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 are Homeobox Genes?

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Gene History

What are Homeobox Genes?

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Genetic Inheritance

Genetics and Gene Expression

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

See more featured articles »

Tumor Suppressor Genes

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Ras Genes and Cancer

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene Knockin

Latest Gene News and Research

Understanding cell messaging provides a blueprint for targeting inaccessible tumors

Researchers at University College Dublin have discovered a previously unknown "courier system" that cells use to deliver coherent biological messages between each other, opening new possibilities for medicine and biotechnology.

16 Apr 2026

New research reveals how bacteria "selflessly" share DNA through GTAs

Research has shed important new light on the enemies-turned-allies that allow bacteria to exchange genes, including those linked to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

16 Apr 2026

Epigenetic changes allow cancer cells to shift identity and survive drugs

Cancer drugs are designed to shut tumors down. But sometimes, in the very act of attacking a tumor, treatment can also help a small fraction of cancer cells become harder to kill. A new study from researchers at the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) shows that cancer cells may begin escaping therapy much earlier - as the therapy itself triggers a stress response that drives some cancer cells into a temporary drug-tolerant state.

16 Apr 2026

Researchers discover how stress signals weaken the aging immune system

As we age, our ability to maintain healthy blood and a strong immune system gradually declines, largely because hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the cells responsible for producing all blood cell types, begin to lose their effectiveness. Normally, HSCs can both self-renew and generate a balanced mix of blood cells, but over time they produce fewer new cells, favor certain cells such as myeloid cells over lymphoid cells, and struggle to support a robust immune response.

16 Apr 2026

Migraine genes linked to worse headaches after concussion in children

A University of Calgary-led study has found evidence that children with genes predisposing to migraine might have an increased risk of having more headaches after a concussion, which are known to be linked to prolonged symptoms up to six-months after the injury.

15 Apr 2026

New RNA sequencing method improves rare disease diagnosis

Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) developed a new RNA sequencing strategy that can reveal how genetic variants disrupt gene function and improve the diagnosis of rare diseases.

15 Apr 2026

Mitochondrial activity keeps dendritic cells ready to fight disease

Researchers at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC) show that active mitochondria maintain dendritic cells, the immune system's sentinels, in a "ready-to-respond" state, linking cellular metabolism to gene regulation and T-cell activation.

15 Apr 2026

Semaglutide improves liver function independently of weight loss

Researchers at Toronto's Sinai Health have found that semaglutide – the active ingredient in popular weight loss drugs that mimic the gut hormone GLP-1 – acts directly on a subset of liver cells to improve organ function and does so independently of weight loss.

15 Apr 2026

New model advances study of cardiac fibroblasts and fibrosis

Fibroblasts are an essential component of the heart, as they play key roles in its structure, development and response to cardiac damage.

15 Apr 2026

New research reveals how parasites break out of host cells

Parasites are a major global health problem, underlying many human diseases worldwide. For example, Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for malaria, plays a well-established; however, its complex life cycle is not yet fully understood.

15 Apr 2026

New CRISPR tool selectively cuts tumor DNA while sparing healthy cells

Cancer cells excel at evading detection, but subtle chemical differences set them apart from healthy cells.

15 Apr 2026

AP-1 proteins help cancer cells rewire genes to survive treatment

A long-standing mystery in cancer treatment is how tumor cells so often become resistant to drugs, even ones they have never encountered before.

15 Apr 2026

Brain organoids reveal mutation-specific insights for Rett syndrome

Though many studies approach the developmental disorder Rett syndrome as a single condition arising from general loss of function in the gene MECP2, a new study by neuroscientists in The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at MIT shows that two different mutations of the gene caused many distinct abnormalities in lab cultures.

15 Apr 2026

New biochip detects tiny genetic markers in 20 minutes

A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a new biochip that, when paired with Artificial Intelligence (AI), can detect quickly and accurately extremely small amounts of microRNAs, which are tiny genetic markers linked to diseases such as heart disease.

15 Apr 2026

Breakthrough blood test predicts kidney failure years before clinical symptoms

A new blood test can identify which individuals of African ancestry carrying high-risk APOL1 gene variants are most likely to develop kidney failure, years before clinical disease becomes apparent.

15 Apr 2026

Ultrasensitive assay uncovers hidden burden of tuberculosis disease

Researchers at Boston University have discovered an unexpectedly high prevalence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA (TB DNA) in patients hospitalized in Boston, suggesting that tuberculosis disease may be significantly underdiagnosed in the United States.

14 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genes linked to severe pregnancy sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

14 Apr 2026

SARS-CoV-2 rarely reaches first-trimester placentas but still disrupts early pregnancy immunity

Researchers analyzing 761 first-trimester pregnancies found that SARS-CoV-2 was rarely detected in placental tissues, suggesting in utero transmission early in pregnancy is uncommon. However, maternal infection was linked to immune dysregulation at the maternal-fetal interface, altered trophoblast signaling, and inflammatory changes that could affect placental development.

14 Apr 2026

Common osteoporosis drugs could slow or halt aneurysm progression

Aortic aneurysms are characterized by abnormal enlargement of the aorta, the primary artery responsible for carrying blood from the heart. Rupture often leads to sudden death, and currently, no effective drug therapies are available to halt disease progression.

14 Apr 2026

Very high prenatal PFAS exposure increases childhood asthma risk

High prenatal exposure to PFAS linked to increased childhood asthma risk, highlighting concerns over 'forever chemicals' and early-life environmental impacts.

14 Apr 2026