Genetics

  1. Plants

    Big genetics study blazes path for bringing back tomato flavor

    Combining taste tests with genetics suggests what makes heirloom varieties tastier than mass-market tomatoes.

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  2. Animals

    Tales of creatures large and small made news this year

    Scientists filled in the details of some famous evolutionary tales in 2016 — and discovered a few surprises about creatures large and small.

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  3. Life

    Force-detecting protein senses when lungs fill with air

    A study in mice pinpoints a force-detecting protein that regulates breathing, previously implicated in touch.

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  4. Genetics

    50 years ago, alcohol use was linked to several gene variants

    50 years later, scientists are still searching for genes that influence drinking.

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  5. Genetics

    Proteins that reprogram cells can turn back mice’s aging clock

    Proteins that reprogram adult cells to an embryonic-like state can rejuvenate prematurely aging mice.

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  6. Animals

    Genome clues help explain the strange life of seahorses

    Researchers have decoded the genetic instruction manual of a seahorse (Hippocampus comes) and found clues to its nearly 104-million-year evolutionary history.

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  7. Genetics

    Year in review: ‘Three-parent baby’ technique raises hope and concern

    Safety and ethical concerns surround controversial mitochondrial replacement therapy.

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  8. Genetics

    Year in review: How humans populated the globe

    DNA studies put new twists on timing of ancient human migrations – but genetics alone are not enough to tell the full story.

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  9. Life

    Year in review: ‘Minimal genome’ makes its debut

    A synthetic cell reported this year jettisons unnecessary genes and embraces human design principles.

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  10. Oceans

    Readers contemplate corals and more

    Coral engineering, ancient almanacs and more in reader feedback.

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  11. Genetics

    Epigenetic marks may help assess toxic exposure risk — someday

    Exposure to things in the environment may change chemical tags on DNA and proteins, but it’s still unclear how to use that data to assess health risks.

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  12. Life

    Having an extra chromosome has a surprising effect on cancer

    Extra chromosome copies may protect against, not cause, cancer.

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