science/genetics/topics/genomic-research

Have you heard of pharmacogenomics? If not, read on to learn more about the uses and benefits of pharmacogenomics.

Research into nicotine addiction includes the use of molecular biology analysis and animal models. Genetically engineered mice that lack certain genes involved in nicotine physiology have greatly aided this area of research.

The Cancer Genome Atlas Project is a grand undertaking designed to not only understand cancer, but develop methods to effectively treat it. Funded by the NIH and NHGRI, the Cancer Genome Atlas Project is a massive collaboration of scientists from across the country.

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancers. It arises not from nerve cells, but the supporting glial cells. Little is known about the causes, but a number of risk factors have been identified and they include exposure to radiation and genetics.

Whether your hair is naturally curly or straight may be down to your genes. A gene called Trichohyalin is strongly suspected of influencing whether your tresses are twisted or not.

A cannibalistic ritual could hold the key to tackling brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and the human form of mad cow disease, as well as providing scientists with a fantastic example of natural selection at work.

Kuru is a progressive and fatal neurological disorder which reached epidemic proportions amongst the Fore People of Papua New Guinea in the 1950s. It is a prion disease that was caused by eating the brains of recently deceased people.

A web is an efficient means for a spider to catch its prey. The arachnid does not have to search too far for a meal as readymade dinners get trapped in the web’s sticky stands. What helps to keep them there is an aqueous solution that is one of the most strongest biological glues on the planet.

Plagiocephaly or flat head syndrome is a condition in which the back or one side of a baby’s head is flattened. Trying to find its cause has occupied the minds of many scientists for years and according to one large study in 2009 the environment is more important than genes.

Adrenoleukodystrophy or ALD is a rare sex-linked brain disease that primarily affects boys. It was the subject of the film Lorenzo’s Oil which was about the search for an effective treatment for the condition. One possible adrenoleukodystrophy treatment that’s showing potential is gene therapy.