Resources

Discovery of genetic variants that protect against obesity and type 2 diabetes could lead to new weight loss medicines April 18, 2019
Scientists have known for several years that genes can influence a person’s weight. One of the genes that is known to play a key role in regulating weight is MC4R, which codes for the melanocortin 4 receptor. This receptor acts like a switch in the brain to suppress appetite. People who have genetic variants that […]
Butterflies are genetically wired to choose a mate that looks just like them February 8, 2019
A team of academics from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, observed the courtship rituals and sequenced the DNA from nearly 300 butterflies to find out how much of the genome was responsible for their mating behaviour. The research, published in PLOS Biology, is one of […]
Slim people have a genetic advantage when it comes to maintaining their weight January 24, 2019
More than six in ten adults in the UK are overweight, and one in four adults is obese. By age five, almost one in four children is either overweight or obese. Excess weight increases the risk of related health problems including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. While it is well known that changes in […]