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Washington University in St. Louis News & Information > News Topics > Science & Technology >
Genetics
Biologists at Washington University are making advances in genetics in plants, mammals (including people), bacteria, algae and viruses. Applications include improved human health, a safer, cleaner agriculture, the engineering of benign organisms to deliver drugs, and a better understanding of plant and ecosystem history, to name a few. Chemists and biomedical engineers also make contributions to genetics studies. The Department of Computer Science has numerous researchers contributing to advances in bioinformatics and computational genomics, which increase the understanding of different organisms.
| Faculty Experts: |
Showing Genetics Experts 1 through 5 of 10.
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Tiffany Knight
Assistant Professor of Biology
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| Knight |
Knight is an ecologist who studies the population ecology of rare and invasive plant species, and addresses questions related to the causes and consequences of their abundances and distributions. Why are some species rare, while their closely related congeners are widespread? How does dispersal ability ...
Expertise: Ecology, biology, plants, ecosystems, habitat
Direct contact: (314) 935-8282
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knight@wustl.edu
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James Cheverud
Professor of Physical Anthropology in Arts and Sciences
Expertise: quantitative genetics, evolutionary theory, human genetics, human and nonhuman primate biology, genetics, obesity, evolution, …
Direct contact: (314) 362-4188
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cheverud@wustl.edu
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Ralph Quatrano
Ralph S. Quatrano, Ph.D., is the Spencer T. Olin Professor in Arts and Sciences and chair of the Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. He is internationally known for his plant science work on patterns of embryo formation, and how the patterns lead cells to acquire traits or ...
Expertise: Plants, plant biology, botany, moss, genome, algae, genes, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-6850
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rsq@wustl.edu
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Glenn Davis Stone
Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology and Environmental Studies in Arts & Sciences
Stone is an ecological anthropologist who has studied indigenous agricultural systems for the past 20 years. He has written extensively on intensification, labor organization, sexual division of labor, ethnicity and production, spatial organization and especially relationships between population, conflict ...
Expertise: ecological anthropology, political and historical ecology, agricultural biotechnology, settlement patterns, population, ethnoarchaeology, Web-based scholarship, …
Direct contact: (314) 935-5239
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stone@artsci.wustl.edu
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Ursula Goodenough
Professor of Biology in Arts & Sciences
Leading cell biologist and Washington University professor of biology Ursula Goodenough, is the author of a bestselling textbook, Genetics, and also wrote the popular discourse on religion and science The Sacred Depths of Nature, which was named Oustanding Academic Book of 1999 by Choice. She has served ...
Expertise: evolution of sex, speciation
Media assistance: (314) 935-5272 / dlutz@wustl.edu
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Showing Genetics Experts 1 through 5 of 10.
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| News Stories & Tip Sheets: |
Showing Genetics Stories 1 through 3 of 80.
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Doing rice right
Traditional Thai hill farmers help preserve genetic diversity of rice
July 27,
2009 --
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| National Science Foundation |
Traditional rice cultivation methods practiced in the isolated hillside farms of Thailand are helping preserve the genetic diversity of rice, one of the world's most important food crops, according to a new study by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and Chiang Mai University in Thailand.
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'Nurture, sustain a culture of scientific innovation'
Obama names WUSTL biologist to his science advisory council
May 7,
2009 --
President Obama has appointed Barbara A. Schaal, Ph.D., the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor of biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and vice president of the National Academy of Sciences, to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
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Discovery could lead to better rice yields
Technology identified could reduce the spread of rice virus
Feb. 10,
2009 --
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| National Science Foundation |
Building on plant virus research started more than 20 years ago, a biologist at Washington University in St. Louis and his colleague at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis have discovered a technology that reduces infection by the virus that causes Rice Tungro Disease, a serious limiting factor for rice production in Asia.
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Showing Genetics Stories 1 through 3 of 80.
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New Clues to Sex Anomalies in How Y Chromosomes Are Copied
The New York Times
Sept. 16,
2009 -- Article looks at another David Page contribution to the science of genetics.
A weakness in the system that allows the male Y chromosome to protect and repair itself can explain an array of genetic sexual disorders.:
The palindromes were discovered in 2003 when the Y chromosome's sequence of bases, represented by the familiar letters G, C, T and A, was first worked out by David Page of the Whitehead Institute and colleagues at the DNA sequencing center at WUSTL medical school.
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More Alzheimer genetic risk factors found
United Press International
and 3 others
Sept. 9,
2009 -- An international team of scientists has reported finding two more genetic risk factors of Alzheimer's disease. Includes comments by co-author and WUSTL professor of genetics in psychiatry Alison Goate.
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Scientists Identify 'Itchy' Neurons In Mice
NPR.org
Aug. 7,
2009 -- Scientists know surprisingly little about the common sensation of itching. But in a recent study of mice, researchers identified specific nerve cells that pass along an itch signal to the brain. And these cells appear to be independent of the pathway for pain. WUSTL anesthesiology professor and co-author Zhou-Feng Chen comments on the study that was published in Science Express.
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Genome of Leukemia Patient Reveals Common Mutations
U.S. News & World Report online
and 13 others
Aug. 6,
2009 -- Decoding the genome of a man with acute myeloid leukemia revealed genetic mutations that may be common among other cancer patients. The findings could help scientists understand the genetic basis of cancer. Includes comments by WUSTL researchers Richard Wilson, co-author and director of the Genome Center, and Timothy Ley, study senior author and medicine professor.
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David Holtzman: Attacking Alzheimer's With a New Test for Amyloid Beta
U.S. News & World Report online
July 1,
2009 -- WUSTL neuroscientist David Holtzman and colleagues have devised a test that shows whether an experimental medication has a chance of working in Alzheimer's patients.
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Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson: Taking Cancer's Genetic Measure
U.S. News & World Report online
July 1,
2009 -- WUSTL biochemists Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson helped decode the human genome and are now working to find genetic mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia.
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Study: 'Depression Gene' Doesn't Predict the Blues
Time.com
June 17,
2009 -- Are some people hardwired to get the blues? Scientists have long believed that a tendency toward melancholy runs in families. A new study published on June 16 in JAMA now threatens to send researchers back to the drawing board. The meta-analysis of 14 prior studies concludes that the so-called depression gene may not be associated with an elevated risk for depression, as many researchers had believed. WUSTL psychiatric geneticist Alexandre Todorov, whose 2007 peer-reviewed study was included in the JAMA piece, comments.
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Gene Mutation May Up Risks of Endometrial Cancer
U.S. News & World Report online
and 8 others
May 27,
2009 -- A genetic marker for aggressive endometrial cancer has been identified by U.S. researchers, who said their finding could lead to more targeted and risk-appropriate treatments. WUSTL gynecologic oncologist Israel Zighelboim comments on the study that appears online in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Combo Screening Doesn't Spot Early Ovarian Cancer
U.S. News & World Report
and 3 others
March 24,
2009 -- A screening regimen that combines ultrasound and a blood test to detect a marker for ovarian cancer, fails to discover the cancer in its early stages and often results in unnecessary surgery, a new study shows. WUSTL ob gyn professor David Mutch, who wrote an accompanying journal editorial, comments.
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Control your DNA destiny
MSNBC.com
March 12,
2009 -- Some genetic traits are easier to defy than others. Others, such as cancer or diabetes, are not so simple to escape. Advice on how you can reduce your risk with proven tips for protecting your health from head to toe. WUSTL surgery professor Ming You, director of the Chemoprevention Program at WUSTL's Siteman Cancer Center, comments on the role heredity plays in asthma, allergies and lung cancer.
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Depression can break the heart
USA Today
March 4,
2009 -- Depression almost doubles the risk of developing heart disease over 12 years, according to a long-term study of twins. It contributes to the risk of heart disease as much as diabetes, high cholesterol or obesity does, says study leader and WUSTL psychiatry professor Jeffrey Scherrer.
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Push is on to tailor cancer care to tumor's genes
Associated Press
and 122 others
Feb. 17,
2009 -- The days of one-size-fits-all cancer treatment are numbered: A rush of new research is pointing the way to tailor chemotherapy and other care to what's written in your tumor's genes. WUSTL oncologist Matthew Ellis, co-inventor of a different breast cancer genetic approach, comments.
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Lowly worm offers new clues on stroke, heart drugs
Reuters
and 3 others
Jan. 30,
2009 -- Worms that can survive with almost no oxygen are teaching scientists how to rescue oxygen-starved cells in humans who suffer a heart attack or stroke, said WUSTL medical researcher Michael Crowder, whose study appears in Science.
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The Bush Legacy
The Boston Globe
Jan. 13,
2009 -- Examining the Bush legacy, which won't be an easy one for future historians to assess. While most unsuccessful presidencies involved presidents who were considered captives of events, unable to muster effective responses, Bush's was one of bold strokes that, for better or worse, will be debated for a long time. WUSTL law professor Rebecca Dresser, who serves on the President's Council on Bioethics, comments on the stem cell research decision.
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Black churches help enlist first-time blood donors
Reuters Health Medical News
and 4 others
Dec. 29,
2008 -- Black churches that hold blood drives after informing parishioners about the importance of blood donations for children with sickle cell disease will get a big upsurge in first-time donors, new research shows. WUSTL School of Medicine sickle cell researcher Michael DeBaun comments.
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Gene found to protect against lung cancer
United Press International
and 3 others
Dec. 5,
2008 -- British and U.S. medical scientists say they have identified a gene that protects the body from developing lung cancer. One of the lead researchers is WUSTL molecular cell biology professor Greg Longmore.
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New gene silencing pathway found in plants
ScientistLive.com (UK)
Nov. 18,
2008 -- WUSTL researchers led by WUSTL biology professor Craig Pikaard have made major headway in explaining a mechanism by which plant cells silence potentially harmful genes.
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Itching puzzles experts
The Miami Herald
and 18 others
Nov. 18,
2008 -- Scientists are baffled by one of humankind's most annoying problems — itching — an almost universal misery for which there is, as yet, no adequate explanation or treatment. The recent discovery of an ''itchy gene,'' however, may offer hope for better treatments, says WUSTL neuroscientist Zhou-Feng Chen.
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Alzheimer's Gene Slows Brain's Ability To Export Toxic Protein
ScienceDaily.com
Nov. 14,
2008 -- People who carry two copies of a particular gene have roughly eight to 10 times the risk of getting Alzheimer's disease than people who do not. WUSTL neuroscientist David Holtzman and graduate student Mary Beth Finn, were among the group of scientists that conducted research for this study.
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Experts Decode Cancer Patient's Genes, Seeking Treatment Clues
The New York Times
and 57 others
Nov. 6,
2008 -- For the first time, researchers have decoded all the genes of a person with cancer and found a set of mutations that might have caused the disease or aided its progression. Includes comments by Richard Wilson, senior study author and director of WUSTL's Genome Sequencing Center, and WUSTL hematologist Timothy Ley, director of the study.
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Epigenetics Study
Plants inherit traits from more than gene sequence
Feb. 22, 2002 -- Two plants, same species, same environment, same genetic sequence; yet one is a normal, healthy specimen of weedy mustard relative Arabidopsis thaliana, and the other is a tiny dwarf plant, shriveled, a mere shadow of its genetically identical neighbor.
Researcher traces gene development in 'last common link'
April 2002 - A researcher studying the last common link between invertebrate and vertebrate animals has found a key genetic change that separates the spineless from the backboned.
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