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.
At the Very Least, You Could Send a Thank-You E-card
July 23, 2008
Over at Open Access News, Peter Suber notes the launch of Molecular Biology Databases, which he describes as "a website to evaluate the openness of databases in molecular biology." Developed by Shirley Fung through Science Commons, the goal is to analyze the interfaces of biological databases to assess their compatibility with open access goals. Suber writes, "This is a very time-consuming but useful job. Everyone in molecular biology should be grateful, especially if the project leads to more consistent policies on open data across the field."
