How does one set of genes result in huge horns in males and none at all in females?
Alex Wild
How can the same basic genome produce such different forms in the two sexes of a single species? It turns out one gene can encode for various things, depending on the order its instructions are read.
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Most people with dilated cardiomyopathy die within five years of a diagnosis. Luckily, new treatments for this deadly disease are being developed.
Genetic testing has many touted future benefits - but are any of them coming to fruition?
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Over $US3 billion is spent every year on genetic research. But we are not getting enough return for this investment.
There are genetic difference within and between tumors.
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Not only are tumors are different from one another, but there can even be genetic differences within a single tumor.
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New research pinpoints the genes that could counteract decades of bland breeding.
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Why research that links our social behaviour to our genes is still controversial today.
Taking the deadly bit out of mosquitoes.
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It’s possible to alter the make-up of a species such as a mosquito’s ability to pass on the deadly malaria parasite. But we need to consider the pros and cons of such gene editing technology.
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Understanding how genes influence people’s behaviour doesn’t lead to fatalism.
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Animals that group together to fight off evolutionary pressure may actually evolve faster.
Do we contain the most elaborate set of instructions?
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The answer – fewer than are in a banana – has implications for the study of human health and raises questions about what generates complexity anyway.
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An important cell function called endocytosis is revealing a lot about how Alzheimer’s develops.
The Scottish Fold is a lovely cat, but unfortunately suffers from health problems related to its breeding.
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Scottish Folds are adorable cats with folded ears and owl-like faces. But their cuteness also condemns them to a life of suffering.
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Genes aren’t destiny.
Dark skies.
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It is an illness that runs in families – but there are other factors which go beyond inheritance.
Intelligence is about more than just biology.
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Even if intelligence has a genetic basis, this doesn’t make educational intervention pointless.
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Scientists have uncovered the genetics that explain the snake’s impressive length – and used the science to create extra-long mice.
Will China be the first to genetically enhance future generations?
Jianan Yu/Reuters
Regulations, funding and public opinion around genetically enhancing future generations vary from country to country. Here’s why China may be poised to be the pioneer.
There’s a difference in the sex chromosomes between various mammals, such as the platypus compared to humans.
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How new species are created is at the core of the theory of evolution. Mammals may be a good example of how sex chromosome change drove major groups apart.
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Genes are important in predicting the risk of myopia, but they alone cannot explain the epidemic.
Would you donate to a biobank?
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How much privacy are we willing to give up in the name of cutting-edge science? And do we care about the kinds of research that will be done with our donations?