Desperately ill baby healed with personalized gene therapy, doctors say
A baby born with a rare and dangerous genetic disease is growing and thriving after getting an experimental gene editing treatment made just for him.
From the CBC News-2025-5-15:20:6:1
Oldest fossil footprints from reptile found in Australia (Sorry, Canada)
Scientists in Australia have identified the oldest known fossil footprints of a reptile-like animal, dated to around 350 million years ago. Previously the earliest known reptile footprints, found in Canada, were dated to 318 million years ago.
From the CBC News-2025-5-15:14:6:1
New hope for patients with breast cancer gene
Treating patients with a drug before surgery greatly reduced the chances of the cancer coming back, a small trial found.
From the BBC News-2025-5-13:14:6:1
Endangered axolotl release raises hopes for rare amphibian
Study provides hope for future of the axolotl amphibian, pushed to the brink of extinction in Mexico.
From the BBC News-2025-4-30:14:6:1
Researchers want public's help to monitor St. Lawrence River with DNA found in water samples
Espace pour la vie and Génome Québec are teaming up for the community science project. They're asking people near Tadoussac, Cacouna, Rimouski and La Malbaie to collect water samples which they'll use to check the health of organisms in the St. Lawrence River.
From the CBC News-2025-4-28:8:5:1
Just Stop Oil was policed to extinction - now the movement has gone deeper underground
Climate activists may be going deeper underground.
From the BBC News-2025-4-24:20:6:1
Just Stop Oil was policed to extinction - now the movement has gone deeper underground
Climate activists may be going deeper underground.
From the BBC News-2025-4-24:20:6:2
Could AI text alerts help save snow leopards from extinction?
In Pakistan, it's hoped newly-developed AI cameras could warn villagers via text to move their livestock if snow leopards enter the area.
From the BBC News-2025-4-20:20:6:1
'Why I want an IVF baby to screen out gene that made me go blind'
Blind influencer Lucy Edwards on choosing IVF which will screen out the gene that made her who she is.
From the BBC News-2025-4-20:8:5:1
New study shows increased pathogens near B.C. open-net salmon farms
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports, examined environmental DNA to determine the levels of bacteria, fungi and viruses previously shown to be harmful to wild salmon.
From the CBC News-2025-4-17:14:6:1
Ankylosaur footprints from Canada are first of their kind in the world
Scientists have identified fossil dinosaur footprints from a new species in B.C. and Alberta. They're believed to be the first tracks found in the world that were left by club-tailed ankylosaurs, offering new insights about gaps in the fossil record.
From the CBC News-2025-4-16:20:6:1
UK's rarest wildlife being 'pushed to extinction' by grass fires
Wildfires 'could spell the end' for rare species such as water voles and hen harriers.
From the BBC News-2025-4-16:8:5:1
Indigenous DNA in wastewater is vulnerable to exploitation, Guelph, Ont., researchers say
Scientists collecting wastewater samples gain access to a variety of sensitive information. At the University of Guelph in southern Ontario, researchers are working to protect that data.
From the CBC News-2025-4-13:14:6:1
De-extinction or pre-extinction? Biotech company's resurrected 'dire wolves' raise questions
Scientists created a version of the extinct dire wolf. But we should be directing our resources to preventing extinction in the first place.
From the CBC News-2025-4-11:20:6:1
Saliva test may turn tide on prostate cancer, claim scientists
Analysing DNA in saliva can identify men at the greatest risk of prostate cancer
From the BBC News-2025-4-10:14:6:1
A biotech company has, sort of, revived the long-extinct dire wolf
Colossal Biosciences made a surprise announcement Monday, claiming it had brought the dire wolf back from the dead, achieving the biotech company's first successful de-extinction. But some scientists say that while the wolves' existence is an impressive feat, they are not exactly as advertised.
From the CBC News-2025-4-9:8:5:1
Experts dispute claims dire wolf brought back from extinction
Independent experts say three white wolf puppies are not dire wolves, as claimed by US company Colossal
From the BBC News-2025-4-8:8:5:1
Woman contacted by stranger on DNA site - and the truth about her birth unravelled
An NHS trust has paid compensation after a woman, now in her 70s, discovered she had been swapped at birth.
From the BBC News-2025-4-5:8:5:1
Unique two-clawed dinosaur discovered
Duonychus is one of the few species of theropod dinosaur that evolved two-fingered hands.
From the BBC News-2025-3-25:14:6:1
DNA testing site 23andMe files for bankruptcy protection
The company said that it will now attempt to sell itself under the supervision of a court.
From the BBC News-2025-3-24:8:5:1
Nobody knows why this snowy owl is orange
Bird experts agree Creamsicle is rare - and potentially even unique - in its colouring. But they disagree about what's behind the orange feathers. It could be a genetic mutation, an unfortunate accident, or the work of "nefarious miscreants."
From the CBC News-2025-3-19:8:5:1
Ancient mammals had mostly dark brown coats during the dinosaur era, new study reveals
Ancient mammals that lived in the time of dinosaurs were mostly the same dark-brown colour, according to a new study providing clues about how those mammals evolved in a time where they faced giant predators.
From the CBC News-2025-3-16:8:5:1
'I couldn't cope if I passed condition to my kids'
A genetic testing service based in Devon is praised by a woman with a rare skin condition.
From the BBC News-2025-3-11:14:6:2
Giving blood linked to lower risk of pre-cancer gene
Frequent donors were more likely to have different genetic changes in their blood stem cells, scientists found.
From the BBC News-2025-3-11:14:6:1
Hantavirus: What it is, how it spreads, how often it's fatal
Here's what you need to know about hantavirus, the rodent-borne pathogen blamed for the death of Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has killed at least 34 people in Canada over the past three decades.
From the CBC News-2025-3-11:8:5:1
Medical researchers working to reverse 'the Newfoundland curse'
Stem cell researchers are trying to reverse a deadly genetic variant that's plagued families in this province for generations. Those who carry the mutation say the medical research is straight out of science fiction.
From the CBC News-2025-3-9:14:6:1
Genetic drive to overeat found in labradors and humans
Scientists have found a genetic cause of many labradors' - and some people's - tendency to overeat.
From the BBC News-2025-3-6:14:6:1
Woolly mice designed to engineer mammoth-like elephants
Experiments on mice could see hairy, genetically modified elephants living in the Arctic, a US company claims.
From the BBC News-2025-3-4:14:6:1
'Life-changing' gene therapy for children born blind
Four toddlers born with a rare eye condition have seen "life-changing improvements", say UK doctors.
From the BBC News-2025-2-21:8:5:1
As biodiversity declines, researchers race to name millions of species unknown to science
In 2023, scientists discovered thousands of unknown life forms in the Pacific Ocean. The discovery highlighted an unsettling fact: 86 per cent of land species and 91 per cent of marine species remain undiscovered. Are we running out of time to classify the life around us?
From the CBC News-2025-2-20:14:6:1
'Future generations need cure' for brain disorder
Scientists hope to find a cure for a genetic condition linked back to a single Cumbrian family line.
From the BBC News-2025-2-11:8:5:1
Surgeons successfully transplant genetically edited pig kidney into U.S. man
A New Hampshire man fought for the chance at a pig kidney transplant, spending months getting into good enough shape to be part of a small pilot study of a highly experimental treatment.
From the CBC News-2025-2-7:14:6:1
NHS to offer 'groundbreaking' sickle cell gene therapy
The gene therapy Casgevy, which will now be offered to some patients in England, could help people live disease-free, experts say.
From the BBC News-2025-1-31:8:5:1
Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists
Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.
From the BBC News-2025-1-29:14:6:1
New funding will help Saint Mary's researchers update database of right whale DNA
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has awarded Saint Mary's University a contract to update the DNA database of one of the most critically endangered species in Canadian waters.
From the CBC News-2025-1-27:8:5:1
Women held keys to land and wealth in Celtic Britain
DNA analysis suggests Iron Age societies in Britain were built around women rather than men.
From the BBC News-2025-1-15:14:6:1
B.C. doctor reflects on treating teen with H5N1 for 2 months
Researchers are comparing the genetic features of the B.C. patient's avian flu strain with that of a Louisiana patient who died last week.
From the CBC News-2025-1-14:8:5:1
Vancouver suspect in 1996 cold case homicide identified through DNA analysis
Lawrence Diehl, 73, has been charged with the second-degree murder of Christopher Smith, who was fatally stabbed on the Portage Bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau almost 30 years ago.
From the CBC News-2025-1-7:14:6:1
Saving a species: The slow return of the Iberian lynx
After edging close to extinction, there are now some 2,000 Iberian lynxes in Spain and Portugal.
From the BBC News-2025-1-6:8:5:1
UK's biggest ever dinosaur footprint site unearthed
About 200 footprints made by dinosaurs 166 million years ago have been unearthed in a quarry in Oxfordshire.
From the BBC News-2025-1-2:8:5:1
New bone test could rewrite British history, say scientists
Researchers say new DNA research could shed new light on what history books say about ancient Britain.
From the BBC News-2025-1-1:14:6:1
How cold case DNA technique came to Ottawa from California - and where it's headed next
Family tree enthusiasts are helping police solve decades-old homicides. And the former California district attorney who helped bring the technique to the world with the prosecution of the Golden State Killer back in 2018 says it has the potential to solve many more - as long as it's managed appropriately.
From the CBC News-2024-12-19:14:6:1
How forensic genetic genealogy came to Ottawa from California - and where it's headed next
Family tree enthusiasts are helping police solve decades-old homicides. And the former California district attorney who helped bring the technique to the world with the prosecution of the Golden State Killer back in 2018 says it has the potential to solve many more - as long as it's managed appropriately.
From the CBC News-2024-12-19:8:5:1
Humans may not have survived without Neanderthals
A new DNA analysis has shown that the arrival of modern humans from Africa was far from smooth.
From the BBC News-2024-12-13:8:5:1
Rare dinosaur trio fetches £12.4m at auction
The skeletons - two Allosaurus and one Stegosaurus - date back approximately 150 million years.
From the BBC News-2024-12-13:8:5:2
Fossil footprints suggest 2 early human species coexisted 1.5 million years ago
Intersecting paths of muddy footprints left on a Kenyan lakeside 1.5 million years ago suggest two of our early human ancestors were nearby neighbours.
From the CBC News-2024-11-29:14:6:1
Paleontologists discover Sask.'s 1st fossil specimens of horned centrosaurus
McGill University students and paleontologists have documented what they say are Saskatchewan's first confirmed centrosaurus fossil specimens.
From the CBC News-2024-11-24:8:5:1
Where did COVID-19 originate? Saskatoon lab helps with genetic analysis that points to animal market
A team of scientists, including one from Saskatoon, say they have strong evidence the COVID-19 virus jumped from infected animals to humans in a market in Wuhan, China, and didn't originate with a lab leak.
From the CBC News-2024-11-20:8:5:1
This Laurentian University researcher is collecting DNA from the air inside beehives
A professor at Laurentian University will be putting honey bees to work to better understand how climate change is affecting different plants and pollinators across Ontario.
From the CBC News-2024-11-18:20:6:1
'The sixth great extinction is happening', conservation expert warns
Conservationist Jane Goodall on the urgent need to turn the tide on climate change and nature loss.
From the BBC News-2024-11-16:20:6:1
23andMe lays off 40% of its workforce, ends therapeutics division
23andMe is laying off 40 per cent of its workforce, or more than 200 employees, and discontinuing its therapeutics division as the struggling genetic testing company attempts to slash costs.
From the CBC News-2024-11-13:14:6:1
First ferret babies born from a clone bring new hope for their species
Sibert and Red Cloud, black-footed ferret siblings at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, are the first members of an endangered species born to a cloned animal.
From the CBC News-2024-11-7:8:5:1
Giant tadpole fossil is the oldest ever discovered
Scientists have discovered the oldest-known fossil of a tadpole, which lived among the Jurassic dinosaurs 160 million years ago.
From the CBC News-2024-11-1:14:6:1
Move aside, moose - a new study has found the most distinct animals in Canada
When we think of Canadian animals, the moose or beaver probably come to mind first - but according to a new study, the most distinct animals in Canada are creatures like the spiny softshell turtle and the mudpuppy, which both embody more than 150 million years of evolution.
From the CBC News-2024-10-31:8:5:1
Alarm call as world's trees slide towards extinction
Scientists have revealed that more than a third of tree species are facing extinction.
From the BBC News-2024-10-28:14:6:1
Biodiversity is a lot like Jenga, says Canadian artist behind COP16 installation
Benjamin Von Wong is the artist behind Biodiversity Jenga, a six-metre-tall art installation currently looming over COP16, the United Nations biodiversity conference, in Cali, Colombia.
From the CBC News-2024-10-25:8:5:1
Meteorite that hit Earth 3 billion years ago dwarfed rock that caused dinosaur extinction: study
The S2 meterorite, which hit the planet just over 3 billion years ago, dwarfed the one that caused the dinosaurs' extinction, according to a new study.
From the CBC News-2024-10-23:8:5:1
What is biodiversity and how can we protect it?
Colombia is hosting talks to assess global progress in protecting 30% of all land and water by 2030.
From the BBC News-2024-10-21:8:5:1
Girl's life saved by pioneering rare diseases study
Diagnosis of Jaydi's genetic disorder led to life-changing treatment, says her mum.
From the BBC News-2024-10-15:8:5:1
It's not the pizza, say dermatologists. What really causes acne breakouts
As common as acne is, experts say there are some popular misconceptions about its causes. Research suggests diet and poor hygiene are not the clear culprits, but rather a multitude of factors are at play, including genetics, hormonal changes - and stress.
From the CBC News-2024-10-15:8:5:2
This 237-million-year-old fossil from Brazil could shed light on rise of dinosaurs
Scientists in Brazil have announced the discovery of one of the world's oldest fossils believed to belong to an ancient reptile dating back some 237 million years that could help explain the rise of the dinosaurs.
From the CBC News-2024-10-14:14:6:1
Nobel Prize winner hopes his discovery can help fight disease and even detect alien life
Gary Ruvkun says microRNA, which are molecules that control how genes form our cells, could be the key to improving how humans fight diseases, and finding extraterrestrial signs of life.
From the CBC News-2024-10-11:20:6:1
Nobel Prize goes to microRNA researchers
US scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun helped explain how genes work inside the human body.
From the BBC News-2024-10-7:8:5:1
Nobel Prize in Medicine goes to U.S. biologists who discovered microRNA
The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded Monday to Americans Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun for their discovery of microRNA, a fundamental principle governing how gene activity is regulated.
From the CBC News-2024-10-7:8:5:2
First newborns join screening for 200 rare diseases
The new study uses genome sequencing to detect more diseases earlier, when they can still be treated.
From the BBC News-2024-10-3:8:5:2
The asteroid that killed the dinosaurs was not alone
A second asteroid hit Earth around the same time causing a "catastrophic" event.
From the BBC News-2024-10-3:8:5:1
B.C. man finds dinosaur trackway near Hudson's Hope
A B.C. man stumbled upon a dino trackway last month by accident, and now he's pushing to preserve it through help from the local municipality and First Nations.
From the CBC News-2024-9-28:14:6:1
Living on through DNA: Another crew member identified from the 1845 Franklin expedition
The skeletal remains of a crew member from Sir John Franklin's 1845 Northwest Passage expedition was identified in a joint study by researchers from the University of Waterloo and Lakehead University. They were found to belong to Capt. James Fitzjames, a senior officer on the HMS Erebus.
From the CBC News-2024-9-26:8:5:1
Parents, but not parenting, to blame for picky eating in kids, says new study
A new study about children trying valiantly to survive on crackers, air and your last wisp of gentle parenting suggests picky eating is largely explained by genetics - and the researchers say they hope the findings will help alleviate parental blame.
From the CBC News-2024-9-24:8:5:1
Twin study of fussy eaters reveals new clues
Genetics influence how adventurous or fussy a child is about food, the large study suggests.
From the BBC News-2024-9-20:8:5:1
Genetic ghosts suggest Covid's market origins
A team of scientists say it is "beyond reasonable doubt" the Covid pandemic started with infected animals.
From the BBC News-2024-9-19:14:6:1
MUN scientists' discovery of 570-million-year-old fossil provides a glimpse of jellyfish history
Two Memorial University earth scientists have discovered a 570-million-year-old fossil that is the planet's earliest known evidence of muscle tissue and offers insight into the history of jellyfish around Newfoundland and Labrador.
From the CBC News-2024-9-18:14:6:1
Trove of dinosaur fossils found high in B.C. mountains
It's unclear exactly what species the fossils belong to, but officials say that either way, a discovery like this one helps scientists better understand the history of the land.
From the CBC News-2024-9-17:20:6:1
Invasive peach blossom jellyfish spreading through B.C. waterways
Thousands of genetic clones of the peach blossom jellyfish have been spotted in 34 waterways around the province.
From the CBC News-2024-9-12:8:5:1
Its supporters dream of heat-resistant cows. But gene editing is making others nervous
A UK law allowing gene-edited food has been paused and some British scientists fear being overtaken.
From the BBC News-2024-9-10:20:6:1
Girl discovers dinosaur footprints on beach walk
Experts think 10-year-old Tegan uncovered prints of a huge herbivore from the late triassic period.
From the BBC News-2024-8-16:20:6:1
Scientists believe they now know where the dinosaur-killing asteroid came from
Roughly 66 million years ago, a huge object slammed into Earth, causing a mass extinction. Now, a group of scientists believes they've figured out what it was - and where it came from.
From the CBC News-2024-8-15:20:6:1
Rare fossil specimen offers evidence of social behaviour among ancient snakes
Almost 50 years ago, paleontologists found 'four beautiful, articulated little fossil snakes' in Wyoming. A new study, which is the first scientific paper to fully describe this find, claims it demonstrates social behaviour among ancient snakes.
From the CBC News-2024-8-12:14:6:1
Can urban parks protect biodiversity as they welcome more visitors?
Parks like Mount Royal in Montreal are drawing more visitors eager for a taste of nature in the city, but their popularity might be putting vulnerable plant species at risk.
From the CBC News-2024-8-9:8:5:1
First gene-editing therapy may cure blood disorder
The treatment for beta thalassaemia is to be offered on the NHS and uses Nobel Prize-winning technology.
From the BBC News-2024-8-7:20:6:1
Rare fossils reveal secrets of mammal evolution
The fossils hold clues as to how mammals that lived in the shadow of dinosaurs evolved to dominate the world.
From the BBC News-2024-7-24:14:6:1
Jerky-like skin of a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth could change what we know about ancient DNA
The leathery, mulleted remains of a 52,000-year-old woolly mammoth known as Chris Waddle aren't much to look at, says geneticist Olga Dudchenko - but the information they contain is invaluable.
From the CBC News-2024-7-22:14:6:1
IVF help for wild rhinos from zoo cousins
Scientists are collecting eggs from rhinos in zoos in a bid to boost the gene pool of wild rhinos.
From the BBC News-2024-7-3:20:6:1
NHS gene check is helping children with cancer
Whole-genome sequencing enables doctors to quickly decide what medicines will work best.
From the BBC News-2024-7-2:8:5:1
Check out the elephants at risk of extinction, and the wild cats that are bouncing back
Over 45,000 species are now threatened with extinction - 1,000 more than last year - according to an international conservation organization that blames pressures from climate change, invasive species and human activity such as illicit trade and infrastructural expansion.
From the CBC News-2024-6-27:14:6:1
Scientists closing in on why some people never get COVID. That could help with future vaccines
Scientists describe high activity of a specific gene in volunteers who didn't get infected when exposed to COVID-19 on purpose. They hope better understanding early immune responses could help develop nasal spray forms of vaccines for the coronavirus.
From the CBC News-2024-6-27:8:5:2
Scientists closing in on why some people never get COVID. That could help with future vaccines
Scientists describe high activity of a specific gene in volunteers who didn't get infected when exposed to COVID-19 on purpose. They hope better understanding early immune responses could help develop nasal spray forms of vaccines for the coronavirus.
From the CBC News-2024-6-27:8:5:1
Canada, U.K. launch joint privacy probe into 23andMe data breach
Canada's privacy commissioner is teaming up with his U.K. counterpart to investigate a data breach discovered last year at genetic testing company 23andMe.
From the CBC News-2024-6-10:20:6:1
P.E.I. research scientist searching for path to drought-resistant potatoes
Bourlaye Fofana started with 814 different genetic lines, hoping to find ways to make potatoes better through breeding. Disease resistance and a more attractive appearance used to rank on top -- before climate change made drought resistance a key quality for growers.
From the CBC News-2024-6-10:8:5:1
Major cause of inflammatory bowel disease found
Scientists have found a weak spot in our DNA that is present in 95% of people with the disease.
From the BBC News-2024-6-5:14:6:1
B.C. project aims to reduce kidney rejection
The rapid sequencing technology is being tested in B.C. to refine the degree of achievable genetic compatibility between patients and donors while six other labs in the country are joining that effort, an expert says.
From the CBC News-2024-6-5:8:5:1
New blood test 'can predict' breast cancer return
The test can find traces of a tumour's DNA before a full relapse, allowing treatment to start early, experts say.
From the BBC News-2024-6-2:14:6:1
Meet Bubbles, a rare pink grasshopper now living in a London family's home
A London family is holding on to a rare pink grasshopper they found in front of their northeast end home. Insect experts say the bug's rarity comes less from its genes and more from its attractiveness to predators.
From the CBC News-2024-5-31:14:6:2
World record broken for living thing with most DNA
A rare plant has the largest genome of any organism on earth - holding 50 times more DNA than humans.
From the BBC News-2024-5-31:14:6:1
Atlantic whitefish are on the brink of extinction. Can a captive breeding program save them?
Scientists will implant tiny tracking tags in up to 200 captive-raised Atlantic whitefish this year as part of the effort to stave off extinction of one of Canada's most critically endangered species.
From the CBC News-2024-5-30:8:5:1
The Moment a scuba diver found a mastodon tusk
Scuba diver and fossil enthusiast Alex Lundberg recounts the moment he discovered a fossilized mastodon tusk off the coast of Venice Beach, Fla.
From the CBC News-2024-5-27:8:5:1
Army rejected teen over breast-cancer gene
The Army is accused of sexism after rejecting a teenager who may have a gene raising her risk of breast cancer.
From the BBC News-2024-5-23:20:6:1