Genetic 'clock' indicates lifespan in animals — including humans
20 December, 2019Until now it has been difficult to estimate lifespan for most wild animals, particularly long-living species of marine mammals and fish.
'Junk DNA' affects inherited cancer risk
18 December, 2019A person's risk of developing cancer is affected by genetic variations in regions of DNA that don't code for proteins, previously dismissed as 'junk DNA'.
Common genetic origins for uterine fibroids and endometriosis
12 December, 2019It was previously known that women with endometriosis had a higher risk of developing uterine fibroids. However, the common mechanism underlying these diseases was not known.
Inside the body's DNA repair shop
10 December, 2019Scientists have identified how damaged DNA molecules are repaired inside the human genome — a discovery that offers new insights into how the body works to ensure its health.
Trait selection for 'designer babies' remains limited
28 November, 2019The ability to select embryos for traits that are brought about by multiple genes is more complicated than people probably realise.
Light-activated cells produce insulin for diabetics
18 November, 2019Researchers transplanted engineered pancreatic beta cells into diabetic mice, then caused the cells to produce two to three times the typical level of insulin by exposing them to light.
Epigenetic marks for Alzheimer's detected
14 November, 2019Researchers have discovered changes in blood samples which are associated with Alzheimer's disease, thanks to an international study of Finnish twins.
Children of young mums more likely to have ADHD
12 November, 2019Genetic risk of ADHD in children was found to be strongly associated with early maternal age at first birth, particular for women younger than 20.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Ion Torrent Genexus System
08 November, 2019Thermo Fisher Scientific's Ion Torrent Genexus System is a fully integrated, next-generation sequencing (NGS) platform featuring an automated specimen-to-report workflow that delivers results in a single day, enabling a future in which local hospitals can adopt NGS testing.
How the malaria parasite jumped from gorillas to humans
23 October, 2019Plasmodium falciparum is a species of malaria parasite that only infects humans, after switching host from gorillas through a process known as zoonosis around 50,000 years ago.
IDT NGS Discovery Pools custom enrichment panels
21 October, 2019NGS Discovery Pools are high-quality, individually synthesised, 5′ biotinylated oligo pools designed to enable researchers to rapidly build custom panels, making NGS accessible to more stages of research and speeding up projects.
No guts, no glory: a series of serendipitous events
14 October, 2019 by Lauren DavisAhead of his appearance at the 58th ASMR National Scientific Conference 2019, we talk to Professor Daniel Drucker about how he became a pioneer in gut hormone research.
The missing link between chronic pain and depression
04 October, 2019Scientists have identified the brain mechanism linking chronic pain and depression in rats — a breakthrough that could potentially lead to new treatments for both conditions.
Immunity boost provided by extinct human species
03 October, 2019Modern humans acquired a gene variant from Denisovans — an extinct human species related to Neanderthals — that heightened their immune reactions.
Oxytocin potentially linked to hypersexual disorder
25 September, 2019The hormone oxytocin may play a role in hypersexual disorder — a breakthrough that could potentially open the door to treating the disorder by engineering a way to suppress its activity.
