gene called SRY that determines maleness by triggering the development of testes and making male hormones.Professor Graves mentioned two species – a rat in Japan and a type of mole vole - that don’t have a Y chromosome or SRY gene, but that are still

, the condition can lead to convulsions, kidney failure and serious liver problems."If this is a gene responsible for pre-eclampsia in some families then it would be a nice genetic test," said study leader Dr Raghu Kalluri. The team are now planning a large

In gene therapy, a healthy copy of a faulty gene is put into the body to correct the defect and Dr Simon Waddington, from University College London, said his team had been investigating how such therapies could be delivered in the womb. Researchers

preimplantation diagnosis (PGD).Many women who test positive for the gene have their breasts surgically removed to avoid the disease.Only one other woman – an Israeli mother-to-be – is thought to have become pregnant after undergoing the embryo screening

fertility.The test follows the discovery of a gene called Fragile X, which indicates the rate at which a woman's egg supply diminishes over time. Women are born with a limited amount of immature eggs, only a small proportion of which turn into mature eggs. A

Boys are genetically programmed to play with cars and balls rather than dolls, say American scientists.The tests, involving 30 children - 17 boys and 13 girls - suggest biological differences dictate the toys children enjoy playing with rather than

Men with the highest IQ also have the healthiest sperm, according to an evolutionary psychologist, reports the Telegraph. The qualities of being smart and funny may have evolved to become signals to women looking for a partner with healthy genes

A team from the Institute of Psychiatry analysed data from 425 former US soldiers who served during the Vietnam war era. They found that those who performed better on intelligence tests tended to have more - and more mobile - sperm. The study

A drug used to treat cancer can stop contractions and may prevent premature labour. Researchers at Newcastle University tested the drug Trichostatin A on tissue taken from women undergoing a caesarean. The drug works by increasing the levels of a

Tests on rats showed those born to mothers fed a high-fat diet had many more brain cells specialised to produce appetite-stimulating proteins.The Rockefeller University team say the finding may help explain why obesity rates have soared in recent