News

Friday, 30 July 2010

Research of Cell Movements in Developing Frogs Reveals New Twists in Human Genetic Disease

Mutations in a gene known as “Fritz” may be responsible for causing human genetic disorders such as Bardet-Biedl syndrome, University of Texas at Austin developmental biologist John Wallingford and Duke University human geneticist and cell biologist Nicholas Katsanis have found.

Monday, 22 March 2010

Scientists Find More Influences on Inherited Traits

Researchers have looked deeper into the makeup of DNA to get clues about why people might have different colors of hair or eyes, why some are taller or heavier and why some are more susceptible to certain diseases.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

Most Extensive Genetic Resource For Reef-Building Coral Created

AUSTIN, Texas — A nearly complete collection of genes for a species of reef-building coral has been assembled by a team led by biologists from The University of Texas at Austin. The scientists will use the genetic data to understand natural variations in corals from around the world and how they respond, at the genetic level, to rising water tempe...

Monday, 24 November 2008

Why Hybrids Grow Bigger

AUSTIN, Texas—Hybrid plants, like corn, grow bigger and better than their parents because many of their genes for photosynthesis and starch metabolism are more active during the day, report researchers from The University of Texas at Austin in a new study published in the journal Nature. Their research has relevance in many areas of agriculture, a...

Thursday, 14 August 2008

Model for Angelman Syndrome Developed

AUSTIN, Texas—A model for studying the genetics of Angelman syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes mental retardation and other symptoms in one out of 15,000 births, has been developed by biologists at The University of Texas at Austin. Their research demonstrates that when a particular fruit fly gene, dube3a, is altered, the mutant flies s...

Thursday, 24 July 2008

Genes Evolve to Minimize Protein Production Errors

AUSTIN, Texas--Genetic evolution is strongly shaped by genes’ efforts to prevent or tolerate errors in the production of proteins, scientists at The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University have found. Their study also suggests that the cost of errors in protein production may lie in the malformed proteins themselves, rather than in th...

Friday, 18 July 2008

Natural Selection May Not Produce the Best Organisms

AUSTIN, Texas—Natural selection may favor the fittest organisms around, but it doesn’t always lead to the evolution of the most optimal organisms, says a team of researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. Drs. Matthew Cowperthwaite and Lauren Ancel Meyers led a team that developed a new theory suggesting that traits that are easy to evolve ...

Monday, 28 January 2008

Gene Discovery Made Easier

AUSTIN, Texas—The identification of disease-causing genes will be much easier and faster using a powerful new gene-networking model developed by researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. Edward Marcotte and his colleague, postdoctoral researcher Insuk Lee, used the gene network technique to identify new genes that regulate life span and ar...

Thursday, 03 January 2008

Scientists Find Missing Evolutionary Link Using Tiny Fungus Crystal

The crystal structure of a molecule from a primitive fungus has served as a time machine to show researchers more about the evolution of life from the simple to the complex.

Monday, 10 December 2007

When She's Turned On, Some Of Her Genes Turn Off

AUSTIN, Texas—When a female is attracted to a male, entire suites of genes in her brain turn on and off, show biologists from The University of Texas at Austin studying swordtail fish. Molly Cummings and Hans Hofmann found that some genes were turned on when females found a male attractive, but a larger number of genes were turned off. “When fema...