A group of molecular and chemical biologists at the University of California, San Diego, has found possible evidence of interdomain horizontal gene transfer leading to the development of the eye in vertebrates. In their study, ...
An international team led by researchers at the University of Toronto has uncovered over 100 genes that are common to primate brains but have undergone evolutionary divergence only in humans—and which could be a source ...
Evolution
Dec 6, 2023
1
585
Scientists have known for decades that genes can be transferred from one species to another, both in animals and plants. However, the mechanism of how such an unlikely event occurs remained unknown. Now, researchers from ...
Biotechnology
Jun 29, 2023
0
101
People who carry three gene variants inherited from Neanderthals are more sensitive to some types of pain, according to a new study co-led by UCL researchers.
Evolution
Oct 10, 2023
1
170
Sexual selection provides an answer to the existence of lavishly ornate signals in animals, but not to the question of why such signals are attractive—for example, why do females prefer the extravagant plumage of peacocks? ...
Evolution
Apr 4, 2023
1
167
Some species of tardigrades are highly and unusually resilient to various extreme conditions fatal to most other forms of life. The genetic basis for these exceptional abilities remains elusive.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 13, 2024
0
121
While seeking to unravel how marine algae create their chemically complex toxins, scientists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered the largest protein yet identified in biology.
Cell & Microbiology
Aug 8, 2024
0
21
For decades, scientists have known that, despite its name, "junk DNA" in fact plays a critical role: While the coding genes provide blueprints for building proteins, which direct most of the body's functions, some of the ...
Biotechnology
Sep 27, 2023
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240
As the days get shorter and chillier in the northern hemisphere, those who choose to work out in the mornings might find it harder to get up and running. A study in PNAS identifies a protein that, when missing, makes exercising ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 18, 2023
0
95
A technique can determine for the first time how frequently, and exactly where, a molecular event called "backtracking" occurs throughout the genetic material (genome) of any species, a new study shows.
Biotechnology
Feb 9, 2024
0
286
