Gene

A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

What are Genes?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the chemical information database that carries the complete set of instructions for the cell as to the nature of the proteins produced by it, its life span, maturity, function and death. Genes are the working subunits of DNA. Each gene contains a particular set of instructions, usually coding for a particular protein or for a particular function.

What are Homeobox Genes?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Gene Knockin

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Gene History

Genetics and Gene Expression

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

See more featured articles »

What are Homeobox Genes?

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Ras Genes and Cancer

Genetic Inheritance

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists identify common molecular program across multiple brain tumor types

Research uncovering the origin of pineoblastoma, a rare pediatric brain tumor, has also revealed a dependency across multiple brain tumor types that share a similar molecular program.

6 Mar 2026

Single dose of CAR-astrocyte therapy halves amyloid levels in mice brains

The new generation of Alzheimer's disease drugs - the first proven to change the course of the disease - typically extend independent living for patients by 10 months.

6 Mar 2026

Scientists discover how herpes simplex virus softens cells to multiply faster

Herpes simplex virus partially liquifies the tightly packed, gel-like interior of human cell nuclei to copy itself faster, a new study shows.

6 Mar 2026

MSK uncovers how interacting mutations shield breast cancer

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) have made an important discovery about how genetic mutations in breast cancer patients can interact and drive resistance to certain drugs called CDK4/6 inhibitors. This finding, published in Nature, suggests a new strategy for predicting and preventing resistance to specific therapies based on the tumor's genetic profile.

6 Mar 2026

A novel approach to improving survival in treatment-resistant cancers

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have identified a protein called tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) as a potential "switch" that can modulate a type of cancer cell death known as immunogenic cell death (ICD).

6 Mar 2026

Trial aims to improve family communication about inherited colorectal cancer risk

In time for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in March, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology has launched a new clinical study aimed at helping improve how patients with colorectal cancer share information about the genetic risks to their family members.

5 Mar 2026

AI trained on 9 trillion DNA letters predicts harmful mutations and designs new genomes

Scientists developed Evo 2, a large biological foundation model trained on about 9 trillion DNA base pairs that can analyse genomic sequences across bacteria, plants, and humans. The model predicts functional effects of genetic variants and can generate genome-scale DNA sequences, enabling new approaches to studying and designing biological systems.

5 Mar 2026

Study reveals a disease-relevant role for tanycytes in neurodegeneration

Accumulation of the protein tau in the brain is one of the hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. In a paper publishing March 5 in the Cell Press journal Cell Press Blue, researchers report a previously unknown mechanism that appears to enable the build-up of tau.

5 Mar 2026

Targeted mRNA delivery restores sperm production and fertility in infertile mice

Researchers have found that targeted delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) can restore sperm production and fertility in genetically infertile male mice.

5 Mar 2026

Repurposed kidney drug finerenone shows promise in treating premature ovarian insufficiency

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a clinically significant cause of infertility that affects between 1 to 3% of women of childbearing age.

5 Mar 2026

Tufts researchers identify new vulnerabilities to combat persistent C. diff infections

Affecting roughly half a million Americans each year, bacterial infections caused by Clostridioides difficile—commonly known as C. diff—are a serious and persistent problem for patients and hospitals alike.

5 Mar 2026

Researchers find novel path to treat Rett syndrome

A team of researchers at Texas Children's Duncan Neurological Research Institute (NRI) and Baylor College of Medicine report in Science Translational Medicine a potential new approach to treat Rett syndrome – offering early promise for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that currently has no cure.

5 Mar 2026

Novel gene regulation therapy passes key clinical milestone

Groundbreaking Phase 1/2a clinical trials co-led by Linda Laux, MD, from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, show that the first gene regulation treatment for epilepsy is safe and well tolerated by patients with Dravet syndrome for whom antiseizure medications are not effective.

4 Mar 2026

Low-intensity preconditioning boosts neurological outcomes

The team led by Prof. Lin Zhu from Guangzhou Sport University have demonstrated that 4-week low-intensity treadmill exercise before the onset of an ischemic stroke can significantly reduce brain injury and improve neurological outcomes.

4 Mar 2026

Experimental therapy dramatically reduces seizures in children with Dravet syndrome

A new experimental treatment for children with a hard-to-treat form of epilepsy is safe and can reduce seizures dramatically, helping them lead much healthier and happier lives, the findings of a UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital-led international clinical trial show.

4 Mar 2026

New fragmentome technology can detect early liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center report that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based liquid biopsy test using genome-wide cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentation patterns and repeat landscapes can detect early liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and may also reveal signals of broader chronic disease burden.

4 Mar 2026

Study sheds light on potential therapeutic strategies for post-traumatic osteoarthritis

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis often affects younger, active individuals and progresses quickly following ligament or cartilage injury.

4 Mar 2026

New HIV-seq tool advances understanding of persistent viral reservoirs

For people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), life-saving antiretroviral therapy keeps their HIV-infected immune cells from making new copies of the virus, preventing illness and transmission.

3 Mar 2026

New strategy targets Porphyromonas gingivalis without harming healthy microbes

For years, treating gum disease has meant scraping away plaque, cutting out damaged tissue or turning to antibiotics that kill bacteria indiscriminately.

3 Mar 2026

Innovative peptide stapling system targets hard-to-treat cancers

Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a new technology that uses bacteria to build, chemically stabilize, and test millions of potential drug molecules inside living cells, making it much quicker and easier to discover new treatments for difficult-to-treat cancers.

3 Mar 2026