Genetics

Tube-Dwelling Anemone Has Biggest Mitochondrial Genome Ever Sequenced

The banded tube-dwelling anemone (Isarachnanthus nocturnes), a sea creature that resembles a prehistoric flower, now holds the record for the largest mitochondrial genome reported to date: the animal has 80,923 base pairs, compared with humans’ 16,569 base pairs. Isarachnanthus nocturnes. Image credit: Stampar et al, doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42621-z. Mitochondria are double-membraned …

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Chinese Skullcap Genome Sequenced

A team of geneticists from the John Innes Centre and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has produced the first high-quality genomic sequence for the Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis), one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The Chinese skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis). Image credit: Andrey Korzun / CC …

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Researchers Identify 104 High-Risk Genes for Schizophrenia

A research team led by Vanderbilt University scientists has identified a set of high-confidence risk genes for schizophrenia. The team’s results support the view that schizophrenia is a developmental disease, one which potentially can be detected and treated even before the onset of symptoms. Wang et al predicted a set …

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Durum Wheat Genome Sequenced

durum-wheat-genome-sequenced

A multinational team of researchers has successfully sequenced and analyzed the genome of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum), a cereal grain mainly used for pasta production. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum). Image credit: Christine Dautin. Durum wheat was established as a prominent crop roughly 1,500 to 2,000 years …

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Study: Neanderthals, Woolly Mammoths Shared Genetic Traits

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Neanderthals and woolly mammoths (Mammuthus primigenius) co-existed in similar geographic and environmental European settings during the Middle and Upper Pleistocene epochs and both were direct descendants of African ancestors, although both fully evolved and adapted in Europe during the Middle Pleistocene. A new study, published in the journal Human Biology, …

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Scientists Sequence Genomes of English Walnut and Its Wild Relative

A research team led by scientists from the University of California, Davis, has used a unique approach to sequence the genomes of the English walnut (Juglans regia) and its wild North American relative, the little walnut (Juglans microcarpa), by tapping into the capabilities of two state-of-the-art technologies: long-read DNA sequencing …

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Researchers Identify New Gene Regions Associated with Insomnia

Insomnia is a common disorder linked with adverse long-term medical and psychiatric outcomes. It affects 10-20% of adults, and several twin and family studies suggested that about a third of the risk of insomnia is inherited. Now a team of scientists from the University of Exeter and Massachusetts General Hospital …

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How Carbon Nanotubes Can Modify Plant DNA

  Genetically modified plants have existed for many years, but the processes used to make the modifications are surprisingly inefficient. Researchers at the University of California Berkeley have developed a technique that could make plant genetics considerably more precise. Rather than the “spray and pray” approach, scientists might soon be …

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Extremely Rare Sesquizygotic Twins Identified in Australia

Twins are traditionally classified as monozygotic (identical) or dizygotic (fraternal). Monozygotic twinning results in genetically identical individuals, whereas dizygotic twins share approximately 50% of their DNA sequence identity, as do full siblings. Sesquizygosity is a third form of twinship, in which individuals share between 50% and 100% of genetic identity. …

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