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.
Minding the Gate
November 04, 2009
In an open letter to physicians, brought on by an email exchange with Steve Murphy, regarding direct-to-consumer genomics and personalized medicine, blogger William Gunn says that many laws regarding regulation of medical tests were written when people didn't want to see raw data and when tests weren't so accurate. Now, Gunn writes, "People neither want nor need a gatekeeper now. It's not about self-treatment, it's about empowerment." He urges the medical community to "in your advocacy of personalized medicine, abandon the paternalistic model."
In his own post, Murphy writes that he agrees with much of Gunn's letter, though, he hopes that empowered and motivated patients rely on their physicians rather than genetic testing companies.
