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We’re not prepared for the genetic revolution that’s coming
When humans’ genetic information (known as the genome) was mapped 15 years ago, it promised to change the world. Optimists anticipated an era in which all genetic diseases would be...
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The Promise of mRNA Vaccines
Long before Moderna’s and Pfizer’s COVID-19 shots, scientists had been considering the use of genetically encoded vaccines in the fight against infectious diseases, cancer, and more. Earlier this month, the...
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Identical twins don’t share 100% of their DNA
Identical twins form from the same egg and get the same genetic material from their parents — but that doesn't mean they're genetically identical by the time they're born. That's...
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CRISPR gene editing used to store data in DNA inside living cells
DNA inside living bacterial cells has been edited with CRISPR technology to encode and store information. This could be a step towards developing a new medium for long-term data storage. Life’s genetic...
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Gene editing could destroy herpes viruses living inside you
Almost all of us carry one form or another of the herpes virus, and the consequences can be far worse than the occasional cold sore. Herpes viruses also cause shingles and...
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How an Alberta researcher’s discovery of hepatitis C led to the Nobel Prize and saved lives
This year, the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine was awarded to virologists Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice and biochemist Michael Houghton for the discovery of the hepatitis C...
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This Gene Can Make Viruses Invisible to the Immune System — Up to a Point
Our immune system is great at protecting us from the germs that surround us everyday — but every machine has its kinks. One gene, which protects the body from autoimmune disorders (in...
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New SARS-CoV-2 Variant Spreading Rapidly in the UK
The significance of the variant remains unclear, but experts remain confident that it will not evade the protection offered by a COVID-19 vaccine. As public health officials worldwide mount vaccination...
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Coronavirus may dice heart muscle fibers into tiny snippets, remove cells’ DNA
The new coronavirus seems to slice heart muscle fibers into small, precisely sized fragments — at least when it infects heart cells in a lab dish, a new study reveals....
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