Flaws emerge in modeling human genetic diseases in animals

Recent studies using CRISPR to fast-track genetic studies into human disease genes appear flawed.

Gage Crump, Professor of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California • conversation
Nov. 10, 2020 • ~8 min

 genetics  crispr  biology  zebrafish  embryology  genetic-diseases

Some bees are born curious while others are more single-minded – new research hints at how the hive picks which flowers to feast on

New research suggests individual bees are born with one of two learning styles – either curious or focused. Their genetic tendency has implications for how the hive works together.

Chelsea Cook, Assistant Professor in Biology, Marquette University • conversation
Oct. 5, 2020 • ~7 min
genetics insects bees biology food colonies communication group-dynamics drones queen-bees information curiosity foraging nectar

How to use precision medicine to personalize COVID-19 treatment according to the patient's genes

Precision medicine is often touted as the future of medicine. But so far, it hasn't been helpful in the war against COVID-19. Here is how it could be used to tease apart the nuances of the disease.

David Finegold, Professor, Department of Human Genetics, Pitt Public Health, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Sept. 1, 2020 • ~8 min
genetics covid-19 pandemic sars-cov-2 precision-medicine

Brain scientists haven't been able to find major differences between women's and men's brains, despite over a century of searching

Attempts to find brain structures responsible for supposed cognitive sex differences have not succeeded.

Ari Berkowitz, Presidential Professor of Biology; Director, Cellular & Behavioral Neurobiology Graduate Program, University of Oklahoma • conversation
Aug. 6, 2020 • ~8 min
genetics brain genes learning intelligence hippocampus human-brain john-stuart-mill sex-differences brain-regions brain-size

ALS scientific breakthrough: Diabetes drug metformin shows promise in mouse study for a common type of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, is a crippling, progressive neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure. Now it seems that a diabetes drug may help some cases.

Laura P.W. Ranum, Director, Center for NeuroGenetics and Kitzman Family Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, University of Florida • conversation
July 20, 2020 • ~10 min

 genetics  brain  neurons  als  mutation  metformin

Coronavirus: its impact cannot be explained away through the prism of race

There's no evidence COVID-19 death rates are related to the genetic differences used to racialise people.

Winston Morgan, Reader in Toxicology and Clinical Biochemistry, Director of Impact and Innovation, University of East London • conversation
May 28, 2020 • ~8 min
genetics covid-19 coronavirus race racism bame ethnic-minorities

Coronavirus: its impact cannot be explained through the prism of race

There's no evidence COVID-19 death rates are related to the genetic differences used to racialise people.

Winston Morgan, Reader in Toxicology and Clinical Biochemistry, Director of Impact and Innovation, University of East London • conversation
May 28, 2020 • ~8 min
genetics covid-19 coronavirus race racism bame ethnic-minorities

Your genes could determine whether the coronavirus puts you in the hospital – and we're starting to unravel which ones matter

Researchers from Oregon Health and Science University found that variations in genes that code for parts of the cellular alarm system might play a role in how well people fight off COVID-19.

Reid Thompson, Assistant Professor of Radiation Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University • conversation
May 5, 2020 • ~6 min
genetics covid-19 coronavirus immune-system biology genes t-cells immune-cells disease viruses research-brief white-blood-cells immune cells computational-biology

Is racism and bigotry in our DNA?

If we are not careful, the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a rise in xenophobic attitudes.

Tom Oliver, Professor of Applied Ecology, University of Reading • conversation
April 2, 2020 • ~16 min

 dna  evolution  genetics  environment  psychology  ecology  lifes-big-questions  racism  bigotry  xenophobia

Labs are experimenting with new – but unproven – methods to create a coronavirus vaccine fast

Under pressure to develop a coronavirus vaccine, researchers have turned to protein synthesis, genetics and hybrid viruses. It is likely a mix of these approaches will be used to fight the coronavirus.

Jean Peccoud, Professor, Abell Chair in Synthetic Biology, Colorado State University • conversation
March 26, 2020 • ~10 min

 dna  genetics  covid-19  coronavirus  rna  vaccines  national-institutes-of-health  sars-cov-2  viruses  coronavirus-vaccine

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