Does DNA cause its own mutations?

Fascinating news: A new study indicates that the DNA molecule itself may influence its own mutation rate. Sequences where the two bases cytosine and guanine occur in tandem (called CpG sites) tend to mutate more often than expected. This is interesting because it indicates that the sequence itself is responsible for the mutations that occur there.

Frozen in time: clues to how genes control the aging process

One of the ways geneticists learn what genes do is to examine cases where they're "broken." With the body and behavior of a baby, one teenaged girl's genes may reveal what causes our bodies to age as we grow. You can read the news story here. To learn more about gene expression, check out Chapter 11 in Genetics for Dummies.

Mitosis in action

In an effort to learn exactly which cells are involved in mitosis, researchers are systematically inactivating genes--a whopping 21,000 of them--one at at time to solve the mystery. In addition, they're filming how cells with inactivate genes divide. This is one of their videos. Note the stop-watch action in the lower right and how long it takes between cell divisions. You can read more about the project, as well as view another video, here.

Genome duplication

Research suggests that a genome duplication (that is, a complete new copy of the entire compliment of DNA) may represent the difference between primate species. In this case, the data suggest that a duplication event in an ancestral species to all primates gave rise to the various primate species we see today including chimps, gorillas, and humans. You can read more about this study here.

Stem Cells explained

Stem cells continue to be a hot topic. Widely misunderstood and often controversial, there are actually four kinds of stem cells. Thanks to Twitter, I found a superb explanation for the four types. Read Maria's excellent post on the topic here.

Common cold genome mapped

Researchers have mapped all known strains of the virus that causes the common cold. Despite the usually benign, but annoying, nature of the disease, for some people are respiratory illness of any sort can prove deadly. By mapping the genome of the virus, it's hoped that a quick cure can be found, making the excuse "I have a cold" obsolete. Read the story here.

Name that mutation!

Stranded at second. Cheap date. Out cold. Sound like movie titles? Nope, they're mutations found in fruit flies. Who says scientists don't have a sense of humor? You can hear the whole story of how mutations are named by checking out this story on NPR.

If you enjoy this recording, you might enjoy more from Robert Krulwich on RadioLab.