Category: Genetics
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Mapping the genome. The illusion of “dimensions”…
Cells face a daunting task. They have to neatly pack a several meter-long thread of genetic material into a nucleus that measures only five micrometers across. This origami creates spatial interactions between genes and their switches, which can affect human health and disease. Now, an international team of scientists has devised a powerful new technique…
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Knowing. Bacteria’s memory (x 100). Humans…
Researchers have identified a mutation that prompts bacterial cells to acquire genetic memories 100 times more frequently than they do naturally. This discovery provides a powerful research tool and could bring scientists one step closer to developing DNA-based data storage devices. (1) We insist on making the cosmos a big computer. We want to make…
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Die. Reborn. F**k your genes!
Is the secret to long life in a gene? We don’t know, for now. A recent project to read the entire DNA sequence of 17 people aged 110 or older has found… there’s nothing particularly different from ordinary folks. It is known that super-longevity is inheritable. It runs in families. An analysis of twins suggests…
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You are fat. And it’s not your fault! (huh?)
Our genetic makeup influences whether we are fat or thin by shaping which types of microbes thrive in our body, according to a new study. Scientists identified a specific, little known bacterial family that is highly heritable and more common in individuals with low body weight. This microbe also protected against weight gain when transplanted…
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Psychology, ADHD, genes, dogmatism.
Psychologists have made a brain-related discovery that could revolutionize doctors’ perception and treatment of attention-deficit disorders (ADHD). This discovery opens up the possibility that environmental and/or genetic factors may hinder or suppress a specific brain activity that the researchers have identified as helping us prevent distraction. (1) Free will sacrificed for the sake of gene-based…
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