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.
Discussing Decode
November 25, 2009
It was a confluence of technology, timing, and the economy that led to Decode Genetics' filing for bankruptcy last, says this Nature News post-mortem. The article also warns that personal genomics companies, like Decode's DecodeMe, may also be in trouble as the "services are not seen as a medical necessity." At his blog, Misha Angrist adds what Daniel MacArthur characterizes as "a very brief but eloquent rant." Angrist says the Nature News article is "still trotting out the same tired tropes." He adds: "Just because something is not a medical necessity, does it follow that it is worthless?"
