News & Comment

Two new studies in Science survey diversity in malarial Plasmodium species, assessing genetic diversity across Africa, as well as transcriptomic diversity through the pathogen life cycle.

A study in Science shows that it is now possible to create high-resolution, non-linear maps of mammalian genetic interactions.

For genomics to fulfil its potential of improving human health, diversity and inclusion must be recognized as essential catalysts of research success.

Two recent studies report innovative RNA base editing tools: adenine editing without the requirement for exogenous enzymes, and a new ability to edit cytosines.

A study in Nature Ecology and Evolution reports the genome sequence of the Komodo dragon and describes genomic features that may underlie its distinct physiology.

A study in Nature Genetics shows that genomic rearrangements that cause extensive changes to chromatin topology do not alter expression for the majority of genes.

A recent study in Science demonstrates how capturing gene expression over a developmental time course enables the discovery of dynamic expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) that would otherwise be challenging to find.

Genomic studies often rely on individual-based consent approaches for tribal members residing outside of their communities. Tsosie et al. argue that this consent model fails to acknowledge the risks to small groups such as tribes, which can implicate the community as a whole.

A study in Nature emphasizes that the diversity of genetic ancestries represented by large-scale genomic studies needs to be increased in order to ensure that their findings — and any resulting advances in health care — are relevant to everyone, regardless of ethnicity.

New research in Cell describes the technique of ‘DNA microscopy’, in which the spatial distribution of mRNAs is inferred through sequencing DNA tags, without direct visualization.

A study in Nature Methods describes a light-activated dynamic looping (LADL) system, which consists of a synthetic architectural protein that rapidly induces long-range chromatin interactions in response to blue light.

A study in Genome Biology reports an unbiased screen for human genomic regions at which interindividual variation in DNA methylation is consistent across cell types and tissues, providing new targets for studying epigenetic links to disease.

Reporting in Cell, two groups now show that parental responses to the environment are passed to their offspring by small RNAs.

A new study in Science identifies strong selective pressure on mitochondrial DNA during transmission through the female germ line, as well as an interplay with the nuclear genome that shapes mitochondrial genetic variation.

Two recent studies trace epigenetic marks in cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) to characterize the evolution of the epigenome in cancer.

A study in Nature describes a CRISPR–Cas9-based ‘molecular recorder’ that can report on cellular state and cell lineage, in mice, from fertilization through to adulthood.

A study in Cell incorporates metabolic networks into a machine-learning approach to provide mechanistic insights into bacterial antibiotic lethality.

Genomics has transformed the field of microbiology, but remaining challenges will need to be tackled for its benefits to be felt globally.

A study in Science uses experimental and population genomic approaches to examine the molecular underpinnings of evolved pollution resistance in Gulf killifish.

A study of ancient horse genomes, described in Cell, reveals the existence of two now-extinct horse lineages and shows that modern breeding practices reduced genetic diversity in horses.