Genetics & Molecular Biology

Albino Genetic Mutation In Doberman Pinschers Identified- And What It Means For Humans

A genetic mutation that causes albinism  in Doberman pinschers has been identified. And the researchers discovered that type of albinism has certain characteristics that are evident in humans too.  Paige Winkler, a doctoral student in the College of Veter ...

Article - News Staff - May 12 2014 - 10:11am

Male Infertility: It's All About The Package

3 million men across America experience infertility. Today, researchers described a key event during sperm development that is essential for male fertility- a protein controls DNA packaging to protect a man's genetic information.  ...

Article - News Staff - May 13 2014 - 8:59am

Carbs To Treat Diabetes? Here They Come To Save The Day!

Your local multiplex has been packed with superheroes lately: Robocop, Captain America and Spider-Man have wowed us this year and Superman, Batman and the Avengers are waiting in the wings. But have you ever noticed how unlikely each hero is? A maimed pol ...

Article - David Platt - May 14 2014 - 11:48am

Can Synthetic Biology Improve Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is one of evolution's great success stories. Plants, algae and bacteria capture light energy from the sun and transform it into chemical energy. Can science improve it? Perhaps. While genetic modification is protested by anti-science gr ...

Article - News Staff - May 15 2014 - 9:14am

Naia Genetic Study Confirms Link Between Earliest And Modern Native Americans

The ancient remains of a teenage girl, researchers call her Naia, found deep in the water of a Yucatán Peninsula cave have established a definitive link between the earliest and modern Native Americans, according to a new study in Science. So, yes, they r ...

Article - News Staff - May 15 2014 - 5:25pm

The Secret War On Male Mitochondria

Organisms inherit their mitochondria – the cell’s “power plants” – from their mothers, but what happens to all the father’s mitochondria? Why and how are paternal mitochondria prevented from getting passed on to their offspring after fertilization? Just th ...

Article - News Staff - May 16 2014 - 10:04am

Biological Instinct: Are You More Likely To Choose A Spouse With Similar DNA?

Individuals are more genetically similar to their spouses than they are to randomly selected individuals from the same population, claims a new paper in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This is much different than sociological factors- it ...

Article - News Staff - May 19 2014 - 5:55pm

New Drug Target Linked To Insulin Secretion

A signal that promotes insulin secretion and reduces hyperglycemia in a type 2 diabetes animal model is enhanced by the inhibition of a novel enzyme discovered by researchers at NuChem Therapeutics of Montreal and the Montreal Diabetes Research Center. ...

Article - News Staff - May 26 2014 - 11:20am

Why Would An 18-Year-Old Who Never Smoked Get Lung Cancer? The Answer

In the pop culture world of mainstream media, magic bullets are common. Every week there is a new miracle vegetable and then the following work there will be scare journalism about some chemical. In the world of magic bullets, smoking causes lung cancer. Y ...

Article - News Staff - May 29 2014 - 9:43am

Specialized Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reduce Rejection Risk

The clinical promise of stem cells has been dampened by concerns that the immune system will reject the transplanted cells before they could render any long-term benefit. Previous research in mice has suggested that even adult stem cells produced from a s ...

Article - News Staff - May 31 2014 - 12:53am