Eye on DNA Links for 6 July 2007

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted July 6, 2007 in DNA and Disease, Eye on DNA Headlines

• Alex at The Daily Transcript reviews the Nature paper on the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) project.
• Blaine at The Genetic Genealogist proclaims: DNA IS a Big Deal! I’ll second that motion!
• DNA found at the bottom of ice cores from more than a mile down deep tells us that a million years ago, Greenland used to be lush and verdant with life. This is a good sign that the southern Greenland ice sheet could be more stable than previously thought and that a few degrees change in global temperatures due to global warming may not result in a deadly increase in sea levels.
• A whole genome linkage scan has found that genes on chromosomes 16 and 8 may be involved in bipolar affective puerperal psychosis. Researchers hope that identifying responsible genes will help to identify women with bipolar disorder who are at risk of postpartum psychosis and subsequent suicide. For more on mental health, check out Alicia’s Mental Health Notes. (via BBC News)
• A variant of the ORMDL3 gene on chromosome 17 may increase the risk of asthma by as much as 80% and contribute to the disease in 30% of asthmatic children. Unfortunately, the function of the gene is as yet unknown.
• Walter at Highlight HEALTH has created a web directory of health-related websites. Eye on DNA is listed under Personalized Medicine .

Tags: asthma, bipolar disroder, disorder, chromosomes, genetics, genes, dna, diseases, illness, health, medicine, global warming

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