New research is shining a light on one of genetics' enduring puzzles—how the workings of the so-called "selfish gene" could be harnessed to control harmful insect populations. By understanding the ...

The collaboration between the labs of Associate Investigators SaraH Zanders, Ph.D., and Randal Halfmann, Ph.D., investigated these selfish genes in fission yeast, a single-celled organism and powerful ...

Selfish genes operate by "driving" or favoring their own transmission during reproduction. The most extreme class, called killer meiotic drivers, create toxic proteins that destroy reproductive ...