Miniaturized laboratory equipment is making it easier to identify airborne pathogens in the field, but there’s still work ahead to be able to instantly determine if a room is safe or contaminated.
New Chrysaora from the coast of South Africa.
Peter Southwood
COVID-19 tests rely on a process developed at a biotech company co-founded by a Canadian. Canada’s current testing expertise needs to be channelled to prepare for the next wave, and the next pandemic.
Franklin was born a century ago, and her X-ray crystallography work crucially contributed to determining the structure of DNA.
The neighbourhood a child grows up in may influence their health for years to come by changing the activity of their genes.
Sergey Bezgodov/ Shutterstock
This decades-long study found that living in poorer communities changes how genes are regulated.
Specimens like these at Dublin’s Natural History Museum contain valuable information about the evolution of pathogens and host organisms.
Kieran Guckian/Flickr
Vaccine development is usually a long process. The coronavirus pandemic is forcing researchers to innovate and test potential vaccines faster than ever before.
It seems as though every other day we’re told a cure has been found for coronavirus. This is not strictly true – but there are some therapeutic options showing promise.
There are many ways to make a vaccine. In a time of crisis, the more paths towards success the better.
Adriana Duduleanu / EyeEm via Getty Images
Under pressure to develop a coronavirus vaccine, researchers have turned to protein synthesis, genetics and hybrid viruses. It is likely a mix of these approaches will be used to fight the coronavirus.
The origin of the Covid-19 virus is still unclear: a cave, the forest…
Michal Ico/Unsplash
The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic is undergoing extensive genetic analysis around the world to understand its origin and evolution.
A molecular biologist explains who should get tested, how the tests work and what the US government is doing to make tests available during a rapidly changing crisis.
A Hypacrosaurus skeleton at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Alberta.
Etemenanki3/Wikimedia Commons
Scientists claim to have found DNA in fossilised dinosaur cartilage.
Almost every genetic database shares information with the pharmaceutical industry but it wasn’t until law enforcement started using the databases that consumers took note.
(Unsplash)
Privacy concerns that emerged since law enforcement started mining the databases have put such a serious dent in the business that both Ancestry.com and 23andMe have reduced employees significantly.
Epigenetic clocks are a fascinating new technology, but some potential applications are controversial.
(Pixabay/Stefan Keller)
Pediatric epigenetic clocks have the potential to accurately assess biological age. However, possible applications in law enforcement and immigration raise ethical issues.
Early proponents of genome sequencing made misleading predictions about its potential in medicine.
Natali_ Mis/Shutterstock.com
Genome sequencing technologies have transformed biological research in many ways, but have had a much smaller effect on the treatment of common diseases.
New research has pinpointed the genetic boost behind one of the biggest transformations of life on Earth.
Direct-to-consumer genetic tests are not an accurate source of health information. Users should also consider the future privacy implications of sharing their genetic data.
(Shutterstock)
DNA testing kits will be a popular gift this holiday season. Before mailing off your saliva, it’s important to understand what these kits can and cannot tell us.