The first full human genome was sequenced 20 years ago. Now, a project is underway to sequence 1 million genomes to better understand the complex relationship between genetics, diversity and disease.
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Articles on DNA
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Genetic ancestry tests may sound like a bit of fun, but in an era marked by increasing xenophobia, it’s important to be aware of the interplay between genetics and ideas of race.
In the spotlight for its role in COVID-19 vaccines – and a Nobel Prize – mRNA is not a new invention. It’s a crucial messenger molecule at work every day in every cell in your body.
Scientists used to believe that a group containing starfish and sea urchin were the closest relatives of vertebrates like humans. But new research challenges this idea.
Male rats transfer different hereditary information to their offspring depending on their age.
So far, most vaccines in the US are mRNA vaccines. These represent a new technology and are likely to take over the vaccine world. But how do they work? What are their weaknesses? Five experts explain.
The coronavirus pandemic has driven a lot of scientific progress in the past year. But just as some of the social changes are likely here to stay, so are some medical innovations.
Genes that control blood type and are involved in inflammation have been associated with more severe disease.
Neanderthal-human hybrid brains grown in the lab give fascinating insights into evolution.
With the vaccines now being administered at sites around the US, it is important to address misinformation surrounding the effort.
We propose five principles that could guide a proper ethical and legal framework for germline editing and similar technologies.
Using ‘base editing’, researchers have cured progeria in mice. This genetic syndrome causes premature ageing in humans – those with the disease usually don’t live past the age of 13.
The stench was once thought to originate from plants, but scientists have now pin-pointed its true origin.
Christine Jessop was murdered in 1984 and, 36 years later, DNA evidence finally identified her killer. But the police investigation’s use of genetic genealogical databases raised questions about privacy.
A thousand-year-old “mixing” event allowed African cattle - after spending thousands of years confined to certain regions - to diversify and spread.
Scientists are revealing the extent to which our behaviour is influenced by our genes, calling into question our capacity for free will. But there is still scope for change.
Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier have been awarded the Nobel prize in Chemistry for their revolutionary work on ‘gene scissors’ that can edit DNA.
Most scientific discoveries these days aren’t easily ascribed to a single researcher. CRISPR is no different – and ongoing patent fights underscore how messy research can be.
A new finding in mice rewrites the textbook explanation of the male sex-determining gene, Sry. It might also help us better understand how males and females come to be.
Our cells may be small, but they are mighty. And they are made of lots of amazing stuff, from the DNA that tells your body how to grow, to mini skeletons that let cells move around.
Top contributors
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Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Quality and Professor of Molecular Biology, UNSW Sydney
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Distinguished Professor, Charles Sturt University
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Research fellow, The University of Queensland
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Jenny Graves is a Friend of The Conversation.
Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
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Research fellow, The University of Queensland
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Professor of Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Washington
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Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser - Public Health Genomics, Monash University
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Head, Molecular Medicine Laboratory, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
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Professor of English, York University, Canada
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Assistant Professor in Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore
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Ph.D. Candidate in Chemical Biology, Harvard University
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Senior Lecturer in Population, Medical and Evolutionary Genomics, Lund University
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Deputy Director and ARC Future Fellow, Australian Centre for Ancient DNA, University of Adelaide
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Author and Honorary Fellow, School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science, University of Leeds
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Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Griffith University
