Science today is fighting over genes, finding out all that extra âjunkâ DNA is actually pretty important (who knew!), strapping in for potential increases in flight turbulence, digging up baby dinos and concocting see-through brains (for research, not props on next weekâs Dr. Who).
Patenting Human Genes
Can a research company patent a building block of human biology? The US Supreme Court considers this question this month as biotech and pharmaceutical leaders go head-to-head with leading medical groups and scientists over patents on two genes highly associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
Myriad genetics, the biotech company in question, and its supporters claim that patents like these incentivize research, and opponents say the patents prevent more research from being done by other parties, as well as denying patients the ability to get a second opinion on Myriad test results and access to information from clinical trials. The patents are set to expire in 2015.
Junk DNA Is Looking Less and Less Like Junk
Most of our DNA is not in our genes. More than 98% of the human genome is made up of this non-coding âjunkâ DNA, which is considered by many in the scientific community to be of little genetic purpose. A UCSF study published this week says that, in fact, stretches of âlong noncoding RNAâ are actually associated with brain diseases like Huntingtonâs, Alzheimer's, major depressive disorder and much more. Just because you don't understand something doesn't mean it's junk.
The Future of Flight Turbulence
Scientists say that climate change, if it continues to follow current trends, will increase the intensity and frequency of turbulence on transatlantic flights by the mid-century. By drawing the jet stream further north, global warming will likely increase the frequency of moderate turbulence by 10-40%, and moderate-or-greater turbulence by 40-170%. The greater turbulence is enough to spill drinks and make walking difficult.
Oldest Dinosaur Embryo Fossils Found in China
Paleontologists working in China are studying the earliest collection of fossilized dinosaur embryos to date. These 190-million-year-old fossils were Lufengosauruses, plant-eating dinosaurs that reach up to 30 feet in length as adults. The 20 fossils showcase the animals at various stages of development, showing they grew rapidly in their eggs and flexed their muscles while inside, just like birds today.
Welcome the Transparent Brain
Stanford neuroscientist Dr. Karl Deisseroth's developed a new process that replaces the lipids in brain cells (which block the passage of light) with a clear hydrogel similar to whatâs used in contact lenses. The thalamus, brainstem, cortex and hippocampus are visible to the naked eye, and smaller structures can be dyed for better analysis, even singling out specific types of cells and proteins. This ability to analyze neural circuits in detail is invaluable in the study of diseases like alzheimer's, schizophrenia and autism. The study, published in Nature, includes a video tour of a dyed mouse brain...
