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Genetics
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A Map of Human History, Hidden in DNA
The computational biologist John Novembre uses our genetic code to rewrite the history of humanity.
Solution: ‘A Ticking Evolutionary Clock’
How to calculate when a gene’s rate of evolution will slow to a crawl.
A Ticking Evolutionary Clock
How quickly will a gene’s rate of evolution slow to a crawl?
Viruses Find a New Way to Hijack Cells
A virus that causes crippling birth defects has been shown to do something else: It changes thousands of messages coming from DNA that control normal cellular activities.
In the Deep, Clues to How Life Makes Light
Bioluminescent organisms have evolved dozens of times over the course of life’s history. Recent studies are narrowing in on the complicated biochemistry needed to illuminate the dark.
Why Some Genetic Miscues Are Helpful
A new look at the reasons why organisms missing pairs of genes sometimes do much better than normal.
The Cell’s Backup Genetic Instructions
The cell is equipped with multiple redundancies in case something goes wrong. Researchers have begun to map these systems.
Giant Genetic Map Shows Life’s Hidden Links
In a monumental set of experiments, spread out over nearly two decades, biologists removed genes two at a time to uncover the secret workings of the cell.
Genetic Engineering to Clash With Evolution
Gene drives promise to spread a trait across an entire population. But evolutionary forces are going to alter even the best-engineered plans.