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.

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockin

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Genetics and Gene Expression

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Genetic Inheritance

See more featured articles »

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene History

What are Homeobox Genes?

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Latest Gene News and Research

Why eating more oats can rapidly reduce cholesterol levels

Oat consumption boosts gut microbiota-derived phenolic metabolites, driving cholesterol-lowering effects and improving lipid metabolism in metabolic syndrome.

27 Jan 2026

Multi-fluid microRNA signals as markers of endometriosis

Researchers uncover distinct microRNA profiles in bodily fluids, offering insights into noninvasive diagnostic markers for endometriosis and its complexities.

27 Jan 2026

WVU researchers explore how to restore vision in people with inherited blindness

A research team at the WVU is studying how to restore vision in people who develop a form of inherited blindness.

26 Jan 2026

Gene therapy targeting connexin 43 shows promise across inherited heart diseases

University of California San Diego-led team has discovered that restoring a key cardiac protein called connexin‑43 in a mouse model can dramatically improve heart function and extend survival in several inherited forms of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM)

26 Jan 2026

Secondary-treated wastewater still transfers antibiotic resistance to fresh produce

A study reveals tertiary-treated wastewater significantly reduces antimicrobial resistance risks in lettuce irrigation compared to secondary-treated water.

26 Jan 2026

Microbiome differences distinguish preterm infants with parenteral nutrition-associated cholestasis

24 Jan 2026

Selective inhibition of cPLA2 shows promise against Alzheimer's-related brain inflammation

A multidisciplinary USC research team has identified new compounds that may target a key driver of brain inflammation linked to Alzheimer's disease. Their research just published in the Nature publication npj Drug Discovery.

24 Jan 2026

PTPN2 gene protects the gut from harmful bacteria driving inflammatory bowel disease

Two recent studies from the University of California, Riverside, published in the same issue of Gut Microbes highlight the role of a gene called PTPN2 in protecting the gut from harmful bacteria linked to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

24 Jan 2026

Unraveling liver injury mechanisms in familial hypobetalipoproteinemia

Familial Hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL), caused by variants in the apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene, is a rare autosomal co-dominant monogenic disorder characterized by lifelong low plasma levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and APOB.

24 Jan 2026

Shared genetic architecture links schizophrenia with hemispheric white matter microstructure

Schizophrenia is a highly heterogeneous psychiatric disorder affecting ~1% of the global population, typically emerging in adolescence or early adulthood and characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and cognitive impairments; while its etiology remains elusive, genetic factors are widely recognized as fundamental, and GWAS have identified over 200 genome-wide significant loci.

24 Jan 2026

MYC cancer gene suppresses immune alarm signals to protect pancreatic tumors

The cancer gene MYC camouflages tumors by suppressing alarm signals that normally activate the immune system.

23 Jan 2026

New findings explain how lysosomal defects trigger neuronal energy failure

Together with colleagues from Stanford University, USA, researchers at the Leibniz Institute on Aging - Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) have, for the first time, created a comprehensive cell type-specific atlas of lysosomes in the brain, the cell organelles which are responsible for degradation and recycling processes.

23 Jan 2026

Genetic study links vitamin B1 metabolism to gut motility and IBS risk

Research links thiamine metabolism to gut motility, identifying genetic markers that could lead to new therapies for IBS and related digestive disorders.

23 Jan 2026

Trojan horse immunotherapy opens tumors to immune system attack

Scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed an experimental immunotherapy that takes an unconventional approach to metastatic cancer: instead of going after cancer cells directly, it targets the cells that protect them.

22 Jan 2026

New partnership aims to expand global access to sickle cell gene therapy

Caring Cross, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to improving access to advanced therapies, and Boston Children's Hospital today announced a collaboration to provide a sustainable, affordable pathway for patients to access stem cell gene therapies for the treatment of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

22 Jan 2026

Brain cell precursors show constant myelin-making drive

In experiments with mice, Johns Hopkins Medicine scientists report new evidence that precursors of myelin-producing cells - one of the few brain cell types that continue to be produced in the adult brain - undergo differentiation widely and at a constant pace, rather than "as needed" in response to injury or advancing age.

22 Jan 2026

Discovery explains why people with IBD have higher risk of colorectal cancer

A chain of immune reactions in the gut—driven by a key signaling protein and a surge of white blood cells from the bone marrow—may help explain why people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher risk of colorectal cancer, according to a preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators.

22 Jan 2026

Facial wound secrets revealed for scarless repair

Tweaking a pattern of wound healing established millions of years ago may enable scar-free injury repair after surgery or trauma, Stanford Medicine researchers have found.

22 Jan 2026

Alterations in liver metabolism experienced by individuals with Down syndrome

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) have uncovered compelling evidence that individuals with Down syndrome experience significant alterations in liver metabolism, including elevated levels of bile acids in the bloodstream and other biomarkers of liver dysfunction.

22 Jan 2026