Humans each have 23 pairs of chromosomes, the 23rd of which determines sex. Females carry two X sex chromosomes, males carry one X and one Y chromosome. Yet this male chromosome carries genes that…

In the old days, if you wanted to spread desirable characteristics in livestock you had to try breeding and hope for the best. The 19th century breakthroughs in genetics promised a future where trial…

Using the genome-editing technology CRISPR, researchers can make targeted cuts to the genome or insert useful genes, called a gene knock-in, and they have done it with the cattle SRY gene,…

Humans do not hibernate, but in science-fiction films long-distance travel often involves "suspended animation" where muscular atrophy, starvation, and oxygen deprivation don't occur.  Mice…

A new paper posits that fluctuating estrogen levels may make alcohol more rewarding. The giant caveat is that the study was in mice, and despite what you may read in corporate media, mice are not…

A new paper suggests 47 links between our genetic code and the quality, quantity and timing of our sleep. The correlation was created using 85,670 participants of UK Biobank and 5,819…

A recent study identified the coronavirus responsible for the pneumonia epidemic in the Hubei province of China and finds the bat-origin virus is related to other known pathogenic coronaviruses. The…

Everyone has heard of the nutrient, nitrogen, but why is it important to plants? It's a key ingredient in proteins, both in the grains (seeds) we eat and in leaves.  Nitrogen-starved leaves may…

Plutella xylostella (diamondback moth) does tremendous damage to brassica crops such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and canola. A new strain of diamondback moth developed by Oxitec Ltd, (OX4319L)…

The Civil Defense Caves in Dubois, Idaho, utilized as potential fallout shelters during the Cold War, are actually ancient lava tubes. Since they are easily accessible caves they have become popular…