Sequencing and Analysis of the Hydra Genome
Chapman, Kirkness et al., Nature
An international research collaboration reports their sequencing and analysis of the Hydra magnipapillata genome, and compare it to the genomes of several other organisms. "The Hydra genome has been shaped by bursts of transposable element expansion, horizontal gene transfer, trans-splicing, and simplification of gene structure and gene content that parallel simplification of the Hydra life cycle," the authors write. They team suggests that comparisons of the Hydra genome to the reported sequences of other animals have helped them to elucidate the evolution of several of the organism's characteristics.
Cancer Run-Down
July 01, 2009
The cancer labs of Elizabeth Blackburn, Chad Mirkin, and Elaine Mardis and Rick Wilson get shout-outs in three US News & World Report articles. Blackburn is looking to exploit cancer cells' use of telomerase to engineer a way to kill the cells; she is also intrigued by lifestyle influences, such as exercise and nutrition, on telomerase levels. Mirkin's lab has developed nanoparticles that change color when they come in contact with certain proteins, such as ones associated with heart attack or prostate cancer. Finally, Mardis and Wilson are planning to sequence 150 cancer patients, focusing on people with leukemia, breast cancer, and lung cancers with the hope of finding what makes the tumors different so that tailored treatments can then be developed.
