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Genomics
How do you find a virus that’s completely unknown?
A team of microbiologists and pulmonologists at Penn have scanned genome databases and found a new abundant viral family associated with disease.
The mystery behind cleft palate and lips
New research identifies 100 new risk genes that could lead to the development of cleft lip and palate, combining molecular findings with genome data to find that many of the genes that are highly associated with clefting are located near the enhancer regions that work with a specific protein.
Demystifying genomic technology for veterinary researchers
The School of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Host-Microbial Interactions helps researchers delving into ‘omics’ to promote animal and human health.
Cell development discovery changes our understanding of how genes shape early embryos
To fit inside each nucleus, DNA coils around specialized proteins. These spools of wrapped DNA inhibit gene regulatory proteins from binding to protein-coding stretches along the genome, which help keep genes in the “off” position when they’re not needed.
New center will study the complex genomics within individual cells
Junhyong Kim and James Eberwine are leading a multi-disciplinary team in developing cutting-edge technologies that can assess the genetic material inside individual compartments of single cells. The new Center for Sub-Cellular Genomics aims to revolutionize therapies for diseases such as bipolar disorder, autism, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Finding patterns in a class of neurological disorders
Research from Penn Engineering and the Perelman School of Medicine has found that the shared pattern is misfolded in Fragile X Syndrome, a member of the class of disorders that also includes ALS and Huntington’s disease
New insights into malaria culprit
New insights from the Perelman School of Medicine on the origins of deadly infectious diseases are vital to understanding the emergence of human pathogens, and may even lead to eradicating malaria.
Genome editing reduces cholesterol in animals, humans could be next
Successful genome editing trials in large primates offers an alternative treatment to reduce high cholesterol in patients who can't tolerate statins or other drug therapies.
Using statistics to uncover the truth about individual cells
Researchers at Penn have developed a better method for interpreting data from single-cell RNA sequencing technologies.
In the News
Smithsonian Magazine
Scientists break the rules of reproduction by breeding mice from single-sex parents
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Marisa Bartolomei offered commentary on same-sex reproductive experiments, which have proven easier in bimaternal than bipaternal pairings.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Elizabeth Warren’s DNA test: How reliable is it? A Penn prof explains
Theodore Schurr of the School of Arts and Sciences said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s genetic analysis, which used indigenous DNA samples from Peru, Mexico, and Colombia as reference points, was legitimate due to historical migration patterns.
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