genes

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Geneticists Solve Mystery of Giant Tomatoes

Without mutations on just 2 genes, red fruit would be tiny bud

(Newser) - Tomatoes would be about the size of blueberries if it weren't for two key genetic mutations, Reuters reports. Scientists mapping the plant's DNA discovered one gene that encourages additional cell division, and another that allows the fruit to grow many more internal compartments. Together the changes have created tomatoes up...

Missing Genes Can Thwart Doping Tests

Athletes' DNA triggers false negative tests for testosterone

(Newser) - Testosterone injections are among the most common performance-enhancing drugs detected in athlete screenings, but some lucky competitors can take them without fear of exposure, the New York Times reports. Of 55 men given testosterone in a recent study, 17 came up clean on a drug test because they're missing the...

Scientists Discover New Diabetes Genes

Six variants each add risk for developing the disease

(Newser) - Scientists pooling data from European and US studies have identified six more genes associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, the Guardian reports. The study, published in Nature Genetics, found small but significant connections between the genes and the disease, with certain genetic variants linked to a 10-15%...

Schizophrenia Gene Find Surprises Scientists

Glitches vary from person to person

(Newser) - Scientists have tracked down the genetic roots of schizophrenia, but in a surprising twist researchers found that the genetic errors to blame often vary from person to person, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The discovery suggests that multiple glitches in the genetic code are behind schizophrenia, with the exact combination unique...

Researchers Let the Cats Out of the Bag

Feline genes reveal lessons of past, guidance for future

(Newser) - Cats don't talk, but their genes can tell a good story, and they're revealing plenty about the animal's 10,000-year history. DNA samples from more than 1,100 cats, from fancy show breeds to wild animals from around the world, are confirming earlier discoveries as well as refuting some claims,...

Humans Wired to Fear Snakes
Humans Wired to Fear Snakes
Mar 5, 2008 4:42 PM CST

Humans Wired to Fear Snakes

Scientists find innate ability to discern slithering critters in the wild

(Newser) - Evolution seems to have given humans a hard-wired ability to recognize snakes and spiders, LiveScience reports. Intrigued by the widespread fear of serpents despite the fact that most humans rarely interact with them, researchers showed groups of adults and 3-year-olds natural scenes containing various hidden animals. Both groups were consistently...

Scientists Link Gene Mutation to Longevity

Alteration makes cells less receptive to growth factor

(Newser) - A genetic mutation that makes cells less responsive to growth hormone has been linked to human longevity, Scientific American reports. A recent study looked at children of Ashkenazi Jews with a family history of long life and an average age of 98, and compared their genes with the children of...

Gene Discovery Holds Hope for Drought-Safe Crops

Scientists make botanical breakthrough

(Newser) - Scientists have discovered a gene that controls how plants absorb carbon dioxide and release moisture in a breakthrough discovery that could help develop drought-resistant crops, reports the BBC. The gene that regulates the work of stomata, or pores on plant leaves, has been sought by biologists for decades. The gene...

55M Monarchs Can't Be Wrong
55M Monarchs Can't Be Wrong
Feb 11, 2008 4:58 PM CST

55M Monarchs Can't Be Wrong

Internal clock of 1-ounce butterfly sheds light on human sense of time

(Newser) - The 1-ounce monarch butterfly may have a thing or two to teach us: Each year, some 55 million monarchs make a 4,000-mile multigenerational journey from Canada to Mexico, returning to the same forest, often the same tree, without relying on GPS. How? The insects rely on a unique internal...

Docs ID Prostate Cancer Gene Markers
Docs ID Prostate Cancer Gene Markers
Feb 11, 2008 12:00 PM CST

Docs ID Prostate Cancer Gene Markers

Screening test for men at risk could be on market in 3 years

(Newser) - Seven genetic markers that increase a man's risk of developing prostate cancer have been identified, the Guardian reports. A test to screen for the affected genes should be ready within 3 years, British researchers say, leading to more effective early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. The newly identified genes,...

Project Launched to Map Genes of 1,000 People

Controversial international genome project

(Newser) - An international project to sequence the genomes of at least 1,000 people has begun at three research institutes in England, China and the US. The information gathered in the "1,000 Genomes Project " will be used to create a reference map of genetic variations. "This is...

Gene Tweaking Dramatically Extends Life

Altered yeast microbes live 10 times longer than control group

(Newser) - In a breakthrough that may have implications for humans, researchers have made the lifespan of yeast 10 times longer, doubling the previous record for life expansion, LiveScience reports. Genetic alteration and a low-calorie diet prolonged the microbe's existence from the typical 1 week to 10 weeks. The scientists involved have...

Study Finds Mutated Genes Raise Autism Risk

Could be 'tip of the iceberg' of gene flaws linked to disorder

(Newser) - Researchers studying the DNA of autistic children have discovered a pair of genetic mutations that raise the risk of developing autism as high as a hundredfold, USA Today reports. The defects in chromosome 16 occur in just 1% of autistic kids, but that figure represents some 10,000 children. A...

Genes Make Mouse That Roared
Genes Make Mouse That Roared
Dec 13, 2007 10:25 AM CST

Genes Make Mouse That Roared

Genetically altered Mickey has no fear of cats

(Newser) - Japanese scientists have modified mouse genes to make rodents unafraid of cats in a dramatic experiment that offers insight into the origins of terror. The breakthrough shows that fear is largely genetically hardwired rather than learned through painful experience, researchers say. Some of the mice, whose nasal cells were altered...

Humans Evolving at Warp Speed
Humans Evolving
at Warp Speed
Dec 11, 2007 3:59 AM CST

Humans Evolving at Warp Speed

New research contradicts theory that easier life slowed development

(Newser) - The pace of human evolution switched to the fast track when people began forming agrarian societies 10,000 years ago, researchers have discovered. Scientists had theorized that evolution would slow as challenges to survival waned, but the opposite appears to be the case with changes occurring surprisingly quickly, the Los ...

Scientist Blasted for Racism Has Black Genes

Watson said blacks less intelligent than whites

(Newser) - Nobel laureate James Watson, famous for co-discovering DNA and infamous for his theory that black Africans are less intelligent than whites, turns out to have a genetic profile with 16 times as many black genes as the average white European, the Independent reports. Watson's genes are said to be comparable...

Sprouting Eyes in Petri Dishes
Sprouting Eyes in Petri Dishes
Oct 24, 2007 8:04 PM CDT

Sprouting Eyes in Petri Dishes

Research that gave tadpoles a third eye could be boon for human sight

(Newser) - A lab fluke that resulted in tadpoles growing third eyeballs could be a major boon for human sight, leading to replacement optic parts or even whole eyes grown in petri dishes. A recent research project accidentally happened upon a trigger for eye formation in frogs—a nitrogen-bearing molecule—that may...

Genealogy Site Wants to Swab Your Cheek

New service will allow members to submit DNA samples for comparison

(Newser) - Now even dead ancestors can join the social networking craze. Their descendants, today’s consumers, can submit cheek swabs to genetics company GeneTree, which compares the DNA to its database and creates an interactive digital family tree. Users can post videos, photos, and link up with other members of their...

Me Caveman, Me Talk
Me Caveman, Me Talk
Oct 19, 2007 5:20 AM CDT

Me Caveman, Me Talk

Gene indicates Neanderthals may have had language capabilities like ours

(Newser) - Neanderthals may have spoken much like we do, new research shows. Scientists examined a gene linked to language called FOXP2 in the DNA of cavemen bones discovered in northern Spain, and found that it was identical to ours. The gene is the only one known to be involved in human...

Lonely People's Genes Make Them Sick

Loners' DNA shows impaired immune system, study says

(Newser) - Scientists say they’ve figured out why loners get sick and die young: “a highly suspicious conspiracy of genes” screws up their immune systems, Reuters reports. Their altered DNA can lead to heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and other problems. “There is something about being isolated and lonely...

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