Genetic variation determines the actions of gene regulatory factors: A recent study from the University of Eastern Finland shows that genetic variation determines chromatin accessibility and the binding of transcription factors. Chromatin consists of DNA and proteins attached to it. The density of this packaging is regulated by transcription factors, and DNA accessibility is required […]
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Children’s growth will be easier to assess following a University of Queensland-led study analysing the genetic variants that influence height. Dr Loic Yengo and Professor Peter Visscher from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience have worked with 600 researchers in the largest-ever genome-wide association study (GWAS). The study analysed data from 5.4 million people and uncovered […]
Genes reveal coffee is safe during pregnancy: University of Queensland researchers have found enjoying a daily latte or long black causes no increased risk to pregnancy. Dr Gunn-Helen Moen, Dr Daniel Hwang and Caroline Brito Nunes from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience used genetics to analyse coffee drinking behaviour, and their findings show limited coffee […]
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Scientists have discovered that genes in human embryos rapidly become active after fertilisation, opening a new window onto the start of human embryonic life. The finding that some genes are active from the get-go challenges the textbook view that genes don’t become active in human embryos until they are made up of four-to-eight cells, two […]
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Scientists have identified three genes associated with an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. The study, led by scientists from Imperial College London and published in the journal The Lancet Oncology, studied data from over 150,000 European women. The research is one of the first studies to pinpoint genetic variants associated with an increased risk […]
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Australia-wide COVID study: Australians who have recovered from COVID-19 are being called on by researchers to help unravel the mystery of why people respond so differently to the virus. The University of Queensland’s Professor Naomi Wray said the two-pronged study could lead to new treatments by answering the question of why there are differences in the severity and […]
Natasha Meredith reports that scientists have developed a new computational technique that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of bacteria used in biotechnological applications. Publishing their findings in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, scientists from the University of Surrey and Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México have developed a new computational technique, ReProMin, to identify processes […]
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Many of us, myself included, struggle to control our weight. Unlike many of the generations that preceded us most of the people in the UK struggle to control our urge to eat. Previous generations may have had similar urges but, certainly for my grandparents and their forbearers overeating just wasn’t an option; there was barely […]
One in three adults suffer from high blood pressure in the UK which is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke and death worldwide. It is caused by a complex interplay between genetics and lifestyle factors such as diet, weight, alcohol consumption, and exercise. The study, led by Imperial College London and Queen Mary […]
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