Genetics is the branch of biological sciences that investigates the organization, transmission, variation, and functional consequences of hereditary information in organisms. It focuses on the structure and function of genes and genomes, the molecular mechanisms of DNA replication, transcription, and translation, and the regulation of gene expression across developmental and environmental contexts. Genetics encompasses classical (Mendelian) inheritance, molecular genetics, population and quantitative genetics, and genomics, providing the framework for understanding mutation, recombination, genetic linkage, and evolutionary change, as well as informing experimental design and interpretation in biomedical, agricultural, and model-organism research.
For more than 60 years, evolutionary biologists have debated whether a unique genetic system found in ants, bees and wasps helps explain one of nature's most remarkable innovations: eusociality, a form of social organization ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 4, 2026
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48
Our DNA is often pictured as a simple spiral, like a piece of rope held taut. But inside cells, it folds into a complex three-dimensional structure, with 2 meters (6.6 feet) of DNA scrunched like a headphone wire in a pocket. ...
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 4, 2026
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192
Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have developed a new way to add large pieces of genetic information to plants, overcoming a challenge that has limited plant biotechnology for decades. ...
Biotechnology
Jul 22, 2026
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53
Scientists at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center have uncovered new insights into how cells regulate DNA methylation, a fundamental process that helps keep potentially harmful viral elements in our genome under control.
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 21, 2026
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22
Just as this country celebrated its 250th birthday, some geneticists were celebrating America, too. At the end of June, the National Institutes of Health announced its "All of Us" Research Program had become the world's largest ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 15, 2026
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10
A team led by bioengineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a genome-scale reference map that details how individual genes control the functions and identities of human stem cells. This open-access ...
Biotechnology
Jul 13, 2026
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11
For researchers on the hunt for the genetic roots of disease, the cost of deep whole-genome sequencing makes it challenging to conduct large genetic studies involving thousands of participants, which are needed to reveal ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jul 12, 2026
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79
A Cornell-led study is challenging a decades-old explanation for how chromosomes exchange genetic material within the biological process that forms eggs and sperm in mammals.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 9, 2026
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8
A new resilience test for merino sheep is using hereditary markers to help producers identify which animals are better able to cope with stressors in their environment.
Plants & Animals
Jul 2, 2026
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7
All living organisms are known to inherit genes, DNA sequences that contain instructions for producing specific proteins and performing biological functions, from their parents. In some cases, however, genes can also shift ...
