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 ...

Numerous natural products produced by microorganisms can be utilized as active ingredients to treat illnesses like cancer and infections. Although the microbes' genes contain the blueprints for these ...

In contrast to humans, bacteria have the remarkable ability to exchange genetic material with each other. A well-known example with far-reaching consequences is the transfer of antibiotic resistance ...

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 ...

New research shows that a large, ubiquitous mobile genetic element changes the antagonistic weaponry of Bacteroides fragilis, a common bacterium of the human gut. Bacteria evolve rapidly in the human ...

Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is an important factor in bacterial evolution that can act across species boundaries. Yet, we know little about rate and genomic targets of cross-lineage gene transfer ...

James Chappell, associate professor of biosciences and bioengineering at Rice University. In the microscopic world of bacteria, gene transfer is a powerful mechanism that can alter cellular function, ...

Arpita Bose and Zhecheng Zhang explore genetic tools in environmental microbes, citing applications in extracellular electron transfer ...

A recent study has unveiled how plants and bacteria exchange genes to boost plant health and development. The team discovered 75 genes that were transferred between small, fast-growing plants ...