Logo

Step 1: Make Sure It's Really Genetic

Dec 20, 2007

Sandra Porter has a blog post that starts a series using Huntington's disease as a way to look at the key steps of researching a genetic disease. Porter recounts how she first learned about the disease, and the initial research phases -- reviewing the literature, tracking the gene of interest, and looking at model organisms, among others. It's a good primer for anyone getting into a genetic disease project, and Porter promises more to come with future installments in her series.

 

Breaking News
The Scan

Pig Organ Transplants Considered

The Wall Street Journal reports that the US Food and Drug Administration may soon allow clinical trials that involve transplanting pig organs into humans.

'Poo-Bank' Proposal

Harvard Medical School researchers suggest people should bank stool samples when they are young to transplant when they later develop age-related diseases.

Spurred to Develop Again

New Scientist reports that researchers may have uncovered why about 60 percent of in vitro fertilization embryos stop developing.

Science Papers Examine Breast Milk Cell Populations, Cerebral Cortex Cellular Diversity, Micronesia Population History

In Science this week: unique cell populations found within breast milk, 100 transcriptionally distinct cell populations uncovered in the cerebral cortex, and more.