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.

Genotype Versus Phenotype

Genetic Regulation of Fingers and Toes Development

Genetic Inheritance

Genetics of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Applications of the Expanded Genetic Code

START and STOP Codons

Von Recklinghausen Disease Expressivity

Genetics Research and Technology

Genetic Change

What is Genetic Anticipation?

What is the Expanded Genetic Code?

See more featured articles »

History of Genetics

Genetic Risk Associated with Social Anxiety

The Role of Alternative Splicing in Disease

What is Cytogenetics?

Genetics and Gene Expression

The Importance of Genetic Counseling In Healthcare And Medicine

Latest Genetics News and Research

Tau spreads more rapidly in early-onset Alzheimer's disease

Patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, whose symptoms start before age 65, have more extensive deposits of tau, a hallmark protein of the condition, compared with patients whose symptoms start at 65-plus, a new study found.

5 Nov 2026

Brain scans reveal clues to Alzheimer's risk years before memory loss begins

Inside the brains of some cognitively normal adults, firing patterns were able to foretell Alzheimer's disease years before the onset of memory loss or the accumulation of plaques and tangles, according to new Stanford Medicine-led research.

5 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

Modern lifestyles may be changing our gut bacteria in unexpected ways

A global study of 1,015 adults across 12 countries found that industrialized lifestyles were associated with lower gut bacterial diversity, reduced microbial community stability, and increased markers of intestinal stress and immune activity. The researchers also found that a microbiome-based health index developed using industrialized populations performed poorly in less-industrialized communities, raising concerns about its applicability across diverse populations.

4 Nov 2026

Researchers identify specific gene linked to female protection from autism

In many cases all it takes is one mutated gene to orchestrate changes across a whole network of genes linked to autism, according to new results published today in Nature by researchers at Boston Children's Hospital.

4 Nov 2026

Genetic variant tied to liver injury from blood pressure drugs

This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B discusses the clinical features and genetic associations of rare liver injury caused by antihypertensive medications.

4 Nov 2026

Genetic family mapping uncovers hidden links across ALS and FTD

Researchers at the Macquarie University Brain Institute and Clinic have helped accelerate the search for disease-causing genes by building new genetic 'families'.

3 Nov 2026

Nanoparticle structural design improves disease biomarker detection sensitivity

A nanoparticle's performance depends on more than what it is made of-it can also depend on how its building blocks are arranged.

3 Nov 2026

Eating sugary foods more than twice a week was linked to 28% higher breast cancer risk

In a prospective study of 71,264 Korean women followed for an average of 9.2 years, researchers identified 713 breast cancer cases and examined how different dietary sugar sources related to cancer risk. Women consuming high-sugar foods more than twice weekly had a 28% higher breast cancer risk than those consuming them no more than once a month, while total sugar intake and fruit consumption showed no significant association.

2 Nov 2026

Scientists may have underestimated how much genes contribute to Alzheimer's risk

A large multi-ancestry genetic analysis identified 127 genomic loci associated with Alzheimer's disease, including 48 previously unreported loci, and implicated microglial and neuronal gene-expression patterns in disease susceptibility. The researchers estimated that common genetic variants account for 16% of Alzheimer's disease liability in European-ancestry populations, substantially higher than previous estimates, while demonstrating improved polygenic risk prediction that remained less reliable in non-European populations.

2 Nov 2026

New computational tool simulates evolution of jumping genes

A genome contains all of the DNA of every living organism, but its contents don't stop there – most of these structures also contain snippets of DNA that can copy and paste themselves to "infect" a genome, expanding its size.

2 Nov 2026

New strategy exploits a hidden genetic vulnerability in multiple cancers

Researchers have found a surprisingly common vulnerability in a broad variety of cancers and have begun designing drug compounds to exploit it, in a study led by investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine.

2 Nov 2026

Mayo Clinic enters new medical era with precure research

Mayo Clinic researchers are uncovering the earliest shifts in disease biology - long before symptoms appear - revealing how disease takes root and opening new possibilities to identify, predict and potentially prevent disease before symptoms develop.

30 Oct 2026

Tailoring prostate cancer radiotherapy to body clock could cut long-term side effects

A study by Leicester researchers shows that the timing of radiotherapy treatment may be as important as how it is given for prostate cancer patients.

30 Oct 2026

Newly discovered protein helps preserve egg chromosome integrity during aging

Eggs follow a very different developmental path from sperm. Once a male hits puberty, sperm cells are produced continuously throughout his life.

29 Oct 2026

$3.7 million grant awarded to assess the impact of testosterone on binge eating

A team of clinical scientists from the Michigan State University Department of Psychology and Texas A&M University’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences has been awarded a $3.7 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to assess the impact of testosterone on binge eating risk in women.

29 Oct 2026

New metabolic score may help predict healthy aging and disease risk

Studies conducted in various countries indicate that approximately 60% of people over the age of 65 currently live with two or more chronic conditions simultaneously.

29 Oct 2026

Can broccoli sprouts help with insulin resistance? New review offers clues

A review published in the British Journal of Nutrition examines how carotenoids and bioactive compounds in Brassicaceae microgreens may influence obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes through metabolic and inflammatory pathways. Small human trials involving broccoli sprouts have reported improvements in selected metabolic markers, but larger, longer-term studies are needed to establish their clinical benefits.

29 Oct 2026

Study redefines picobirnavirus as a bacteria hunting virus

Thriving alongside trillions of bacteria in the human digestive tract is a vast population of viruses. Ever since one such denizen of the gut microbiome, known as picobirnavirus, was first spotted decades ago, researchers thought it directly infected human tissue and played a role in gastrointestinal illness.

29 Oct 2026

Large genetic study uncovers new risk factors for Alzheimer's

A large-scale international study, led by Ole Andreassen at University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital, in collaboration with international consortium, offers new insights for understanding the disease and developing future treatments.

29 Oct 2026