There are a number of factors that underline the genetic basis of taste. This can be revealed by using the bitter taste test PTC. The exact biological functions of taste buds are still being studied such as the reasons why some people are considered to be supertasters.

Marshall Warren Nirenberg is one of the most famous scientists in genetics. During his work for the National Institutes of Health in the late 1950s and early 1960s he studied the relationship between DNA, RNA, and protein, and helped identify the basis of the genetic code.

Virgin Galactic is poised to begin launching private space flight. Sir Richard Branson is utilizing the basic design of the winner of the X-Prize and developing SpaceShipTwo. The company is currently taking reservations for the first flights and testing the vehicles.

The International Space Station is in the process of growing, both in terms of size and in crew complement. Scheduled to launch in late may, 2009, the full crew size will enlarge to six people. These crew members will oversee future progress of the ISS and help establish the future of the project.

Since ideas about bringing back extinct species were first presented to the public in the late 20th century, a number of researchers and geneticists have endeavored to map the genomes that could make this theory a possibility. One of these species is Neanderthal man.

For a number of years, astronomers and scientists postulated on the possibility of the existence of a tenth planet in the solar system. References to ancient cultures as well as questions about the orbit of gas giants prompted further investigations into the mysterious Planet X.

Since the genetic engineering of plants began in the 1980s, the common form of modifying an organism has been to introduce new genes. However, during the early part of the 21st century, a number of scientists found ways to modify existing genes to create new effects.

The Roslin Institute is a Scottish research lab working primarily on animal sciences and veterinary technology. The most famous experiment it conducted was the cloning of Dolly the Sheep. Roslin continues to explore the parameters of genetic research in a variety of ways.