Google DeepMind has launched the AlphaGenome Atlas, a free, non-commercial database that uses its AlphaGenome AI model to predict the biological impact of every possible single-letter change across the human genome—about 9 billion mutations in total. The tool also incorporates predictions for over 100 million short insertions and deletions found in human DNA, and is designed to be accessible without requiring users to write code, unlike the original API-based release.
nature.com
· 2026-09-08
Researchers extracted and sequenced viral DNA preserved in the animal-skin parchment of medieval manuscripts, tracing sheeppox virus's evolutionary history back roughly 3,500 years. The study, published in Science Advances and led by University College Dublin's Louis L'Hôte, demonstrates that parchment can act as a repository for ancient pathogen genomes, not just host DNA.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-04
New ancient DNA analysis of the extinct predator long nicknamed the 'American cheetah' shows it was misclassified, revealing a different evolutionary lineage than previously assumed. The genetic evidence also sheds light on the animal's historical range and diet, correcting decades of assumptions based on skeletal comparisons alone.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-04
Nature's audio long read examines growing scientific evidence that unrepaired or poorly repaired DNA damage drives many hallmarks of ageing. Researchers are investigating whether artificially boosting the body's DNA repair mechanisms could extend healthy lifespan. The episode is an audio version of a Nature feature and is available on major podcast platforms.
nature.com
· 2026-09-02
Scientists led by Ben Lehner at the Wellcome Sanger Institute created over 44,000 genetic variants of the well-studied bacteriophage ΦX174 by systematically altering nearly every nucleotide and amino acid in its genome. They measured how each change affected the virus's ability to survive and replicate in bacterial cultures, finding that most mutations were harmful but that the reasons behind roughly a quarter of these lethal effects remain unexplained.
nature.com
· 2026-09-01
Archaeologists at the University of South Carolina found traces of cacao DNA on pottery shards from an 11th-century feast at Etowah, a Mississippian mound city near present-day Atlanta. Since cacao trees only grow in tropical regions roughly 3,000 kilometers away, the discovery indicates the Mississippian people maintained extensive trade networks reaching into Central America.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-27
Researchers have devised a method to operate two separate genetic codes at once without needing to re-engineer an organism's entire genome to accommodate the change. The approach was tested outside living cells, so it avoids the laborious process of altering every gene, as previous efforts required when adding new amino acids to bacterial proteins.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-26
Scientists including Curtin University's Joshua Newton found that spiderwebs collect exceptionally rich environmental DNA from surrounding wildlife, outperforming other passive sampling methods like vegetation swabs, water, and soil in identifying vertebrate species. Because collecting real webs means destroying spider homes, University of Waikato genomicist Angela McGaughran tested synthetic Halloween webs instead, finding they captured DNA from livestock, birds, and even fungal spores just as effectively.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-08-25
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