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.
DNA Rules in the Courtroom
May 14, 2007
Governor Spitzer is proposing a bill that would expand the state's DNA criminal database to include DNA taken from anyone found guilty of a misdemenaor. New York is one of only a few states to have such a database in place. The bill could make it easier to both convict the guilty and free the innocent, but it could also push the boundaries of privacy.
