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.

Tumor Suppressor Genes

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene History

Ras Genes and Cancer

Genetic Inheritance

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Gene Knockin

Genes that Control Pluripotency

See more featured articles »

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

What are Homeobox Genes?

Genetics and Gene Expression

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Latest Gene News and Research

Prediabetes leaves lasting fat tissue changes after bariatric surgery

Prediabetes may leave a lasting molecular "footprint" on adipose (fat) tissue which appears to make maintaining weight loss after bariatric surgery more difficult, according to new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May).

22 Apr 2026

New method predicts cancer patient survival using advanced molecular data

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind method to predict cancer patient survival using advanced molecular data from individual cells.

21 Apr 2026

Cancer-linked mutations in the brain cells may drive Alzheimer’s disease

As the body ages, cells naturally accumulate dozens of genetic mutations each year. New research from Boston Children's Hospital, published in Cell, finds that the brain's resident immune cells, microglia, amass mutations in specific cancer-driving genes yet they don't manifest as cancer.

21 Apr 2026

Epigenome proteins shape dynamic gene expression beyond simple on-off

A new study finds the proteins responsible for controlling which genes are expressed in a genome do more than simply turn a gene on or off.

21 Apr 2026

Stem cell model recreates early human embryo with yolk sac

For the first time, a stem cell model has produced a structure resembling an early human embryo with a yolk-sac-like structure, from a single starting stem cell population and without direct genetic manipulation.

21 Apr 2026

Scientists develop MIND approach to predict and reshape microbiomes

University of California San Diego researchers have developed a new tool for understanding and modifying any microbiome, including the human microbiome.

21 Apr 2026

Gut microbiome clues may help spot Parkinson’s disease in its earliest phase

Researchers found that a Parkinson’s disease-related gut microbiome pattern appears not only in people with diagnosed Parkinson’s, but also in some non-manifesting GBA1 variant carriers and a subset of healthy individuals. The findings suggest that gut microbiome changes may help flag people who are closer to Parkinson’s disease development, although longitudinal studies are still needed to confirm predictive value.

21 Apr 2026

Common gene in axolotls, mice and zebrafish may unlock human limb regrowth

Investigating a common gene in three very different species – axolotls, mice and zebrafish – scientists have discovered the potential for a novel gene therapy aimed at eventually regrowing limbs in humans, according to new research published this week.

21 Apr 2026

New mechanism disables antibiotic resistance and cross-protection in bacteria

A newly discovered mechanism renders antibiotic-resistant bacteria vulnerable by disabling both their individual resistance and a process known as cross-protection, the ability of resistant bacteria to shield nearby, otherwise sensitive strains.

21 Apr 2026

Molecular keyhole discovery offers new hope for personalized pain therapies

Researchers at VIB, VUB, and KU Leuven have identified a tiny binding site, a molecular 'keyhole', in the TRPM3 ion channel, a crucial sensor in pain signaling.

21 Apr 2026

DNA methylation "fingerprints" identify primary sites in metastatic cancers

A machine learning model analyzing CpG-based DNA methylation accurately predicted the origin of many different cancer types in patients with cancers of unknown primary (CUP), according to research presented at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2026, held April 17-22.

21 Apr 2026

Early genomic testing prevents years of inconclusive visits for pediatric patients

For many families, eight years of uncertainty meant repeated specialist visits, inconclusive genetic tests and the growing fear that a clear answer might never come. For nearly half of the children enrolled in the Telethon Undiagnosed Disease Program (TUDP), that wait is now over.

21 Apr 2026

APC-deficient cancer cells rely on single enzyme for survival

A newly published study reports that APC-deficient cancer cells may depend on a single metabolic enzyme for survival, revealing a potential strategy for selectively targeting tumours associated with one of the most common mutations in colorectal cancer.

20 Apr 2026

Study creates genetic roadmap of how HIV virus interacts with human cells

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is the cause of AIDS, is a master of deception, using just nine genes to hijack the complex cellular machinery of the human body.

20 Apr 2026

New gene target offers hope for fatal infant cardiomyopathy

Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC have made an important advance toward understanding-and potentially treating-a rare cardiomyopathy (heart muscle disease) that is present from birth.

20 Apr 2026

Gut microbiome analysis may help detect Parkinson’s before symptoms appear

Analysis of microbes in the gut can reveal whether a person faces an elevated risk of Parkinson's disease, before they have developed any symptoms, suggests a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

20 Apr 2026

Metastatic cells can be identified within primary breast tumors

Understanding which cells within a tumor will go on to form metastases remains one of the major challenges in cancer research.

20 Apr 2026

Newborns carry antibiotic resistance genes within first hours of life

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) – segments of DNA that help bacteria survive the effects of antibiotics – can be present in newborns within the first hours of life, according to research presented at ESCMID Global 2026.

20 Apr 2026

New study reveals CRISPR enzyme that responds to human DNA methylation

Cancer cells excel at evading detection, but subtle chemical differences set them apart from healthy cells. Now, a team of scientists from Wageningen University & Research and Van Andel Institute has identified a way to exploit this distinction. Using a variant of CRISPR, a modern tool for editing DNA, they distinguished tumor DNA from healthy DNA and selectively cut only the former. The study, published today in Nature, is an early but promising step toward a cancer therapy that targets and destroys tumor cells with high precision.

20 Apr 2026

Synthetic biology approach boosts growth of implanted liver tissue

In patients developing end-stage liver disease, the damage has become too severe for the liver's normally extraordinary regenerative capacity to repair or compensate for it. Once this "point of no return" has been reached, the only option is an organ transplant.

17 Apr 2026