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Rapid increases in the quantity and complexity of data generated by modern biological research present huge challenges for database resources. Revised database models and web-based technological advances could lead to powerful new tools for disseminating and interpreting genotype–phenotype information.
Gene duplication can occur via insertion of reverse transcribed mRNAs into the genome. Although originally thought to be non-functional, recent studies have uncovered how these retrocopies can acquire novel functions, and how patterns of retroposition can give unexpected insights into genome evolution.
The expression of many histone deacetylase (HDAC) isoforms in eukaryotic cells raises questions regarding their specificity and the programmes of gene expression that they control. HDAC knockout mice are a powerful tool for addressing these questions and have revealed that individual HDACs have specific functions in development and disease.
Recent genome-wide association studies have provided evidence that some genetic loci are associated with disease susceptibility for several different immune-related disorders. Analysis of shared genetics can highlight shared pathogenic pathways that could become the focus for therapeutic intervention.
The development of high-throughput DNA sequencing methods provides a new method for mapping and quantifying transcriptomes — RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). This article explains how RNA-Seq works, the challenges it faces and how it is changing our view of eukaryotic transcriptomes.
Systems biomedicine seeks to harness the complexity of human molecular physiology in order to move towards quick translation from basic biology to clinical applications. The Director of the Genome Institute of Singapore, Edison T. Liu, describes the advantages of this approach from his personal perspective.
