastatic cancer evolution

When cancer spreads from a primary tumor to new sites throughout the body, it undergoes changes that increase its genetic complexity.

2 Jun 2025

Scientists uncover how a single gene shaped the course of plague pandemic

Scientists have documented the way a single gene in the bacterium that causes bubonic plague, Yersinia pestis, allowed it to survive hundreds of years by adjusting its virulence and the length of time it took to kill its victims, but these forms of plague ultimately died out.

1 Jun 2025

Ancient genomes reveal deep roots of East Asian populations

Newly sequenced ancient genomes from Yunnan, China, have shed new light on human prehistory in East Asia.

29 May 2025

New discovery reveals how cohesin complex alters gene expression

Cohesin is a protein that forms a ring-shaped complex which wraps and alters the DNA molecule shape. It moves through the DNA and creates specific loops in the genetic material which determine the architecture of the genome and gene expression.

29 May 2025

Genetic analysis shows leprosy was endemic in pre-colonial America

Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent.

29 May 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

Short type gene variant associated with increased purring in domestic cats

Whether you are lucky enough to have a cat companion or must merely live this experience vicariously through cat videos, Felis catus is a familiar and comforting presence in our daily lives.

29 May 2025

Wilms tumor found to contain millions of genetic changes

Researchers have uncovered that some childhood cancers have a substantially higher number of DNA changes than previously thought, changing the way we view children's tumours and possibly opening up new or repurposed treatment options.

29 May 2025

Breakthrough study finds genes behind calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease

In a first-of-its-kind genome-wide association study (GWAS) researchers have discovered two genes, RNF144B and ENPP1, that cause calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) disease in Americans of European and African descent.

28 May 2025

Yeast cells offer promising alternative for manufacturing DNase1

The protein DNase1 is one of the oldest biological agents in history: It has been on the market since 1958 and is now used, among other things, to treat cystic fibrosis.

28 May 2025

How bed bugs evolved alongside humans over thousands of years

Ever since a few enterprising bed bugs hopped off a bat and attached themselves to a Neanderthal walking out of a cave 60,000 years ago, bed bugs have enjoyed a thriving relationship with their human hosts.

28 May 2025

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

Researchers identified a novel genotype (D1.1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 spreading among wild birds, poultry, and a human in British Columbia, Canada, during fall 2024. Genomic analysis reveals the virus arose from reassortment between Eurasian and North American strains, with implications for surveillance and control.

27 May 2025