Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

This Week in Science: Mar 10, 2017

In this week's Science, researchers from the Synthetic Yeast genome Project — who previously reported constructing a single yeast chromosome — publish seven studies detailing the creation of five more, a major step toward the creation of the first fully synthetic complex organism. The first five studies describe the assembly of yeast chromosomes synII, synV, synVI, synX, and synXII, while a sixth paper describes the procedures and goals of creating a fully synthetic eukaryote genome for baker's yeast. A seventh paper offers a look at the three-dimensional structure of various synthetic chromosomes, including strains with more than one synthetic chromosome. A perspective piece provides context for the work, which could lead to the creation of "designer organisms" that could be used to understand human disease, identify new drug targets, and generate new therapeutics.

The Scan

Foxtail Millet Pangenome, Graph-Based Reference Genome

Researchers in Nature Genetics described their generation of a foxtail millet pangenome, which they say can help in crop trait improvement.

Protein Length Distribution Consistent Across Species

An analysis in Genome Biology compares the lengths of proteins across more than 2,300 species, finding similar length distributions.

Novel Genetic Loci Linked to Insulin Resistance in New Study

A team reports in Nature Genetics that it used glucose challenge test data to home in on candidate genes involved in GLUT4 expression or trafficking.

RNA Editing in Octopuses Seems to Help Acclimation to Shifts in Water Temperature

A paper in Cell reports that octopuses use RNA editing to help them adjust to different water temperatures.