DNA

Colored transmission electron micrograph of a section through an Escherichia coli bacterium. This rod-shaped bacterium moves via its hair-like flagellae (yellow).

Biologists Trace Genetic Roots Of Evolution, One Cell At A Time

2:29pm March 15, 2018

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

E.coli bacteria, each cell trapped in a tiny tube, are giving researchers the chance to study the pace and effects of single genetic mutations. Most mutations, the scientists find, aren't harmful.

At Davos, Yuval Harari suggests that we are in our third grand revolution — the control of data.

Science

Biometric Data And The Rise Of Digital Dictatorship

1:17pm February 28, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

As historian and author Yuval Harari suggests, market forces and investor greed will keep moving the data revolution forward. But there are balancing forces to this onslaught, says Marcelo Gleiser.

What scientists believe to be our oldest ancestor, the single-celled organism named LUCA, likely lived in extreme conditions where magma met water — in a setting similar to this one from Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Science

The Microbial Eve: Our Oldest Ancestors Were Single-Celled Organisms

3:58pm January 31, 2018

by Marcelo Gleiser

Consider this: Evidence points to a microbial Eve as our first ancestor — a tough, underwater organism withstanding extremes that became every other creature to ever live, says Marcelo Gleiser.

A paper in nature shows that fathers pass down mutations to their babies at a higher rate than mothers, says guest commentator Robert Martin.

Why Males Are Biology's Riskier Sex

11:46am January 30, 2018

by Robert D. Martin

New data have confirmed major differences in mutation rates between the sexes — showing that children inherit more mutations from their dads than from their moms, says guest commentator Robert Martin.

There's an explosion of interest in personalized diet approaches and at-home test kits are popping up everywhere.

Personalized Diets: Can Your Genes Really Tell You What To Eat?

9:56am January 22, 2018

by Allison Aubrey

There's an explosion of interest in personalized diet approaches and at-home test kits are popping up everywhere. Part of the approach includes analyzing your DNA, but genes can only tell us so much.

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Darwin sits in front of Shrewsbury Library in England, which was formerly a school he attended.

Science

Altering A Species: Darwin's Shopping List

5:10pm January 15, 2018

by Jimena Canales

Few scientific discoveries have caused as much excitement as that of editing our genes; yet we owe some of the most stunning wonders around us to old-fashioned breeding practices, says Jimena Canales.

Ben and Tara Stern relax at home in Essex, Md. Ben was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2016. After conventional treatment failed to stop the tumor, Ben tried an experimental drug.

For Now, Sequencing Cancer Tumors Holds More Promise Than Proof

3:17pm January 15, 2018

by Richard Harris

Sequencing the DNA of cancer tumors to help pinpoint treatment is an emerging element of precision medicine. While patients and doctors alike want these tests, they often don't benefit patients.

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The Google Doodle for January 9, 2018 honors Har Gobind Khorana.

The Man In The Google Doodle: From Poor Villager To Nobel Prize Winner

4:27pm January 09, 2018

by Angus Chen

He's the biochemist Har Gobind Khorana, who discovered the grammar that organizes DNA. But first he had to overcome the accent and mannerisms of his Indian village.

Volunteer Greg Ruegsegger is outfitted with monitors, a catheter threaded into a vein and a mask to capture his breath in an experiment run by Joyner to measure human performance.

Will Gathering Vast Troves of Information Really Lead To Better Health?

6:05pm December 28, 2017

by Richard Harris

Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into research labs in an effort to collect genetic information on a million people. But some skeptics say the focus should be on humans themselves, not DNA.

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The street where the body of Jeffrey Young was found in Dallas.

National

Why A Man Declared Innocent Can't Get Out Of Prison

4:36pm December 06, 2017

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Benjamine Spencer's case illustrates how difficult it can be for some prisoners in Texas to prove they did not commit a crime without new and unassailable evidence, such as DNA.