New Map Charts Genetic Expression Across Tissue Types, Sexes

A decade-long effort to probe gene regulation reveals differences between males and females, points to essential regulatory elements, and offers insight into past work on telomeres.

Written byAshley Yeager

| 3 min read

Save for Later

Listen with Speechify

0:00

3:00

A new, comprehensive catalog of differences in gene expression across dozens of human tissue types reveals previously unknown connections between genes and their regulatory DNA, researchers report today (September 10).

The work, unveiled in a series of papers published in Science, Science Advances, Cell, and other journals, details the third and final part of the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, which launched more than a decade ago to explore population-specific and sex-specific differences in gene expression to glean insight into how those differences may play a role in aging and disease.

During the course of the project, the researchers collected samples of multiple tissue types from more than 900 deceased human donors. The team then sequenced the donors’ genomes and measured gene activity by quantifying RNA levels in the tissues. Having multiple tissues from the same person, as well as a variety of donors, the GTEx team could ...

Interested in reading more?

The Scientist ARCHIVES

Become a Member of

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!

Join for free today

Already a member?

Add The Scientist as a preferred Google source to see more of our trusted coverage.

Meet the Author

Ashley Yeager
Ashley started at The Scientist in 2018. Before joining the staff, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, a writer at the Simons Foundation, and a web producer at Science News, among other positions. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT. Ashley edits the Scientist to Watch and Profile sections of the magazine and writes news, features, and other stories for both online and print.
View Full Profile