Genetics – PossibleThreat Articles

This vibrant moth fooled scientists for generations

September 23, 2025 0 Comments Biochemistry Research, Bioethics, Ethics, Genetics, Insects (including Butterflies), New Species

For more than a century, a dazzling pink-and-yellow moth was mistaken for a common European species, but DNA analysis revealed it as entirely new: Carcina ingridmariae. Found across the eastern Mediterranean, this hidden beauty had evaded recognition until advanced barcoding techniques exposed its genetic secrets. Entomologist Dr. Peter Huemer confirmed the discovery and, in a heartfelt gesture, named the moth after his wife on their 42nd anniversary, celebrating both science and love.

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Tiny protein pairs may hold the secret to life’s origin

September 22, 2025 0 Comments Biology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Nature, New Species, Trees

A team from the University of Illinois has uncovered surprising evolutionary links between the genetic code and tiny protein fragments called dipeptides. By analyzing billions of dipeptide sequences across thousands of species, the researchers revealed that these molecular pairs trace the earliest steps in the origin of life.

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Deformed wing virus genetic diversity in US honey bees complicates search for remedies

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry Research, Biotechnology, Bird Flu Research, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Invasive Species, Microbes and More, Virology

Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), one of the leading causes of honey bee colony losses, is much more genetically diverse in the United States than previously thought. The diverse lineages of this virus are all equally bad for bees, and they make it more complicated to develop antiviral therapeutics, which could be the basis for developing a vaccine for the virus.

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Genetic risk factor for laryngeal paralysis in miniature bull terriers identified

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Biochemistry Research, Biotechnology, Dogs, Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Life Sciences, Veterinary Medicine

Laryngeal paralysis is a serious and sometimes deadly disease in some dog breeds that prevents proper opening of the larynx for breathing. Specialists in canine head and neck surgery and geneticists have identify a mutation responsible for laryngeal paralysis in Miniature Bull Terriers, enabling the development of a genetic test for the disease.

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Structural protein essential for ciliary harmony in comb jellies

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Cell Biology, Exotic Species, Genetics, Molecular Biology, New Species, Oceanography, Tsunamis

Researchers have identified a structural protein that is essential for the coordinated beating of millions of tiny cilia on the surface of comb jellies. When the protein was eliminated, the cilia began beating out of formation, stalling the locomotion of the jellies. These findings will help uncover how various organisms have adapted to life in different aquatic environments.

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The pectin is protectin': Study uncovers a plant barrier against toxic aluminum

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Botany, Endangered Plants, Genetics, mice, Pests and Parasites, Seeds, Soil Types

Aluminum toxicity is a major contributor to poor crop growth, especially in regions with acidic soils. How aluminum enters at the growing root tips of plants is not well understood. Researchers have found that pectin, a chemical component of the plant cell wall, may play a key role as a barrier to prevent aluminum from entering rice plants. The study sheds light on how rice plants may resist aluminum toxicity.

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Newly discovered protein is the permit to the powerhouse of cells

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry Research, Biology, Biotechnology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Molecular Biology

Researchers report the discovery of a protein, P17/PERMIT, that is key to recycling aging and damaged mitochondria. Defective mitochondria are characteristic of a number of age-related diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's. The MUSC team showed P17/PERMIT transports the machinery that produces ceramide, a molecule that signals old mitochondria for destruction, to the mitochondria. There, it can mass-produce ceramide at the location needed for mitochondrial regulation.

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By cutting out one gene, researchers remove a tadpole's ability to regenerate

October 24, 2019 0 Comments Biotechnology, Cloning, Developmental Biology, Evolutionary Biology, Frogs and Reptiles, Genetics, Life Sciences, New Species

Tadpoles that can typically regrow amputated tails or limbs lost their ability to regenerate after researchers blocked the expression of a newly identified gene that is one of the drivers for this regrowth. Furthermore, scientists hypothesize that the loss of appendage regeneration in warm-blooded animals might have been caused by the gain or loss of this gene, dubbed c-Answer, in an ancestor's genome during evolution.

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Scientists unveil the secret of cancer-associated Warburg effect

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Biology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Brain Tumor, Cancer, Genetics, Immune System, Lymphoma, Molecular Biology

New research shows that lactate, an end product of metabolism, changes the function of an immune cell known as a macrophage, thereby rewiring it to behave differently.

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Building blocks of all life gain new understanding

October 23, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry Research, Biology, Biotechnology, Charles Darwin, Evolution, Fossils, Genetics, Origin of Life

New research on an enzyme that is essential for photosynthesis and all life on earth has uncovered a key finding in its structure which reveals how light can interact with matter to make an essential pigment for life.

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