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Unfortunately, This Isn't a 24-Hour Bug

Nov 20, 2008

In work published this week in PNAS, scientists used pyrosequencing data to find that corals can get herpes-like viral infections that are made worse by stress. In the study, they used 454 sequencing and real-time PCR across coral samples and found that Porites compressa harbor several eukaryotic viruses, many related to Herpesviridae, and that in response to stressors like increased temperature, more acidic pH, and elevated nutrients, the "viral consortium" shifted.

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The Scan

Genome Sequences Reveal Range Mutations in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers in Nature Genetics detect somatic mutation variation across iPSCs generated from blood or skin fibroblast cell sources, along with selection for BCOR gene mutations.

Researchers Reprogram Plant Roots With Synthetic Genetic Circuit Strategy

Root gene expression was altered with the help of genetic circuits built around a series of synthetic transcriptional regulators in the Nicotiana benthamiana plant in a Science paper.

Infectious Disease Tracking Study Compares Genome Sequencing Approaches

Researchers in BMC Genomics see advantages for capture-based Illumina sequencing and amplicon-based sequencing on the Nanopore instrument, depending on the situation or samples available.

LINE-1 Linked to Premature Aging Conditions

Researchers report in Science Translational Medicine that the accumulation of LINE-1 RNA contributes to premature aging conditions and that symptoms can be improved by targeting them.