#Genetics

A wave of new research is overturning long-held beliefs about the power of parenting in shaping who we become as adults, with renowned psychologist Michael W. Eysenck’s latest book, “Rethinking Psychology: Finding Meaning in Misconceptions,” spotlighting the ways genetics, more than parenting styles, influence adult personalities. The findings, detailed in a recent report by the Times of India, are likely to spark important conversations in Thai families and among educators who have long assumed nurturing—rather than nature—was the primary driver of children’s lifelong temperaments and mental health Times of India.

Genetics has delivered a powerful verdict in the ongoing discussion about “race”: there is no meaningful biological basis for racial categories, even as their social significance continues to impact lives worldwide. This scientific clarity comes at a time when political and cultural debates, such as recent US presidential orders attacking museum exhibitions that deny race is a biological reality, reignite age-old controversies. For Thai readers navigating conversations on ethnicity, heritage, and health, understanding what genetics truly reveals about human difference is more important than ever.

In a scientific renaissance reshaping our understanding of human sensation, new research led by David Ginty at Harvard Medical School is illuminating the breathtaking intricacies of touch—the first sense we develop and the most complex in both scope and impact on our lives. Recent findings, highlighted in a striking feature from Quanta Magazine, reveal how a rich tapestry of specialized cellular sensors underpins our ability to perceive everything from a lover’s gentle kiss to the prick of a thorn, and show that faulty touch processing may hold the key to conditions like chronic pain and autism (Quanta Magazine).

A groundbreaking study led by Dr. Tianhu Sun of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) aims to tackle one of the world’s most pervasive but invisible health issues: vitamin deficiencies. Armed with a $450,000 grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Dr. Sun and his team are harnessing advanced genetic tools — including machine learning and high-throughput robotic screening — to enhance the vitamin content of staple crop seeds, starting with soybeans. This innovative approach promises realistic, sustainable solutions for improving the nutrient profile of everyday foods worldwide, a change that could echo meaningfully in Thailand and beyond (SciTechDaily).

In a remarkable scientific breakthrough, researchers from the UK and Israel have finally unveiled a new blood group system after decades of investigation. This discovery, sparked by a puzzling case from 1972, has revealed the existence of the MAL blood group, potentially transforming how certain rare patients are treated — an achievement characterized by National Health Service hematologist Louise Tilley as “a huge achievement, and the culmination of a long team effort.”

Recent groundbreaking research from UCLA Health reveals that puberty triggers significant changes in brain connectivity, which may help explain why some children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a rare genetic disorder, are at an increased risk for developing neuropsychiatric conditions like autism and schizophrenia. The findings, published in Science Advances, provide new insights into the biological mechanisms underlying these complex conditions, offering hope for future interventions.

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is caused by missing DNA on chromosome 22 and is known to be associated with a higher risk of autism and schizophrenia. Researchers from both UCLA and the Italian Institute of Technology utilized functional brain imaging on both humans and genetically modified mice to explore how this genetic anomaly affects neurodevelopment. They observed that certain brain regions involved in social skills and autism were hyperconnected before puberty and shifted to being under-connected post-puberty. These changes were linked to synaptic activity, with significant implications for affected individuals.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature has developed the largest and most detailed single-cell map of how the brain ages, revealing which cell types and regions are most susceptible to changes over time. Conducted by researchers at the Allen Institute for Brain Science, the study mapped over 1.2 million brain cells from both young and older mice, uncovering key vulnerabilities in the hypothalamus—a region crucial for regulating hunger, hormones, and energy balance source.

A groundbreaking discovery has emerged from recent research led by the German Primate Center and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, highlighting the influence of two human-specific genes on brain development. This research, published on March 27, 2025, unveils how these genes uniquely contribute to the evolution of the human cerebrum, underscoring its unparalleled complexity in the animal kingdom.

The study illuminates the synergistic role these genes play: one gene induces the multiplication of brain progenitor cells, while the other facilitates their transformation into distinct progenitor cells destined to develop into neurons. This finely tuned mechanism is hypothesized to be a pivotal element in the evolutionary trajectory that has led to the exceptionally sophisticated human brain.