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Articles on Gene sequencing

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The National Institutes of Health estimates the existence of 7,000 rare diseases, with some affecting only a handful of people. Alan Phillips/E! via Getty Images

When it comes to the rarest of diseases, the diagnosis isn’t the answer – it’s just the starting point

Deciphering the biological pathways behind rare genetic diseases often involves assembling a team of specialists to work closely with the family members of those affected.
The subtleties of how genes are transcribed into RNA molecules like the one depicted here are key to understanding the inner workings of cells. Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Machine learning plus insights from genetic research shows the workings of cells – and may help develop new drugs for COVID-19 and other diseases

Machine learning is great at finding patterns but doesn’t know what those patterns mean. Combine it with knowledge gained from genetic research and you have a powerful view into the workings of cells.
Spider glue is actually a specialized silk protein. Sarah Stellwagen

Spider glue’s sticky secret revealed by new genetic research

The glue that gives spider webs their stickiness is a form of spider silk protein. Researchers can imagine cool uses for a synthetic version – but had to wait for the tricky glue gene to be sequenced.
The discovery of the genes that influence the beak shape in the famous Galapagos finches highlight the underlying unity of all life. Paul Krawczuk/Flickr

Darwin’s finches highlight the unity of all life

Darwin’s finches are known to be a paragon of evolution by natural selection, but a recent genetic discovery relating to their beaks highlights the evolutionary connectedness of all life.
Welcome to nowhere, says FDA. widdowquinn

Stopping 23andMe will only delay the revolution medicine needs

Genetic testing is a powerful tool. Two years ago, with the help of my colleagues, it was this tool that helped us identify a new disease. The disease, called Ogden Syndrome, caused the death of a four-month…
Algal genes are introduced into tobacco cells that grow into plants. Peggy Lemaux/UC Berkeley

Tobacco re-imagined as a future fuel source

Tobacco doesn’t immediately conjure up ideas of fuel for cars and planes. But that’s precisely what a three-year, $4.8m project from the US Department of Energy’s ARPA-E PETRO (Plants Engineered to Replace…
This Yellow Wagtail is a fugitive in flight, but forensic technology will track him down. Flickr: jcoelho

CSI: Birding … barcoding the past, present and future

The extinction of an animal is no longer the end of our opportunity to learn new things about its ecology and biology. The same technology that recently reconstructed the genome of the Neanderthal man…

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