DNA record
Scientists at Harvard University have devised a way to record molecular events in E. coli cells using a CRISPR/Cas system. “It’s the first demonstration of the ordered acquisition of intentionally introduced DNA sequences,” the University of California, Berkeley’s Adam Arkin, who was not involved in the study, told The Scientist.
Reducing MRT risk
One of the risks associated with mitochondrial replacement therapy (MRT) is that a mother’s mutant mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) might still make it into the resulting “three-parent” embryo. Researchers at Newcastle University and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research and their colleagues have devised an approach that appears to reduce this risk. “It’s a very beautiful and carefully conducted study that has improved the pronuclear transfer technique,” said Dieter Egli of the New York Stem Cell Foundation and Columbia University who was not involved in the work.
Homo floresiensis fossils
Scientists have estimated that specimens...
Selecting modified cells in vivo
Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University and their colleagues have devised a method to selectively expand genetically modified liver cells in living mice. “The new method paves the way to therapies for many metabolic diseases,” study coauthor Adi Barzel of Stanford University said during a press briefing.
Gene drives report
The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have recommended controlled field trials testing gene-drive technologies. “The potential to reduce human suffering and ecological damage demands scientific attention,” Vanderbilt University’s Elizabeth Heitman, who helped lead the National Academies–appointed committee, told The New York Times. “Gene drive is a fascinating area of science that has promise if we can study it appropriately.”
Interested in reading more?
The Scientist ARCHIVES
Become a Member of
