COVID-19 Research Biased Toward Only a Handful of Genes

Thomas Stoeger of Northwestern University has previously studied scientists’ limited focus on certain genes. In a new study, he shows how these same behaviors extend into the science of COVID-19.

amanda heidt
| 5 min read
Q&A, Genetics & Genomics, research bias, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, coronavirus, big data

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
5:00
Share

ABOVE: © ISTOCK.COM, THEASIS

Scientists have identified more than 2,000 human genes linked to COVID-19, yet the bulk of the published literature is dominated by only a small subset of them, a fact that may be limiting progress in the fight against the pandemic.

A team at Northwestern University, led by data scientist Thomas Stoeger, had previously shown that scientists tend to focus on a handful of genes—specifically, less than 20 percent of all genes in the human genome accounted for more than 90 percent of the publications they analyzed. Prior to the Human Genome Project, scientists had an incomplete view of the full suite of human genes and relied more heavily on those that had analogs in model organisms or were easier to study using knockout experiments. The advent of modern sequencing technology—including complementary tools such as CRISPR, mass spectrometry, and RNA-based approaches—has broadened what researchers know, but it ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Keywords

Meet the Author

  • amanda heidt

    Amanda Heidt

    Amanda was an associate editor at The Scientist, where she oversaw the Scientist to Watch, Foundations, and Short Lit columns. When not editing, she produced original reporting for the magazine and website. Amanda has a master's in marine science from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories and a master's in science communication from UC Santa Cruz.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide