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

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Ras Genes and Cancer

Genetics and Gene Expression

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

Gene Knockin

Gene History

Tumor Suppressor Genes

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

See more featured articles »

Genes that Control Pluripotency

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Genetic Inheritance

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

What are Homeobox Genes?

Latest Gene News and Research

Space station study tests colorectal cancer tumor avatars in microgravity

Researchers from Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) are studying how microgravity affects how models of colorectal cancer cells respond to chemotherapy aboard the International Space Station.

9 Nov 2026

Childhood cancer cells shape-shift to spread without genetic mutations

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UK) have proposed an explanation for why some childhood tumors spread aggressively around the body despite having relatively few genetic faults.

9 Nov 2026

New mRNA therapy reawakens heart muscle cells to repair damage

Scientists have developed a treatment that 'reawakens' heart muscle cells so they start to divide and help repair damaged muscle.

9 Nov 2026

Modified zinc finger protein reduces brain plaques in Alzheimer's mice

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.

9 Nov 2026

Study links everyday nanoplastics to severe lung inflammation risk

Everyday plastic products, including water bottles, disposable cups, and packaging, can break down over time into tiny fragments known as nanoplastics.

9 Nov 2026

Histone subvariant H3mm15 plays key role in sperm development

Researchers from Kyushu University have found that H3mm15, a histone H3.3 subvariant, contributes to normal sperm development in mice by helping regulate gene expression during spermatogenesis.

8 Nov 2026

New treatment may offer lasting cure for hormone-related hypertension

A study led by Queen Mary University of London has found that a new treatment could offer a lasting cure for some people with a common hormonal cause of high blood pressure, even after they stop taking medication.

8 Nov 2026

Frequent anxiety may reflect worsening cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease

Ask the family of someone with Alzheimer's disease what the hardest part is, and the answer is not always the forgetting. Sometimes it is the pacing.

6 Nov 2026

Immune cell differences may explain sex-specific obesity responses

University of California, Riverside scientists have an explanation for why males and females respond differently to obesity.

6 Nov 2026

Advanced tumor profiling uncovers hidden hereditary cancer-predisposition syndrome

Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) to profile tumor cells from patients with solid tumors, researchers at Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS identified genetic alterations associated with cancer predisposition in 10% of the subjects examined.

6 Nov 2026

New review outlines role of extracellular vesicles in cancer and aging

A new review was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on September 30, 2026, titled "Extracellular vesicles in health, aging and disease."

6 Nov 2026

Study uncovers new shortcut mechanism behind cancer cell division

Living cells are one of the few materials that can replicate themselves, and this is crucial for tissue development and recovering from injury or illness.

6 Nov 2026

$Refractory lichen planus-like lesions reveal underlying systemic T-cell lymphoma$

Refractory lichen planus-like lesions reveal underlying systemic T-cell lymphoma

A 61-year-old man had a 2-year history of painful mucosal lesions and pruritic violaceous plaques on the trunk and extremities.

6 Nov 2026

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