Pandas!

Genomic study discovers evidence of giant panda’s population history and local adaptation December 16, 2012 Enlarge A research team, led by Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and BGI, has successfully reconstructed a continuous population history of the giant panda from its origin to the present. The findings suggested whereas global changes in climate were the primary drivers in panda population fluctuation for millions of years, human activities were likely to underlie recent population divergence and serious decline. This work reveals a good example for assessing and establishing the best conservation method for other endangered species. The latest study was published online in Nature Genetics.

Click here to read more.

Genomics: The Power and Impact

A method worth revisiting

Gene-editing by zinc finger nucleases was chosen as the method of the year in 2011 by Nature Methods. The technique is an extremely powerful way to control the function of genes and lets researchers customize targets to create genes of their choice. Watch the video below to learn more

Bigger human genome pool uncovers more rare variants

Thanks to powerful computational tools developed at Simon Fraser University, more than 100 scientists from around the world have genetically mapped the largest and most varied number of human genomes to date.

The scientists, including SFU doctoral students Iman Hajirasouliha and Fereydoun Hormozdiari (recently graduated), sequenced and analyzed a pool of 1092 human genomes. Hormozdiari is now pursuing postdoctoral studies at the University of Washington.

The scientists sequenced the genomes of individuals from 14 different populations (five from Europe; three from Africa; three from East Asia; three from the Americas). The researchers used computational tools developed in Cenk Sahinalp’s lab to discover many variants in those genomes. Sahinalp, who is Hajirasouliha’s and Hormozdiari’s doctoral supervisor, is a professor in SFU’s School of Computing Science.

In the largest previous study, which also involved Hajirasouliha and Hormozdiari in Sahinalp’s lab, scientists sequenced the genomes of 185 people selected from an original pool of 1,000 human genomes.

Read more…

The Power of Genomics

The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements, or ENCODE Project, has recently made huge news headlines across the scientific galaxy. 442 scientists in labs across the world recently published 30 studies packed with new discoveries about the human genome. Included in those studies is the assignment of a biochemical function to 80% of the genome, including areas previously defined as “junk” DNA.

In honour of such seminal work, Genome Alberta reminds us of the awesome power of Genomics and how it impacts our every day lives.