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.
Save Our Funding
October 12, 2009
Two articles from the UK's Guardian highlight increasing tension between funding for basic research and a focus on science with short-term financial impact. According to this story, a group called Scientists for Global Responsibility published a report saying that British "government policy has 'driven a corporate agenda into the heart of universities,' undermining their openness and independence," the article says.
In this article, newly minted Nobel laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan said that plans to shift funding away from basic research are a "huge mistake." The story quotes him as saying, "There is a lot of focus now on trying to get very quick pay-offs in research. It is a huge mistake. Basic science has paid off far more than any directed research."
