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Are Those Genes For Real?

In DNA sequencing, many genes are actually predicted by algorithms but never functionally confirmed. Results from two studies "suggest there's a considerable rate of error creeping into experiments that rely on the gene sequences that are predicted by current algorithms," says a post at Ars Technica. In one published in August in BMC Bioinformatics scientists used a software called MisPred, which scanned protein domains to find unlikely matchups and therefore questionable genes. In another study in PLoS, researchers isolated all the proteins from Arabidopsis cells and mapped the fragments back to the genome. They found that more than 18,000 were from sequences outside known genes, and they identified nearly 800 new genes and corrected for errors in another 700 predicted genes.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.