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Male butterflies have genes which give them a sexual preference for a partner with a similar appearance to themselves, according to new research.

In the largest study of its kind to date, Cambridge researchers have looked at why some people manage to stay thin while others gain weight easily. They have found that the genetic dice are loaded in favour of thin people and against those at the obese end of the spectrum.

Scientists have created the most comprehensive method yet to predict a woman’s risk of breast cancer, according to a study led by researchers at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge. ̽��ֱ��study, funded by Cancer Research, is published today in Genetics in Medicine.

Evidence has been building in recent years that our diet, our habits or traumatic experiences can have consequences for the health of our children – and even our grandchildren. ̽��ֱ��explanation that has gained most currency for how this occurs is so-called ‘epigenetic inheritance’ – patterns of chemical ‘marks’ on or around our DNA that are hypothesised to be passed down the generations. But new research from the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge suggests that this mechanism of non-genetic inheritance is likely to be very rare.

People at high genetic risk of stroke can still reduce their chance of having a stroke by sticking to a healthy lifestyle, in particular stopping smoking and not being overweight, finds a study in ̽��ֱ��BMJ today.

Only a small proportion of cases of dementia are thought to be inherited – the cause of the vast majority is unknown. Now, in a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, a team of scientists led by researchers at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge believe they may have found an explanation: spontaneous errors in our DNA that arise as cells divide and replicate.

An international team of researchers led by scientists at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge and MSD has created the first detailed genetic map of human proteins, the key building blocks of biology. These discoveries promise to enhance our understanding of a wide range of diseases and aid development of new drugs.

A new study published today suggests that how empathic we are is not just a result of our upbringing and experience but also partly a result of our genes.

A team of scientists at the ̽��ֱ�� of Cambridge has discovered that specific genes are linked to individual differences in brain anatomy in autistic children.

A thousand-year-old tooth has provided genetic evidence that the so-called “Taíno”, the first indigenous Americans to feel the full impact of European colonisation after Columbus arrived in the New World, still have living descendants in the Caribbean today.