A look at the week’s news stories
Genes are here to stay Older readers, especially those from scientific and medical backgrounds will recall the excitement back in 2000 when the first human genome map came out. Now it gets better, so much so that we have two links for you. This one is going to be important!
The first draft of a human ‘pangenome’ has been published. Unlike the first complete human genome sequence, which was derived mostly from the DNA of just one person, the pangenome is drawn from 47 people from around the globe, including individuals from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. More genomes are being added — 350 will be analysed by mid-2024. They will allow geneticists to identify variations in the genomes of diverse populations and investigate links between genes and disease. “This is like going from black-and-white television to 1080p,” says genome scientist Keolu Fox.Nature | 5 min read
Read more: discover related research and analysis in the Nature Portfolio Collection of Human Pangenome Ref
Help me if you can News of the UK Coronation’s big help out came from regular contributor Gary Herbert who may be seen cleaning the chalk lion which overlooks Whipsnade, the country arm of London Zoo. A worthy day out indeed! he claims to be at the front
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-65482925
Mushrooms and the mind Not the first time we’ve alluded to the amazing properties of fungi this week. Today, more on our running theme of how researches may be using fungal products to investigate the mysteries of the human mind
Neanderthal Nose best Apparently our Neanderthal cousins used their huge conks to warm the air in their glacial environments. As their genes passed down to us, the hooters came with them. Here’s how.
ttps://metro.co.uk/2023/05/09/a-larger-nose-could-be-due-to-neanderthals-in-your-family-tree-18750919/
Mushroom dance as it’s been fungi all week on this blog, we’ll leave you with the famous Mushroom dance from Disney’s 1940 Fantasia. The music of course was from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite
#fugi #genome #coronation #fantasia
Learning, Science and Society 