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Scientists investigating the DNA outside our genes - the ‘dark genome’ - have discovered recently evolved regions that code for proteins associated with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has become only the second woman to be awarded the Royal Society’s prestigious Copley Medal, the world’s oldest scientific prize.

Scientists have reconstructed ancient DNA from soil for the first time, in an advance that will significantly enhance the study of animal, plant and microorganism evolution.

We’re used to the idea that as adults we have some control over our destiny: what we eat and drink and how much we exercise can affect our health. But the risks of heart disease and diabetes can be programmed much earlier – even before we are born.

Scientists at the ̽»¨Ö±²¥ of Cambridge, in collaboration with Justus-Liebig ̽»¨Ö±²¥, Germany, have uncovered how the genome of SARS-CoV-2 - the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 - uses genome origami to infect and replicate successfully inside host cells. This could inform the development of effective drugs that target specific parts of the virus genome, in the fight against COVID-19.

Simply comparing the total number of deaths across countries may provide a misleading representation of the underlying level of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because of large differences in reported COVID-19 death rates in elderly populations in different countries.

New ‘gastruloid’ model, created from human stem cells, holds huge potential to understand causes of birth defects and improve disease modelling.

A new study has provided the most comprehensive analysis of human genetic diversity to date, clarifying the genetic relationships between human populations around the world.

An unprecedented insight into the diverse range of species on the British Isles will be made possible by Wellcome funding to the Darwin Tree of Life project.

Dr Alexis Braun is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Genetics. Here, she tells us about the importance of mentors, how her research might aid in conservation efforts, and how growing up in a First Nations community in Canada spurred her interest in biology.