There is a huge study of mothers and babies in China
The effect of genetic variations in mothers and their babies can have a significant increase in their baby’s height, according to a new study
The researchers also developed a method to look at how certain maternal attributes affect child growth. There are previously established links, like the fact that mothers with higher blood sugars can have heavier babies and lighter ones, while mothers with higher blood pressure can have shorter babies. They found that for every 1-centimetre increase in mother’s height, there was a 15 grams increase in the baby’s birth weight.
A landmark study looking at the genetic profiles of East Asian people is one of the first to look at that. Why sea otter protect shorelines from erosion and what is behind the surge of Measles in Europe.
The researchers identified discrepancies in the effect of some genetic variants on the same trait between mothers and their babies. For example, some variants were associated with cholesterol levels in infants but not in their mothers. “That is really fascinating,” says Clifton, revealing the importance of a baby’s genes — not just the mother’s diet — in determining their cholesterol profile in the womb. The team hopes to further explore these discrepancies in the child and mother, which suggest a person’s genetic risk could vary with age or an epigenetic component.
Some new links were identified in the study. For example, mothers with higher levels of bile acid had shorter babies. The analysis falls short of establishing causality, but it offers leads for further research.
According to Teri Manolio, the director of the Division of Genomic Medicine at the National Human Genome Research Institute, genetic studies that explore links between genomes and diseases are becoming more popular. Manolio says they allow researchers to analyse data in an “agnostic fashion” and “find stuff you didn’t expect”. However, Manolio cautions that any associations need to be confirmed in larger samples and experimental studies, as the number of participants is relatively small.
The Guangzhou project is starting to yield findings, and that’s great news for the project. “We can look forward to a lot more data from this cohort and a lot more interesting outcomes,” she says.
How a sea otter can help to protect salt marshes from erosion: A bioinformatics study of California’s sea otters
Chemistry Nobel laureate Frances Arnold is realistic about her recent creation, the first enzyme known to break silicon–carbon bonds — opening people’s minds, she hopes, to what biological systems can do to tackle the persistent pollutants found in many hair conditioners and lotions. 3 min read of Chemical & Engineering News.
Sea otters in Monterey Bay, California are helping to protect salt marshes from erosion by feasting on shore crabs that destabilize these threatened habitats. The crabs eat the roots of the pickleweed plant that helps to hold the sandy banks together. The sea otter was almost hunted to extinction by the end of the 19th century. In areas where otter returned, erosion slowed from 30 cm per year to 10 cm per year. Jane is amazed when she thinks about it. A sea otter, which is a single animal, can actually counterbalance the effects of erosion.
Source: Daily briefing: Discoveries from a huge study of mothers and babies in China
Measles: Statistics, Policies, and Misinformation in the Age of an Increasing Data-Driven Modern Science (Cosmology)
For nearly half of the world’s population, it’s an election year — and with it come worries about online misinformation. Scientists who study political reach on social media are in the worst position of their careers. For example, we stopped giving out free research access to the data. There is hope that new legislation in Europe will change that. “We have to learn how to get insights from more limited sets of data,” says computer scientist Kate Starbird.
Measles cases have increased in Europe because less children are protected from the vaccine. There were more than 42,000 measles cases in Europe last year, a dramatic jump from less than 1,000 cases in the previous year. Health authorities are making it easier for the vulnerable children to get the two shots of the vaccine. In the United Kingdom, vaccination coverage for children under five is the lowest it has been in 10 years. Helen Bedford says that it is considered to be one of the most infectious respiratory infections there is. There is only one thing you can do to prevent the spread of the disease: get a vaccine.
A new poll has found that scientists are among the most trusted to tell the truth about innovations. People are worried that governments are not competent to regulate emerging technology and interfering in science. The evidence-based policies and regulations needed to earn the public’s confidence in the competence of policymakers are the responsibility of social scientists, said a Nature editorial. And scientists should push back against governments who overly politicize science.
Source: Daily briefing: Discoveries from a huge study of mothers and babies in China
First sighting of a newborn white shark in the water: An experiment to investigate the influence of epigenetics on the growth of cortical cells
Growing human neurons in the laboratory can be a time-consuming process. Some cortical cells take years to reach maturity — many times slower than the equivalent cells in a mouse. Researchers found an effect on epigenetics that slows the growth of cells, which could be related to the different timescales of growth. Manipulating this ‘brake’ could allow scientists to speed up the study of older brain cells in a dish.
Carlos Gauna, a wildlife film maker, and Phillip Sternes, a scientist, used a drones to film what might be the first ever spotted of a newborn great white shark. They spotted the small pup leaving its white coat into the water. “I believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer,” says Sternes. (The Guardian | 3 min read) (Carlos Gauna/The Malibu Artist)
Researchers have identified discrepancies in the effect of some genetic variants on the same trait between mothers and their babies. “That’s really fascinating,” said one of the researchers. Researchers found an effect on epigenetics that slows the growth of cells, which could be related to different timescales of growth. Manipulating this ‘brake’ could allow scientists to speed up the study of older brain cells.