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Copy Number Variation Analysis in the American Mink

A genome-wide copy number variation (CNV) analysis of the American mink (Neogale vison)is presented in BMC Genomics this week, providing insights into a range of biological processes in the animal. The mink is a major source of fur worldwide, and breeding planning is essential for the mink industry to meet sustainable production requirements. To help enable such efforts, scientists from Dalhousie University performed their analysis using whole-genome sequencing data from 100 minks, identifying 5,378 CNV regions (CNVRs) covering 1.9 percent of the mink autosome. The researchers find CNVRs enriched for genes related to natural behavior, lipid metabolism, and immune response, as well as several CNVR that harbor genes related to fur quality. "Overall, the results provide new resources for mink genome analysis, serving as a guideline for future investigations in which genomic structural variations are present," the study's authors write

The Scan

ChatGPT Does As Well As Humans Answering Genetics Questions, Study Finds

Researchers in the European Journal of Human Genetics had ChatGPT answer genetics-related questions, finding it was about 68 percent accurate, but sometimes gave different answers to the same question.

Sequencing Analysis Examines Gene Regulatory Networks of Honeybee Soldier, Forager Brains

Researchers in Nature Ecology & Evolution find gene regulatory network differences between soldiers and foragers, suggesting bees can take on either role.

Analysis of Ashkenazi Jewish Cohort Uncovers New Genetic Loci Linked to Alzheimer's Disease

The study in Alzheimer's & Dementia highlighted known genes, but also novel ones with biological ties to Alzheimer's disease.

Tara Pacific Expedition Project Team Finds High Diversity Within Coral Reef Microbiome

In papers appearing in Nature Communications and elsewhere, the team reports on findings from the two-year excursion examining coral reefs.