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.
Somewhere, the Britannica Folks Are Having a Party
March 12, 2007
You're always supposed to take what you read on Wikipedia with a grain of salt, but for this you might need a whole salt block. Word got out recently that a high-ranking contributor on Wiki who claimed to be a tenured professor was instead a 24-year-old college dropout. Wiki founder Jimmy Wales says that a new plan will be implemented allowing contributors to remain anonymous but providing a voluntary option to verify their credentials.
