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Genomics week in brief: Week ending 28th August

Keeping up can be hard – so we have done it for you! Below, we have gathered some of the latest genomics news and research from the past week.

Top stories from the past week

  • A recent study has reported a signature of markers on immune cells that can act as a biomarker of response to immunotherapy. (Shen et al, 2021)
  • Researchers have demonstrated that the TRPV4 gene regulates cartilage growth and may yield future therapies for joint repair. (Willard et al, 2021)
  • New research has revealed that noncoding RNA derived from pericentromeric repetitive sequences provokes inflammatory gene expression in senescence and cancer. (Miyata et al, 2021)
  • Scientists have found that the sperm protein, SPATA33, regulates sperm motility. This discovery could aid in the development of male contraceptives and help investigate the cause of male infertility. (Miyata et al, 2021)
  • A large genetic analysis has identified numerous gene variants that are linked with differences in food intake. (Merino et al, 2021)
  • By exploring aged mouse oocytes, researchers have revealed that some chromosomes are slower to move during meiosis. The authors suggest that it may be possible to improve the quality of eggs from older patients by intervening on the cell cycle level. (Mihajlović et al, 2021)
  • A new study has shown that RNA released from damaged cells can act as the signal to initiate repair after injury. (Vandestadt et al, 2021)
  • The first study to investigate the role of RNA tags in Alzheimer’s disease, has discovered a new type of pathology that accumulates in the nerve cells of patients. (Jiang et al, 2021)
  • Scientists have developed a multi-functional, small molecule that can tag mutant genetic sequences inside mitochondria for removal. (Hidaka et al, 2021)

In other news

  • Rice University bioengineer, Isaac Hilton, has been awarded prestigious NIH award to create technology for reprogramming immune cells. (Rice University, 2021)
  • Yang Gao’s lab have been awarded a five-year NIH grant to detail how complex protein chains replicate DNA and fix errors. (Rice University, 2021)
  • The NIH have awarded a $11.2-million, five-year grant to a team of researchers to establish the Center for Genome Imaging, which aims to see the entire genome in super-resolution. (Harvard Medical School, 2021)

Image credit: canva