This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

Sequences for the model organism and two of its kin reveal how these plants got their oversized genomes.

Troves of sequencing data reveal genes tied to autism through different variant types, providing a more complete picture of the condition’s genetic roots and new clues to its heterogeneity.

A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.

The marine animals have evolved a unique molecular pathway enabling them to use toxins to fight off invaders without poisoning themselves in the process.

The researchers who constructed the first reference genome for this critically endangered mollusk say it will assist restoration efforts.

Research finds that a dog’s behavior has little to do with its genes.

The near-complete genome of a recently extinct rodent elucidates the potential—and difficulties—of resurrecting species.

Jumping genes in bdelloid rotifers are tamped down by DNA methylation performed by an enzyme pilfered from bacteria roughly 60 million years ago, a study finds.

A study shows “sonogenetics” could be a useful new tool in neuroscience and other fields.

The dual purposes of the plants’ hidden colors may conflict as the climate warms, authors of a new study suggest.

In work that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers present evidence that microbes can and do live inside the venom glands of several dangerous species. It remains unclear whether they’re to blame for infections linked to bites.

Caskey’s contributions to the field were instrumental to modern genetics.

In a trio of studies, researchers report capturing and analyzing airborne environmental DNA from a wide variety of plants and animals, suggesting a new way of monitoring which terrestrial species are present in an area.

A report of preserved fragments of nuclei and chromatin in a fossilized femur of a 125-million-year-old Caudipteryx dinosaur elicits skepticism.

Her work led to more predictable outcomes for kidney transplants.

Whole-genome sequencing reveals a wide range of UV-induced DNA changes in human skin cells, and lighter skin collects more mutations, sometimes to “sky high” levels.

Sykes sequenced famous ancient remains, such as Ötzi and Cheddar Man, and was one of the first researchers to use mitochondrial DNA to trace genetic lineages.