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

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockin

Ras Genes and Cancer

Genetic Inheritance

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

See more featured articles »

Genetics and Gene Expression

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

What is SATI Gene Editing?

What are Homeobox Genes?

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene History

Latest Gene News and Research

Epstein-Barr virus together with a gene variant contributes to onset of multiple sclerosis

One of the leading triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. However, certain gene variants also play an important role.

13 Jan 2026

Study sheds new light on how structural brain changes are tied to memory decline in aging

A landmark international study that pooled brain scans and memory tests from thousands of adults has shed new light on how structural brain changes are tied to memory decline as people age.

13 Jan 2026

Single-cell analysis reveals gene disruptions in early-onset Alzheimer's brain regions

A new study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston investigated both gene expression and regulation at single cell levels to reveal disruptions in gene function in three brain regions of patients with sporadic early onset Alzheimer's disease.

13 Jan 2026

Fruit fly study identifies genes regulating dopamine and sleep

Dopamine in the brain influences movement, learning, motivation and sleep. In humans, problems with dopamine are linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease, depression and sleep disorders.

13 Jan 2026

Magnetic torque boosts cardiac organoid maturation, mimicking heart development

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet progress in understanding and treating cardiac disorders is limited by the shortcomings of existing experimental models.

13 Jan 2026

Dietary protein reshapes how cholera bacteria colonize the gut

Researchers investigate the role of dietary components and the gut microbiota in cholera.

13 Jan 2026

Gene regulators could restore the aging body's ability to self-repair

As we age, we don't recover from injury or illness like we did when we were young. But new research from UCSF has found gene regulators - proteins that turn genes on and off - that could restore the aging body's ability to self-repair.

12 Jan 2026

Study identifies gene protecting the maternal heart during pregnancy

Scientists at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation have identified a previously unknown molecular safeguard that protects the heart during pregnancy, shedding new light on the causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and life-threatening form of pregnancy-related heart failure.

12 Jan 2026

Study identifies PUF60 as a critical vulnerability in triple negative breast cancer

Researchers at University of California San Diego have identified a previously unrecognized treatment target for triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer.

12 Jan 2026

Two harmful gene variants can combine to restore normal protein function

In a groundbreaking study published in the in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists at Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI) have overturned a long-held belief in genetics: that inheriting two harmful variants in the same gene always worsens disease.

12 Jan 2026

Researchers identify possible target for new therapies against periodontitis aggravated by smoking

Smoking tobacco is known to worsen symptoms of periodontitis and reduce responsiveness to treatment. Using high-resolution spatial transcriptomics, researchers identified differences between smokers and non-smokers in the expression of genes that weaken gum epithelial integrity and cause bone damage through inflammation.

12 Jan 2026

DNA analysis of colorectal polyps improves diagnosis and treatment

In about 5–10% of colorectal cancer patients, hereditary factors play a role, with higher percentages among younger patients.

12 Jan 2026

Weight loss normalizes fat tissue at cellular level

It is well known that obesity typically leads to inflammation and dysfunction of fat tissue that increases the risk of developing metabolic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

12 Jan 2026

Whole-genome sequencing improves PARP inhibitor treatment prediction

A whole-genome sequencing approach shows early promise over current commercial methods for identifying more patients likely to benefit from PARP inhibitor cancer treatments, according to a study led by Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian investigators.

12 Jan 2026

ALS breakthrough: Restoring protein production in motor neuron axons

Researchers at VIB and KU Leuven have identified a molecular process that allows motor neurons to maintain protein production, a process that fails in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

12 Jan 2026

AI automates sister chromatid exchange counting, improving diagnosis of Bloom syndrome

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have developed a suite of algorithms to automate the counting of sister chromatid exchanges (SCE) in chromosomes under the microscope.

10 Jan 2026

Study uncovers a neural brake that limits motivation during unpleasant situations

Most of us know the feeling: maybe it is making a difficult phone call, starting a report you fear will be criticized, or preparing a presentation that's stressful just to think about.

9 Jan 2026

One Health action needed as environmental reservoirs fuel drug-resistant infections

Environmental antimicrobial resistance is turning rivers, soils, and even the air into hidden highways for "superbugs," according to a new review that calls for urgent, coordinated action across human, animal, and environmental health.

9 Jan 2026

Earthworm-based composting offers a low-energy solution to antibiotic resistance

Earthworms could become unexpected allies in the global fight against antibiotic resistance, by helping farmers turn manure into safer, high-value organic fertilizer through a process called vermicomposting.

9 Jan 2026

Key protein in the tuberculosis bacterium helps protect itself from foreign DNA

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), with collaborators from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), have discovered how a key protein in the tuberculosis bacterium helps protect it from the influence of foreign DNA inserted into its genome.

9 Jan 2026