A new view of life. The problem with defining “life” has bedeviled biology throughout its history, and still there is no agreed resolution. But one…

A ‘lobby’ where a molecule mob tells genes what to do. Highly repetitive regions of junk DNA may be the key to a newly discovered…

Revolutionary genetics research shows RNA may rule our genome. Scientists have recently discovered thousands of active RNA molecules that can control the human body. Thomas…

Embryo Models’ Challenge Legal, Ethical and Biological Concepts. In April, researchers in China reported that they had initiated pregnancies in monkeys through a procedure seemingly…

Causal spreading and the biological principles of metazoan complexity. What distinguishes the elephant from E. coli. Jacques Monod famously said that ‘What is true for E….

Cells Form Into ‘Xenobots’ on Their Own. Embryonic cells can self-assemble into new living forms that don’t resemble the bodies they usually generate, challenging old…

Biologists Rethink The Logic Behind Cells’ Molecular Signals. The molecular signaling systems of complex cells are nothing like simple electronic circuits. The logic governing their…

Synthetic Morphology Lets Scientists Create New Life-Forms. In the collection of the Peabody Museum at Harvard University reside the mummified remains of a very peculiar…