"We'll soon be able to combine this information with data at molecular level. And then, who knows? Perhaps we'll be able to identify exactly which genes make the flycatcher a... flycatcher!"  Read more

Plants lack consciousness. They cannot "know", in our sense of the word, that it's time to bloom. A Swedish researcher has found the precise gene that controls plants' flowering, thus solving a mystery that has been baffling biologists ever since the time of Carl Linnaeus. So exactly what is it that makes flowers open?  Read more

As scientists successively reveal the genetic makeup of plants, they are also creating sharper tools for altering parts of the genetic code. What implications does this have? Advances are taking us further and further from what is 'natural'. Can we keep up?  Read more

All living things are related – some more closely than others. You are actually closer to the mushrooms on your plate than to the lettuce! You can see this if you study the amount of difference and similarity in our genes. Just now, biologists are mapping a common family tree for all life on Earth.  Read more

We are human beings. We breathe, we grow, laugh and cry. Biologically we are animals, as Linnaeus realized back in his time. But unlike all other animal species, we can reflect on why we are here. So what exactly is a human being?  Read more

Conifers are the oldest of all the plants that spread by seed. Pine and spruce have been around on Earth much longer than fruit like redcurrants and blackberries. These ancient inhabitants of the planet may well take on a whole new significance in the future. Forest genetics are today becoming a hotter subject than ever before.  Read more