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Genetics

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Choosy Eggs May Pick Sperm for Their Genes, Defying Mendel’s Law

November 15, 2017

The oldest law of genetics says that gametes combine randomly, but experiments hint that sometimes eggs select sperm actively for their genetic assets.

Solution: ‘Are Genes Selfish or Cooperative?’

September 29, 2017

Puzzle solvers rediscovered a simple mathematical result of Mendelian genetics and weighed in on a Richard Dawkins metaphor.

Are Genes Selfish or Cooperative?

September 14, 2017

Can you discover a simple mathematical result of Mendelian genetics that describes how genes interact with each other?

Beating the Odds for Lucky Mutations

August 16, 2017

If DNA repair makes useful mutations more likely, it could accelerate cells’ adaptations to harsh environments.

Q&A

Wanted: More Data, the Dirtier the Better

June 6, 2017

The computational immunologist Purvesh Khatri embraces messy data as a way to capture the messiness of disease. As a result, he’s making elusive genomic discoveries.

Q&A

A Map of Human History, Hidden in DNA

April 20, 2017

The computational biologist John Novembre uses our genetic code to rewrite the history of humanity.

Solution: ‘A Ticking Evolutionary Clock’

April 3, 2017

How to calculate when a gene’s rate of evolution will slow to a crawl.

A Ticking Evolutionary Clock

March 16, 2017

How quickly will a gene’s rate of evolution slow to a crawl?

Viruses Find a New Way to Hijack Cells

December 6, 2016

A virus that causes crippling birth defects has been shown to do something else: It changes thousands of messages coming from DNA that control normal cellular activities.