One more person has been confirmed dead in Hong Kong’s Tai Po fire, bringing the death toll to 161, the police chief has said, citing results of further forensic analysis. “Further forensic tests found the DNA of another person in one of the bodies, which were identified as belonging to a couple,” Commissioner of Police…
A new study published in Science Advances reveals widespread non-compliance with international trade protections for endangered sharks, showing that global wildlife-trade rules are being routinely violated in one of the world’s largest and highest value marine markets. Alex Schmidt When it comes to protecting endangered wildlife, paper promises often crumble in the face of profit….
More than 600 officers from the Hong Kong Police Force’s Disaster Victim Identification Unit (DVIU) searched two fire-ravaged blocks of the Wang Fuk Court residential complex in Tai Po without finding any more bodies on Saturday. The death toll from the blaze remains at 128, but 150 people are still unaccounted for. Dressed in white…
James D. Watson, whose co-discovery of the twisted-ladder structure of DNA in 1953 helped light the long fuse on a revolution in medicine, crimefighting, genealogy and ethics, has died, according to his former research lab. He was 97. The breakthrough — made when the brash, Chicago-born Watson was just 24 — turned him into a…
A new review in Clinical Epigenetics synthesises growing evidence that paternal lifestyle and environmental exposures such as diet, obesity, smoking, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and stress alter sperm epigenetic marks (DNA methylation, histone retention, and small non-coding RNAs). These changes can influence sperm quality and fertilising ability, early embryo development, assisted reproduction outcomes, and long-term health risks…
A new research paper was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on September 30, 2025, titled “Lifestyle and hormonal factors affecting semen quality and sperm DNA integrity: A cross-sectional study.” In this study, Saniya Imtiyaz Chamanmalik, Rajendra B. Nerli, and Pankaja Umarane from KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research and Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre discovered…
A groundbreaking analysis of a 117-year-old woman reveals how protective genetics, a balanced microbiome, efficient metabolism, and resilient immunity work together to sustain health into extreme old age. Maria Branyas Morera blowing out candles on the occasion of her 117th birthday on March 4, 2024. Arxiu de la família Branyas Morera, Public domain, via Wikimedia…
Could the secrets of Albert Einstein’s brain – preserved since his death in 1955 – be unlocked by modern Chinese technology? A new technique developed by Chinese scientists has shown potential in analysing old biological samples, including cancer tissues stored for nearly 10 years under less than ideal conditions. While cautious about the challenges posed…
Shenzhen-based MGI Tech unveiled what it claims to be the world’s fastest gene sequencer, an advance that promises to help accelerate breakthroughs in cancer genomics and rare disease research. The company said at a launch event on Tuesday that the DNBSEQ-T7+ can sequence 144 human genomes a day, or one every 10 minutes. More than…
While the search for a Washington father accused of killing his three young daughters in June continues, DNA testing has confirmed he is the only suspect in the murders, police said. Travis Decker’s DNA was found on plastic bags that were found over the girls’ heads as well as cable ties found near their bodies,…