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."
Q&A: Researchers Assess the Role of Amplicon Length in qPCR-based Detection of Cell-Free Fetal DNA
Sinuhe Hahn of University Women's Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, and colleagues developed a "short amplicon" real-time qPCR assay to determine the role of amplicon length in detecting cell-free fetal DNA.
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