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illustration of virus particles and DNA strands
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development
Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development
Ancient Viral DNA Plays a Role in Human Disease and Development

Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.

Viral remnants make up 8 percent of the human genome, and a new study finds that these sequences are still active in healthy people.

human genetics

illustration of DNA strands
Mitochondrial DNA Sneaks into Nuclear Genome
Holly Barker, PhD | Oct 17, 2022 | 3 min read
Genetic material pilfered from mitochondria may seal cracks in our genetic code, a study suggests.
White mice in a clear plastic cage
Different Genes Influence Lifespan in Male and Female Mice
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Sep 29, 2022 | 3 min read
Researchers say there may be similar, human genes whose effects on lifespan vary by sex.
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.
illustration of many DNA strands
Doppelgängers Similar in Looks and DNA: Study
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 30, 2022 | 3 min read
Look-alikes are also more likely to share lifestyle traits.
An archeological dig site cordoned off
DNA Analyses Illuminate Origins of Farming, Ancestral Languages
Andy Carstens | Aug 26, 2022 | 3 min read
The findings suggest a new hypothesis of Indo-European language evolution.
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A Way with Words: Using Genomics to Dispel Stuttering Myths
The Scientist | 1 min read
Filling in the gaps about the genetic risk factors of stuttering may help scientists shatter stigmas and discover new therapies.
genome sequence text on screen 
Q&A: Whole Genomes of 150,000 Britons Reveal Novel Genetic Variants
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 5, 2022 | 5 min read
Height and onset of menarche are among traits linked to previously unidentified genetic variants in noncoding regions of the human genome.
Composite image of earliest humans and wooly mammoths
New Evidence Complicates the Story of the Peopling of the Americas
Emma Yasinski | May 2, 2022 | 10+ min read
New techniques have shown that people reached the New World far earlier than the long-standing estimate of 13,000 years ago, but scientists still debate exactly when humans arrived on the continent—and how.
The Influence of Rare Cells in the Nervous System
The Influence of Rare Cells in the Nervous System
The Scientist | 1 min read
Sebastian Lewandowski and Philip Hasel will discuss using single-cell techniques to understand the role of rare cell subtypes in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration.
rock formation rising out of a plain
Ancient DNA Sheds New Light on Africa’s Stone Age
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Feb 23, 2022 | 6 min read
The oldest DNA yet isolated from humans in Africa reveals long-range migrations around 50,000 years ago, which likely played a role in the Middle to Later Stone Age transition.
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.
Man in glasses smiling, looking off camera
Legendary Child Psychiatrist Michael Rutter Dies
Lisa Winter | Nov 10, 2021 | 3 min read
He discovered that autism had strong genetic links.
SYNGAP1 helps neurons eliminate old synapses and form new ones after a novel experience (left and center left)—a process weakened in mice missing a copy of the gene (center right and right).
Autism-Linked Gene SYNGAP1 Molds Synaptic Plasticity, Learning
Angie Voyles Askham, Spectrum | Oct 26, 2021 | 4 min read
The finding may help to explain why people with SYNGAP1 mutations tend to have learning difficulties and a high tolerance for pain.
the molecular structure of interferon-alpha
Lots of Rapid Evolution in Interferon-Stimulated Genes: Study
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 1, 2021 | 2 min read
A comparison of interferon-related genes across 20 primate genomes reveals differences in the speed at which they evolve and new targets for antiviral discovery efforts.
Bryan Sykes, Ancestral Genetics Expert, Dies at 73
Lisa Winter | Jan 12, 2021 | 3 min read
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.
consensus genome human reference genome pangenome dna genetics diversity
A New Human Reference Genome Represents the Most Common Sequences
Ashleen Knutsen | Dec 23, 2020 | 4 min read
Researchers create a “consensus genome” that halves the number of errors when mapping transcripts, although they say the current standard is still a good tool.
slavery, human population genetics, 23andMe, genomics, African American, Black history, history
African American Genomes Yield Insight into Slavery Practices
Amanda Heidt | Jul 23, 2020 | 5 min read
A massive study finds that regional differences in how slaves were treated throughout the Americas are reflected in the DNA of present-day Americans of African descent.
Two Genetic Regions Linked with Severe COVID-19
Abby Olena, PhD | Jun 8, 2020 | 4 min read
In a genome-wide association study, variants in both the ABO blood group locus and a cluster of genes on human chromosome 3 are more common among COVID-19 patients with respiratory failure than in the general population.
Africans Have More Neanderthal DNA than Previously Thought
Jef Akst | Jan 30, 2020 | 4 min read
A new analysis of more than 2,500 human genomes indicates that modern Eurasians who acquired Neanderthal DNA during past interbreeding migrated back to Africa and spread those sequences.
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