An arms-race with mutual benefits

When you hear the word "mutations", you probably think of something negative like heritable diseases. But mutations also mean genetic diversity and are at the centre of evolution. Researchers have now uncovered a surprisingly ...

Feeding the future using seed banks

Better use of the world's seed banks could help provide a practical solution to future food shortages, according to an article in Nature, co-authored by a Natural History Museum scientist.

Why jumping genes don't send us into meltdown

A team of researchers, led by academics at The University of Nottingham, has explained why the so-called 'jumping genes' found in most living organisms don't ultimately kill off their hosts, putting an end to a long-standing ...

White tiger mystery solved

White tigers today are only seen in zoos, but they belong in nature, say researchers reporting new evidence about what makes those tigers white. Their spectacular white coats are produced by a single change in a known pigment ...

Archaeological genetics: It's not all as old as it at first seems

Genomic analyses suggest that patterns of genetic diversity which indicate population movement may not be as ancient as previously believed, but may be attributable to recent events. This study published in BioMed Central's ...

Aging cells lose their grip on DNA rogues

(Phys.org)—Transposable elements are mobile strands of DNA that insert themselves into chromosomes with mostly harmful consequences. Cells try to keep them locked down, but in a new study, Brown University researchers ...

Scientists decode watermelon genome

Are juicier, sweeter, more disease-resistant watermelons on the way? An international consortium of more than 60 scientists from the United States, China, and Europe has published the genome sequence of watermelon (Citrullus ...

page 6 from 12