Genomic islands are substantial segments of DNA embedded within bacterial genomes that are typically acquired through horizontal gene transfer. These regions frequently harbour clusters of genes ...

Claims that hundreds of bacterial genes have been transferred directly into humans are unfounded, according to a study published in June 21 Nature. The initial report by the International Human Genome ...

The recognition of the phenomenon known as horizontal (or lateral) gene transfer (HGT/LGT) revolutionized our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. Unlike the conventional vertical transmission of ...

A newly revealed mechanism of horizontal gene transfer improves understanding of how antibiotic resistance is transferred between bacteria. The increasing prevalence of antibiotic resistance (AR) is a ...

In the race of evolution, innovating is certainly necessary, but recycling existing genes is sometimes more efficient. Indeed, organisms that are very distant from each other can exchange a ...

As medical technology advances, many diseases could be detected, prevented and cured with cells, rather than pills. Our project started with a presentation by synthetic biologist Rob Cooper during our ...

Antibiotic resistance is widely recognized as one of the most urgent public health challenges of the twenty first century. Now, a new study shows that even very small amounts of antibiotics that ...

If you still remember that “Dear King Phillip Came Over For Good Spaghetti,” you’ll likely also recall the corresponding taxonomic ranks of biology: Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, ...