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Nostalgia for a Simpler Time

The past two years, Sandra Porter blogs, have changed how people view the genome, particularly concerning how the genome is assembled and how that information is translated to become proteins. She used to think that structural variations weren't so common, but now there are more structural variations "than we would have ever expected," she writes. Also, the old conventional wisdom said that to get a gene expressed, the DNA of that gene was copied into RNA, and that would be sent to the ribosome to be made into protein with the help of three RNAs. "Now … everywhere you look there's some new kind of RNA with some unknown kind of function," Porter says, adding that new technologies are forcing people to look at the world in a new way.

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.