Gene

A gene is a unit of heredity in a living organism. It normally resides on a stretch of DNA that codes for a type of protein or for an RNA chain that has a function in the organism. All living things depend on genes, as they specify all proteins and functional RNA chains.

What are Genes?

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the chemical information database that carries the complete set of instructions for the cell as to the nature of the proteins produced by it, its life span, maturity, function and death. Genes are the working subunits of DNA. Each gene contains a particular set of instructions, usually coding for a particular protein or for a particular function.

Functions of BRCA1/2 Gene Products

Genetic Inheritance

Ras Genes and Cancer

Gene Editing Techniques: ZFNs, TALENs or CRISPR?

Gene History

The Latest Advances in Cell and Gene Therapy

Genes that Control Pluripotency

What is SATI Gene Editing?

Horizontal Gene Transfer

Tumor Suppressor Genes

What are Homeobox Genes?

See more featured articles »

Conditional Gene Knockout Techniques

Genetics and Gene Expression

Gene Knockout versus Knockdown

What are Homeobox Genes?

Gene Knockin

Horizontal Gene Transfer and Antibiotic Resistance

Latest Gene News and Research

Scientists reveal how cholera bacteria activate toxin genes in the human gut

Cholera remains a major global public health challenge, with an estimated 1.3 to 4 million cases and tens of thousands of deaths reported worldwide each year.

14 Jan 2026

Study reveals genetic signatures linked to HIV-related cognitive impairment

Using participant skin cells reprogrammed into neurons, Weill Cornell Medicine researchers have identified genetic signatures associated with HIV infection that may contribute to the cognitive impairment that often occurs in people living with HIV, even when the virus is controlled.

14 Jan 2026

CRISPR-Cas3: A safer gene-editing tool shows promise for transthyretin amyloidosis treatment

Genetic disorders occur due to alterations in the primary genetic material, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), of an organism. Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive disorder involving amyloid deposits of misfolded transthyretin (TTR) proteins.

14 Jan 2026

Age-tailored therapies needed for treating the young and old with sepsis

Dealing with an infection isn't as straightforward as simply killing the pathogen. The body also needs to carefully steer and monitor its immune response to prevent collateral damage.

14 Jan 2026

Disease-responsive nanoparticles enable ghrelin mRNA therapy in osteoarthritis

Nitin Joshi, PhD, and Jingjing Gao, PhD, of the Department of Anesthesiology at Mass General Brigham, are the co-senior authors of a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, "A disease-severity-responsive nanoparticle enables potent ghrelin mRNA therapy in osteoarthritis." Mahima Dewani, PhD, is the lead author of this study.

14 Jan 2026

RAS-MAPK inhibition halts spinal deformity in neurofibromatosis type 1 mouse model

Spinal deformities such as scoliosis and kyphosis are among the most serious complications of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic disorder that affects about one in 3,000 people.

14 Jan 2026

Cannabidiol could become a therapeutic tool for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Cannabidiol (CBD) could become a therapeutic tool to address some of the most frequent and disabling consequences of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), a condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

14 Jan 2026

Breast milk shares beneficial bacteria with babies

Researchers examine the relationship between the maternal milk microbiome and infant gut microbiome.

14 Jan 2026

Novel immunotherapy targeting pancreatic cancer shows promising results in phase 1/2 trial

A recent publication in Nature Medicine describes a novel immunotherapy targeting pancreatic cancer that has shown promising results in a first in-human phase 1/2 trial.

13 Jan 2026

Epstein-Barr virus together with a gene variant contributes to onset of multiple sclerosis

One of the leading triggers for multiple sclerosis (MS) is an infection with the Epstein-Barr virus. However, certain gene variants also play an important role.

13 Jan 2026

Study sheds new light on how structural brain changes are tied to memory decline in aging

A landmark international study that pooled brain scans and memory tests from thousands of adults has shed new light on how structural brain changes are tied to memory decline as people age.

13 Jan 2026

Single-cell analysis reveals gene disruptions in early-onset Alzheimer's brain regions

A new study led by researchers at UTHealth Houston investigated both gene expression and regulation at single cell levels to reveal disruptions in gene function in three brain regions of patients with sporadic early onset Alzheimer's disease.

13 Jan 2026

Fruit fly study identifies genes regulating dopamine and sleep

Dopamine in the brain influences movement, learning, motivation and sleep. In humans, problems with dopamine are linked to conditions like Parkinson's disease, depression and sleep disorders.

13 Jan 2026

Magnetic torque boosts cardiac organoid maturation, mimicking heart development

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death worldwide, yet progress in understanding and treating cardiac disorders is limited by the shortcomings of existing experimental models.

13 Jan 2026

Dietary protein reshapes how cholera bacteria colonize the gut

Researchers investigate the role of dietary components and the gut microbiota in cholera.

13 Jan 2026

Gene regulators could restore the aging body's ability to self-repair

As we age, we don't recover from injury or illness like we did when we were young. But new research from UCSF has found gene regulators - proteins that turn genes on and off - that could restore the aging body's ability to self-repair.

12 Jan 2026

Study identifies gene protecting the maternal heart during pregnancy

Scientists at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation have identified a previously unknown molecular safeguard that protects the heart during pregnancy, shedding new light on the causes of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and life-threatening form of pregnancy-related heart failure.

12 Jan 2026

Study identifies PUF60 as a critical vulnerability in triple negative breast cancer

Researchers at University of California San Diego have identified a previously unrecognized treatment target for triple‑negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer.

12 Jan 2026

Two harmful gene variants can combine to restore normal protein function

In a groundbreaking study published in the in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists at Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI) have overturned a long-held belief in genetics: that inheriting two harmful variants in the same gene always worsens disease.

12 Jan 2026

Researchers identify possible target for new therapies against periodontitis aggravated by smoking

Smoking tobacco is known to worsen symptoms of periodontitis and reduce responsiveness to treatment. Using high-resolution spatial transcriptomics, researchers identified differences between smokers and non-smokers in the expression of genes that weaken gum epithelial integrity and cause bone damage through inflammation.

12 Jan 2026