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.

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Genetics and Gene Expression

Tumor Suppressor Genes

What are Homeobox Genes?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Gene History

Gene Knockin

Genetic Inheritance

Genes that Control Pluripotency

See more featured articles »

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Latest Gene News and Research

Study maps how NF-κB regulates gene expression in cells

To further the quantitative understanding of cellular decision making, Dr. Gregory Reeves and his team in the chemical engineering department have worked to interpret how a transcription factor dictates the alteration of gene expression in cells.

27 Feb 2026

NIH’s continued investment fuels TMJ pain research

Chronic pain is one of the most common health conditions worldwide. Back pain is the most frequently reported type, followed closely by head and face pain linked to the jaw joint, in the form of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder.

27 Feb 2026

Expanded Seq-Scope method boosts gene-mapping resolution within tissues

In 2021, a technology developed at University of Michigan, called Seq-Scope, revolutionized the ability to map gene activity within intact tissue at microscopic resolution, enabling researchers to measure all expressed mRNA molecules and determine precisely where they are located within the tissue, using an Illumina sequencer machine.

27 Feb 2026

Engineered proteins track gene expression in living primate brains

Gene therapy has been successfully used to treat a number of diseases, including immune deficiencies, hereditary blindness, hemophilia and, recently, Huntington's disease, a fatal neurological disorder.

27 Feb 2026

New structural insights pave way for hantavirus vaccines

Hantaviruses, transmitted from rodents to people, have a death rate approaching 40%. They're found around the world, and because there are no approved vaccines or treatments, they're among the pathogens of highest concern for future pandemics.

27 Feb 2026

Genomic landscape and clinicopathologic significance of POLE mutant colorectal carcinoma

DNA polymerase epsilon catalytic subunit A (POLE) gene plays a crucial role in DNA repair and chromosomal replication.

27 Feb 2026

New pathway found connecting liver congestion to fibrosis and cancer

Researchers from The University of Osaka find that chronic liver congestion is linked to severe liver diseases through a specific signaling pathway in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells - key cells lining the liver's tiny blood vessels.

27 Feb 2026

Corneal nerve function declines with age in aniridia patients

Congenital aniridia is a rare disease caused, in most cases, by mutations in the PAX6 gene, which is essential for the development of ocular structures.

27 Feb 2026

Study reveals pancreatic cancer's early immune evasion tactics

A new study suggests that pancreatic cancer may start preparing to "hide" from the immune system long before the disease becomes full-blown cancer.

27 Feb 2026

New review explains how circular RNAs could unlock fat browning therapies

A Cell Death & Disease review synthesizes preclinical evidence that circular RNAs regulate adipose browning and metabolic pathways through microRNA interactions, protein binding, and organelle-linked stress mechanisms. It highlights their biomarker and therapeutic potential in obesity and type 2 diabetes while underscoring key translational challenges, including delivery specificity and human validation.

26 Feb 2026

Smoking triggers epigenetic damage linked to macular degeneration

Through a series of experiments supported by the National Institutes of Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM) researchers say they have advanced understanding of how smoking damages the eye and contributes to the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading worldwide cause of visual impairment and blindness among people 50 and older.

26 Feb 2026

New method clarifies whether NOTCH1 variants cause congenital heart defects

One to two out of every 100 newborn babies are born with a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD), yet the exact cause remains unclear.

26 Feb 2026

Researchers reveal why SuperAgers retain youthful brain cell signatures into their 80s

Researchers used single-nucleus RNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility profiling to map human hippocampal neurogenesis across adulthood, aging, and Alzheimer’s disease. They found that chromatin accessibility changes, more than gene expression alone, distinguish healthy aging, preclinical pathology, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive resilience in SuperAgers.

26 Feb 2026

Neanderthal DNA loss tied to ancient interbreeding dynamics

The human genome is a rich, complex record of migration, encounters, and inheritance written over thousands of millennia.

26 Feb 2026

Jumping DNA fragments found to destabilize cancer genome

A study published today in the journal Science reveals how jumping fragments of human DNA, a type of genetic parasite, destabilise the cancer genome. Unstable genomes are a fertile playground for cancer evolution, giving malignant cells more opportunities to grow, adapt and evade treatment.

26 Feb 2026

Tiny protein region unlocks secrets to healthy heartbeat

A tiny region in a little-known muscle protein may hold the key to a healthy, steady heartbeat, as well as possible clues to future treatment of devastating heart ailments.

26 Feb 2026

New mouse model uncovers achondroplasia's cellular growth plate dysregulation

Achondroplasia, also known as short-limb dwarfism, is associated with neurological symptoms and complications due to narrowing of the skeletal structures surrounding the spinal cord.

26 Feb 2026

Middle-aged men most vulnerable to aging effects of new PFAS

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – 'forever chemicals' in common parlance – are a class of thousands of synthetic chemicals often used in non-stick coatings, water-resistant fabrics, fire-fighting foams, food packages, cleaning products, and plastics.

26 Feb 2026

Identifying the core catalyst for muscle energy production

Researchers have investigated the role of a certain enzyme in regulating energy in muscle and exercise performance for decades, but a new study by Virginia Tech scientists has identified more precisely than ever how this mechanism works.

26 Feb 2026

Reducing miRNA levels helps rescue vascular defects in Rett syndrome

MIT researchers have discovered that two common genetic mutations that cause Rett syndrome each set off a molecular chain of events that compromises the structural integrity of developing brain blood vessels, making them leaky.

25 Feb 2026