Gene mutation – News, Research and Analysis – The Conversation

A lab dish containing embryos that have been injected with Cas9 protein and PCSK9 sgRNA is seen in a laboratory in Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

August 22, 2023

New research into genetic mutations may pave the way for more effective gene therapies

Alex Nguyen Ba, University of Toronto

New research sheds light on the interconnected nature of the human genome and what this means for future gene therapies.

February 1, 2023

Kath O'Connor was writing a novel about her grandmother’s ovarian cancer when she was diagnosed, too. She died before it was published

Jen Webb, University of Canberra

Kath O'Connor’s debut novel, Inheritance, follows two women – an IVF hopeful and her grandmother – who carry the BRCA1 gene and contract ovarian cancer. It’s very close to being memoir.

The success rate of IVF still remains at around 30%. fizkes/ Shutterstock

May 30, 2022

IVF: here’s how genetics may be affecting its success – new insights

Cock Van Oosterhout, University of East Anglia; Daniel Marcu, University of East Anglia, and Simone Immler, University of East Anglia

Genetic mutations can impact our ability to reproduce – even via in vitro fertilisation.

For patients, often children, with rare diseases, getting a diagnosis is difficult and time-consuming. monkeybusinessimages/iStock via Getty Images

February 3, 2022

Record-breaking rapid DNA sequencing promises timely diagnosis for thousands of rare disease cases

Kevin Doxzen, Arizona State University

Record-breaking technology can sequence an entire human genome in a matter of hours. The work could be a lifeline for people suffering from the more than 5,000 known rare genetic diseases.

A virus’s genes hold a record of where it’s traveled, and when. imaginima/E+ via Getty Images

December 1, 2021

Charting changes in a pathogen’s genome yields clues about its past and hints about its future

Claire Guinat, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Etthel Windels, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and Sarah Nadeau, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

After a nose swab tests positive for a virus or bacteria, scientists can use the sample’s genetic sequence to figure out where and when the pathogen emerged and how fast it’s changing.

The team used CRISPR on human embryos in a bid to render them resistant to HIV infection. But instead, they generated different mutations, about which we know nothing. SHUTTERSTOCK

December 9, 2019

China’s failed gene-edited baby experiment proves we’re not ready for human embryo modification

Dimitri Perrin, Queensland University of Technology and Gaetan Burgio, Australian National University

A number of things may have gone wrong when researchers edited Chinese twins Lulu and Nana’s genome. Either way, the failed experiment is a cautionary tale for us all.

Yes, we’re still evolving. watchara/Shutterstock

November 14, 2018

Human evolution is still happening – possibly faster than ever

Laurence D. Hurst, University of Bath

Natural selection isn’t the only factor deciding human evolution.

February 19, 2020

Folic acid in pregnancy – MTHFR gene explains why the benefits may differ

Darya Gaysina, University of Sussex

Folic acid in pregnancy – and the gene which explains why the benefits may differ.

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