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Genomics

All articles tagged with #genomics

Birth-genome screening could reshape early childhood care
public-health5 days ago

Birth-genome screening could reshape early childhood care

Global genomic newborn-screening studies (eg, GUARDIAN, BabyScreen+, BabyDetect) are testing broad sequencing on dried-blood spots to flag treatable conditions not covered by traditional panels. Early results suggest confirmable findings in about 1–3% of infants, with some cases prompting life-saving interventions like bone-marrow transplants and earlier seizure treatment. While promising, researchers and ethicists debate cost, scalability, which genes/conditions to include, how to report results, and the potential for privacy or discrimination, as families’ experiences with counseling and communication vary.

via nature.com|
#genetic-disorders#genomics#newborn-screening
Ancient Asgard Ancestor Traces All Complex Life
biology10 days ago

Ancient Asgard Ancestor Traces All Complex Life

New genomic analyses strengthen the link between all complex life and a common Asgard archaean ancestor, with Hodarchaeales highlighted as a close relative. Scientists infer an anaerobic, hydrogen‑dependent acetogen that lived before the Great Oxidation Event over 2 billion years ago, forming the backbone of the Asgard–eukaryote connection. While subsequent studies and a 2026 correction reinforce this link, the exact branching order within the Asgard lineage remains debated as researchers refine where our branch sits on the tree.

via ZME Science|
#asgard-archaea#biology#eukaryotes
The Age of Fungi Remains an Open Question
science11 days ago

The Age of Fungi Remains an Open Question

Fungi challenge aging conventions because they grow as indeterminate, modular mycelial networks, making it unclear when a fungus begins, ends, or how old it is across species. A Trends in Microbiology paper proposes starting points like genetic tracking, mycelial genomics, and future technologies (e.g., fungi-on-a-chip) to begin measuring fungal age and guide systematic study.

via Gizmodo|
#aging#fungi#genomics
AI designs bacteriophage genomes, prompting biosafety questions
science19 days ago

AI designs bacteriophage genomes, prompting biosafety questions

Researchers trained large genome models (Evo1 and Evo2) on DNA to generate virus-like genomes related to ΦX174. After screening 285 AI-suggested sequences, 16 produced viable viruses in E. coli, with higher similarity to the original ΦX174 correlating with higher viability. Some candidates carried novel genes or larger changes, illustrating the model's creativity within constraints. The work hints at potential phage-therapy applications but raises biosafety concerns about designing vertebrate-targeting viruses and underscores the need for governance of DNA-sequence design tools.

via Ars Technica|
#artificial-intelligence#bacteriophages#biosecurity
AI Designs First Synthetic Viruses, Raising Biosafety Stakes
science19 days ago

AI Designs First Synthetic Viruses, Raising Biosafety Stakes

Stanford researchers used Evo 2, a generative AI, to design and synthesize 16 bacteriophages that kill E. coli more effectively than the natural ΦX174. Evo 2 is open-source, enabling others to design new genomes, but the work was done with a non-pathogenic strain in a secure lab; experts caution that governance and biosafety measures must keep pace as the technology could extend to larger organisms and broader biothreat concerns.

via Financial Times|
#artificial-intelligence#biosafety#genomics
Nine Costly Science Endeavors That Pushed Humanity’s Knowledge Frontiers
science20 days ago

Nine Costly Science Endeavors That Pushed Humanity’s Knowledge Frontiers

The article catalogs nine of the costliest science projects ever undertaken—ISS, Apollo, Large Hadron Collider, Human Genome Project, Curiosity rover, Skylab, Manhattan Project, NEPTUNE, and the Very Large Array—outlining their price tags, aims, and outcomes, and noting their lasting impact and ongoing upgrades or decommissioning as science’s big bets continue to drive discovery.

via bgr.com|
#cern#genomics#nasa
Repurposed Medications Could Slow Aging, Guided by Gene-Network Maps
science1 month ago

Repurposed Medications Could Slow Aging, Guided by Gene-Network Maps

Researchers from Northeastern University and Harvard Medical School developed a framework that links aging hallmarks to clusters in gene/protein networks to identify existing drugs that might slow aging. By mapping about 1,250 aging-related genes onto the human interactome, they pinpointed drugs—such as oxymetazoline and aspirin—that influence multiple aging pathways. While not a guaranteed cure, this approach provides a roadmap for testing candidates in cells, animals, and eventually humans to pursue healthier, longer lifespans.

via ScienceAlert|
#aging#drug-repurposing#genomics
Transmissible Melanoma Detected in Freshwater Catfish
science1 month ago

Transmissible Melanoma Detected in Freshwater Catfish

Researchers identified the first known cancer transmissible among freshwater fish in Lake Memphremagog: a clonal melanoma in brown catfish that shares a tumor-specific genetic identity across individuals. Genome sequencing showed tumor cells were more related to each other than to their hosts, suggesting the cancer itself spreads between fish rather than arising independently. No virus or bacteria was linked, though several transmission pathways are proposed (e.g., close contact during spawning or tumor cells persisting in water). Arsenic levels correlate with cancer distribution but are not proven causal. The finding could offer new insights into how cancers survive and spread.

via WIRED|
#catfish#freshwater#genomics
Contagious cancer lineage uncovered in brown bullhead melanoma
science1 month ago

Contagious cancer lineage uncovered in brown bullhead melanoma

Genomic analyses of brown bullhead melanomas from Lake Memphremagog show a single clonal cancer lineage spreading among fish, marking the first confirmed transmissible cancer in a freshwater fish. Tumour mitochondrial and nuclear DNA are more similar across affected fish than to their hosts, with many shared tumour-specific variants and no associated microbes detected, suggesting cancer cells themselves are the infectious agent. The findings raise questions about origin, transmission mechanisms, and potential ecological impacts on brown bullhead populations.

via Nature|
#brown-bullhead-melanoma#freshwater-ecology#genomics
Ancient climate shifts nearly wiped koalas out 100,000 years ago, DNA reveals
science1 month ago

Ancient climate shifts nearly wiped koalas out 100,000 years ago, DNA reveals

DNA analysis of 457 koalas shows the species began declining about 100,000 years ago due to climate shifts, hitting a major bottleneck around 60,000 years ago; the eastern group survived and diversified into today’s populations. Humans arrived later, but modern koala declines are driven by habitat loss, disease and other human threats. Measuring koalas’ mutation rate also helps reconstruct their history and guide conservation efforts.

via The Times of India|
#climate-change#conservation#genomics
Tiny mouse thrives at 6,700 meters, challenging altitude limits
science1 month ago

Tiny mouse thrives at 6,700 meters, challenging altitude limits

A tiny Andean leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis vaccarum) lives above 6,700 meters—the highest record for any mammal—thanks to enhanced thermogenic capacity and more efficient mitochondrial energy use under hypoxic conditions. The population shows little genetic structure across sea level to the summits, implying ongoing gene flow. Genomic analyses reveal selection on genes for lipid oxidation, mitochondrial function, and toxin processing, suggesting adaptation to diverse elevations and diets. Understanding these mechanisms could inform human health research into oxygen deprivation and related diseases.

via The Times of India|
#adaptation#andean-leaf-eared-mouse#genomics
Digestive cancers show distinct microbiomes, large study finds
science1 month ago

Digestive cancers show distinct microbiomes, large study finds

A large-scale analysis of Genomics England’s 100,000 Genomes Project used stringent methods to separate genuine microbial signals from lab contamination. The study found that most cancers (including brain, breast and kidney cancers) do not have a microbiome distinguishable from background, suggesting earlier reports may reflect contamination. In contrast, mouth, esophagus, stomach and colorectal cancers showed clear, consistent microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and archaea, with microbe communities varying by tumor location and subtype. The team released their data and a list of confidently present microbes to help other researchers apply the rigorous approach, with implications for understanding how microbiomes influence tumor development, treatment response, and potentially improving GI cancer diagnosis and early detection.

via The Conversation|
#cancer#contamination#genomics