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Social insects have been so successful because individuals cooperate, bringing direct benefit to the community and indirect benefit to themselves. The genetic and molecular basis of this cooperativity, and of the conflict that often underlies it, is beginning to be uncovered.
What makes us human? This question can only be approached by integrating disparate disciplines, from molecular comparisons of genetic and genomic differences in humans and close evolutionary relatives, of organ-systems changes, and by considering the influence of the environment and culture.
Many biological processes are regulated by circadian rhythms, which keep them in time with the Earth's 24-hour light–dark cycle. Elucidating the genetic control of circadian rhythms will help to understand the many diseases that can result when the clock goes wrong.
In the past 16 years, there has been much excitement in the area of DNA vaccine development for a range of medical conditions. The recent licensure of DNA vaccines for veterinary use bodes well for applications in humans, in which progress has been slower.
Hox clusters, which confer axial patterning on bilaterian embryos, also contain microRNAs. This analysis suggests that these microRNAs specifically target the Hox genes that lie to their 3′ side, thereby reinforcing the dominance of posterior Hox genes over anterior ones.
Advances in genomics have implications for how disability is viewed by geneticists and the public alike. Better communication is needed so that the concerns of people with disabilities are taken into account — in terms of clinical applications and the wider societal context.
For decades, mutant mice have been used to model human disease and to functionally annotate the mammalian genome. Advances in generating mutants on a large scale — through both forward and reverse genetic approaches — have accelerated progress, as documented by this history of mouse mutagenesis.
At the point when theory is about to be translated into practice in genomic medicine, this collection of Perspective articles describes human genome variation studies taking place in Mexico, India, Thailand, and South Africa. This Supplement discusses the challenges and opportunities facing these and other countries in the developing world as they begin to harness genomics for the benefit of their populations.
