Is there a genetic basis for risk-taking, linked to our mental and physical wellbeing?

Silent Signal is an ambitious project partnering six artists working with animation together with six leading biomedical scientists, to create experimental animated artworks exploring new ways of thinking about the human body. Silent Signal takes you on a journey: starting at the microcosm of the infection fighting internal landscapes of our cells, through the personal […]

A unique opportunity to hear Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys FRS Hon FRSB give a first-hand account of how he developed DNA fingerprinting after a ‘Eureka moment’ in his Leicestershire lab back in 1984. This very special fundraising event at the Science Museum’s IMAX theatre, will give guests the inside story on Sir Alec’s famous discovery, […]

The language of genes has become common in the media. We know they make your eyes blue, your hair curly or your nose straight. We’re told that genes control the risk of cancer, heart disease, alcoholism or Alzheimer’s. The cost of DNA sequencing has plummeted from billions of pounds to a few hundred, and gene-based […]

Join Guerilla Science  for a multisensory exploration of human attraction. Discover how your senses, brain and body react when you meet a special someone, and investigate the science behind those magical moments.  You will be guided through a series of sensational challenges based on cutting-edge research in psychology, neuroscience and genetics, as we deconstruct dating and analyse […]

We’ve all heard of genes, but how do they actually work? Geneticist Kat Arney and her scientific guests will draw on stories ranging from six-toed cats to fish hips, exploring how DNA is packed, unpacked and read. Kat will be talking to epigeneticist Professor Anne Ferguson-Smithfrom Cambridge University and Dr Ben Lehner, Group Leader at the Centre […]

Our DNA contains tens of thousands of individual genes that encode vital information responsible for the biological activities necessary for life. Most tissues in our body carry out very specialized processes which ultimately require that specific subsets of genes are used in the right place and at the right time. Join Professor Klose to learn […]

Emma Brown looks at how new genetic research on the mysterious and fragile world of the American eel might help conservation projects

Explore Dr Ronald Konopka’s fantastic discoveries which opened the door to research on our biological clocks

Rachel David looks at what draws us together

Nicole Samuel discusses genetic trade-offs and where modern diseases come from

In the first online-only feature from I, Science Issue 30, Jess Norris finds out how our genes and environment – and our smell – affect who we fall in love with

Take a leap into 2052 and explore the terrifying genetic control under which the human race has befallen with Holly Cave’s first ever sci-fi book..

The blood of Vietnamese patients suffering from dengue fever has allowed scientists to discover a new way to potentially vaccinate against the deadly virus..

Explore the latest ideas, developments and challenges in modern science over a drink with friends. Join an expert for a discussion of their work, guided by you, and ask your burning questions about everything from parasites to penicillin.

DNA sequencing of old English parchments sheds light on changing farming practices

New data from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute elucidates key mutations which allow the malaria parasite to develop resistance to the first line anti-malarial drug

A new law will allow countries to govern their own GM policies, potentially making the European food market less unified

The malaria parasite reshuffles its DNA to evade our immune systems

Yodit Feseha tells us how ageing works and if it’s possible to reverse it
(taken from the latest issue of I,Science magazine)

Perplexing, isn’t it? Homo sapiens, as a species, have made it. There are now over 7 billion of us swarming across the planet …

Stop! Before you drink that pint, have you considered a genetic test? Susceptibility to developing mental illness from alcohol could come from genes …

We have all suffered the unpleasant sensation of pain, whether it’s caused by the intense throbbing of a stubbed toe or through deep emotional anguish. During years training as an elite artistic gymnast, I’ve experienced my fair share – after one awkward vault-landing my joints twanged and my back wailed. For seasons, I battled with […]

A dollop of science, a dash of comedy and a sprinkling of celebrities are a recipe for success…

Karin Valencia is a PhD student in Imperial’s DNA Topology research group. The term ‘DNA structure’ may bring to mind any number of things, from the television drama CSI to the famous double helix. Perhaps less familiar are the ‘higher-order’ structural features of DNA, namely knots. DNA in nature can be found to be ‘knotted’ […]

Liger and male handler The battle of the sexes is as old as time itself. George Gilder commented that “differences between sexes are one of the most single important facts of human society”. These differences are also one of the most important foundations for human existence. Evolution has gradually crafted us from the humblest of […]

Stop-motion genetic modification! Credit to Pen Hill, Lucy van Dorp, Sam Cavenagh, Vanna Barber and Luis Mulet Planelles. More > Got a taste for stop-motion science? Check out Edible CERN!

Welcome to The Dog & Pony Show! Let’s talk about cats. Not all cats are created equal. A couple of days ago, the BBC posted an article about a pair of polydactyl kittens. (If you’re wildly picturing a chimera of cat and pterosaur, you’ve headed off in the wrong direction. Come back.) Polydactyly is an […]

  There may be plenty of fish in the sea but the medaka knows what it likes. A single gene mutation that causes the Japanese Killifish to be born a drab grey colour has proved to be a turn-off to members of the opposite sex. By over-expressing the ‘ginger gene’ in the medaka ‘super attractive’ bright […]

One of the most common questions an expectant parent is likely to be asked is ‘so…do you want a boy or a girl?’ to which the answer, whether true or not, is often ‘we don’t care as long as it has ten fingers and ten toes’. Although this answer clearly means that all they wish […]