Genetics

Dive into the world of genetics, with research and discoveries on DNA, gene editing, and how genetic studies are shaping the future of medicine and agriculture.

New Chromosome Barcode System Unveils Genetic Secrets of Alfalfa

In a recent study, scientists have developed a revolutionary chromosome identification system for alfalfa, one of the world’s most economically vital forage crops. Leveraging an advanced oligo-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) barcode technique, researchers successfully mapped and identified all chromosomes in alfalfa, uncovering unexpected chromosomal anomalies, including aneuploidy and large segment deletions. This breakthrough not only enhances molecular cytogenetics but also sheds light on the genetic stability and evolutionary patterns of autotetraploid alfalfa—paving the way for more precise and efficient breeding strategies.

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Human Chromosomes Evolved at Hyperspeed to Give Us Better Brains

A study of artificial human and chimpanzee nerve cells revealed how faster-evolving DNA gives neurons the ability to build increasingly complex brain power.

How did humans evolve brains capable of complex language, civilization, and more? The answer could lie in exceptional DNA. Scientists at UC San Francisco found that parts of our chromosomes have evolved at breakneck speeds to give us an edge in brain development compared to apes. But it might also put us at risk for uniquely human brain disorders. The study, which was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, appeared in Nature on February 26, 2025. The article is titled “Comparative Characterization of Human Accelerated Regions in Neurons.”

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Antigenic Variation: Decoding the Mechanism Controlling Antigen Activation In Trypanosomes

Maria Colomé-Tatché, PhD

A new study by LMU and Helmholtz Munich scientists shows how pathogens control changes in their cell surface to evade the immune system. The immune system responds to an infection by producing antibodies that recognize and bind to the cell surface of the pathogen, thus marking it as an intruder and triggering an immune response. For this to work, the antibodies produced must exactly fit the membrane molecules of the pathogen, like a key fitting a lock. Many pathogens evade the host’s immune response by periodically changing their surface antigens so that existing antibodies no longer recognize them. “This strategy is known as antigenic variation,” explains physicist Maria Colomé-Tatché, PhD, who is Professor of Functional Genomics and Cell Biology at LMU’s Biomedical Center and leader of the Computational Epigenomics research group at Helmholtz Munich.

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Small Message Carriers Called Extracellular Vesicles Deliver Molecules Between Cells Using Protein Signal

Depiction of cross-sectioned EV

Most cells in the body send out little messengers called extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry proteins, lipids, and other bioactive molecules to other cells, playing an important role in intercellular communication. But healthy cells are not the only ones that rely on extracellular vesicles. Cancer cells do also. Small extracellular vesicles that are shed from tumor cells contribute to how cancer spreads to healthy tissue. These small messengers could be a key to developing new cancer-fighting drugs and therapies, but it has been unclear how exactly the recipient cells absorb the EVs and their cargo. Recent research used state-of-the-art imaging to observe the uptake of tumor-derived small EVs by target cells. The results were published in Nature Communications on March 12, 2025. The open-access article is titled “Uptake of Small Extracellular Vesicles by Recipient Cells Is Facilitated by Paracrine Adhesion Signaling.”

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Final Program for CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025 (CRISPRMED25) April 7-11 Now Available; Abstracts Can Be Viewed

The final program for the CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025 (CRISPRMED25) annual meeting is now available and may be viewed here. The in-person event will take place April 8-11 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The in-person meeting will be preceded by a half-day virtual event April 7 and the program for the virtual event can be viewed here. Registration for both events can be done here. Abstracts can be viewed here. The registration deadline for the in-person event in Copenhagen is March 28; day tickets (limited number) are available. The registration deadline for the virtual event is April 4. CRISPRMED25 is the second annual meeting of the global CRISPR Medicine community and will focus on tools, delivery, safety/off-target, diseases, pre-clinical/clinical, standards and regulations, functional genomics, target identification, and target validation. Participants will come from the following areas: University, Hospital, Biotech, Pharma, and CRO. There will be +500 delegates, 60 speakers, 100 poster presenters, 2x poster sessions, 30 sponsors, relevant student workshops, and social and networking events. There will also be a Founders’ Breakfast (new in 2025); this is an exclusive event for founders, investors and business development teams, working within the field of CRISPR Medicine. Here you can meet the early-stage startups and investors, and engage in B2B networking. There will also be a presentation by one of the first CRISPR medicine patients, who was successfully treated for sickle cell disease. The meeting is organized by the online publication CRISPR Medicine News (CMN). BioQuick News is a media partner of the CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025.

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Spotiphy Integrative Analysis Tool Turns Spatial RNA Sequencing into Imager

Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Wisconsin-Madison share a generative algorithm for achieving both high genome and image resolution in spatial transcriptomics.

Spatial transcriptomics is a cutting-edge technique that characterizes gene expression within sections of tissue, such as heart, skin or liver tissue. These snapshots provide insights into how spatial organization affects cellular functions across the spectrum of biology and disease. Up to now, researchers conducting spatial transcriptomics have had to choose between two options based on their needs: genome-wide coverage or single-cell resolution. To solve this tradeoff, scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have created a computational tool that uses generative artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the resolution of sequencing-based spatial transcriptomics without sacrificing gene coverage. The algorithm and its first findings were published March 12, 2025 in Nature Methods. The open-access article is titled “Spotiphy Enables Single-Cell Spatial Whole Transcriptomics Across an Entire Section.”

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Nwd1 Gene Deletion Triggers MASH-Like Pathology in Mice: A New Scientific Breakthrough

Study highlights the role of the Nwd1 gene in liver disease, paving the way for new therapies and better liver health

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a liver disease that progresses without symptoms and is associated with significant global public health concerns. It is prevalent in 30% of the population worldwide and poses a risk of advancing to cirrhosis and liver cancer. MASH is marked by lipid droplet accumulation in the liver, progressing from steatosis to inflammation and cell damage, ultimately leading to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. A clear understanding of cellular processes in MASH pathogenesis is essential for developing targeted therapies.

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CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025 April 7-11 in Copenhagen: Program Available

The program for the CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025 (CRISPRMED25) annual meeting is now available and may be viewed here. The in-person event will take place April 8-11 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The in-person meeting will be preceded by a half-day  virtual event April 7 and the program for the virtual event can be viewed here. Registration for both events can be done here. CRISPRMED25 is the second annual meeting of the global CRISPR Medicine community and will focus on tools, delivery, safety/off-target, diseases, pre-clinical/clinical, standards and regulations, functional genomics, target identification, and target validation. Participants will come from the following areas: University, Hospital, Biotech, Pharma, and CRO. There will be +500 delegates, 60 speakers, 100 poster presenters, 2x poster sessions, 30 sponsors, relevant student workshops, and social and networking events. There will also be a Founders’ Breakfast (new in 2025); this is an exclusive event for founders, investors and business development teams, working within the field of CRISPR Medicine. Here you can meet the early-stage startups and investors, and engage in B2B networking. There will also be a presentation by one of the first CRISPR medicine patients, who was successfully treated for sickle cell disease. The meeting is organized by the online publication CRISPR Medicine News (CMN). BioQuick News is a media partner of the CRISPR Medicine Conference 2025.

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Unlocking the Hidden Proteome: The Role of Coding Circular RNA in Cancer

Cover of an Earlier Issue of Genes & Diseases

A new review article published online February 14, 2025 in Genes & Diseases (to be published in May 2025 print issue) highlights the transformative role of circular RNA (circRNA) in cancer, revealing its potential as both a key player in tumor biology and a promising avenue for future therapies. Once thought to be noncoding RNA, circRNA has now been shown to encode functional proteins, challenging conventional RNA biology and opening up novel therapeutic possibilities. The corresponding author for this review is Kai Zhang, Department of Breast Surgery, General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China. Unlike traditional messenger RNA, circRNAs form a continuous loop, lacking the typical 5′ cap and 3′ tail. This unique structure was originally believed to preclude them from protein translation. However, recent discoveries demonstrate that specific internal ribosome entry sites (IRES) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications enable circRNAs to undergo cap-independent translation. The resulting proteins influence a range of cellular processes, including those linked to cancer progression and suppression.

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Certain Genetic Alterations May Contribute to the Primary Resistance of Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers to KRAS G12C Inhibitors

Senior author Hao Xie, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center

Colorectal cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma that harbored the KRAS G12C mutation often carried other genetic alterations that can be associated with resistance to KRAS G12C inhibitors, despite no prior treatment with this therapy, according to the results from a study published in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). The article is titled “Identification of Candidate Alterations Mediating KRASG12C Inhibitor Resistance in Advanced Colorectal and Pancreatic Cancers.” “The KRAS pathway plays a crucial role in cell biology by regulating cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and survival,” said Hao Xie, MD, PhD, senior author of the study and a medical oncologist at the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. “While KRAS signaling is tightly regulated in normal cells, mutations that lead to constantly active signaling, such as KRAS G12C, can lead to cancer progression. Such KRAS mutations are major drivers in many types of cancers, and are also linked to poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance.”

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