Human Genetic Variation Alters Anthrax Toxin Sensitivity
Martchenko, Candille et al., PNAS
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine show that genetic variation affecting capillary morphogenesis gene 2, or CMG2, dramatically alters toxin sensitivity in humans. In its analysis, the team reports on "a CMG2 single-nucleotide polymorphism occurring frequently in African and European populations [that they found] independently altered toxin uptake." The group goes on to suggest "testing of genomically characterized human cell populations may offer a broadly useful strategy for elucidating effects of genetic variation on infectious disease susceptibility."
Rationale Not to Use in Life: If It's Pretty, It Must Be Right
October 14, 2007
It's not exactly breaking news, but this post at the Evilutionary Biologist blog has an interesting take on what happened in the science of DNA structure immediately after Watson and Crick published their now-famous model. "The race was on to empirically demonstrate its correctness because, in fact, Watson and Crick's model had precious little going for it other than the fact that it was so damned pretty," writes John Denney. He chronicles the work of Matt Meselson and Frank Stahl, who used E. coli in their creative efforts to prove the model.