In the summer, a jeans ad featuring actress Sydney Sweeney sparked a heated debate. The ad, by American Eagle, showed Sweeney in revealing jeans and a jacket, making jokes about genes and jeans. Some viewers thought the ad was making a statement about race, linking it to past comments by Donald Trump about "bad genes" in immigrants. Others argued that people were ove...
Ever wondered why some people get acne and others don't? It might have something to do with their genes and their work schedule. A recent study took a closer look at gas station workers and found some interesting stuff about acne and genes related to body clocks. Two genes, MTNR1A and CLOCK, play a big role in keeping our bodies on a schedule. They help control thin...
Tomatoes are a big deal, especially in California. They're used in lots of foods, but there's a tiny enemy causing big problems. These are called root-knot nematodes, or RKNs for short. They're like little worms that attack tomato plants. Farmers have been using a special gene called Mi-1 to fight these worms. But guess what? Some worms have found a way to beat this ...
Plants have clever ways of dealing with cold. One such method involves a group of genes called Calmodulin-like (CML) genes. These genes act like tiny sensors, picking up signals from calcium and helping plants survive chilly temperatures. Scientists have been studying these genes in various plants, but until now, they haven't paid much attention to Curcuma alismatifo...
Type 2 diabetes is a tricky condition. It's not just about what you eat or how much you exercise. Your genes play a role too. One gene, called MTHFR, helps your body process folate, a vital nutrient. Scientists have found that changes in this gene might be connected to diabetes. In a recent study, researchers looked at 107 people with type 2 diabetes and 100 healthy...
In Taiwan, a group of researchers decided to look into why some people are more active in their free time than others. They wanted to see if genes play a role in how much someone enjoys or does physical activities during leisure time. The team focused on Taiwanese people because not much research has been done on this topic in Asian populations. They knew that not m...
Vimentin, a crucial part of the cell's skeleton, is getting a fast-track makeover. Scientists have developed new tools to swiftly alter vimentin's position within cells, either throughout the entire cytoplasm or in specific areas. These tools use light or drugs to attach vimentin to tiny cellular movers, called microtubule motors, allowing researchers to study the im...
Scientists have found new ways to help barley plants fight off a nasty disease called stripe rust. This disease is a big problem for barley crops in many parts of the world. To tackle this issue, researchers looked at 318 different types of barley from all over the globe. They tested these plants against stripe rust at different stages of growth and under various tem...
Violence is a serious issue globally, claiming over 475, 000 lives annually, with women and children often bearing the brunt. While factors like upbringing and environment significantly influence aggressive behavior, genetic components also play a role. Specifically, the X and Y chromosomes may provide some insights. The X chromosome contains a gene known as MAOA, w...
Enkephalins are like the brain's own painkillers. They help with pain relief, reward, and dealing with stress. But tracking them in real-time has been tough because they appear and disappear quickly and are present in tiny amounts. Scientists have come up with a clever way to study these enkephalins. They combined a few techniques: optogenetics, which uses light to ...