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Genomes in the Cloud

Advocacy group Autism Speaks is working with Google to sequence the genomes of 10,000 people on the autism spectrum and their family members, Wired reports.

"We believe that the clues to understanding autism lie in that genome," Rob Ring, the chief science officer at Autism Speaks, tells Wired. "We'd like to leverage the same kind of technology and approach to searching the internet every day to search into the genome for these missing answers."

Google will store and index the data on its Cloud Platform, where scientists will be able to access it to study. Wired adds that the project will also make use of Google Genomics, a tool the company launched earlier this year to help researchers search through genomic information.

Autism Speaks' Liz Feld adds that genomic analysis will help researchers and clinicians better understand the various autism spectrum disorders as well as develop tailored treatments.

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.