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Green bacteria on a blue background.
Mutations Wire Salmonella to Last
Genetic changes attenuated Salmonella’s virulence, potentially enabling the bacteria to cause chronic infections in humans.
Mutations Wire Salmonella to Last
Mutations Wire Salmonella to Last

Genetic changes attenuated Salmonella’s virulence, potentially enabling the bacteria to cause chronic infections in humans.

Genetic changes attenuated Salmonella’s virulence, potentially enabling the bacteria to cause chronic infections in humans.

genetics and genomics

Image of three chromosomes "trees" with the highlighted section displaying telomeres shortening over time as “falling leaves”.
Chromosome Ends in Double Jeopardy
Laura Tran, PhD | May 16, 2024 | 4 min read
Researchers have finally uncovered the other half of the end-replication problem at the lagging strand.
A pair of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)
Monogamous Rodents Don’t Need “Love Molecule” To Pair Up
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 27, 2023 | 4 min read
Prairie voles lacking functional receptors for oxytocin form normal social bonds, a finding that could explain the hormone’s clinical failures.
Tapping Into Immunotherapy’s Potential to Help More People
Tapping into Immunotherapy’s Potential to Help More People
The Scientist Staff | 2 min read
Discover what researchers have learned about varying immunotherapy response rates between patients with the same cancer types.
composite of images from favorite posts
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Dec 22, 2022 | 4 min read
This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.
A C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii) growing in a pot
Genome Spotlight: C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Sep 22, 2022 | 5 min read
Sequences for the model organism and two of its kin reveal how these plants got their oversized genomes.
Layered visual representation of multiomics
Integrate and Innovate with NGS and Multiomics
The Scientist and Illumina | 6 min read
Researchers across disciplines combine layers of discovery obtained with accessible NGS-based multiomics approaches.
Colorful DNA strands
Scans of Sundry Variant Types Uncover Autism-Linked Genes
Chloe Williams, Spectrum | Aug 19, 2022 | 5 min read
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 desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on sand
Genome Spotlight: Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read
A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.
Mapping Neuronal Gene Expression to Understand Pain
The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with Advanced Cell Diagnostics | 1 min read
Ted Price, Diana Tavares-Ferreira, and Stephanie Shiers discuss how mapping gene expression at the neuronal level provides insight into pain mechanisms and anti-pain drug development.
An orange-brown pineapple sea cucumber, covered in wart-like growths, rests on the seafloor in front of some coral, with a school of fish swimming overhead.
How the Sea Cucumber Defends Itself . . . From Itself
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 1, 2022 | 3 min read
The marine animals have evolved a unique molecular pathway enabling them to use toxins to fight off invaders without poisoning themselves in the process.
a black abalone on a rock
Genome Spotlight: Black Abalone (Haliotis cracherodii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jun 23, 2022 | 3 min read
The researchers who constructed the first reference genome for this critically endangered mollusk say it will assist restoration efforts.
Dogs of various breeds running in the field.
They’re All (Potentially) Good Dogs
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 29, 2022 | 2 min read
Research finds that a dog’s behavior has little to do with its genes.
A scientific illustration of a Christmas Island rat
Genome Spotlight: Christmas Island Rat (Rattus macleari)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Mar 24, 2022 | 4 min read
The near-complete genome of a recently extinct rodent elucidates the potential—and difficulties—of resurrecting species.
a microscope image of a rotifer
Bacterial Enzyme Keeps Rotifers’ Transposable Elements in Check
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Mar 3, 2022 | 5 min read
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.
Histological stain of motor neurons in purple and green
Researchers Use Ultrasound to Control Neurons in Mice
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 9, 2022 | 4 min read
A study shows “sonogenetics” could be a useful new tool in neuroscience and other fields.
Sunflowers, in visible spectrum on left half (yellow colors) and UV spectrum on right half (purple and white colors).
Sunflowers’ Bee-Attracting Ultraviolet Also Helps Retain Moisture
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 8, 2022 | 5 min read
The dual purposes of the plants’ hidden colors may conflict as the climate warms, authors of a new study suggest.
a vial of cobra venom and a bacteri-covered agar plate
Study Questions Sterility of Snake and Spider Venoms
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jan 31, 2022 | 8 min read
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.
Man in black suit looking at camera
Pioneering Geneticist C. Thomas Caskey Dies at 83
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 28, 2022 | 3 min read
Caskey’s contributions to the field were instrumental to modern genetics.
two women wearing plastic gloves hold up hand-sized air-capture devices in a wooded area.
Scientists ID Dozens of Plants, Animals from Free-Floating DNA
Dan Robitzski | Jan 6, 2022 | 8 min read
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.
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