• Widespread inversions shape the genetic and phenotypic diversity in rice

    A new study titled "Widespread inversions shape the genetic and phenotypic diversity in rice" and published in Science Bulletin has been led by Prof. Lianguang Shang (Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Prof. Qian Qian (Yazhouwan National Laboratory), and Prof. Shaokui Wang (State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, South China Agricultural University).

  • In a First, Genetically Edited Pig Kidney Is Transplanted Into Human

    Surgeons transplant the pig kidney. “It was truly the most beautiful kidney

  • Decoding the shared genetic toolkit for male sex determination

    Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen have broken new ground by demonstrating that an HMG-box gene in brown algae is crucial for determining male sex. This breakthrough significantly expands our understanding of sex-determination mechanisms in eukaryotic organisms. Until now, master sex-determination genes had been identified in only a select number of vertebrates and plants.

  • Finnish researchers crack genetic code of the 'Easter Bunny'

    University of Eastern Finland researchers published the first reference genome for the European hare, which serves as the basis for the original Easter Bunny in folklore.

  • Genetic basis for the evolution of hair discovered in the clawed frog

    The development of hair was of central importance for the evolution of mammals and, thus, also of humans. However, the evolutionary origin of the genetic program of hair was previously unknown. An international research team led by Leopold Eckhart from MedUni Vienna has now been able to show that important hair components and their genetic control have already evolved in amphibians.

  • Sweet success: Researchers crack sugarcane's complex genetic code

    Modern hybrid sugarcane is one of the most harvested crops on the planet, used to make products including sugar, molasses, bioethanol, and bio-based materials. It also has one of the most complex genetic blueprints.

  • Cape lions were genetically diverse prior to extinction, researchers find

    Cape lions used to roam the Cape Flats grassland plains of South Africa, in what is now known as Western Cape Providence. When Europeans arrived in South Africa in the mid-1600s, Cape lions, along with many other African carnivores and herbivores, were hunted as agricultural practice to protect livestock and humans. By the mid-1800s, less than 200 years since European arrival, Cape lions had been hunted to extinction.

  • How the genetic battle of the sexes plays out in species that can switch sex

    A model developed by RIKEN researchers incorporates species that change sex during their life cycles for the first time, promising new insights into genes affecting the reproductive success of males and females differently. The study is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

  • Webinar to focus on muscle weakness genetic defect in Holstein calves

    Chad Dechow, associate professor of dairy cattle genetics at Penn State will outline the newly identified genetic defect in Holstein calves officially named Early Onset Muscle Weakness Syndrome.

  • New genetic analysis tool tracks risks tied to CRISPR edits

    Since its breakthrough development more than a decade ago, CRISPR has revolutionized DNA editing across a broad range of fields. Now scientists are applying the technology's immense potential to human health and disease, targeting new therapies for an array of disorders spanning cancers, blood conditions and diabetes.

  • Abortion ban heaps more pain on suffering families, genetic counselor says

    When a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis is confirmed by our experienced high-risk team, it is common for the family to ask if they can deliver the pregnancy now, rather than wait another 4-5 months. The answer in Arkansas is no.

    • WNYC

    Newshour, Man receives first kidney transplant from genetically-modified pig

    A 62-year-old man in Boston in the United States has received a kidney from a genetically-engineered pig in the first transplant of its kind. Surgeons at Massachusetts General Hospital say if such procedures are carried out on a large scale, dialysis could become obsolete. Richard Slayman - whose previously transplanted human kidney began to fail last year - is recovering well after the four-hour surgery last week. His surgeons say they stand on the brink of a "monumental breakthrough". Also in...