Through genetic detective work, scientists have identified missing links in the tomato’s evolution from a wild blueberry-sized fruit in South America to the larger modern tomato of today.
Articles on Genetics
Displaying 281 - 300 of 760 articles
No one knows exactly how AI-based DNA analysis software works, so it can’t be scrutinised in court.
Bioinformatics can be applied to a range of problems, such as understanding the genome sequence of organisms or coming up with new drugs.
Physical inactivity contributes to dementia risk as much as genetics, according to research.
Should Australia allow the creation of babies with DNA from more than two people? This reproductive technology could prevent babies being born with mitochondrial disease, so the simple answer is yes.
People caught and died from plague long before it caused major epidemics like the Black Death in the middle ages. Could what scientists call cultural resistance be what kept the disease under control?
It’s likely our species doesn’t actually have a single origin.
How many genes do you really need? Are there any that we can lose? Researchers are now identifying species that have streamlined their genome to adapt to a particular lifestyle.
People who moved away from Britain’s coal-mining areas have genetic profiles linked to higher educational attainment and better health than those who stayed.
It is essential that scientists seek to understand the unique experiences of individuals with schizophrenia.
CRISPR technology is continually improving to make it more specific, but serious consideration should be given to when and how CRISPR is safe for gene editing.
As many as one in ten people will have a psychotic experience in their lifetime – and researchers now know your genes play a role.
While the other members of the Sirenia are found in the Atlantic, the dugong is the only sea cow found in the Indian Ocean and south-western Pacific. This highlights its deep African connections.
Fat-shaming is as ineffective as it is cruel. The bullying tactic also ignores the biological factors underlying obesity, which are not always under a person’s control.
Interestingly, there are more non-identical twins in Australia now than there have been before. The number of twin pregnancies has grown over the past 30 years.
A thought experiment from Richard Dawkins’ book The Selfish Gene turned out to be a more realistic explanation for altruism than he expected.
Genetic testing could help us build targeted and effective training routines for athletes, but the emerging science could also introduce opportunity for discrimination in the sporting world.
The largest study of its kind - comparing the genetic sequences of almost half a million people - has revealed many different parts of our genetic code that seem to influence same-sex sexual behaviour.
It seems genes have a greater influence than previously thought not only on the number of moles you have but also where they are on your body.
Changes in our environment can reveal previously hidden mutations in our DNA with potentially good and bad consequences.
Top contributors
-
Jenny Graves is a Friend of The Conversation.Distinguished Professor of Genetics and Vice Chancellor's Fellow, La Trobe University
-
Chair, The Conversation Media Group
-
Deputy Director, Twins Research Australia & Professor in Genetics and Cell Biology, Deakin University
-
Postdoctoral researcher in genetics, University of Leicester
-
Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London
-
Head, Molecular Medicine Laboratory, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)
-
Emeritus Professor of Animal Genetics, University of Sydney
-
Professor of Marine Biology and Aquaculture, James Cook University
-
Matthew Flinders Professor of Biodiversity Genomics, Flinders University
-
Lecturer, School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex
-
Professor of Biogerontology, University of Brighton
-
Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University
-
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Ethics, National University of Singapore
-
Director of Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute
-
Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University