The Evolution of Genetic Evolvability
“The hypothesis that evolvability – the capacity to evolve by natural selection – is itself the object of natural selection is highly intriguing but remains controversial due in large part […]
Tag Archives: human genome
The Elephant Shark Finally Has its Genome Sequenced
Scientists this month reported on the whole-genome sequencing of the cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark, the first complete analysis of any of the non-bony fish [1]. These fish are very […]
Review of the Recent Study, “Increased L1 Retrotransposition in the Neuronal Genome in Schizophrenia”
Now, for repeat readers, you probably know I have a professional interest in the topic of transposable elements. So it should come as no surprise that a recent article published […]
An Update on My Current Work: Bald Mice & Autism Genomics
I gotta be honest: my brain is pretty fried this weekend. After each sentence I type here I find myself staring off into space snatching some microsleep. Ya ever feel […]
Are Changes in the Epigenome Actually due to the Dynamic Nature of DNA?
I could be totally wrong on this one, which is cool. Happens often enough. And I won’t profess to be an expert in epigenetics, though I’m not completely ignorant of […]
Continuing the Debate on “Function” in Junk DNA: Rethinking the Onion Test
“From our very early days we learn to react to situations with the appropriate responses, linguistic or otherwise. The teaching procedures both shape the ‘appearance’, or ‘phenomenon’, and establish a […]
Olfactory Receptor Genes: An Ancient & Unusual Subset of the Vertebrate Genome
Compared to vision and audition, the sense of smell is an exceptionally ancient one. And you might be surprised but the ability to detect odorous particles (also known as chemosensation) […]
All Roads Once Led to Rome… But Do All Roads Lead to Autism??
Even though, at face value, cancer and autism may seem like worlds apart, if you take a look at their respective genetics you may find more similarities than you bargained […]
Responses to the ENCODE Project: When Scientists Have to Deal with Beetles in Boxes
How is the word “function” like a beetle in a box? No, this isn’t a twist on the Mad Hatter’s “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” As I’ve […]
Mutations on the Brain!!!
I’ve talked a lot about DNA mutations, transposons and retrotransposons, microsatellite repeat sequences in cancer and autism, and even somatic mosaicism on this blog. But I haven’t really talked about […]
Science Over a Cuppa 
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