Science for all | What are Hox genes?

This article forms a part of the Science for All newsletter that takes the jargon out of science and puts the fun in! In the gestational stage, Hox genes act as architects, and direct the roadmap for where cells go along the axis, as well as what body parts they make up. These factors make them unique but difficult to study with conventional gene editing techniques without affecting neighbouring Hox genes. Researchers at New York University recently created artificial Hox genes, which plan and direct where cells go to develop into tissues or organs, using new synthetic DNA technology and genomic engineering in stem cells. The creation of synthetic DNA and artificial Hox genes paves the way for future research on animal development and human diseases.