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Research identifies wild ancestor genes for crop improvement

Using the genetic variation found in wild and exotic rice species, researchers are providing breeders with genomics tools and knowledge to develop higher yielding, stress-tolerant varieties, a Cornell...

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Gene variants in autism linked to brain development

New research on the genomics of autism confirms that the genetic roots of the disorder are highly complicated, but that common biological themes underlie this complexity. In the current study,...

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With secondhand gene, 'freaky mouse' defeats common poison

Over millennia, mice have thrived despite humanity's efforts to keep them at bay. A Rice University scientist argues some mice have found two ways to achieve a single goal -- resistance to common poison.

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Mutants with heterozygote disadvantage can prevent spread of transgenic animals

Genetically modified animals are designed to contain the spread of pathogens. One prerequisite for the release of such organisms into the environment is that the new gene variant does not spread...

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'Speed gene' in modern racehorses originated from British mare 300 years ago

Scientists have traced the origin of the 'speed gene' in Thoroughbred racehorses back to a single British mare that lived in the United Kingdom around 300 years ago, according to findings published in...

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Two genes do not make a voter: new research

Voting behavior cannot be predicted by one or two genes as previous researchers have claimed, according to Evan Charney, a Duke University professor of public policy and political science.

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Jockeying for genetic advantage

When you buy a racehorse, you pays your money and you takes your chances. Top yearlings at Keeneland's 2011 Thoroughbred auction, for instance, averaged nearly $350,000 and hadn't yet raced a step....

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Researchers crack olfactory code for partner selection, synthesise first...

(Medical Xpress)—Individual body odour plays an important role in partner selection. Humans, mice, fish and birds, and probably other vertebrates too, receive important information about a potential...

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Wild mice have natural protection against Lyme borreliosis

Like humans, mice can become infected with Borrelia. However, not all mice that come into contact with these bacteria contract the dreaded Lyme disease: Animals with a particular gene variant are...

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New DNA cattle test beefs up dairy and meat quality

(Phys.org) —A genomics technique developed at Cornell to improve corn can now be used to improve the quality of milk and meat, according to research published online May 17 in the journal PLOS ONE.

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Mycobacteria get all the advantages of sex with none of the downsides

Sexual reproduction is costly to those organisms that depend on it, like humans. For starters, only half of the population can bear offspring and the other half has to work hard to make sure they're...

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Irish potato famine-causing pathogen even more virulent now

(Phys.org) —The plant pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1840s lives on today with a different genetic blueprint and an even larger arsenal of weaponry to harm and kill plants.

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Gene determines acceptance, rejection of stem cells from others of the same...

(Phys.org) —To live together harmoniously in our bodies, cells need to be able to distinguish which of those among them are sanctioned residents and which are interlopers. This way, native cells can be...

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Using genes to rescue animal and plants from extinction

(Phys.org) —With estimates of losing 15 to 40 percent of the world's species over the next four decades – due to climate change and habitat loss, researchers ponder in the Sept. 26 issue of Nature...

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Genetic 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...

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The winner doesn't always take all

Theoretically predicted and now demonstrated experimentally for the first time using soil bacteria: weaker organisms can prevail against stronger ones—if they are superior in number. This acts as a...

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Scientists pinpoint gene for better rice

Scientists said Monday they had pinpointed variants of a gene to improve the quality and yield of rice, a staple starch for billions of people.

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Breeding higher yielding crops by increasing sugar import into seeds

Once a mother plant releases its embryos to the outside world, they have to survive on their own without family protection. To ensure successful colonization by these vulnerable creatures, the mother...

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Modified mosquitoes could help fight against malaria

For the first time, malarial mosquitoes have been modified to be infertile and pass on the trait rapidly - raising the possibility of reducing the spread of disease.

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Spelling mutations and evolutionary advantages

DNA codes carrying instructions for creating a protein can sometimes be 'spelt' differently, although they specify the exact same sequence information to create that protein. Scientists from the...

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The herring genome provides new insight on how species adapt to their...

How species genetically adapt to their environment is a central question related to the evolution of biodiversity. In a new study scientists at Uppsala University and their colleagues report that whole...

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Hereditary diseases are the price of protection against infections

Almost half our genes can be the starting point for diseases. Scientists have identified 11,000 genes that occur in the human genome in variants that can cause disease. Scientists from the Max Planck...

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Obesity genes probably didn't evolve to help us survive famine

Genes that helped our ancestors store fat in times of famine may have been useful, but whether they cursed future generations with a predisposition toward obesity is a little more controversial. This...

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