genes – News Stories About genes - Page 3

Your Earwax Says a Lot About You

Samples reveal ethnicity, possibly much more

(Newser) - Researchers have dug deep into the ears of volunteers to study a revolting but potentially promising new way to get clues about a person's identity and habits. The team of organic chemists says earwax is a "neglected body secretion" that can reveal a person's ethnicity and possibly...

Scientists Uncover
Clue to Jet Lag

Scientists Uncover Clue to Jet Lag

Blame a protein called SIK1

(Newser) - The next time you're battling jet lag, go ahead and curse SIK1. That's the protein that apparently prevents our body clocks from resetting, according to a new study . Researchers studied some 100 genes that start working when they're exposed to light to help recalibrate one's body...

'Senior Moments'
Don't Mean Alzheimer's

study says

Aug 29, 2013 7:35 AM CDT

'Senior Moments' Don't Mean Alzheimer's

Study suggests gene link to normal memory loss

(Newser) - Finding yourself a little more forgetful these days? Don't panic—it comes with normal aging, and doesn't necessarily point to Alzheimer's. Scientists investigated the difference between the two processes in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory. While Alzheimer's is known to be...

Overweight Might Truly
Be Able to Blame Genes

Jul 18, 2013 2:47 PM CDT

Overweight Might Truly Be Able to Blame Genes

Study finds that mutation in one can bring on obesity in mice

(Newser) - Saying it's "in the genes" might be a well-worn excuse among those looking to shed weight, but scientists have just put some serious evidence behind the notion. They found that a rare gene mutation can cause obesity in mice, reports the New York Times . The intriguing part is...

Face Shape:
It's All in
the Genes

scientists say

Sep 14, 2012 2:54 PM CDT

Face Shape: It's All in the Genes

DNA could one day provide forensic facial sketches

(Newser) - In the future, a single shred of DNA could reveal the image of a person's face, thanks to a new discovery. For the first time ever, scientists have found genetic code associated with determining facial structure. The five genes were located by measuring nearly 10,000 people's faces...

Eye Doctors Zero In
on Vision Loss

Jul 28, 2012 10:36 AM CDT

Eye Doctors Zero In on Vision Loss

New treatments hold promise of curing some types of blindness

(Newser) - Those who were once blind may someday see, thanks to decades of research into what causes certain types of blindness. Scientists have developed several types of experimental treatments, including gene therapy, which could help prevent the rare eye disorder known as Stargardt disease, one of many vision problems that results...

Doctors Discover
Genetic Treatment
for Leukemia

Jul 7, 2012 2:24 PM CDT

Doctors Discover Genetic Treatment for Leukemia

Lukas Wartman's cancer inspires unique study at Washington University

(Newser) - Dr. Lukas Wartman may be the world's luckiest cancer patient. Stricken with fatal leukemia, he inspired colleagues at Washington University to break new ground by sequencing his genes and analyzing his RNA—a near-equivalent to DNA—for possible genetic causes of his disease, the New York Times reports. They...

Why Are Tomatoes Red?
Blame Meteor

Why Are Tomatoes Red? Blame Meteor

Dinosaur-killing impact forced the tomato into big changes, say scientists

(Newser) - Why are tomatoes red? The same reason dinosaurs were killed off, say scientists. The massive meteorite that struck Earth 60 to 70 million years ago created extremely harsh conditions that forced the evolution of the tomato into its current red and edible form, reports Phys.org . Researchers discovered this connection...

Scientists
Crack Tomato
Genome

May 31, 2012 9:10 AM CDT

Scientists Crack Tomato Genome

Which should allow producers to breed tastier ones

(Newser) - What makes a tomato a tomato? Researchers now know all 35,000 genes that make up the answer to that question, Reuters reports. An international team of scientists has fully mapped the order, orientation, types, and relative position of all those genes inside both a domesticated and a wild tomato...

Islanders' Blond Hair
Is Genetic Quirk

May 4, 2012 3:50 PM CDT

Islanders' Blond Hair Is Genetic Quirk

It comes from a gene mutation, not Europeans

(Newser) - A peculiar pairing of dark skin and blond hair in the native population of the Solomon Islands is due to a unique gene and not, as previously thought, the intermingling of Europeans with the inhabitants, finds a new study. About 5 to 10% of the indigenous peoples on the islands...

How DNA
Can Make
You Nice

study shows

Apr 10, 2012 6:56 PM CDT

How DNA Can Make You Nice

Genes can keep us friendly despite dark outlooks

(Newser) - Whether you're a nice person isn't just about your life experiences: Chemicals appear to play a big role, too. Your kindness, or lack of it, depends in part on whether your brain has the right kind of receptors for the hormones behind affection, scientists find. Researchers asked hundreds...

Sex With
Neanderthals
Boosted Our
Immunity

study says

Aug 26, 2011 2:55 PM CDT

Sex With Neanderthals Boosted Our Immunity

Scientists make 'stunning' discovery in genome comparison

(Newser) - Three years ago, scientists thought humans had never had sex with Neanderthals. Last year, they changed their tune—and now it looks like DNA passed down from Neanderthals has had a “profound impact” on our immune systems. Scientists compared a section of the modern human genome to the same...

Scientists Find
'Happiness Gene'

May 6, 2011 1:46 PM CDT

Scientists Find 'Happiness Gene'

But they warn: Don't blame everything on biology

(Newser) - If you’re generally less than jubilant—or unfailingly cheerful—your biological makeup may play a role. Scientists have tracked down a gene whose variants appear to be linked to happiness, the Guardian reports. In a study of 2,500 Americans, those who had two long variants of the gene...

Scientists Take
'Big, Solid Step'
on Alzheimer's

Apr 3, 2011 5:46 PM CDT

Scientists Take 'Big, Solid Step' on Alzheimer's

They identify five more genes associated with the disease

(Newser) - Promising news on the Alzheimer's front: Scientists have identified five more genes associated with the disease, a development that should improve their understanding of how and why it develops. That, in turn, could lead to better treatment and earlier detection, especially among those who show no symptoms, reports USA Today...

Glass Half-Full,
or Half-Empty?
Ask Your Genes

Feb 8, 2011 5:53 AM CST

Glass Half-Full, or Half-Empty? Ask Your Genes

New link made between genes, risk of depression

(Newser) - Bad—or, potentially, good—news for pessimists: Some people's negative outlook on life appears to be caused by a genetic condition, according to a new study. Researchers found that people with low levels of the brain chemical NPY are likelier to be pessimistic, to deal poorly with stress, and to...

Ozzy: Hard Wired to Party Hard?

Nov 4, 2010 3:23 AM CDT

Ozzy: Hard Wired to Party Hard?

He has several intriguing genetic mutations

(Newser) - Was always-crazed heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne biologically destined to party really, really hard? Scientists think it's a possibility after finding several intriguing mutations when mapping the Oz's genes. Several of the variations "we've never seen before," said geneticist Nathaniel Pearson, and they include some that may have...

Walgreens to
Wait on Cheap
Genetic Tests

YIELDS TO FDA

May 13, 2010 6:32 AM CDT

Walgreens to Wait on Cheap Genetic Tests

FDA: No proof kits are safe, effective

(Newser) - Drugstore giant Walgreen Co. will hold off selling over-the-counter genetic tests. The company announced Tuesday that the kits would be on shelves this month, but reversed the decision after a stiff response from regulators. "These kits have not been proven safe, effective, or accurate," an FDA rep said....

No Sense of Direction?
Blame Mom and Dad

Mar 4, 2010 5:05 PM CST

No Sense of Direction? Blame Mom and Dad

Study sees a genetic link to poor navigation skills

(Newser) - People who are forever getting lost might be able to blame their genes, thanks to a new study that suggests a genetic link to having a lousy sense of direction. Researchers discovered that people with the rare condition known as Williams syndrome—caused by damage to a particular chromosome—have...

Mice Prove Gender
Isn't Fixed at Birth

Dec 11, 2009 6:23 AM CST

Mice Prove Gender Isn't Fixed at Birth

Battle of the sexes rages inside each individual

(Newser) - If you think your gender is a fixed part of who you are, a pioneering study suggests you should think again. In it, scientists turned the ovary cells of adult female mice into male testicular tissue by switching off a single gene—one that's found in all mammals. The study...

Bad Driving Is in the Genes

Oct 29, 2009 4:37 PM CDT

Bad Driving Is in the Genes

Study says 30% can't help being lousy on the roads

(Newser) - Certain people—perhaps up to 30% of the population—may be fated by their genetic makeup to be bad drivers, a new study suggests. Researchers tested a small group of people on a driving simulator and found that subjects with a particular gene variant weren't so hot at keeping up...