Research finds key advances towards reducing the cost of plant improvement
Crop improvement often involves the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another to produce a valuable trait. Some major examples of crops with these so-called “transgenes” include disease-resistant cotton and beta-carotene-enhanced golden rice. However, when foreign DNA is introduced into a host organism, a natural defensive response in plants is to repress or […]
Researchers discover unknown childhood genetic condition and its potential cure: Findings point to the possibility of treating and preventing birth defects before birth
Describing a previously unknown genetic condition that affects children, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine say they also found a potential method to prevent the gene mutation by administering a drug during pregnancy. The findings publish in the September 30, 2021 issue of The […]
New technology designed to genetically control disease-spreading mosquitoes: CRISPR-based system developed to safely restrain mosquito vectors via sterilization
Leveraging advancements in CRISPR-based genetic engineering, researchers at the University of California San Diego have created a new system that restrains populations of mosquitoes that infect millions each year with debilitating diseases. The new precision-guided sterile insect technique, or pgSIT, alters genes linked to male fertility — creating sterile offspring — and female flight in […]
What Is the Main Cause of Anxiety? Types & Complications
Anxiety is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors that include stress, trauma, family history, and underlying health conditions While the exact cause of anxiety is unknown, it’s usually a combination of genetic and environmental factors that may include: What role does your brain play in anxiety? Anxiety is complicated, and research is […]
In the absence of genetic variation, asexual invasive species find new methods of adapting to their environment
Without the benefits of evolutionary genetic variation that accompany meiotic reproduction, how does an asexual invasive species adapt over time to a new environment to survive? In all-female weevil species that produce only female offspring from unfertilized eggs, the insects’ survival techniques have led to the surprising discovery that these creatures can pass down gene […]
RNA modification may protect against liver disease
A chemical modification that occurs in some RNA molecules as they carry genetic instructions from DNA to cells’ protein-making machinery may offer protection against non-alcoholic fatty liver, a condition that results from a build-up of fat in the liver and can lead to advanced liver disease, according to a new study by UCLA researchers. The […]