Genetics

Animals

Bird DNA leads to strange family tree

Field guides often group birds together by similarities in appearance or behavior. But a new study, based on DNA, confirms earlier suspicions that such groupings are only skin-deep.

Life

Cell gangs may help cancer spread

A new study on mice suggests that when cancer cells strike out from a primary (first) tumor in groups, they have an especially good chance of creating new tumors elsewhere.

Agriculture

Explainer: What is a gene bank?

Most banks store money. But some very special ones store deposits that may prove even more valuable: tissues that could prevent the extinction of breeds and species.

Genetics

Why animals often ‘stand in’ for people

Rats, birds, fish — even flies and worms — can stand in for people in laboratory testing. This allows scientists to safely evaluate harmful chemicals as well as to identify and test potential new drugs. But such tests will never be a foolproof gauge of effects in people.

Microbes

How ‘bugs’ in our bellies impact our health

Gut bacteria can play a powerful role in human health, new studies show. In one, bacteria turned a nutrient in red meat into a chemical that boosts the risk of a heart attack. Another study shows that our genes play a role in whether we are fat or thin, probably by affecting which bacteria prefer to live in our intestines.

Health & Medicine

Can soft drinks speed aging?

A new study suggests a reason why daily sugary-soda drinkers are more prone to disease: Guzzling these drinks shortens the protective caps on chromosomes. If the caps get too short, cells die.

Brain

IQ is in the genes

Previous research that suggested parenting affects a child’s IQ is flawed, researchers now conclude.

Microbes

Germs help each other fend off antibiotics

Drug-resistant bacteria can cause persistent infections. A new study finds these germs fight drugs in different ways. And they can swap various compounds, increasing their neighbors’ chances of overcoming the drugs meant to kill them.

Health & Medicine

Starchy foods may cut meaty risks

Eating red meat can increase the risk of certain types of cancer. But scientists have discovered that eating potatoes and other foods containing 'resistant' starch can help limit those risks.

Plants

Saving the banana

A number of diseases threaten the world’s most popular fruit. Scientists are working to fight these blights. But if they don’t succeed, the sweet banana that’s a breakfast staple could disappear.

Genetics

High-altitude help from extinct ancestors

The Tibetan plateau is high in altitude but low in oxygen. An unusual version of one gene in Tibetans' DNA helps them survive this environment. And that gene appears to have been passed along from Denisovans, a Neandertal-like ancestor.

Microbes

The war on superbugs

Doctors and scientists are exploring ways to stem the growing global crisis of antibacterial resistance.