Genetics »
Q&A: Does the Y Chromosome Rot?
Because of its rapid loss of genes over the past 300 million years, scientists have predicted that the Y chromosome may disappear altogether. However, recent studies have shown that the decay may have reached
Read More »
Exploring the Microbiome
The recently-completed Human Microbiome Project is revealing important new information about the diverse bacteria that colonize the human body and contribute to its function
Read More »
“Kracking” the KRAS code
A recent study led by Professor Hugh Taylor has identified the first genetic marker for endometriosis in a regulatory region of the KRAS gene
Read More »
Yale Attempts to Resurrect Extinct Tortoise Species
In the genomes of living Galapagos tortoises, Gisella Caccone have identified the DNA of a tortoise species thought to be extinct, and is now planning a selective breeding project to revive the lost species
Read More »
23andme: A Genetic Social Network
Google-affiliated biotech company 23andme has been in the business of personal genomics since 2006, but it just recently introduced a new social networking feature along with a price reduction that it claims democratizes personal
Read More »
Canalization – A Dual Breakthrough
A Yale scientist takes on a decades-old hypothesis about how we regulate our traits and becomes the first to show a molecular pathway for an idea that most scientists ignored
Read More »
Spontaneous Self-Healing in Icthyosis
Mutations that occur in genes during DNA replication and cell division lead to a wide range of diseases, from cancer to sickle-cell anemia. In the case of ichthyosis with confetti, however, recombination can revert
Read More »
Using Poisonous Spider Toxins as Pain Medication
With over forty different species and hundreds of toxins in their venom, funnel spiders can cause serious medical injury or death to victims who are not treated with the effective antivenom. Would you want
Read More »
Stress Induced Tumor Formation: The Interaction Between Rasv12, JNK Signaling, and Stress
Previous cancer research has shown that multiple mutations are needed to spawn tumor development. In the past, it was believed that these alterations needed to be in the same cell. Today, Dr. Tian Xu,
Read More »
Human Evolution Renewed: A Search for Ecologial and Genetic Reasons Behind Our Humanity
The study of human evolution is a topic of great interest on many levels. Stephen Stearns, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, is currently seeking evidence for the existence of modern day natural selection
Read More »
