Body clock genes linked to depression

Genes believed to regulate sleep rhythm are expressed abnormally in people with major depressive disorders, scientists say... [Read More]

Event Review: Heart Genetics - Predicting the Future?

I'd not been to a Cafe Scientifique event before and was a little unsure of what to expect. The Royal Brompton coffee shop setting did at first feel strange; I'm more used to discussions in lecture theatres where there is a clear distinction between audience and speaker... [Read More]

Unbroken news: non-invasive prenatal testing

I know what they say about yesterday's news and today's fish and chip paper but what I'm about to tell you is six months old and still a little way off as a headline... [Read More]

Cancer treatment should be based on gene 'fingerprints', says study

Genetic analysis of tumours provides the key to treating them effectively, according to two studies carried out by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).... [Read More]

Patenting parthenotes: High Court asks if parthenotes are 'human embryos' under the Biotech Directive

The UK's High Court has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify if human parthenotes fall under the definition of a human embryo for the purposes of patentability... [Read More]

Crick Cambridge college commemoration

A memorial to Francis Crick has been unveiled at his former college at the University of Cambridge to mark the 60th anniversary of the publication of the structure of DNA... [Read More]

Autism mechanism goes beyond genes

A study on identical twins with distinct autistic traits suggests that epigenetic factors may be important in understanding how the neurological disorder develops... [Read More]

Podcast: Being - The Donor-Conceived Perspective

A podcast produced as part of the When It Takes More Than Two project organised by the Progress Educational Trust... [Read More]

'Gene signature' predicts chemotherapy survival

Scientists have identified an eight-gene 'signature' that can predict patients' response to chemotherapy... [Read More]

Synthetic biology could provide solution to bird flu

Synthetic biology is being used in the hunt for a vaccine for H7N9, the new strain of bird flu emerging in China, with hopes it could shave a vital two weeks off the development process... [Read More]

Severe childhood obesity: four gene variants identified

Scientists have identified four new gene variants associated with severe childhood obesity... [Read More]

Radio Review: DNA 60 Years On

DNA 60 Years On does an excellent job of highlighting the transformation of DNA from an obscure molecule to a symbol of our identity and individuality and the role it has come to play in our lives... [Read More]

Francis Crick's Nobel prize and DNA letter sold for millions

The Nobel prize won by Francis Crick, a British scientist, for his part in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA, and a handwritten letter recounting this discovery to his 12-year-old son, have been sold for over $8 million this week.... [Read More]

Over 80 genetic regions linked to breast, prostate or ovarian cancer

The largest ever study into cancer genes has identified more than 80 genetic markers for breast, prostate and ovarian cancer.... [Read More]

Companies hold patents on entire human genome

A new study has reported that the entire human genome may be under patents held by commercial companies.... [Read More]

Ageing genes may affect cancer and heart risk

Genes that influence the so-called 'biological age' of cells may also influence susceptibility to many age-related diseases... [Read More]

A logical step: biocomputing pushes forward

One of the essential components of a computer, the transistor, has been created in a living biological system for the first time... [Read More]

Study counters Parkinson's disease gene theory

An experimental approach to treating Parkinson's disease may need to be reconsidered following evidence suggesting that it may make patients worse... [Read More]

TV Review: Shrinking My 17 Stone Legs

The stump of Mandy's amputated left leg is one metre in circumference, the size of an old vinyl record. Mandy Sellars has a rare genetic condition that meant her legs continued to grow after the rest of her body stopped... [Read More]

Patentability of isolated DNA in the Australian context: Cancer Voices Australia vs Myriad Genetics Inc

Patents on human genes continue to cause controversy in the academic and popular press. A recent decision in Australia has reaffirmed the patentability of isolated human DNA in that jurisdiction... [Read More]