Individual biological variation refers to the naturally occurring differences in measurable biological characteristics among individuals of the same species, arising from the interplay of genetic, epigenetic, developmental, and environmental factors. It encompasses intra-individual (within-person, over time) and inter-individual (between-person) variability in parameters such as gene expression, metabolic activity, immune responses, and physiological biomarkers. This process underlies differential susceptibility to disease, heterogeneity in drug response, and variation in phenotypic traits. In research and clinical laboratory science, individual biological variation is quantitatively characterized to distinguish physiological fluctuation from pathological change and to establish reference change values and personalized reference intervals.
New research reveals that cells of the same chronological age can follow dramatically different biological aging paths, offering new insights into cancer, neurodegeneration and the fundamental biology of aging. Rather than ...
Cell & Microbiology
16 hours ago
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9
Epigenetic clocks are important tools in modern aging research. Typically, they use characteristic DNA methylation patterns in the genome to precisely predict a person's age and infer conclusions about the individual's biological ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 17, 2026
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11
An international team of researchers developed a new way to uncover hidden differences in how viruses infect and destroy individual microbial cells—solving a biological puzzle that has persisted for more than 80 years.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 15, 2026
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61
A major transition in evolution is the shift from asexual to sexual reproduction in early organisms. But why would a yeast cell, which usually reproduces asexually, choose to mate with a very different partner in times of ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 6, 2026
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11
A new study of wild bats reveals that an animal's immune system is shaped by more than its need to fight infections. Researchers from the University of Maryland have found that sex, age and competition for mates influence ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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10
A new analysis supports the previously overlooked "brain lag" hypothesis—the idea that, in some primate lineages, the evolution of larger body size preceded the evolution of larger brain size—while also building on that hypothesis ...
Evolution
Jul 1, 2026
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39
For decades, scientists have been studying the cognition of great apes to understand how our own complex cognitive abilities evolved. Much of the research is based on the idea that if a particular ability—like using gestures ...
Plants & Animals
Jun 17, 2026
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69
The same biological signals that help predict lifespan in humans also appear in dogs, according to new research from the Dog Aging Project—a finding that could help scientists better understand aging in both species.
Molecular & Computational biology
Jun 13, 2026
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411
A review article now published in Nature Reviews Genetics brings together evolutionary theory, comparative genomics and large-scale human genetics to explain why we age and why aging rates differ among individuals and species. ...
Evolution
Jun 11, 2026
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130
Fermentation is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. Long before refrigerators existed, people relied on microorganisms to keep food—including meat—safe to eat. Ph.D. research by VUB researcher Ana Sosa Fajardo (VUB ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 27, 2026
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