Evan Eichler discovered that some parts of the human genome are more prone to mutate than others. Now he is focusing on these hotspots to fast-track the discovery of genetic accidents behind brain disorders like autism.
Read this article at SFARI.
Seattle
A last minute Lucy visit
In an age when evolution is referred to as something to be “believed in”—like Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy—the crowds at the Pacific Science Center’s exhibit of Lucy, the remarkable fossil linking us to ape-like predecessors, comforted me.
Read this article at Crosscut.
The science of chocolate
Do chocolatey indulgences have a place in the annals of science? Theo’s, a bean-to-bar chocolate maker in Seattle, thinks so.
Read this article on Crosscut.
A vaccine-delivering mosquito, and other research ideas
The Gates Foundation announces funding for innovative approaches to global health problems.
Read the article on Crosscut.
Cutting edge brain science comes to Seattle
A Seattle hospital melds science with patient care to make gains on brain cancer.
Read the article on Crosscut.
Holy chiroptera! Meet the local bats
Like the neighbors I rarely see until July, bats are making their appearances during the drawn-out summer evenings here in the Northwest.
Read this article at Crosscut.
The preventive edge of autism research
Despite the absence of a clear cause, University of Washington researchers are beginning an autism prevention study. It’s an innovative, if somewhat controversial, approach.
Read this article at Crosscut.
Atlas didn’t shrug: mapping the human brain
Emboldened by the success of its mouse brain map, Seattle’s Allen Institute for Brain Science announced this week it is taking on three new “mapping” projects: the developing mouse brain, the mouse spinal cord, and the almighty human brain.
Read this article at Crosscut.
