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.

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Ras Genes and Cancer

What are Homeobox Genes?

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Genes that Control Pluripotency

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene Knockin

Tumor Suppressor Genes

See more featured articles »

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Genetic Inheritance

Genetics and Gene Expression

Gene History

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Latest Gene News and Research

Deramiocel cell therapy slows muscle and heart damage in advanced DMD

A cell therapy called deramiocel could slow muscle weakening in boys and young men with advanced Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and may also slow heart damage in those who already have heart muscle disease, a phase 3 clinical trial published in The Lancet has found.

29 Jul 2026

Overactive brain immune response linked to rare, severe genetic epilepsy

An overactive immune response in the brain may play a role in Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe genetic epilepsy that typically begins in infancy, according to Weill Cornell Medicine researchers.

29 Jul 2026

Small changes in one heart protein cause distinct cardiomyopathies

Cardiomyopathies are a group of mostly hereditary, rare heart diseases in which the structure of the heart muscle tissue is impaired.

29 Jul 2026

New gene editing tool reduces Huntington's symptoms in mice

A gene editing tool designed to precisely rewrite the gene that causes Huntington's disease reduced toxic protein fragments and symptoms associated with the disease in mice, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign report.

29 Jul 2026

Experimental therapy helps brain cells bypass genetic deletions

Scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC have discovered how an experimental therapy can help brain cells overcome the effects of a disease-causing genetic deletion.

28 Jul 2026

Father's diet before conception impacts baby's body composition

A father's diet can affect his children's health and body composition before they are even conceived. A study of 43 triads of fathers, mothers, and newborns treated in the public healthcare system of Ribeirão Preto in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, demonstrated this.

28 Jul 2026

Blocking the Axl receptor may offer a new way to promote bone formation

Osteoporosis is one of the most common age-related bone diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide and increasing the risk of fractures, disability, and reduced quality of life.

28 Jul 2026

Early vitamin B3 treatment may benefit children with rare genetic condition

Children with a rare and often fatal genetic condition may benefit from early treatment with vitamin B3, halting their significant deterioration, according to a new study.

28 Jul 2026

New strategy combines cancer immunotherapy and gene therapy in a single nanoparticle

Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system's surveillance. A KAIST research team has developed a new anticancer platform that makes cancer cells send out their own danger signal—prompting immune cells to attack—while simultaneously delivering gene therapy.

28 Jul 2026

Landmark study identifies new genetic risk factors linked to fibromyalgia syndrome

In a landmark study published in Nature Medicine, an international team of researchers has identified new genetic risk factors associated with fibromyalgia syndrome.

28 Jul 2026

A common dietary nutrient feeds a gut pathway linked to atrial fibrillation

Researchers linked higher plasma TMAO to prevalent atrial fibrillation in 5,090 people and found that TMAO or choline supplementation accelerated AF onset, progression, atrial remodeling, and electrical dysfunction in mice. Inhibiting gut microbial TMA production lowered circulating TMAO and delayed AF in mice, identifying a potential therapeutic pathway that now requires human testing.

27 Jul 2026

St. Jude scientists uncover regulatory mechanism for crucial developmental pathway

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists uncovered a regulatory mechanism for signaling of Sonic Hedgehog (SHH), a pathway essential for embryonic development.

27 Jul 2026

Taste preference genes drive overeating and metabolic disease risk

Ever wonder why some people crave sweets while others can take them or leave them? Preliminary findings from a new study suggest that people who carry certain genetic variants associated with a preference for sweet or fatty tastes not only tend to eat more of these foods but also have a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes as a result.

27 Jul 2026

Slow-maturing microglia may enable powerful human cognitive abilities

Microglia are the most common immune cells in the brain, where they defend against intruders and engulf damaged neurons.

27 Jul 2026

New blood protein biomarkers estimate timing of ALS symptoms

Months to several years before amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) symptoms arise, levels of certain blood proteins may dramatically shift.

27 Jul 2026

Novogene Europe expands single-cell sequencing capability at Cambridge Omics Centre

Novogene Europe, a multiomics research services partner, today announced that it has expanded its single-cell RNA sequencing capability at its Cambridge Omics Centre.

From Novogene Europe 27 Jul 2026

Study links inherited genetics to cancer susceptibility and progression

Scientists have found the first direct evidence of the powerful role our genetic makeup plays in influencing our risk of cancer, with inherited genes interacting with acquired genetic mutations to shape how tumors evolve.

26 Jul 2026

Global database strengthens monitoring of coastal microbial health risks

A new global database brings together information on disease-causing microorganisms, antibiotic resistance genes, and virulence factors in coastal waters, giving researchers and public health professionals a practical tool for assessing biological risks in estuaries and other nearshore environments.

24 Jul 2026

Iowa State study identifies potential new target for leukemia treatment

In leukemia's most aggressive forms, the blood cell factories in our bone marrow falter. Instead of dividing and multiplying at their usual prolific pace, generating hundreds of billions of new cells daily, some precursor cells stall out at an immature stage.

24 Jul 2026

Inherited genetics can influence safety and success of CAR-T cell therapy

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, which reprograms an individual's immune cells to seek out and destroy certain cancer cells, has revolutionized treatment for blood cancers such as lymphoma.

24 Jul 2026