The genome of a typical organism consists of many genes that are stringed like beads. This alignment has been surprisingly stable even over very long evolutionary periods. In addition to these genes, ...

Twenty-two years after the completion of the Human Genome Project, scientists have unveiled the most expansive catalog of human genetic variation ever compiled. Across two new papers published ...

This artwork, inspired by a Chinese proverb, was commissioned to emphasize the importance of precise targeting and symbolizes the way jumping genes are silenced by piRNA. Adverse genetic mutations can ...

Polar bears are leaping through their evolution in real time as rising temperatures threaten their habitat. A population of bears was found in a climate warmer than one in which they usually exist, ...

Apocalyptic movies often cast a dark view of the future of gene editing. In reality though, improved gene editing methods could be used to treat cancer, hepatitis B and other diseases. Though the ...

Most lethal mutations in wild fruit flies are driven by newly transferred jumping genes, not small DNA errors, according to a new study from Duke University. The findings, published in PLOS Biology, ...

Adverse genetic mutations can cause harm and are due to various circumstances. "Jumping genes" are one cause of mutations, but cells try and combat them with a specialized RNA called piRNA. For the ...