Evolution is driven by changes in DNA that sometimes promote adaptation, altering traits like disease resistance or reproduction. Often, these changes are minuscule, modifying a single letter in the ...

I completed a master's degree in a science-related graduate program and now work in research at a manufacturing company. At ...

For decades, scientists have known that bacteria can exchange genetic material, in a process called horizontal gene transfer. This allows bacteria to rapidly evolve new traits, such as antibiotic ...

Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained ...

The remarkable intelligence of octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish may trace back to an ancient reshuffling of their DNA that ...

Scientists at the University of Vienna, Austria, have screened great ape specimens obtained from natural history museums to identify DNA viruses. This groundbreaking study provides unique insights ...

Repetitive sequences make extrachromosomal DNA vulnerable to breaks, which could be exploited for therapy — but might also promote tumour evolution.

Researchers at Cornell University identified the BC200 gene, which originated from a transposon in human DNA. This gene displays unusual mobility, retaining its ability to move within the genome while ...