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.
The Next Curie
July 06, 2009
The most inspirational female scientist is Marie Curie, according to a poll conducted by the New Scientist and L'Oréal. Curie received a quarter of the votes, coming in ahead of Rosalind Franklin who received 14.2 percent of the votes. According to Scientific Blogging, the vote coincided with the announcement of the 2009 winners of the L'Oréal UNESCO UK and Ireland For Women In Science Fellowships, who are the University of Oxford's Nathalie Seddon, the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute's Elizabeth Murchison, Oxford's Jennifer Bizley, and University College London's Patricia Alireza.
