Could a couple of Thai otters have helped the UK’s otter population recover? Our study provides a hint

Research has revealed how British otters may have been able to recover from species loss in the 1950s with the help of otters from Asia.

Sarah du Plessis, PhD Candidate, Cardiff University • conversation
Feb. 27, 2024 ~6 min

DNA from stone age chewing gum sheds light on diet and disease in Scandinavia's ancient hunter-gatherers

Genetic analysis reveals one of the teenagers probably had advanced gum disease.

Emrah Kırdök, Assistant Professor, Department of Biotechnology, Mersin University • conversation
Jan. 18, 2024 ~7 min


Cranberries can bounce, float and pollinate themselves: The saucy science of a Thanksgiving classic

Cranberries add color and acidity to Thanksgiving menus, but they also have many interesting botanical and genetic features.

Serina DeSalvio, Ph.D. Candidate in Genetics and Genomics, Texas A&M University • conversation
Nov. 9, 2023 ~9 min

Can at-home DNA tests predict how you'll respond to your medications? Pharmacists explain the risks and benefits of pharmacogenetic testing

Genetic testing can help take the guesswork out of finding the right treatment. For certain diseases. To an extent.

Philip Empey, Associate Professor of Pharmacogenomics, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Sept. 15, 2023 ~8 min

Clothes moths: Why I admire these persistent, destructive, difficult-to-eradicate and dull-looking pests

An appreciation for the moths that chomp holes in your clothes. They eat the inedible, occupy the uninhabitable and overcome every evolutionary obstacle in their way.

Isabel Novick, Doctoral Candidate in Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, Boston University • conversation
May 8, 2023 ~9 min

DNA study sheds light on Scotland's Picts, and resolves some myths about them

The genetic study challenges previous theories about the origins and culture of the Picts.

Adeline Morez, Post-doctorate researcher, Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier, visiting lecturer, Liverpool John Moores University • conversation
May 2, 2023 ~8 min

Uncovering the genetic basis of mental illness requires data and tools that aren't just based on white people – this international team is collecting DNA samples around the globe

Existing genetic data and sequencing tools are overwhelmingly based on people of European ancestry, which excludes much of the rich genetic variation of the world.

Hailiang Huang, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard University • conversation
Sept. 12, 2022 ~9 min

The Human Genome Project pieced together only 92% of the DNA – now scientists have finally filled in the remaining 8%

Advances in technology have enabled researchers to sequence the large regions of repetitive DNA that eluded the Human Genome Project.

Gabrielle Hartley, PhD Candidate in Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut • conversation
March 31, 2022 ~10 min


Record-breaking rapid DNA sequencing promises timely diagnosis for thousands of rare disease cases

Record-breaking technology can sequence an entire human genome in a matter of hours. The work could be a lifeline for people suffering from the more than 5,000 known rare genetic diseases.

Kevin Doxzen, Postdoctoral Fellow in Precision Medicine and Emerging Biotechnologies, Arizona State University • conversation
Feb. 3, 2022 ~8 min

Genomic surveillance: What it is and why we need more of it to track coronavirus variants and help end the COVID-19 pandemic

The US lags in testing coronavirus samples from COVID-19 patients, which can help track the spread of the virus and the emergence of new variants. But labs are ramping up this crucial surveillance.

Vaughn Cooper, EvolvingSTEM Founder and Executive Director; Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
March 31, 2021 ~10 min

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