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A pair of prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster)
Monogamous Rodents Don’t Need “Love Molecule” To Pair Up
Prairie voles lacking functional receptors for oxytocin form normal social bonds, a finding that could explain the hormone’s clinical failures.
Monogamous Rodents Don’t Need “Love Molecule” To Pair Up
Monogamous Rodents Don’t Need “Love Molecule” To Pair Up

Prairie voles lacking functional receptors for oxytocin form normal social bonds, a finding that could explain the hormone’s clinical failures.

Prairie voles lacking functional receptors for oxytocin form normal social bonds, a finding that could explain the hormone’s clinical failures.

genetics and genomics

composite of images from favorite posts
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Dec 22, 2022 | 4 min read
This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.
A C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii) growing in a pot
Genome Spotlight: C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Sep 22, 2022 | 5 min read
Sequences for the model organism and two of its kin reveal how these plants got their oversized genomes.
Layered visual representation of multiomics
Integrate and Innovate with NGS and Multiomics
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team and Illumina | 6 min read
Researchers across disciplines combine layers of discovery obtained with accessible NGS-based multiomics approaches.
Colorful DNA strands
Scans of Sundry Variant Types Uncover Autism-Linked Genes
Chloe Williams, Spectrum | Aug 19, 2022 | 5 min read
Troves of sequencing data reveal genes tied to autism through different variant types, providing a more complete picture of the condition’s genetic roots and new clues to its heterogeneity.
A desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on sand
Genome Spotlight: Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read
A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.
Mapping Neuronal Gene Expression to Understand Pain
The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with Advanced Cell Diagnostics | 1 min read
Ted Price, Diana Tavares-Ferreira, and Stephanie Shiers discuss how mapping gene expression at the neuronal level provides insight into pain mechanisms and anti-pain drug development.
An orange-brown pineapple sea cucumber, covered in wart-like growths, rests on the seafloor in front of some coral, with a school of fish swimming overhead.
How the Sea Cucumber Defends Itself . . . From Itself
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 1, 2022 | 3 min read
The marine animals have evolved a unique molecular pathway enabling them to use toxins to fight off invaders without poisoning themselves in the process.
a black abalone on a rock
Genome Spotlight: Black Abalone (Haliotis cracherodii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jun 23, 2022 | 3 min read
The researchers who constructed the first reference genome for this critically endangered mollusk say it will assist restoration efforts.
Dogs of various breeds running in the field.
They’re All (Potentially) Good Dogs
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 29, 2022 | 2 min read
Research finds that a dog’s behavior has little to do with its genes.
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.
a microscope image of a rotifer
Bacterial Enzyme Keeps Rotifers’ Transposable Elements in Check
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Mar 3, 2022 | 5 min read
Jumping genes in bdelloid rotifers are tamped down by DNA methylation performed by an enzyme pilfered from bacteria roughly 60 million years ago, a study finds.
Histological stain of motor neurons in purple and green
Researchers Use Ultrasound to Control Neurons in Mice
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 9, 2022 | 4 min read
A study shows “sonogenetics” could be a useful new tool in neuroscience and other fields.
Sunflowers, in visible spectrum on left half (yellow colors) and UV spectrum on right half (purple and white colors).
Sunflowers’ Bee-Attracting Ultraviolet Also Helps Retain Moisture
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 8, 2022 | 5 min read
The dual purposes of the plants’ hidden colors may conflict as the climate warms, authors of a new study suggest.
a vial of cobra venom and a bacteri-covered agar plate
Study Questions Sterility of Snake and Spider Venoms
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jan 31, 2022 | 8 min read
In work that has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers present evidence that microbes can and do live inside the venom glands of several dangerous species. It remains unclear whether they’re to blame for infections linked to bites.
Man in black suit looking at camera
Pioneering Geneticist C. Thomas Caskey Dies at 83
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jan 28, 2022 | 3 min read
Caskey’s contributions to the field were instrumental to modern genetics.
two women wearing plastic gloves hold up hand-sized air-capture devices in a wooded area.
Scientists ID Dozens of Plants, Animals from Free-Floating DNA
Dan Robitzski | Jan 6, 2022 | 8 min read
In a trio of studies, researchers report capturing and analyzing airborne environmental DNA from a wide variety of plants and animals, suggesting a new way of monitoring which terrestrial species are present in an area.
Caudipteryx Dinosaur Flock stock photo
Paleontologists Find Possible Dinosaur DNA
Chloe Tenn | Oct 26, 2021 | 3 min read
A report of preserved fragments of nuclei and chromatin in a fossilized femur of a 125-million-year-old Caudipteryx dinosaur elicits skepticism.
Barbara Murphy wearing a white lab coat, facing the camera with a blue background
Nephrologist Barbara Murphy Dies at 56
Lisa Winter | Jul 6, 2021 | 2 min read
Her work led to more predictable outcomes for kidney transplants.
Skin Sheltered from Sunlight Still Gathers UV-Linked Mutations
Abby Olena, PhD | Jan 14, 2021 | 3 min read
Whole-genome sequencing reveals a wide range of UV-induced DNA changes in human skin cells, and lighter skin collects more mutations, sometimes to “sky high” levels.
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