Many of us could carry up to 17kg of fat due to a change in a single gene

New research has found that one in every 340 people might carry a mutation in a single gene that makes them more likely to have a greater weight from early

Cambridge University News • cambridge
May 27, 2021 ~5 min

Mothers can influence offspring’s height, lifespan and disease risk in unexpected ways – through their mitochondria

Mitochondria -  the ‘batteries’ that power our cells – play an unexpected role in common diseases such as type 2 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, concludes a

Cambridge University News • cambridge
May 17, 2021 ~7 min


New model predicts oesophageal cancer eight years early for half of all patients

DNA from tissue biopsies taken from patients with Barrett’s oesophagus – a risk factor for oesophageal cancer – could show which patients are most likely to

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Sept. 7, 2020 ~5 min

Four-stranded DNA structures found to play role in breast cancer

Four stranded DNA structures – known as G-quadruplexes – have been shown to play a role in certain types of breast cancer for the first time, providing a

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Aug. 3, 2020 ~5 min

Nature’s epidural: Genetic variant may explain why some women don’t need pain relief during childbirth

Women who do not need pain relief during childbirth may be carriers of a key genetic variant that acts a natural epidural, say scientists at the University of

Cambridge University News • cambridge
July 21, 2020 ~4 min

COVID-19: genetic network analysis provides ‘snapshot’ of pandemic origins

Study charts the “incipient supernova” of COVID-19 through genetic mutations as it spread from China and Asia to Australia, Europe and North America. Researchers say their methods could be used to help identify undocumented infection sources.  

Cambridge University News • cambridge
April 9, 2020 ~6 min

Detailed genetic study provides most comprehensive map of risk to date of breast cancer risk

A major international study of the genetics of breast cancer has identified more than 350 DNA ‘errors’ that increase an individual’s risk of developing the disease. The scientists involved say these errors may influence as many as 190 genes.

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Jan. 7, 2020 ~6 min

Women in STEM: Dr Alexis Braun

Dr Alexis Braun is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Genetics. Here, she tells us about the importance of mentors, how her research might aid in conservation efforts, and how growing up in a First Nations community in Canada spurred her interest in biology. 

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Sept. 26, 2019 ~5 min


‘Game-changing’ research could solve evolution mysteries

An evolution revolution has begun after scientists extracted genetic information from a 1.7 million-year-old rhino tooth – the largest and oldest genetic data to ever be recorded.  

Cambridge University News • cambridge
Sept. 11, 2019 ~5 min

Genetic variation linked to response to anxiety could inform personalised therapies

A new study in marmoset monkeys suggests that individual variation in genes alters our ability to regulate emotions, providing new insights that could help in the development of personalised therapies to tackle anxiety and depression.

Cambridge University News • cambridge
July 1, 2019 ~5 min

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