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.

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Ras Genes and Cancer

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genetic Inheritance

Gene History

Genes that Control Pluripotency

What are Homeobox Genes?

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Gene Knockin

See more featured articles »

What are Homeobox Genes?

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Genetics and Gene Expression

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Latest Gene News and Research

NIH grant funds research on environmental triggers for sickle cell disease

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received a $4.1 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, to study how everyday exposures affect the health of people with sickle cell disease.

1 Sep 2026

New brain atlas reveals insights into Huntington's, addiction, and other disorders

A region of the brain called the striatum is critical for many cognitive and motor functions, including decision-making, control of movement, habit formation, and processing of reward.

1 Sep 2026

DARPA funds project to build wireless yeast DNA printer

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has tasked scientists with developing a system that can receive instructions and synthesize a sequence of DNA or RNA without any chemical input. Think wireless DNA printer.

1 Sep 2026

New scLS algorithm advances gene expression trajectory analysis

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a method to measure gene expression of individual cells, allowing observation of various cellular processes, including cell differentiation, the cell cycle, and stimulus-response for each unique cell instead of averaging across millions of cells.

1 Sep 2026

Study identifies 36 risk genes for OCD and tic disorders

A Rutgers-led international collaboration has identified 36 genes that substantially raise the risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and chronic tic disorders – providing what two researchers said is the most detailed biological understanding of how these conditions develop – and how they might eventually be treated.

1 Sep 2026

AI platform uncovers new molecular targets for Alzheimer's disease

Groundbreaking study published in Alzheimer's & Dementia reveals the crucial links between the NAD⁺-mitophagy axis and neurodegeneration.

1 Sep 2026

Lifestyle factors aggravate genetic causes of male infertility, study finds

Lifestyle factors can worsen the effects of genetic causes of male infertility, finds new research that could help explain why men carrying similar genetic mutations often experience different levels of fertility impairment.

31 Aug 2026

UC San Diego researchers win DARPA award to develop improved red blood cells

Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine have been awarded a contract of up to $11.312 million from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to pursue a high-risk, high-reward research project aimed at developing optimized red blood cells that can temporarily boost human performance and health.

31 Aug 2026

A personalized elimination diet changed the gut microbiome in people with migraine

In a 12-week randomized, sham-controlled trial of 98 adults with migraine, eliminating IgG-positive foods altered gut microbial composition and produced a greater reduction in serum zonulin than a sham elimination diet. The microbial changes were associated with previously reported reductions in CGRP and IL-6 and improvements in migraine and sleep, although the authors emphasized that these mechanistic links remain exploratory.

31 Aug 2026

Primate-specific DNA change reveals a new link to dementia-related neurodegeneration

Brain diseases, including dementia, have long been studied using experimental animals such as mice. However, differences between the human and animal genomes have raised concerns that some disease mechanisms may not be fully explained by conventional animal models.

29 Aug 2026

Paternal sperm epigenetics may help explain early pregnancy loss

When a pregnancy ends early and unexplained, the search for answers usually begins with the mother. Lacey Luense, Ph.D., wants to know what the father's sperm might have to do with it.

28 Aug 2026

Stanford scientists develop an ultracompact gene activation tool

The ability to precisely adjust the expression of genes inside the human body - ramping up protective ones and tamping down harmful ones - holds enormous potential for treating and preventing disease.

28 Aug 2026

Study shows how cancer can act as a systemic disease

In their quest to understand how cancers take root, grow and spread, scientists have for the past half-century explored the genetic aberrations and microenvironmental peculiarities of tumors and their constituent cells.

28 Aug 2026

Cell proliferation gene plays a distinct role in cells that no longer proliferate

In a tale of identities as divergent as "The Prince and the Pauper," a well-known cancer-causing gene also influences cells in a zombie-like state meant to prevent cancer.

28 Aug 2026

Machine learning maps changing immune response over time in sepsis

Researchers have mapped how the immune response in people with sepsis changes over time.

28 Aug 2026

Study identifies role for peroxisomes in protecting insulin and maintaining beta cell health

Researchers at LSU's Pennington Biomedical Research Center have identified a previously underappreciated role for tiny structures inside cells called peroxisomes in protecting insulin and maintaining the health and maturity of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.

28 Aug 2026