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.

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Genetics and Gene Expression

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene Knockin

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene History

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Tumor Suppressor Genes

See more featured articles »

Genetic Inheritance

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Ras Genes and Cancer

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Latest Gene News and Research

Atypical mutation offers clues to personalized pancreatic cancer treatment

A new study led by Aaron Hobbs, Ph.D., and Rachel Burge, Ph.D., at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, reveals why a specific gene mutation behaves differently from other variants.

20 Jan 2026

Using AI to understand the age of disease onset in Huntington's patients

A team from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Institute of Neurosciences at the University of Barcelona (UBneuro) has applied advanced artificial intelligence techniques to better understand why Huntington's disease can begin at very different ages in patients.

20 Jan 2026

ELRIG announces Drs Stephen Ward and Annarita Miccio as keynote speakers for Cell and Gene Therapy 2026

ELRIG, a not-for-profit, volunteer-led organization dedicated to the global drug discovery community, today announced the keynote speakers for Cell and Gene Therapy 2026. Drs Stephen Ward (Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult) and Annarita Miccio (Imagine Institute) will lead the inaugural two-day event taking place at Hinxton Hall in Cambridge, UK from 9-10 March.

20 Jan 2026

How "old RNA" reshapes sperm metabolism

Increasing paternal age has been linked to elevated health risks for the next generation, including higher risks of obesity and stillbirth. But what drives this increased risk remains unknown.

20 Jan 2026

Genomic screening uncovers hidden cancer and heart disease risk in young adults

A nationwide Australian pilot screened more than 10,000 adults aged 18–40 years for high-risk genetic variants linked to hereditary cancer and familial hypercholesterolaemia, identifying clinically actionable findings in about 2% of participants.

19 Jan 2026

Super agers' resilience against Alzheimer's disease linked to protective gene variant

The gene variant posing the greatest genetic risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is called APOE-ε4. A different variant of the same gene, APOE-ε2, is thought to confer protection against AD.

19 Jan 2026

Single-cell technique maps pre-malignant gene mutations in solid tissues

A new single-cell profiling technique has mapped pre-malignant gene mutations and their effects in solid tissues for the first time, in a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and the New York Genome Center.

16 Jan 2026

Alternative splicing of DOC2A gene shown to drive schizophrenia risk

In an important new study, Chinese researchers have discovered the previously unrecognized role of alternative splicing of the DOC2A gene in schizophrenia.

16 Jan 2026

Purdue-developed LENN system enhances stability and targeting of mRNA cancer therapies

Published, peer-reviewed research shows a patent-pending, virus-mimicking platform technology developed at Purdue University improves upon traditional methods of targeting bladder cancer cells with messenger RNA (mRNA) therapies.

16 Jan 2026

Age-related sperm changes at imprint regions linked to autism risk

A new research paper was published in Volume 17, Issue 12 of Aging-US on December 29, 2025, titled "Age-specific DNA methylation alterations in sperm at imprint control regions may contribute to the risk of autism spectrum disorder in offspring."

16 Jan 2026

Monash experts urge funding for national genomic screening to prevent disease

Leading genomic health experts from Monash University are calling for urgent government funding to progress the development of a national preventive genomic testing program that would save thousands of Australians from conditions like cancer and heart disease.

16 Jan 2026

AI identifies promising CDK9 inhibitors for cancer treatment

A new and important discovery comes from the field of oncological research thanks to the joint work of researchers from the Sbarro Institute in Philadelphia, the National Cancer Institute – Pascale Foundation, and the University of Pisa.

16 Jan 2026

New insights into long-term liver injury after Kasai portoenterostomy for biliary atresia

BA is characterized by early destruction of the bile ducts, leading to cholestasis, inflammation, and rapid fibrosis shortly after birth.

16 Jan 2026

New markers improve detection of aggressive breast cancer cells in the blood

Of all the types of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive and lacks specific therapies.

16 Jan 2026

New oral drug safely lowers triglycerides and other blood lipids in Phase 1 trial

In a Phase 1 clinical study, researchers led by EPFL and their partners report that a new liver- and gut-targeted oral drug can safely lower triglycerides and other blood lipids.

16 Jan 2026

Thermogenic beige fat protects blood vessels from hypertension

Obesity causes hypertension. Hypertension causes cardiovascular disease. And cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide.

15 Jan 2026

CTDNEP1 identified as potential tumor suppressor in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and begins in the cells lining the pancreatic duct.

15 Jan 2026

Repurposed Alzheimer’s medication offers low-cost hope for sickle cell anemia

Sickle cell anemia is the world's most common genetic disorder. It causes the red blood pigment hemoglobin to crystallize, which results in rigid, malformed red blood cells with a sickle shape.

15 Jan 2026

Scientists reveal how cholera bacteria activate toxin genes in the human gut

Cholera remains a major global public health challenge, with an estimated 1.3 to 4 million cases and tens of thousands of deaths reported worldwide each year.

14 Jan 2026

Study reveals genetic signatures linked to HIV-related cognitive impairment

Using participant skin cells reprogrammed into neurons, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified genetic signatures associated with HIV infection that may contribute to the cognitive impairment that often occurs in people living with HIV, even when the virus is controlled.

14 Jan 2026