Genetic biodiversity is rapidly gaining attention in global conservation policy. However, for almost all species, conservation relevant, population-level genetic data are lacking, limiting the extent to which genetic diversity can be used for conservation policy and decision-making. Macrogenetics is an emerging discipline that explores the patterns and processes underlying population genetic composition at broad taxonomic and spatial scales by aggregating and reanalyzing thousands of published genetic datasets. Here we argue that focusing macrogenetic tools on conservation needs, or conservation macrogenetics, will enhance decision-making for conservation practice and fill key data gaps for global policy. Conservation macrogenetics provides an empirical basis for better understanding the complexity and resilience of biological systems and, thus, how anthropogenic drivers and policy decisions affect biodiversity.

Twin and genomic studies indicate that genes play an important role in the development of cognitive ability. However, data limitations have made it difficult to pinpoint specific genes with a large impact. By examining the full gene sequences of >300 000 individuals, Chen et al. find eight such genes.

In aged animals from worms to humans, transcriptional elongation rates are faster, leading to changes in transcript quality and alternative splicing. Recent work by Debès et al. shows how interventions that slow elongation rates, such as mutating RNA polymerase II (Pol II) or increasing nucleosome density to impose transcriptional 'traffic', delay senescence and promote longevity.