Scientists have pinpointed precise regions in the human genome where DNA is most likely to develop a mutation. At spots where RNA polymerase 'opens' your DNA to read and copy instructions – known as ...

Unique mutations in the H5N1 strain enhance replication in human cells and cause severe disease in mice. The virus has spread from birds to mammals, including dairy cows, and infected humans, with one ...

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us? Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: When a zygote begins cell division ...

In the lab, the authors of the study found that a single mutation in the primary protein, hemagglutinin (which is what the H in H5N1 stands for) could give it the ability to cling onto receptors found ...

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on ...

Most mutations that cause disease by swapping one amino acid out for another do so by making the protein less stable, according to a major study of human protein variants that was published in Nature ...

Researchers have discovered new regions of the human genome particularly vulnerable to mutations. These altered stretches of DNA can be passed down to future generations and are important for how we ...