Exploring the often unseen, and poorly understood, nuances of diversity within coral reefs may prove essential for ensuring the long-term health of Earth’s oceans.
Taichi A. Suzuki, Max Planck Institute for Biology and Ruth Ley, Max Planck Institute for Biology
As early modern humans spread across the globe, their gut microbes genetically changed with them. Understanding the origins of gut microbes could improve understanding of their role in human health.
Ethical and equitable scientific collaboration could help increase the genetic diversity of genomic data.
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Existing genetic data and sequencing tools are overwhelmingly based on people of European ancestry, which excludes much of the rich genetic variation of the world.
Wild dogs are usually with their pack mates.
Scott Creel
African wild dogs are used to evading hyenas and lions. Genetic research suggests they are using the same strengths to get around human development as well.
Wild ocelots hunt alone at night.
Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images
There are so few wild ocelots in the US that the cats are becoming inbred, with a bad prognosis for their ultimate survival. But researchers are perfecting ways to get new genes into the population.
You can plant a seed from a delicious Honeycrisp apple from the grocery store — but the fruit that comes from that tree will not be Honeycrisp.
(Shutterstock)
Apple breeders have created crisp, juicy and tasty fruits, but the limited varieties leave crops vulnerable to diseases, pests and climate change. Introducing new traits could improve crop resilience.
A hybrid of the Turkmen and Iranian wild ass, introduced to Israel in 1968.
Lilith Zecherle
The genome of hepatitis D doesn’t resemble any known virus, making its origin a mystery. But by mining virus sequences from genetic datasets, a new study may have found the answer.
More clinical trials in African countries can help ensure that any vaccines or treatments developed cater to the continent’s genetic diversity.
CELLOU BINANI/AFP via Getty Images
More countries on the African continent must urgently get involved in clinical trials so that the data collected will accurately represent the continent at a genetic level.
Africa is known to be where humans originated. This makes it the most genetically diverse region in the world. Diversity in other populations represents a subset of the diversity within Africa.
Male lions are responsible for the movement of genes between prides. New research confirmed that the genes are traveling long distances – even though no one has been spotting the lions on the journey.
Edwards’s pheasants (Lophura edwardsi) are a wild relative of domesticated chickens.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore
There are over 100 species of wild coffee, but only a few supply the world’s morning caffeine kick. Sadly, climate change and disease could be about to change that.
Got a license for those seeds?
xuanhuongho/Shutterstock.com
Sharing seeds was common practice among farmers throughout history until the rise of agribusiness. Now seeds are trademarked and regulated, but there’s a new place to get them for free: the library.
Families have secrets - and sometimes we don’t know our complete genetic histories.
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