Biology 

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Latest news on biology, covering genetics, DNA, genomics, CRISPR and gene editing, gene therapy, evolution, new species, extinction, conservation, cell biology, stem cells, microbes, bacteria and viruses, and the work of biologists and life scientists worldwide.

Biology is the scientific study of life, from molecules and cells to organisms and whole ecosystems. It spans neurobiology and neuroscience, microbiology, biophysics, bioengineering, synthetic biology and astrobiology, and it asks how living things grow, behave, adapt and interact. One widely cited estimate puts the number of species on Earth at about 8.7 million, most of them still undescribed.

Genetics and genomics drive many of today's headlines. Human genome and genome sequencing projects, single-cell methods, proteomics, epigenetic research and mRNA technology reveal how genes, mutations and cells work. Gene editing with CRISPR, which earned a Nobel Prize in 2020, and gene therapy raise hopes of treating inherited disease, along with ethical debates over editing embryos and over safety and cost.

The living world is changing too. Evolution, ecology, extinction and conservation sit alongside the discovery of new species, from insects and fungi to deep-sea animals, while biodiversity loss and the spread of pathogens worry ecologists and microbiologists alike. Research on bacteria, the microbiome, antibiotic resistance and viruses links directly to health, farming and biosecurity, including concerns about engineered pathogens.

Biology has a strong human side. Citizen scientists record birds, insects and plants, geneticists trace human ancestry through ancient DNA, and conservation teams work to bring species back from the brink. Biologists, ecologists and geneticists increasingly work with data scientists and AI tools to find patterns in huge biological datasets.

The field has a long history. Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species in 1859, and the double helix structure of DNA was announced in 1953, drawing on X-ray data from Rosalind Franklin. The Human Genome Project was declared complete in 2003, and sequencing has since become far faster and cheaper.

Our NewsNow biology news feed brings together the most relevant headlines on genetics, evolution, new species, cell biology, stem cells, microbes and conservation from reliable sources, updated constantly. Whether you are a researcher, student, teacher or simply curious about life on Earth, it is a quick way to keep up with the biological sciences.