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It's Likelihood-Free

Researchers led by Imperial College London's Oliver Ratmann developed a new model-based way to use Bayesian inference to study biological network data. In PLoS Computational Biology, they report that their approach uses the Approximate Bayesian Computation, or Likelihood-Free Inference and a MCMC algorithm to ascertain the distribution of the model's parameters. The researchers then used their approach to model gene duplication in Helicobacter pylori and Plasmodium falciparum and found that gene duplication plays more of a role in eukaryotic network evolution than in that of prokaryotes.

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.