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Survey Highlights Prenatal Testing Perspectives

Researchers reporting in the Frontiers in Genetics explore patient attitudes regarding cell-free DNA-based non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for typical fetal chromosomal anomalies and expanded NIPT screening for broader chromosomal alteration set. The team, which included investigators from Laval University, Illumina, and Laval's University Hospital of Quebec, analyzed survey data for 200 general-risk participants. Their responses suggest some 88 percent of individuals wanted as much fetal health-related information as possible, for example, while more than 80 percent sought fetal genetic insights with infant health effects and 71 percent reported an interest in receiving common trisomy information via NIPT. "In summary, our findings suggest that with appropriate pre-test counseling, pregnant patients may choose NIPT for an expanding list of conditions," the authors note, adding that "patients should be made aware of both the benefits and limitations of expanded NIPT and the potential for discordant results."

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.