Earlier belief that happiness is a genetic trait influenced by early life experiences has been contradicted by new research from Germany. This new study found that feelings of happiness and wellbeing respond to external factors such as healthy lifestyle, religion and working hours. The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The National Institutes of Health will award up to $64 million over five years to encourage exploration of exceptionally innovative and original research ideas that have the potential for extraordinary impact.

DNA methylation - a modification of DNA linked to gene regulation - is altered with increasing severity in a blood cancer called multiple myeloma, according to a study by Mayo Clinic and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

The University of Alaska Fairbanks will study how the genetics and diet of Yup'ik Eskimos affect the blood-thinning properties of a common drug used by heart and stroke patients.

University of Missouri researchers believe they have found a critical piece of the puzzle for the treatment of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) - the leading genetic cause of infantile death in the world. Nearly one in 6,000 births has SMA, and it is estimated that nearly one in 30 to 40 people have the trait that leads to SMA.