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.

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Genetics and Gene Expression

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene History

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Horizontal Gene Transfer

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Genes that Control Pluripotency

Gene Knockin

See more featured articles »

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

What are Homeobox Genes?

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Genetic Inheritance

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

What are Homeobox Genes?

Latest Gene News and Research

Two common forever chemicals linked to higher incidence of ER-negative breast cancer

Women with higher blood levels of two common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also familiarly known as PFAS, were more likely to develop estrogen receptor-negative, or ER-negative, breast cancer, according to a new study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

6 Nov 2026

Towards a new approach to treating chronic blood disorders

A previously unrecognised weakness in the immune defenses against certain blood neoplasms could offer a promising target for future treatments.

6 Nov 2026

Developing brains may have a way to remove genetically abnormal neurons

A significant reduction in genetic abnormalities in cortical neurons occurs after birth, suggesting a selective elimination mechanism in brain development.

6 Nov 2026

The microbes on your lettuce change with the seasons

Lettuce's microbial communities vary seasonally, potentially impacting gut bacteria and highlighting the role of fresh vegetables in microbiome diversity.

6 Nov 2026

Evaxion will present new target validation data for EVX-04, an off-the-shelf therapeutic vaccine for acute myeloid leukemia at ASH 2026 Meeting

Evaxion A/S (“Evaxion”), a clinical-stage TechBio company developing novel immunotherapies with its pioneering AI-Immunology™ platform, will present new data for EVX-04, an off-the-shelf therapeutic vaccine for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), in a poster session at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, December 12-15, 2026.

5 Nov 2026

Hidden genetic differences in gut bacteria may hold clues to aging

Researchers analyzed approximately 12.8 million gut microbial genetic variants in 10,781 individuals across six cohorts, identifying 940 independent associations with 69 human health characteristics and environmental exposures. Nearly two-thirds of these associations were not accompanied by significant differences in bacterial species abundance, suggesting that microbial genetics can reveal relationships overlooked by conventional microbiome analyses, although causality remains unproven.

5 Nov 2026

Study shows opposite synaptic mechanisms cause identical cognitive deficits

A research team led by Dr. SHENG Nengyin of the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has reframed ZC4H2-associated rare disorder (ZARD)-a disorder marked by intellectual disability, developmental delays, muscle weakness, and other neurological or physical abnormalities-as a "disease spectrum" rather than a condition driven by a single mechanism.

5 Nov 2026

Compound YZG-331 leverages gut microbiota to improve sleep in mouse models of insomnia

This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B discusses how interactions between the investigational compound YZG-331 and the gut microbiota contribute to its sleep-promoting effects in mouse models of insomnia.

5 Nov 2026

Modified zinc finger scaffold suppresses microglial activation in mouse brain

A KAIST-led research team has found that a protein involved in gene regulation can suppress the harmful aggregation of amyloid-beta, a peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease. The approach also reduced the toxicity of protein aggregates that had already formed.

5 Nov 2026

Targeting brain protein may help treat MEF2C-related neurological disorders

A particular signaling protein in the brain could be a therapeutic target for neurological disorders arising from the deletion of the autism-linked gene MEF2C, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers found in a new mouse study.

4 Nov 2026

UCLA advances CRISPR gene-editing therapy for sickle cell disease

A UCLA-led team has described how they advanced an experimental CRISPR approach for sickle cell disease into a blood stem cell therapy that can be manufactured at the scale and quality required for a clinical trial.

4 Nov 2026

Workplace exposure to petroleum-based lubricants linked to higher MS risk

Exposure to petroleum-derived lubricants at work, including engine oil, hydraulic oil and cutting fluids used to cool or lubricate metal during metalworking, is associated with higher odds of multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published November 4, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Nov 2026

New nanovesicle therapy shows promise for treating alcohol-related liver disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is characterized by hepatocellular injury, oxidative stress, inflammation, and extracellular matrix remodeling, yet effective therapies remain limited.

4 Nov 2026

Comprehensive genetic map offers new hope for tuberculosis treatments

Rockefeller scientists have created the most comprehensive map to date of how essential genes interact in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium responsible for tuberculosis (TB).

4 Nov 2026

Deep learning method maps spatial architecture of brain cancer cells

Glioblastoma is the deadliest and most common type of malignant brain tumour in adults. One of the reasons it's almost always incurable is that individual tumour cells are very different from one another and shift dynamically between various 'states'.

4 Nov 2026