genetics

WTA requires all players to pass genetic sex test

The Women's Tennis Association has become the first independent professional women's sports league to require all its players to undergo genetic sex testing, implementing a policy that took effect July 1, 2026. The new Women's Eligibility Policy requires a one-time…

Scientists find 81 hidden genes driving deadly breast cancer

A team of scientists at Sinai Health in Toronto has uncovered 81 previously unknown genes involved in basal-like triple-negative breast cancer, solving a long-standing mystery of how chromosomal chaos fuels one of the disease's deadliest forms. The findings, published in…

Cambridge team uses base editing to study gene function in human embryos for first time

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have used base editing for the first time to study gene function in human embryos, demonstrating that the NANOG gene is essential for the formation of pluripotent cells during the earliest days of development.…

All known Homo naledi fossils in cave are female, study finds

The first-ever protein analysis of Homo naledi fossils has revealed that all known individuals recovered from South Africa's Rising Star Cave system appear to be female, raising new questions about the behavior and social structure of this enigmatic human relative.

Study finds 641 new schizophrenia-linked genes

Researchers have identified 641 previously unrecognized genes associated with schizophrenia by mapping how gene networks communicate across the brain, a finding that could reshape the search for targeted treatments of one of psychiatry's most complex disorders.

Study links faster biological aging to rising cancer in younger adults

People born in more recent decades are biologically older than previous generations were at the same age, and this accelerated aging is linked to a higher risk of developing cancer before age 55, according to a study published Monday in…

OpenAI’s o3 model helped diagnose 18 children with unsolved rare diseases

Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard used OpenAI's o3 Deep Research model to identify 18 new diagnoses among children whose rare genetic diseases had stumped clinicians for years, according to a study published Wednesday in NEJM AI.

New blood test screens nearly 23,000 fetal genes without invasive procedures

Scientists have unveiled a non-invasive blood test capable of screening almost the entire protein-coding genome of a foetus, detecting 95 to 99 percent of the genetic variants found through invasive procedures such as amniocentesis. The technique, called non-invasive foetal sequencing…

New DNA test can replace 15 others for rare diseases

Researchers at Radboud University Medical Center have published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine recommending that a new long-read genome sequencing test become the global first-choice diagnostic for rare genetic disorders. The test, which reads DNA segments…

Study finds mitochondria plug directly into the nucleus

For decades, biologists assumed that the energy produced by mitochondria simply diffused throughout the cell until it reached wherever it was needed. A study published in Nature on June 10 upends that model, revealing that mitochondria physically plug into the…

Oxford study links ancient gene doublings to brain evolution

Two whole-genome duplication events that occurred roughly 520 and 500 million years ago provided the genetic raw material that enabled vertebrates to evolve their complex brains, according to research published on Wednesday in Nature.

Study finds giant viruses helped build first complex cells

For decades, the story of how complex life arose on Earth has been told as a partnership between two microorganisms: an archaeon that served as the host and a bacterium that became the mitochondrion. A study published Wednesday in Nature…

New CRISPR technique destroys cancer cells by shredding their DNA

Scientists have engineered a CRISPR system that selectively destroys cancer cells by shredding their genetic material, offering a potential new weapon against some of the deadliest and most treatment-resistant tumors. The research, published in Nature on June 8, demonstrates that…

Semenya calls IOC transgender ban ‘a lie,’ rips Coventry

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday announced a sweeping new policy barring transgender women from competing in women's events at the Olympics and all IOC-sanctioned competitions, effective from the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The decision, which also restricts athletes with…

IOC bars transgender women from Olympics with new gene-testing policy

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday approved a sweeping new eligibility policy that bars transgender women and athletes with differences in sex development from competing in women's events at the Olympics, a move that will take effect at the 2028…