Genetics – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Jun 25
2026

Synthetic DNA toolkit expands scientists’ ability to recognize genetic targets

A new method for recognizing and targeting DNA that dramatically expands the range of genetic sequences scientists can identify has been developed by experts at the University of Portsmouth. Published this week in Nature Communications, the research opens new possibilities for gene-targeting technologies, molecular diagnostics and DNA nanotechnology.

Dr. David Rusling, associate professor in bioengineering from the University of Portsmouth’s School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, said, Our lab develops synthetic molecules that can recognize and bind to unique gene sequences. By introducing synthetic DNA bases into these molecules, we’ve been able to significantly improve how they recognize their targets.

I’ve worked in this area for around 20 years, and this is the first time we’ve had a system that combines strong recognition under physiological conditions with building blocks that are commercially available to other researchers.

Jun 24
2026

Scientists Just Found All 5 Genetic “Letters” of DNA and RNA on an Asteroid

The discovery of all five nucleobases on Ryugu strengthens the idea that life’s molecular ingredients formed in space before reaching Earth.

Jun 23
2026

An AAV variant selected through NHP screens robustly transduces the brain and drives secreted protein expression in NHPs and mice

Tecedor et al. used directed evolution to engineer AAVs with enhanced ependymal and brain delivery after injection into the cerebrospinal fluid. I think it would be interesting to try lumbar puncture delivery of these AAVs as well to see if they maintain decent biodistribution. (See my other post about Hinderer et al.’s paper: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omtm.2020.04.012).

AAV capsid variants enriched for transduction of ventricular lining cells and brain parenchyma reduce the dose required for gene therapy to the CNS.

Jun 23
2026

These ‘master’ proteins protect us from deadly mutations — and could inspire new drugs

Biology has clever ways to mask the effects of potentially harmful gene mutations. Scientists are investigating how this ‘buffering’ works — and how to exploit it.

Jun 21
2026

Specific cognitive abilities are highly heritable independent of general intelligence

A massive new meta-analysis reveals that individual cognitive abilities, like reading and math, rely on inherited DNA just as much as overall intelligence, suggesting people possess heavily customized genetic cognitive profiles independent of general smarts.

Jun 21
2026

Why the Human Genome’s Tangled Physicality May Confound AI

Our genetic heritage is not a blueprint or an algorithm, as many biologists have imagined, but something else entirely.

Jun 20
2026

Cortical development dynamics across autism spectrum disorder mouse models

Using single-nucleus multi-omic sequencing, diverse autism spectrum disorder-linked gene mutations converge on transient, stage-specific disruptions in early brain development, and highlight sex-specific gene expression alterations.

Jun 20
2026

Beyond DNA: Scientists Discover Inheritance That Breaks the Rules of Genetics

Scientists found that some inherited traits can bypass the traditional rules of genetics, revealing a surprising new layer of inheritance beyond DNA.

Jun 20
2026

These tiny genetic fragments may be critical for telling a brain when to rest

The altered presence of tiny fragments of neuronal genes, called microexons, causes hyperarousal in zebrafish. This is the main conclusion of an international study led by Pompeu Fabra University (UPF) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG). An abnormal pattern of neural microexon presence leads to a hyperarousal state characterized by heightened neural activity and insomnia, commonly associated with stress but also with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Arousal regulation is highly conserved in evolution. Therefore, this finding could help researchers understand the mechanism underlying some human neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia, conditions associated with microexon mutations.

To survive, animals need to be ready to react to external and internal stimuli. This activation of the central nervous system, arousal, is highly conserved throughout the animal kingdom.

Jun 19
2026

Gene therapy shows promise in ARC syndrome, a deadly childhood liver disease

A new gene therapy has been used to successfully treat a deadly childhood liver disease in mice that model the disease, according to researchers at UCL and Great Ormond Street Hospital. Arthrogryposis, renal dysfunction and cholestasis (ARC) syndrome is a lethal genetic disorder usually caused by a lack of the VPS33B protein, with children diagnosed with the condition rarely living beyond their first year of life.

Now, in a study published in Nature Communications, the UCL-GOSH team found that by injecting a healthy version of the gene into the body, they can treat the condition in mice lacking VPS33B. Crucially, the final version of the treatment, which specifically targeted the liver cells, caused no harm. In the earlier versions, the genes became abnormally activated and caused cancerous cells to grow and expand in some cases.

While more tests must be done before the treatment can be tested in humans, the researchers’ breakthrough offers hope to babies with this devastating disorder and their families. In the UK, as many as six pregnancies per year might be affected by ARC syndrome. Furthermore, the findings may promote improved understanding of why some treatments may cause cancer.