Genetics
Almost All People With Two Copies of This Genetic Variant Develop Signs of Alzheimer's Disease, Study Finds
The research focused on a variant called APOE4 and largely looked at people of European ancestry—risk levels are different for other groups, the authors say
Medieval Squirrels and Humans May Have Spread Leprosy Back and Forth
Archaeologists uncovered evidence of leprosy in a medieval red squirrel in England, and DNA evidence revealed the strain was similar to what was circulating in humans at the time
Researchers Breed Mice With Hybrid Brains Containing Cells From Rats
In one experiment, rat neurons helped mice restore their senses of smell—the first time any animal has perceived the world through the sensory hardware of another species
Personalized Melanoma Vaccine Could Be a 'Game Changer' by Teaching the Body to Fight Cancer Cells
The mRNA therapy, designed to prevent treated skin cancer from returning, is entering its third phase of trials
Scientists Clone Two Black-Footed Ferrets From Frozen Tissues in Conservation Effort
The aim of cloning the animals is to increase the genetic diversity of the endangered species
Why Are Some People Left-Handed? Scientists Identify Rare Genetic Variants That May Be Linked to the Trait
The variants are present in fewer than 1 percent of people, but they were 2.7 times more likely to appear in lefties than in righties
Two New Species of Killer Whale Should Be Recognized, Study Says
A couple of eastern North Pacific populations of orcas have qualities that set them apart, according to researchers
See The Face of Emperor Wu, a Sixth-Century Chinese Ruler Brought to Life with DNA Analysis
Genetic analysis of DNA from his skeleton offers not only a first glimpse at his face, but also insight into his mysterious death
Modern Indian People Have a Wide Range of Neanderthal DNA, Study Finds
Genomes of Indian people today reveal links to a prehistoric migration and a group of Iranian farmers, as well as several new sequences from the Neanderthal genome
Scientists Grow Elephant Stem Cells in Key Step Toward Woolly Mammoth 'De-Extinction'
The team's lofty goal of "resurrection" is still far from reality, but scientists say the advancement in understanding cells could help with elephant conservation
Why Don’t Humans Have Tails? An Old Genetic Mutation Could Explain Why Monkeys, but Not Apes, Have the Extra Appendage
Scientists have pinpointed a genetic change that might have led the ancestors of humans to lose their tails
DNA Reveals Presence of Down Syndrome in Ancient Society
The burials of infants with Down syndrome in Europe provide insight into how babies with genetic conditions were cared for in premodern times, according to a new study
Gene-Edited Pork Could Be Coming Soon to Your Dinner Plate
Scientists are using CRISPR technology to make pigs immune to a deadly virus—and they're hoping for FDA approval by early next year
Why Do Women Get More Autoimmune Diseases? Study of Mice Hints at Answers
Four in five people with an autoimmune disease are women. New research points to an RNA molecule involved in silencing one of their X chromosomes as a potential culprit
This Eight-Day Festival Celebrates One of Alaska's Weirdest Worms
Welcome to the Cordova Ice Worm Festival, a quirky local tradition honoring the mysterious creatures that live in glacial ice
Meet Elma, a Woolly Mammoth Who Roamed Far and Wide More Than 14,000 Years Ago
By analyzing a fossilized tusk, scientists have pieced together the animal's movements
What Happened to the Extinct Woolly Dog?
Researchers studying the 160-year-old fur of a dog named Mutton in the Smithsonian collections found that the Indigenous breed existed for at least 5,000 years before European colonizers eradicated it
Ancient DNA From Eurasian Herders Sheds Light on the Origins of Multiple Sclerosis
Genetic variants linked to the risk of MS were brought to Europe during a migration around 5,000 years ago, a new study finds—and they might have helped herders survive
A New Project Uses Isotopes to Pinpoint the Birthplaces of the Enslaved
In South Carolina, members of the local Black community are teaming up with scientists to produce a novel study of the trans-Atlantic slave trade
Seven Scientific Discoveries From 2023 That Could Lead to New Inventions
Biologists learned lots about animals and plants this year, and their findings could inspire better robots, medicine and environmental technologies
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