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.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Genetic Inheritance

Genetics and Gene Expression

Gene Knockin

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

What are Homeobox Genes?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

What are Homeobox Genes?

See more featured articles »

Ras Genes and Cancer

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Gene History

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Latest Gene News and Research

New mathematical method maps gene roles across different species

Much of what we know about biology comes from animal models, particularly mice. Applying these insights to humans, however, is not always straightforward.

29 Oct 2026

Circadian desynchronization: The hidden cost of daylight saving time transitions

Turning the clocks back an hour each fall can feel like a gift: an extra hour of sleep. But the tradeoff is less daylight in the evening, and the annual switch continues to earn mixed reviews.

29 Oct 2026

Thyroid cancer risks and medication timing with oral GLP-1s

Like most prescriptions, glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medications to manage weight come with potential risks.

28 Oct 2026

COMPASS pathway helps regulatory T cells prevent intestinal inflammation

Trillions of bacteria live in the human gut without triggering an immune response. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have now discovered a gene-regulatory pathway that helps maintain this delicate balance.

28 Oct 2026

Researchers tested an unexpected addition to vaginal treatment: oxygen

Researchers investigated the effects of topical vaginal oxygen treatment, alone or combined with antimicrobials, on the vaginal microbiota of 22 women with bacterial vaginosis or vaginitis. The combined treatment reduced the relative abundance of strict anaerobes and increased Lactobacillus abundance, but the absence of an antimicrobial-only control group prevented researchers from establishing whether oxygen contributed independently to these changes.

28 Oct 2026

High-fat diets in mouse parents alter offspring brain development

Researchers fed breeding pairs of mice five diets with different fat and sugar contents to examine how parental nutrition affects offspring brain development. High-fat diets, alone or combined with high sugar, delayed early motor development and altered brain structure in young adult offspring, while the high-sugar-only diet produced no significant changes in individual brain regions after correction for multiple comparisons.

28 Oct 2026

Ketones may change sleep patterns, but not always for the better

Researchers reviewed animal and human studies and found that ketone bodies may affect sleep stages through energy metabolism and cellular signaling, with the clearest direct evidence involving acetoacetate in mice. They reported mixed human findings and called for controlled studies to separate ketone-specific effects from changes linked to diet, disease, circadian timing, and physiological stress.

28 Oct 2026

Landmark studies map how genetic differences drive human diseases

In three landmark studies published in Nature today, Australian researchers have made major advances in our understanding of how genetic differences between people influence disease.

28 Oct 2026

Study identifies common mechanism behind widespread cancer mutations

A family of mutations seen in about 20% of human cancers drives malignancy by changing the accessibility of genes to a particular regulatory protein, according to a study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

28 Oct 2026

Japan's new law advances reproductive genome editing governance

A Hiroshima University researcher outlines advantages of Japan's new law that prohibits the transfer of genome-edited human embryos or germ cells into the human reproductive tract and imposes criminal penalties for violations.

28 Oct 2026

DEBRA research invests in Topadur to advance small-molecule therapies for dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa

DEBRA Research gGmbH, a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing research and drug development for Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), and Topadur Pharma AG, a Swiss clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced an investment by DEBRA Research in Topadur to support a preclinical program exploring a new treatment approach for dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). DEB is one of the more severe forms of EB, characterized by extremely fragile skin and progressive, debilitating complications.

28 Oct 2026

$1 million grant advances research into RNA-DNA virus evolution

Much remains unknown about the origin of viruses and how they evolve - but hunting for answers has been the focus of Portland State biology professor Ken Stedman's eXtreme Virus Lab for the past 25 years.

27 Oct 2026

Low vitamin B12 is linked to heart disease. Supplements tell a different story

A narrative review published in Nutrition Journal examines how vitamin B12 deficiency may contribute to cardiovascular disease through elevated homocysteine, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and altered methylation. The authors found that B12 supplementation has not consistently prevented heart attacks or cardiovascular deaths in clinical trials, although combined B-vitamin therapy may modestly reduce stroke risk, particularly in populations without folic acid fortification.

27 Oct 2026

Amyloid fibers help sperm deliver RNA to mouse embryos

Researchers identified RNA-associated amyloid fibrils in human seminal fluid and demonstrated that synthetic PAP fibrils could enter mammalian sperm. In mouse IVF experiments, these fibrils helped sperm deliver RNA to embryos, where the detected reporter-protein signal was at least tenfold higher than without fibril exposure.

27 Oct 2026

Mutant protein variant explains dominant inheritance of genetic immunodeficiency

New research shows how a mutant form of a protein named STAT3 causes a genetically dominant immunodeficiency.

27 Oct 2026

Baylor researchers discover how glioblastoma hijacks nearby brain cells

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have discovered a new strategy that glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of adult brain cancer, uses to fuel its own growth.

27 Oct 2026

Early exercise improves motor function in a mouse model of DDX3X syndrome

Acquisition of motor skills during infancy is critical for a child's ability to interact with the physical and social environment and motor impairments are frequent in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism.

27 Oct 2026

Researchers develop versatile genetic tool to investigate cell interactions

Our bodies are composed of many different types of cells that work together to build and maintain normal physiological functions.

27 Oct 2026

Genetic findings illuminate dental abnormalities and the evolutionary loss of teeth

Rare variants in a gene involved in early development have been linked to a range of dental differences in people, including missing teeth, unusual tooth shapes, and teeth present at birth.

26 Oct 2026

Semaglutide changes gut bacteria in rats beyond what eating less explains

Researchers compared semaglutide-treated male and female rats with pair-fed animals receiving the same amount and type of food to distinguish drug-associated microbiome changes from those linked to reduced eating. Semaglutide altered bacterial richness and community composition, with some changes absent from the pair-fed groups and uncertain consequences for health.

26 Oct 2026