Centromeres play virtually the same central role across the entire tree of life: They ensure the faithful segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Yet the striking diversity in centromere ...

Cancer does not develop overnight. It can take decades for cancer‐promoting changes in the genome to eventually lead to the formation of a malignant tumor. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest ...

Early mammalian ancestors were nocturnal, sleeping during the day while the dinosaurs dominated the land. However, some mammalian lineages, including human ancestors, independently transitioned to ...

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have a unique resource in the form of the Center for Biomolecular Condensates at the McKelvey School of Engineering, which draws scientists from ...

The evolution of the lung represents a compelling chapter in evolutionary developmental biology, highlighting the intricate interplay between genetic mechanisms and environmental pressures during the ...

One of the biggest quests in biology is understanding how every cell in an animal’s body carries an identical genome yet still gives rise to a kaleidoscope of different cell types and tissues. A ...

In the oceans and on land, scientists are discovering rare, transitional organisms that bridge the gap between Earth’s simplest cells and today’s complex ones.

One of the biggest quests in biology is understanding how every cell in an animal’s body carries an identical genome yet still gives rise to a kaleidoscope of different cell types and tissues. A ...

W. Ford Doolittle is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and professor of biochemistry at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. James R. Brown is a postdoctoral fellow in ...