Pollen DNA is being studied by British scientists in a bid to identify which grasses cause severe hay fever It is impossible to tell pollen from different plants apart without looking at DNA Scientists are hoping to use pollen DNA to find which pollen causes hay fever Analysing 40 species of grass, including cocksfoot, Timothy … Read more
DNA may make people with Type A blood who catch coronavirus 50% more likely to need oxygen or ventilator support, study suggests An international team of researchers sequenced the genomes of more than 1,600 severely ill coronavirus patients in Italy and Spain They found two areas of DNA that were more common in these patients … Read more
The Dead Sea Scrolls are being pieced back together using DNA ‘fingerprints’ lifted from the animal skins on which they were written some 2,000 years ago. The scrolls are a collection of more than 25,000 ancient manuscript fragments, among which can be found the oldest known copies of books of the Hebrew Bible. They were first … Read more
MIT researchers discover ‘anti-aging molecule’ that can heal DNA lesions linked with Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive declines from aging Researchers identified the enzyme HDAC1 as helpful in healing DNA damage As people age, lesions form on parts of their DNA that lowers cognitive function HDAC1 stimulates production of another enzyme that can heal these lesions … Read more
DNA tests reveal Australian wineries have been mislabeling an expensive type of grape for DECADES French agriculture authority tested Australian wines labeled as petit manseng Based on the grape’s DNA, they discovered the wines were made from gros manseng grapes, a different but related variety The Australian government believes the issue was caused by the … Read more
The mystery of the volcano-dwelling snail and its iron shell has been unravelled by scientists after its genome was decoded for the first time. The scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum) survives in what researchers have called the ‘impossible living conditions’ of underwater volcanic vents. Enduring searing temperatures, high pressure, strong acidity and low oxygen, it is … Read more
Older people and those with underlying conditions are at greatest risk of dying of coronavirus – but otherwise healthy young people are getting severely ill and even dying of the disease. And the ill fates of these young coronavirus patients may be written into their DNA, some scientists suspect. Some 80 percent of people who … Read more
Drinking skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed milk may slow DNA ageing, a study suggests. In a study of almost 6,000 people, scientists analysed people’s genes and quizzed them about their diets and what type of milk they drank. The age of DNA could be worked out by looking at the length of certain parts of chromosomes, which … Read more
Drinking too much alcohol may be caused by a gene which makes a pint of beer or glass more pleasurable than it should be, scientists claim. Tens of thousands of people had their genome analysed to investigate whether their DNA affects how much alcohol they consume. Researchers found those who drink a lot – at … Read more
How a probiotic drink could combat superbugs: Yakult-like liquid ‘could block DNA molecules that carry antibiotic-resistant genes in bacteria’ Drink is yet to be developed but would target molecules known as plasmids They exist inside bacterial cells and help them to become antibiotic resistant Bacteria use genes carried by plasmids which give resistance to antibiotics … Read more