Genetics

  1. Genetics

    What we can — and can’t — learn from our pets’ DNA

    Your dog or cat’s DNA is an open book. DNA tests tell people about their pet’s breed and attempt to predict things about its behavior and health.

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  2. Genetics

    Explainer: How DNA testing works

    Lots of companies will now test DNA from people and their pets. How do these gene-sequencing techniques work? We explain.

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  3. Genetics

    DNA testing looks into dog breeds and cat history

    Dog and cat breeds can look very different from one another. How does it happen? Combinations of tiny genetic tweaks.

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  4. Genetics

    CRISPR enters its first human trials

    A host of new human trials are using a gene-editing tool known as CRISPR to treat genetic diseases — from sickle cell and cancers to a blinding eye disorder.

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  5. Microbes

    Obesity in mice caused by defects in their immune system

    Subtle defects in T cell function alter rodents’ microbiome and fat absorption, providing hints of what might also be going on in people.

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  6. Agriculture

    As infections ravage food crops, scientists fight back

    Diseases threaten important food crops like cocoa beans, wheat and citrus. Scientists are working to understand these infections — and fight back.

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  7. Health & Medicine

    A fungus plus a spider toxin equals a weapon to kill mosquitoes

    A new weapon could help fight mosquitoes that spread malaria. It’s an engineered fungus that infects the insects — then kills them with a spider poison.

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  8. Humans

    DNA reveals clues to the Siberian ancestors of the first Americans

    Researchers discovered a previously unknown population of Ice Age people who crossed the Asia-North America land bridge.

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  9. Animals

    Two teens pull DNA from birds out of the air

    Animals shed DNA into their environment. Usually scientists find it in water or soil. Now, two teens have figured out how to capture this “environmental DNA” from air.

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  10. Life

    How some birds lost the ability to fly

    Some birds have evolved to stay on the ground instead of flying. Scientists think changes to bossy bits of DNA might be the reason.

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  11. Genetics

    Scientists Say: Genealogy

    This is the study of someone’s ancestry. It could mean finding out about someone’s family tree or the history of evolution from one species to another.

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  12. Genetics

    Shaking hands could transfer your DNA — leaving it on things you never touched

    After a long handshake, the DNA you trade could end up on things you never touched.

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