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Image: Fritz Goro/Pond5 Images/IMAGOImage: Fritz Goro/Pond5 Images/IMAGO

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

It's said that DNA makes us who and what we are. More specifically, DNA is a sequence of genes which provides instructions, or code, that allow us to produce proteins, which are essential to the way we function and live.

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All Content on this topic

Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus

Columbus stays Italian until Spanish scientists publish data

Scientists want to see data on sensational claims made in a Spanish documentary before the history books get rewritten.

Illustration Coronavirus

Illustration Coronavirus

AI research uncovers 160,000 new RNA viruses

AI algorthim helps identify a treasure trove of viruses from environments across the planet. Few are harmful.

Kogelbay Rugged Coast Line with spectacular mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Kogelbay Rugged Coast Line with spectacular mountains, Western Cape Province, South Africa

Oldest human DNA from South Africa decoded

Study found that 10,000-year-old human genome is genetically similar to ethnic groups currently living in South Africa.

A woman using voice recognition on smart phone in a park

A woman using voice recognition on smart phone in a park

No cancer danger from mobile phones, research concludes

Mobile phones are not linked to increased risk of brain cancer, according to a review of 28 years of research.

Illustration of DNA structure, a hand holding tweezers, removing or replacing a section of the genetic sequence

Illustration of DNA structure, a hand holding tweezers, removing or replacing a section of the genetic sequence

Closing the genomics gap: How to improve Indigenous health

Researchers are learning about gene variations in Latin America's Indigenous communities to improve medical treatments.

Primeval, disk-like animals swimming in water above beds of algae, artist's impression

Primeval, disk-like animals swimming in water above beds of algae, artist's impression

Did life on Earth begin earlier than we think?

New research suggests complex life on Earth began much earlier than thought. We review the top origin-of-life theories.

USB-C-Stecker

USB-C-Stecker

How long can data be stored?

Using synthetic DNA to store data.

An illustration of a needle inside a cell, symbolizing CRISPR gene editing

An illustration of a needle inside a cell, symbolizing CRISPR gene editing

Gene therapy trials treat inherited blindness and deafness

Two separate gene therapy trials have restored vision and hearing in people born with congenital blindness or deafness.

Doku YT Plan KW 03 | Mein Essen und ich - Personalisierte Ernährung

Doku YT Plan KW 03 | Mein Essen und ich - Personalisierte Ernährung

Diet for your body type - Personalized nutrition

Carbohydrates, fats, proteins. Each person is different, and every body utilizes food in a different way.

A man sits on a burnt tree on the island of Maui with his head in his hands

A man sits on a burnt tree on the island of Maui with his head in his hands

Forensics: identifying the dead in disaster or war zones

After natural disasters like in Libya or Hawaii, the dead can often only be identified with DNA samples or fingerprints.

A skull that was part of von Luschan's collection

A skull that was part of von Luschan's collection

Germany DNA study links colonial skulls to living relatives

A genetic match of colonial-era skulls from East Africa with descendants paves the way for the remains to be returned.

A lateral flow test.

A lateral flow test.

New HPV test crucial step for eradicating cervical cancer

A new affordable, point-of-care HPV test could be a major step towards eradicating cervical cancer.

3D-rendering of DNA

3D-rendering of DNA

The Human Genome: Global DNA data gets diversity bump

Scientists say they have added DNA diversity to our understanding of human genetics with new ‘pangenome’ data.

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

DW Tomorrow Today Sendungslogo Composite

Tomorrow Today - The Science Magazine

Should we revive extinct species? In Switzerland, they're trying to catch lightning with lasers. And droplet research.

Rosalind Franklin looking into a microscope

Rosalind Franklin looking into a microscope

Meet Rosalind Franklin and six other overlooked female scientists

Rosalind Franklin discovered our DNA’s double helix shape but didn’t get the credit. Her story isn't uncommon.

An illustration of a DNA

An illustration of a DNA

Medieval Swahilis had mixed Asian and African roots — study

The genetic findings have revealed the complex ancestry and cosmopolitan nature of the medieval Swahili people.

A lock of Ludwig van Beethoven is presented at the Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany, that were used to sequence the genome of the world famous composer .

A lock of Ludwig van Beethoven is presented at the Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany, that were used to sequence the genome of the world famous composer .

DNA from Beethoven's hair yields clues to what made him ill

Researchers have sequenced Beethoven's genome to shed light on the mystery of the composer's fragile health.

A portrait painting of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler

A portrait painting of Ludwig van Beethoven by Joseph Karl Stieler

Beethoven: Locks of hair give new clues on composer's health

Researchers have managed to pull strands of DNA from Beethoven's hair, finding a genetic disposition to liver disease.

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[No title]

Weekly roundup — Something unique & beautiful

How much of your character was formed when you were born? And also, art and literature, once the realm of humans, isn't.

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[No title]

The genetic basis of your personality

Could we scan someone's DNA and figure what kind of person they are?

Modell Neandertaler

Modell Neandertaler

The small cave life of a Neanderthal community

A new study by recent Nobel Prize winner Svante Pääbo uses one of the largest samples of Neanderthal DNA ever sequenced

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[No title]

Weekly roundup — Let's make a baby

If embryos can be made without eggs or sperm... what are they made of? (And a quick life hack to make you feel better.)

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The future of pregnancy

If two women were left on earth, could they manage to have a baby? And how about two men?

Steinzeit Krimi WDR

Steinzeit Krimi WDR

Solving a Stone Age whodunnit

Researchers are using modern methods and tools to solve a brutal crime from the Stone Age.

Illustration of human sperm

Illustration of human sperm

Life and ethics in an 'era of genetics'

The promise of genetics is huge: From cloning dead animals to securing our survival on Earth. But what of the ethics?

CRISPR/Cas-Methode

CRISPR/Cas-Methode

Ethics and Gene Technology

With today's genetic engineering, living creatures can be custom modified in all kinds of ways.

Need for diversity in genome sequencing

A majority of the DNA sequenced for research comes from donors of European ancestry, resulting in a knowledge gap.

Struktur der DNA Doppelhelix

Struktur der DNA Doppelhelix

Ancestral research using DNA

Just how reliable are DNA ancestral research websites - and should we trust them?

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

Tomorrow Today -- The Science Show

DNA ancestral research. Storing German history. Germany's steel sector moving from coal to hydrogen.

Wissenschaft DNA Doppel-Helix

Wissenschaft DNA Doppel-Helix

Can our DNA change?

Esomchukwu Ezeamaku in Nigeria asks: Can our DNA change?

Generic image illustrating a person's DNA in letters in green on a computer screen, with an "error" code in red

Generic image illustrating a person's DNA in letters in green on a computer screen, with an "error" code in red

Who's responsible for your genes?

We inherit genes like it's a lottery — luck. And we're still learning about genetics and what to do with the science.

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

DW Projekt Zukunft Sendungslogo Englisch (Tomorrow Today)

Tomorrow Today - The Science Magazine

A llama, a choir and coronavirus research. Plus: how scientists recreate faces from DNA

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

DW Podcast | Science Unscripted

New kid on the block

With many vaccines in development, mRNA or DNA vaccines offer some promising benefits.

A Covid-19 vaccine test volunteer receives an injection at a clinic in South Africa

A Covid-19 vaccine test volunteer receives an injection at a clinic in South Africa

What's the science on DNA and RNA vaccines?

Some candidate vaccines for COVID-19 use the virus' own DNA. They may be safer and cheaper than conventional vaccines.

DW FUG Fit und gesund Sendungslogo englisch (In Good Shape)

DW FUG Fit und gesund Sendungslogo englisch (In Good Shape)

In Good Shape - Genetic Testing

Genetic tests can help predict whether our DNA comes with an increased risk of certain diseases.

A laboratory assistant taking a sample before the background of a model DNA double helix

A laboratory assistant taking a sample before the background of a model DNA double helix

Craig Venter: 20 years of decoding the human genome

The human genome was 99% decoded two decades ago. Where has it gotten us since then?

Blood extraction for a biopsy

Blood extraction for a biopsy

Blood test detects more than 50 types of cancer

The test can identify some particularly dangerous tumors at an early stage of development.

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence

Looking for evidence

Cyborgs are real, and we'd love to introduce you to them.

Thousands years old 'chewing gum' birch tar

Thousands years old 'chewing gum' birch tar

Stone-Age 'chewing gum' reveals human DNA

A lump of gum has revealed a dark-skinned, blue-eyed, hunter-gatherer girl who inhabited Scandinavia millennia ago.

A DNA model of the double helix

A DNA model of the double helix

Prime Editing: More precise genetic scissors?

Prime Editing takes a different approach to snipping DNA. The result: fewer errors and improved safety.

Film Nessie, das verrückteste Monster der Welt

Film Nessie, das verrückteste Monster der Welt

Scotland's Loch Ness monster 'could be giant eel'

An international team of scientists have extracted DNA from the waters of the loch and have come to a new revelation.

DNA model

DNA model

Unlocking violent crime through epigenetics

Violent people are often the product of violent surroundings. But genetics can play a role, too.

The Altai Krai mountains in Siberia

The Altai Krai mountains in Siberia

Mom was a Neanderthal, but dad was a Denisovan

The discovery is the only known direct offspring with parents from Neanderthal and Denisovan species groups.

Afrikanischer Elefant lange Stoßzähne

Afrikanischer Elefant lange Stoßzähne

'Zombie gene' protects elephants from cancer

Elephants die of cancer much less often than humans of the same age. The reason: a revived special sleeping gene.

Loch Ness Nessie

Loch Ness Nessie

Scientist searches for Loch Ness monster DNA

A New Zealand scientist is using the latest DNA detection methods to search for the famed Scottish creature.

Headache

Headache

Your life, your health

How alcohol causes cancer, HIV in the 'Golden Triangle,' a refugee's true age, and does your phone know if you're sick?

Biohacking Toplab Berlin

Biohacking Toplab Berlin

Genetic engineering from your garage

They do research in kitchens and in garages. Their creations range from water filters to genetically modified organisms.

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The world's smallest copy of the Mona Lisa out of DNA

Scientists at the California Institute of Technology have built the world's smallest copy of the Mona Lisa out of DNA. The sides measure just one micrometer. To build it, they used the DNA origami method.

A fibrin sheet used at the Bergmannsheil university clinic in Bochum

A fibrin sheet used at the Bergmannsheil university clinic in Bochum

Gene therapy saves 'butterfly' child's life

Doctors have managed to save the life of a boy suffering from a genetic defect by transplanting repaired skin cells.

Eco@Africa

Eco@Africa

Germany's wood detectives

Is that table really mahogany and was it legally logged? Germany's wood detectives are on the case.