Genetics

Genetics is the study of genes and heredity. Heredity is the passing of genetic information and traits (such as eye color and an increased chance of getting a certain disease) from parents to offspring.

How Do Genetic Mutations Cause Disease?

Mutations in genes can lead to genetic disorders, impacting health. Understand the types, causes, and implications of genetic mutations and disease.

START and STOP Codons

Genetic Regulation of Fingers and Toes Development

Applications of the Expanded Genetic Code

Genetic Change

Genetics Research and Technology

The Role of Alternative Splicing in Disease

Genetic Inheritance

Genotype Versus Phenotype

What is Cytogenetics?

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

The Importance of Genetic Counseling In Healthcare And Medicine

See more featured articles »

What is the Expanded Genetic Code?

Genetics and Gene Expression

What is Genetic Anticipation?

History of Genetics

Genetic Risk Associated with Social Anxiety

Von Recklinghausen Disease Expressivity

Latest Genetics News and Research

Genetic study reveals how DNA repeats expand with age

An analysis of genetic data from over 900,000 people shows that certain stretches of DNA, made up of short sequences repeated over and over, become longer and more unstable as we age.

7 Jan 2026

MD Anderson and SOPHiA GENETICS join forces to accelerate data-driven cancer care

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and SOPHiA GENETICS today announced a strategic collaboration that unites SOPHiA GENETICS' AI-powered analytics with MD Anderson's clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate data-driven cancer care through new tools that can accurately analyze, interpret and translate diagnostic results into clinical practice.

7 Jan 2026

New $8.5 million renewal grant fuels research on children's heart health

The National Institutes of Health has awarded the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai an $8.5 million renewal grant to continue groundbreaking work aimed at understanding and improving long-term outcomes for children with congenital heart disease-the most common type of birth defect in the United States.

7 Jan 2026

Charting brain cell epigenomics to reveal origins of psychiatric disorders

In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Maria Margarita Behrens recounts an extraordinary scientific journey that wound through four countries and multiple disciplines before arriving at fundamental questions about how the brain develops and what goes wrong in psychiatric disorders.

6 Jan 2026

Forever chemicals linked to higher liver disease risk in adolescents

A new study co-led by the Southern California Superfund Research and Training Program for PFAS Assessment, Remediation and Prevention (ShARP) Center and the University of Hawai'i has linked certain common "forever chemicals" to a higher risk of liver disease in adolescents.

6 Jan 2026

Unveiling genetic links between schizophrenia and osteoporosis

A comprehensive genetic investigation led by Dr. Feng Liu at Tianjin Medical University General Hospital has uncovered striking molecular connections between schizophrenia and bone health, identifying 195 shared genetic loci that may explain why psychiatric patients face elevated fracture risks.

6 Jan 2026

TAAR1 mutation impairs brain signaling in schizophrenia

A genetic mutation passed from mother to children in families affected by schizophrenia has now been shown to completely silence a brain receptor that pharmaceutical companies are racing to target with new drugs.

6 Jan 2026

Why individual differences hold the key to unlocking psychiatric mysteries

In a revealing Genomic Press Interview published today in Genomic Psychiatry, Dr. Noritaka Ichinohe challenges a foundational assumption that has quietly constrained psychiatric research for decades: the belief that meaningful explanation requires averaging away individual differences.

6 Jan 2026

"Blue zones" longevity claims validated by new research

A new peer-reviewed paper published in The Gerontologist provides the most comprehensive scientific response to date addressing recent critiques of the so-called "blue zones," regions of the world known for unusually high concentrations of people living long, healthy lives.

5 Jan 2026

Ancient genomes reveal Iron Age origins of human herpesvirus 6

For the first time, scientists have reconstructed ancient genomes of Human betaherpesvirus 6A and 6B (HHV-6A/B) from archaeological human remains more than two millennia old.

4 Jan 2026

Elevated bacteria levels in tumors weaken immune response, studies show

Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered that bacteria inside cancerous tumors may be key to understanding why immunotherapy works for some patients but not others.

2 Jan 2026

Newly identified rare genetic variant reduces the risk of leukemia

A newly identified and rare genetic variant slows the growth of mutated blood stem cells, researchers report, and it reduces the risk of leukemia.

2 Jan 2026

How modern diets are driving rapid evolution in gut bacteria

A novel iLDS statistic uncovers adaptive gene sweeps in gut bacteria, highlighting evolutionary responses to modern diets and enhancing microbiome studies.

2 Jan 2026

Combination therapy offers hope for AML patients facing drug resistance

A research team at Oregon Health & Science University has discovered a promising new drug combination that may help people with acute myeloid leukemia overcome resistance to one of the most common frontline therapies.

30 Dec 2025

High-fat cheese and cream consumption links to lower dementia risk over 25 years

Higher intake of high-fat cheese and cream was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia over 25 years in a large Swedish cohort, while low-fat dairy showed no association. Associations were strongest for vascular dementia and among APOE ε4 non-carriers, with findings remaining observational.

23 Dec 2025

Researchers create the most detailed 3D maps of the human genome

In a landmark effort to understand how the physical structure of our DNA influences human biology, Northwestern investigators and the 4D Nucleome Project have unveiled the most detailed maps to date of the genome's three‑dimensional organization across time and space, according to a new study published in Nature.

22 Dec 2025

Rethinking Mendelian assumptions in inherited retinal degenerations

A new study challenges what's long been assumed about genetic variants thought to always cause inherited blindness.

22 Dec 2025

Homer1 gene plays a critical role in shaping attention

Attention disorders such as ADHD involve a breakdown in our ability to separate signal from noise. The brain is constantly bombarded with information, and focus depends on its ability to filter out distractions and detect what matters.

22 Dec 2025

Genes influence the gut microbiome beyond the individual

The gut microbiome - made up of trillions of microbes in the digestive tract - is vital for digestion and overall health. Diet and medication shape these microbial ecosystems, but the contribution of genetics has been more difficult to ascertain.

19 Dec 2025

Access barriers keep Black and low-income patients out of genetics clinics

Black patients and patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are dramatically under-represented in genetics clinics-often at rates half or less than those of White patients or individuals from wealthier areas-according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital.

19 Dec 2025