Since the Human Genome Project published the first sequence of the human DNA code in 2001, the field of human genetics has dramatically expanded. New studies have identified specific changes in the DNA code (or genetic variants) that are linked to why some people are... click to read more

The genetic material of any two humans is 99.9% identical, but the small differences that do exist between our genomes provide a record of the complex evolutionary history we have undergone as a species. Over the past decade, scientists have sequenced a large number of... click to read more

The plant catmint, also known as catnip, is named after its notorious effect on cats. When cats sniff or rub against catmint, it drives them to act strangely: rolling over, pawing and rubbing. Its scientific name is also feline-inspired: Nepeta cataria. The cause of the cats'... click to read more

In the 1980s it was discovered that some relatives of the bacterium Burkholderia cepacia (formerly Pseudomonas cepacia) were able to form close relationships with plant roots, and also make a range of antimicrobials capable of killing plant pathogens. Several US pesticide companies exploited this bacterium... click to read more

Our group together with an international team of scientists successfully recovered and analyzed ancient DNA from Egyptian mummies dating from approximately 1400 BC to 400 AD, establishing ancient Egyptian mummies as a reliable source for genetic material to study the ancient past. The study, published... click to read more