A rush of ancient DNA projects in Africa has presented the curators of archaeological skeletons with ethical issues because research requires the destruction of human bone.
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Articles on DNA
Displaying 261 - 280 of 470 articles
A landmark study in the UK discovered the gene that allows cells to form into embryos. If Australian researchers attempted this they could go to jail for 15 years.
If you want to live on Mars, you’re going to need to grow food. Seeds are naturally equipped to handle challenging Earth environments, but how well can they survive what they’ll encounter off-planet?
Comparing genomes of more than 200,000 people, researchers identified genetic variants that are less common in older people, suggesting natural selection continues to weed out disadvantageous traits.
Inserting a random DNA mishmash into a plant or bacterium directs it to make a novel protein. Sifting through the resulting molecules, researchers may find ones have medical or agricultural uses.
If only DNA samples and microfibres made crimes as easy to solve as on CSI.
A recent study shows how the number of vulnerable and endangered amphibians is nearly double that of birds or mammals. Strategies need to be put in place, and fast.
Parents’ DNA try to manipulate one another in a bid to shape junior in their mould.
Genetic evidence has become a critical aspect of modern criminal investigations. What are the methods and approaches used in present-day DNA forensics?
Some animals seem to have missing genes – but the reality is a lot more intriguing.
If something goes wrong in pregnancy, a boy baby is more likely to be born malnourished or stillborn than a girl. This may have an evolutionary basis.
Most people will be much better off putting the money spent on a genetic test towards a gym membership, or a pair of trainers.
Massive online DNA databases can be used as a resource to discover viruses – even if the data had not been explicitly collected for that purpose.
A world first study shows CRISPR can remove a target gene from early stage human embryos. But with the advance in science come weighty ethical dilemmas.
Researchers who hold the world record for storing and retrieving data in DNA explain how the building blocks of life can be used to hold digital information as well.
Two US researchers have traced the majority of cancers to DNA replication errors during our natural cell replacement. Their finding asks for a renewed inquiry into the role of “chance” in cancer.
William Isdale speaks with University of Queensland Professor Peter Koopman about CRISPR technology.
New genetic technologies are letting us look at flu evolution right where it starts: within individual people, while they’re sick.
The daunting complexity of biological data requires tailored visualisation tools to reveal buried insights.
By 2167, DNA barcoding scans will lead to weather-style “biodiversity forecasts,” enabling us to more easily protect and care for the environment.
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
