Genetics

  1. Plants

    Saving the banana

    A number of diseases threaten the world’s most popular fruit. Scientists are working to fight these blights. But if they don’t succeed, the sweet banana that’s a breakfast staple could disappear.

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  2. Genetics

    High-altitude help from extinct ancestors

    The Tibetan plateau is high in altitude but low in oxygen. An unusual version of one gene in Tibetans' DNA helps them survive this environment. And that gene appears to have been passed along from Denisovans, a Neandertal-like ancestor.

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  3. Microbes

    The war on superbugs

    Doctors and scientists are exploring ways to stem the growing global crisis of antibacterial resistance.

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  4. Genetics

    Owww! The science of pain

    No one likes pain, but it keeps us alive. That’s why scientists want to learn how best to coexist with this complicated and still somewhat mysterious sensation.

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  5. Genetics

    Newfound DNA ‘enhancer’ behind many natural blonds

    Some snippets of DNA other than genes play a role in giving some people of European a golden crown of hair.

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  6. Microbes

    A success for designer life

    Synthetic biologists are scientists who create custom organisms in the lab. Their efforts have just taken a big step forward. They have created the first lab-made yeast chromosome. The advance could lead to entirely synthetic organisms customized to produce food, fuel or medicine.

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  7. Genetics

    Where Native Americans come from

    All tribes seem to derive from the same Asian roots, DNA indicates.

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  8. Genetics

    Blue eyes in the Stone Age

    Genes from an ancient skeleton suggest that dark-skinned people may have been the first to evolve blue eyes.

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  9. Genetics

    Ancient DNA sparks new mystery

    DNA from a 400,000-year-old leg bone found in Spain is by far the oldest recovered from pre-human ancestors. It also shows an unexpected link to later, Asian ‘kin.’

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  10. Animals

    Fancy feather gene

    A tweak in a single pigeon gene causes a distinct feather formation.

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  11. Computing

    Genetic memory

    DNA is a chemical blueprint that effectively instructs cells on how to work.

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  12. Health & Medicine

    The rest of your DNA

    Surprise: Scientists find most of human DNA molecule carries out important functions.

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