A tall story: genetic factors in height determination
Scientists have identified hundreds of common gene variants that may be associated with height, according to research published in the journal Nature...
A distinguishing characteristic or quality of an organism.
Scientists have identified hundreds of common gene variants that may be associated with height, according to research published in the journal Nature...
Scientists from the UK and China are collaborating to study epigenetic signatures that mark the differences between 5,000 twins. Those affected by diabetics and osteoporosis are just some of the people who could be set to benefit from the £20 million 'Epitwin' project....
Two new studies published in Nature have found...
Reproductive success of both males and females is linked to common personality traits, particularly neuroticism, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)....
To what extent is it permissible for people to choose for or against certain desired characteristics in their future children? There's a range of ways in which we might do this - for example, we might attempt to insert or delete a particular gene into or from a gamete prior to conception, or we might choose embryo C from the petri-dish over embryos A, B and D...
Our genetic make-up may influence the likelihood of running into debt, UK and US researchers have found, according to the LSE research magazine....
by Dr Tom Dickins and 1 others
The models emerging from behavioural biology are increasingly sophisticated. They do not undermine the quest for candidate genes, but rather augment our understanding of why those genes might persist in populations and be differentially expressed across circumstances....
by Sandy Starr
In their concluding remarks, all three speakers said the answer to the question implicit in the event's title - if you are genetically predisposed to a neurodevelopmental disorder, does this effectively mean you are marked for life? - is an emphatic 'no'. Nonetheless, they had divergent views on the likelihood of successfully applying the fruits of genetic research into mental health...
It's hard to avoid press stories about 'the gene for' something, because they appear with monotonous regularity. On the day I wrote this, the media reported the discovery of a 'gene for longevity'. The story clearly implied that lifespan is pretty much fixed at conception - contradicting stories elsewhere in the paper...
by Maren Urner
An IVF technique whereby fertilisation is achieved by injecting an individual sperm into an egg cell is being overused and may pass on infertility to the next generation, the scientist who developed the technique has warned...
BioNews, published by the Progress Educational Trust (PET), provides news and comment on genetics, assisted conception, embryo/stem cell research and related areas.