A research study using whole-exome sequencing identified 36 large-effect risk genes associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder and chronic tic disorder. The findings may advance understanding of genetic factors underlying these neuropsychiatric conditions.
The article discusses cross-adoption studies as a method to disentangle genetic and cultural contributions to group differences in IQ and academic achievement, noting that East Asian adoptees in Western countries perform better on cognitive measures than reference populations, suggesting potential genetic factors alongside environmental influences.
The article examines the role of theory in biology, arguing that theoretical biology deserves greater institutional recognition despite being less established than theoretical physics. It traces how biological theories—from genes to the genetic code—were often postulated before experimental confirmation, demonstrating theory's crucial role in understanding life's fundamental mechanisms.
A major research initiative has cryptographically secured 2,504 human genomes from the 1000 Genomes Project by timestamping them on the Bitcoin blockchain to preserve authentic genetic diversity records. The effort aims to protect this foundational resource—which represents human genetic variation across populations and ethnicities—from future alteration by AI or other actors, ensuring biomedical researchers and historians can rely on the data with confidence.
An article critiquing human biological design, contrasting the liver's remarkable regenerative abilities with the fragility and poor engineering of most other body systems. The author argues that while most organs degrade with age and injury, the liver maintains function and can regenerate from partial removal, and speculates on why evolutionary design produced such disparities across different organs and systems.