Evidence that C. elegans and mammals use homologous versions of the same protein (RIG-1) to activate antiviral defense mechanisms suggests that RIG-1 may have a conserved role in coupling virus recognition to virus destruction.

Mechanisms that enable wild mice to survive infection with strains of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite virulent enough to kill laboratory mice offer an explanation for how these parasites have been able to persist in the mouse population.

A comprehensive and genome-wide description of the genomic make-up and frequency of meiotic recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana reveals regional preferences, including nucleosome-free regions, and two associated recombination motifs.

Multiple replicated examples of epistasis affecting gene expression in humans are identified, some explaining a substantial proportion of the variation in expression.

Rapid acquisition of chromosome rearrangements, together with independently acting transmission distorter alleles on each chromosome, drive near complete sterility in fission yeast hybrids.

Identifying 1,907 mitochondrial somatic mutations from 1,675 tumor tissues provides new insights into the causes and effects of the mitochondrial genome mutations found in human cancers.

RNA sequencing of individuals within a wild baboon population reveals extensive power to detect functional regulatory variation, and suggests that the set of genes affected by such variation may be conserved across species.

Environmental heterogeneity may contribute to the high levels of genetic variation in glucosinolate genes found in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Studies of the house mouse Mus musculus have provided important insights into mammalian biology, and efforts to study wild house mice and to create new inbred strains from wild populations have the potential to increase its usefulness as a model system.

In humans, non-crossover gene conversion events transmit GC alleles in 68% of cases and exhibit a complex pattern of multiple disconnected tracts clustered within 20–30 kilobase intervals.