Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Mashaal Sohail reflects on a 2011 Nature study by Smillie et al., which analysed human microbiome data to show that microbial ecology, rather than phylogeny or geography, is a key driver of horizontal gene transfer.
Two papers in Nature Biotechnology report spatial transcriptomic methods for the simultaneous capture of host and microbial genes to study host–microorganism interactions.
Aashiq Kachroo highlights a recent paper by van Loggerenberg et al. that demonstrates the experimental power of ‘humanized yeast’ to gain insight into the genetic variants underlying disease.
Segun Fatumo highlights a paper by Mahajan et al. that uses a multi-ancestry genome-wide association studies approach to uncover the genetic underpinnings of type 2 diabetes, emphasizing the importance of incorporating diverse populations in such studies.
Geopolitical instability has prompted renewed discussions on the risks of DNA technology being weaponized in international conflict. With today’s changing security environment, the authors argue that risk assessments must be broadened from genetically targeted weapons to a series of new domains.
Three papers in Nature report on the largest open-access plasma proteomics dataset to date, a valuable resource for understanding human disease and the identification of drug targets.
Li Zhao recalls a 2006 paper by Levine et al. that, by identifying a handful of de novo genes, outlined a potentially universal process of de novo gene birth and propelled forward this field of research.
Legnini et al. report in Nature Methods their new optogenetic method for controlling gene expression in organoids that can be coupled with single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.
Guhlin et al. sequenced the genomes of almost the entire extant population of the critically-endangered kākāpō, revealing genetic variants for fitness-related traits that can inform conservation strategies.
Luis Barreiro highlights a 2007 paper by Tishkoff et al. that identified genetic variants associated with lactose persistence in East African populations, representing one of the first examples of convergent evolution in humans.
In this Comment, Ahmad Abou Tayoun advocates for studies inclusive of historically under-represented populations to ensure equitable global access to genomic newborn screening.
Marnie Blewitt highlights the visionary 1961 paper by Mary Lyon in which she proposed that dosage compensation in female mammals involves X-inactivation and recognized its implications for sex-specific phenotypes in X-linked disorders.
