Genetics

A 5,310-year-old corn cob.

Lend Me Your Ears: A Tale of Evolution From a 5,310-Year-Old Corn Cob

Corn has come a long way since its grassy beginnings

Human and Neanderthal skulls

Why Humans Don't Have More Neanderthal DNA

The mutations humans acquired from Neanderthals are slowly being purged from the genome overtime

Heavy drinking can cause brain changes that make you want to drink more.

How a Genetically Engineered Virus Could Help the Brain Fight Alcohol Cravings

Heavy drinking can change the brain to make cravings worse. Can gene therapy change it back?

Tombac, a form of tobacco, grows on a farm in Darfur. The plant could one day be used to create cheaper, better anti-malarial drugs.

Scientists Hijacked Tobacco Plants to Make Malaria Drugs

A promising new advance could make the world's best anti-malarial drug more widely available

Human blood contains red blood cells, T-cells (orange) and platelets (green)

Scientists Are Creating an Atlas of Human Cells

The Human Cell Atlas will boldly go where science, surprisingly, hasn’t gone before

Long thought to be a genetic mutation, albino redwoods may actually serve as a forest filter.

Stalking Down Answers: Why Are Some Redwoods White?

The mysterious pale trees many not just be odd genetic mutations, a new study finds

Coffee Consumption Could Be in Your Genes

A new study shows a genetic variation in caffeine metabolism may lead some to drink a little less joe

If you're going to be riding a horse for a while, you're probably going to want to amble.

Today’s Smooth-Running Horses May Owe Their Genetics to the Vikings

Scientists have determined the likely origin for the "gaitkeeper" gene, which controls gaitedness in horses

An English Bulldog was featured in the American Kennel Club's presentation of The Nation's Most Popular Breeds Of 2015 on February 22, 2016 in New York City.

Bulldogs Are Dangerously Unhealthy, But There May Not Be Enough Diversity in Their Genes to Save Them

How we loved this dog into a genetic bind

How to Regulate the Incredible Promise and Profound Power of Gene Drive Technology

An evolutionary ecologist argues that cutting-edge genetic research that could lead to species extinction should be handled with care

Sully Vent in the Main Endeavour Vent Field in the northeast Pacific, similar to the environment LUCA would have lived

Behold LUCA, the Last Universal Common Ancestor of Life on Earth

New discoveries suggest life likely descends from the inhospitable environment of deep sea vents

Scientists are able to detect the DNA of tumor cells floating in blood.

Are We Close to Having a Blood Test That Detects Cancer?

New research into "liquid biopsies" is promising, but there's still not proof they can find cancer in a healthy person

Right: Photograph during excavation exhibiting excellent dry preservation of plant remains Left: A well-preserved, desiccated barley grain found at Yoram Cave.

After 6,000 Years of Farming, Barley Is Still (More or Less) the Same

Talk about an ancient grain

Pure Human features clothing made from leather that is produced from the DNA of designer Alexander McQueen—and that includes freckles, realistically placed tattoos and even sunburns.

Alexander McQueen Is Being Turned Into Leather

The late designer's DNA is part of a bizarre experiment in fashion ethics

A prototype gene gun developed by Dennis McCabe and Brian Martinell in 1986 delivered new genetic material into the cells of plants.

How Roundup Ready Soybeans Rocked the Food Economy

This 1980s-era “gene gun” fired the shot heard around the world

Sperm whales, giant squid and humans all have a mitochondrial "Eve."

No, a Mitochondrial 'Eve' Is Not the First Female in a Species

The latest story about a sperm whale “Eve” shows how people misunderstand the evolutionary term. Fear not: We can clarify

Some Genes Remain "Alive" for Days After the Body Dies

Studies in animals show that even when a creature has ceased to live, some genes are still busy doing their thing

Mammals May Have Dinosaurs to Thank for Their Night Vision

Mammals most likely developed a new pathway to night vision to avoid the jaws of dinos and other daytime predators

Scientists will attempt to edit T cells in cancer patients in the first-ever human trial of CRISPR in the United States.

Editing of Human Genes May Begin by Year’s End in the U.S.

The first-ever trial of CRISPR in the U.S. will test if it's safe to edit T cells in cancer patients

Mom, is that you?

Every Sperm Whale Alive Today May Have Descended From the Same Female

An 80,000-year-old "Eve" was the mother of all modern sperm whales—literally

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