Autism and ADHD Have Shared Genetic Origins
Childhood neurodevelopmental disorders have now been shown to possess shared genetic roots. A study published in Nature Neuroscience has identified a new risk variant in the MAP1A gene for autism and ADHD.
Research
New Mars Rover to Look for Fossilised Alien Life
An exploratory project to find fossil microbes on the Red Planet has been proposed between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The possibility of finding alien life has long been an alluring concept for many and this new scheme intends to bring Martian soil to Earth for intensive study.
Suicidal Mitochondria Could be the Cause of Multiple Neurogenerative Diseases
Self-destructing mitochondria could be the initiation step for a range of neurogenerative diseases, new research shows. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been observed in the early stages of ALS, a neurogenerative disease that affects voluntary muscle movement. The symptoms of ALS are caused by the disintegration of the upper motor neurons of the brain, which is often […]
Research Highlights from the Genomics England Conference
We earlier highlighted the most important takeaways from the Genomics England Research Conference, including how the UK will work to build on its status as a world leader in genomics. We also wanted to put a spotlight on the exciting research that is using the data from the 100,000 Genomes Project. Here are Front Line […]
Registration for the Festival of Genomics 2020 Now Open
Returning for its 5th consecutive year, the 2020 Festival promises to be a unique experience, a crossroads for the entire genomics ecosystem to discover, meet, learn, have fun and celebrate. It is the largest genomics event in the UK and the fastest growing genomics event in the world. The Festival delivers incredible talks, speakers, cutting-edge content, inspirational topics, […]
How diversity in genetic research can save lives
Our guest contributor Dr Neil Lamb continues his fortnighty Shareable Science Blog. Neil is the Vice President for Educational Outreach at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Shareable Science will explore how genetics is relevant to people in their everyday lives. In many ways, genetics boils down to a study of diversity. Humans share more […]
The Genetics of Suicidal Behaviour
Suicide is UK’s leading, and silent, cause of death for young people aged 20-34 years. Rona Strawbridge, UKRI Innovation, has used the population genomic data from the UK Biobank in an effort to find the genetic association of psychological condition phenotypes such as depression. She will be discussing her work at the upcoming Festival of Genomics. […]
ATCC Genome Portal Provides Access to Reference-quality Genomes
Manassas, VA – October 1, 2019 – ATCC launched its new ATCC Genome Portal, a publicly available database of reference-quality genome sequences matched to authenticated ATCC biological materials that will help researchers interpret and reproduce their results with confidence. The portal, which launched with an initial 250 genome sequences of widely used bacterial strains, delivers […]
Translating Metastasis Research into New Models and Therapies
Understanding and tackling metastatic cancer is the single biggest opportunity to improve outcomes for the most cancer patients. But it also represents a huge opportunity to (1) improve the development of existing cancer drugs, (2) reverse declining clinical success rates in oncology, (3) drive the development of new therapies, (4) treat more aggressive cancers and […]
Synthetic DNA: An Interview with Michael Kamdar, CEO Molecular Assemblies
Molecular Assemblies recently announced a $12.2M series A financing to advance their enzymatic DNA synthesis technology. We talked to Michael Kamdar, the CEO and president of Molecular Assemblies, to discuss how enzymatic DNA synthesis could revolutionise biotechnology. FLG: Can you introduce Molecular Assemblies? MK: Molecular Assemblies is a synthetic biology company founded in 2013, and […]
HDRUK to Launch Seven New Data Research Hubs
Health Data Research UK (HDRUK) is launching pioneering data research centres to enable cutting-edge research and innovation to benefit UK patients Seven new data hubs to be rolled out across the UK to speed up research for new medicines, treatments, and technologies that support quicker diagnoses and save lives The hubs will use the latest […]
UK Government Launches World’s Largest Genetics Project to Tackle Deadly Diseases
A new ground-breaking project in the fight against life-threatening illnesses has launched today. The £200 million whole genome sequencing project is being created, forming a partnership of pharmaceutical firms and health experts which will examine and sequence the genetic code of 500,000 volunteers at the UK Biobank, based in Stockport. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: […]
Outbreak Proximity Sways Anti-Vaxxers
There has been a recent rise in measles outbreaks worldwide, despite it being an entirely preventable disease with an effective vaccination. Countries including the UK and Greece were recently stripped of their measles free status by the World Health Organisation for their failure to contain the outbreaks. The growing suspicion around the safety of vaccines […]
Shareable Science: The Genetics of the Impossible Burger
We are delighted to introduce our new guest contributor Dr Neil Lamb, who’s Shareable Science blog will be a fortnightly feature on the website. Neil is the Vice President for Educational Outreach at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Shareable Science will explore how genetics is relevant to people in their everyday lives. The Impossible […]
Genetic Basis for Being Left Handed Identified
Being left-handed could be down to differences in brain architecture, a new study has shown. Only 10% of the population are left-handed, as has been the case for thousands of years, but previous studies have struggled to identify the reasons behind this. Using data from the UK Biobank, the genomes of 400,000 people, including 38,332 […]
