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Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022

This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

ancient DNA

Genomic data. Dna test infographic, molecule structure genetic sequencing chart and chromosome architecture genealogy diagram, vector concept stock illustration
Unearthing Hidden Family Secrets: Tracing the Lineage of a Centuries-Old Grand-Mummy
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Dec 13, 2022 | 3 min read
Researchers show how a toxic therapy helped identify a mummy using preserved DNA.
A fossilized mammoth tusk sitting in a grassy field during sunset 
Woolly Mammoth Genomes Reveal Genetic Adaptations to Cold
Hannah Thomasy, PhD | Dec 12, 2022 | 2 min read
Researchers identified mutations in genes that may be involved in fat regulation, fur growth, and morphology.
A magnifying glass examining a double-helix DNA strand.
Targeted Next-Generation Sequencing with myBaits
Arbor Biosciences | 1 min read
Hybridization-based capture can provide target enrichment for more powerful next-generation sequencing.
A wooded ecosystem with mammoths alongside modern species such as arctic hares
2.4 Million-Year-Old DNA Is Oldest Ever Recovered
Katherine Irving | Dec 7, 2022 | 2 min read
The DNA fragments collected from permafrost in northern Greenland unlock insights into an ancient ecosystem.
blue-gloved hands pipetting from test tube
What’s Next for Ancient DNA Studies After the Nobel?
Mary Prendergast, The Conversation | Oct 5, 2022 | 4 min read
The award highlights tremendous opportunities for aDNA as well as challenges related to rapid growth, equity, and misinformation.
Ancient Secrets of the Plague
The Scientist Speaks - Ancient Secrets of the Plague
Niki Spahich, PhD | 1 min read
Simon Rasmussen discusses his research tracking the origins of the plague by analyzing ancient DNA.
Svante Pääbo with a skeleton
Svante Pääbo Awarded Nobel for Paleogenomics
Shawna Williams | Oct 3, 2022 | 3 min read
The geneticist’s accomplishments include sequencing Neanderthal DNA and leading the project that identified a new species of hominin, the Denisovans.
A drawing portraying the black silhouette of Pompeii buildings with Mount Vesuvius and the sky behind them
First Human Genome Sequenced from Ancient Pompeii
Alejandra Manjarrez, PhD | May 26, 2022 | 4 min read
The genome is from a male who was likely in his late thirties when the historic Mount Vesuvius eruption occurred. The analyses suggest he is related to the diverse Imperial Roman population of the time, and that he may have suffered from spinal tuberculosis.
Uncovering Ancient Residual DNA
Uncovering Ancient Residual DNA
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
A look at how ancient events crafted modern human DNA and their potential impact on human health.
A scientific illustration of a Christmas Island rat
Genome Spotlight: Christmas Island Rat (Rattus macleari)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Mar 24, 2022 | 4 min read
The near-complete genome of a recently extinct rodent elucidates the potential—and difficulties—of resurrecting species.
Equid burial from Umm el-Marra, Syria
Caught on Camera
The Scientist Staff | Mar 14, 2022 | 1 min read
Selected images from the-scientist.com
rock formation rising out of a plain
Ancient DNA Sheds New Light on Africa’s Stone Age
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Feb 23, 2022 | 6 min read
The oldest DNA yet isolated from humans in Africa reveals long-range migrations around 50,000 years ago, which likely played a role in the Middle to Later Stone Age transition.
A photo of a skeleton on a black background
Ancient DNA Boom Underlines a Need for Ethical Frameworks
Amanda Heidt | Jan 27, 2022 | 10+ min read
The field of ancient DNA, which combines archaeology and anthropology with cutting-edge genetics, is requiring scientists to have frank conversations about when research is justified and who it benefits.
stone panel depicting a horselike animal led by ropes around the neck
Ancient Mesopotamians Bred Horselike Hybrids
Chris Baraniuk | Jan 14, 2022 | 4 min read
A genomics study reveals the parentage of a long-mysterious creature called a kunga, the earliest-known hybrid animal bred by humans.
Mummified Gut Bugs Reveal Ancient Dietary Secrets
Mummified Gut Bugs Reveal Ancient Dietary Secrets
Iris Kulbatski, PhD | Jan 10, 2022 | 5 min read
Reconstructing the diet and microbiome of human ancestors shows an astonishingly rapid loss of microbiome diversity.
mummy
Scratchy Scalps Help Glue Together Pieces of an Ancient Past
Chloe Tenn | Dec 29, 2021 | 3 min read
Scientists find human DNA preserved in lice cement from the heads of South American mummies.
small, circular bones individually labeled and packaged in plastic bags
2,000-Year-Old Salmon DNA Reveals Secret to Sustainable Fisheries
Dan Robitzski | Nov 29, 2021 | 5 min read
Genomic analysis of ancient chum salmon bones and cultural knowledge from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation suggest that people in the Pacific Northwest managed fisheries for thousands of years by harvesting males and releasing females.
Opening of Leang Panninge cave in Indonesia
7,200-Year-Old Skeleton Offers Clues to Early Human Migration
Catherine Offord | Aug 29, 2021 | 2 min read
Analysis of DNA from remains found in an Indonesian cave provides new insight into human movements among the islands between East Asia and Australia.
tibetan mastiff with ghostly wolves in the background
The Extinct Species Within
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 6, 2021 | 10+ min read
The genomes of living animals are littered with DNA from long-gone relatives, providing a lens on evolution, past extinctions, and perhaps even solutions to agricultural problems.
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