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.

Genetic Inheritance

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Gene History

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Ras Genes and Cancer

What are Homeobox Genes?

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

See more featured articles »

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Genetics and Gene Expression

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene Knockin

Latest Gene News and Research

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

Discover expert insights into single-cell proteomics, revealing protein diversity and non-canonical biology with advanced mass spectrometry

From Bruker Daltonics 22 Oct 2026

Depression profile linked to disrupted sleep and poorer treatment responses

This study uncovers a circadian depression subtype, revealing links between sleep patterns, symptom severity, and antidepressant response in a large cohort.

22 Oct 2026

New national trial platform aims to accelerate Alzheimer's disease prevention

Researchers from the University of California San Diego will join a collaboration as part of a federal award of up to $41 million to launch a national effort aimed at accelerating the search for treatments that could prevent or slow Alzheimer's disease.

22 Oct 2026

Stem cell therapies may need new protein quality control standards

Current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards for cell therapies assess identity, viability, sterility, and genetic stability. For extracellular vesicle (EV) products, Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV2023) guidance adds particle size, concentration, markers, morphology, contaminants, endotoxin, and assays.

22 Oct 2026

Prenatal iron deficiency linked to lasting changes in the offspring brain

During the first weeks of pregnancy, developing cells are already laying the foundation for the brain. Iron plays a major role in the organization and shaping of cells during this stage of gestation.

21 Oct 2026

Study identifies blood proteins associated with aggressive prostate cancer risk

Proteins linked to the immune system, cell adhesion, blood vessel formation and known prostate cancer genes, were associated with the future risk of developing prostate cancer, including aggressive disease, in a new study led by researchers at Oxford Population Health.

21 Oct 2026

Semaglutide and teduglutide reduce immune-driven gut injury in mice

Researchers found that gut-derived GLP-1 and GLP-2 signaling helped protect mice against T cell-induced intestinal injury, with GLP-1R primarily regulating inflammation and GLP-2R supporting intestinal repair. Semaglutide and teduglutide, administered separately or together, reduced acute intestinal damage in mice lacking intestinal proglucagon, suggesting potential avenues for investigating treatments for immune-mediated gut injury.

21 Oct 2026

Penn State study identifies new regulator of jumping genes

As much as half of the human genome is composed of so-called "jumping genes." These DNA sequences can make copies of themselves that are inserted back into the genome at another location, playing a significant functional role in creating the diversity that drives evolution and in regulating how other genes are turned on or off.

21 Oct 2026

Blocking specific proteins protects beta cells om excessive cellular stress

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine have identified a molecular pathway that contributes to the death of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.

21 Oct 2026

Study shows circadian rhythms vary across different cell types

Biological clocks coordinate the spatiotemporal organization of metabolism with diurnal time cues, and bulk-tissue RNA sequencing studies in mammals have revealed widespread circadian (about 24 h) gene expression in mice and non-human primates.

21 Oct 2026

Altered fatty acid metabolism drives glioblastoma growth and treatment resistance

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults, and glioblastoma (GBM), particularly IDH (Isocitrate dehydrogenase)-wildtype disease, has the poorest prognosis.

21 Oct 2026

Cell Painting method reveals drug differences in 3D cancer cells

Researchers at Uppsala University have adapted Cell Painting, a widely used imaging method in drug discovery, to look at individual cells inside small 3D clusters of cancer cells.

21 Oct 2026

CHLA becomes first hospital on the West Coast to implant spring rods for children with scoliosis

Children's Hospital Los Angeles recently became the first pediatric hospital on the West Coast to implant an innovative new system of spring-based rods in children with early onset scoliosis (EOS).

21 Oct 2026

Touchlight announces leadership transition, with Will Downie appointed interim CEO

Touchlight today announces that Karen Fallen is stepping down as CEO and that the Board of Directors has appointed Will Downie as Interim Chief Executive Officer.

From Touchlight 21 Oct 2026

Paternal age may influence sex-specific gene expression changes in embryos

When genes are "expressed," it is like reading an instruction manual to create things the body needs - such as proteins or RNA.

20 Oct 2026

Study identifies potential treatment target for aggressive lung tumors

A UTHealth Houston-led team has identified a promising new avenue to curb the growth and spread of tumors associated with hard-to-treat lung and other cancers.

20 Oct 2026

Experts weigh risks of using gene therapies for common diseases

Gene therapy is no longer the future of medicine - it's reality. Treatments that replace, silence or edit genes are already changing clinical care.

20 Oct 2026

Study links abnormal immature astroglia to lower fluid intelligence in older epilepsy patients

A new USC-led study links abnormal immature astroglia, star-shaped cells that support brain function, to lower fluid intelligence, or the ability to solve new problems, in older adults with epilepsy.

20 Oct 2026

New gene-editing platform gives doctors control over cell therapies

An Australian clinician-led research team has developed a gene-editing platform that could give doctors more control over cell therapies, making them more practical for patients with complex immune conditions.

20 Oct 2026