Forest tree seeds stored in the Svalbard seed vault
A new method for the conservation of the genetic diversity of forest trees will see its launch on 26 February 2015, as forest tree seeds are for the first time stored in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault...
View ArticleBetter genes for better beans
Some of the most underappreciated crops could soon become the most valuable tools in agriculture with new research from the Centre for Underutilised Crops at the University of Southampton. Coordinator...
View ArticleGenetic data can help predict how pine forests will cope with climate change
Data from only a small number of gene variants can predict which maritime pine trees are most vulnerable to climate change, scientists report in the March issue of Genetics. The results will improve...
View ArticleSeeing the (UV) light: Previously undetected difference in human mutation...
(Phys.org)—Although humans are a single species, not all genetic variation is shared between populations – and the ability to sequence our entire genome has allowed scientists to catalogue mutations...
View ArticleSimplifying SNP discovery in the cotton genome
The term "single-nucleotide polymorphism" (SNP) refers to a single base change in DNA sequence between two individuals. SNPs are the most common type of genetic variation in plant and animal genomes...
View ArticleResearchers take new approach to determine historical population fluctuations
(Phys.org)—A pair of researches with the University of Texas has used a new method to infer historical human population size fluctuations based on Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data. In their...
View ArticleNovel online bioinformatics tool significantly reduces time of multiple...
UK research collaboration develops a new bioinformatics pipeline that enables automated primer design for multiple genome species, significantly reducing turnaround time.
View ArticleImportant study of how climate affects biodiversity
How does climate change affect the occurrence and distribution of species? This is a key question in the climate debate, and one that is hard to answer without information about natural variation in...
View ArticleWoolly mammoth genomes offer insight into their history and extinction
Before the world's last woolly mammoth took its final breath, the iconic animals had already suffered from a considerable loss of genetic diversity. These findings, based on a comparison of the first...
View ArticleGenetic variation is a necessity
The Earth is constantly changing. For new species to be able to adapt and cope with the changes, there must be sufficient genetic diversity, or genetic variation, in the population. But what type of...
View ArticleHow does a honeybee queen avoid inbreeding in her colony?
Recombination, or crossing-over, occurs when sperm and egg cells are formed and segments of each chromosome pair are interchanged. This process plays an crucial role in the maintanance of genetic...
View ArticleResearchers discover surprisingly wide variation across species in genetic...
A new Iowa State University study focusing on insulin signaling uncovered surprising genetic diversity across reptiles, birds and mammals.
View ArticleFirst step towards global attack on potato blight
European researchers and companies concerned with the potato disease phytophthora will work more closely with parties in other parts of the world. The first move was made during the biennial meeting of...
View ArticleWalnut twig beetle's origin and spread revealed in genetic studies
Even though the walnut twig beetle (WTB) is likely native to Arizona, California, and New Mexico, it has become an invasive pest to economically and ecologically important walnut trees throughout much...
View ArticleCorals are already adapting to global warming, scientists say
Some coral populations already have genetic variants necessary to tolerate warm ocean waters, and humans can help to spread these genes, a team of scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, the...
View ArticlePesticide study shows that sexual conflict can maintain genetic variation
New research from the University of Exeter has shown that the sexually antagonistic gene for resistance to the pesticide DDT, which increases fitness in female flies but simultaneously decreases...
View ArticleChanging environment caused some isolated kangaroos to evolve separately
A team of researchers with the University of Queensland in Australia has found that a group of kangaroos living along the Sunshine Coast in that country have some distinct genetic variations—they are...
View ArticleInbreeding not to blame for Colorado's bighorn sheep population decline
The health of Colorado's bighorn sheep population remains as precarious as the steep alpine terrain the animals inhabit, but a new study led by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder has...
View ArticleLife in 3-D: Scientists pave the way for understanding the role of non-coding...
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, and Stanford University in the USA, have shed new light on how the variations in our molecular make-up, such as...
View ArticleThere is strength in diversity
Altered or new environmental conditions, such as those brought about by shifts in human land use and climate change, impose challenges on living organisms. This can drive species to extinction if they...
View Article