Connecting Research and Experts with Journalists

• share
• favorite_border

Scientists may have made a discovery that could lead to higher corn yields in the United States. In research published in the March 2010 issue of the journal GENETICS, scientists used tropical maize from Mexico and Thailand to discover chromosome regions responsible for detecting seasonal changes in flowering time. This discovery may lead to higher crop yields, improved disease resistance, and heartier plants able to withstand severe weather.

• share
• favorite_border

The Genetics Society of America is pleased to announce that nine postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students’ research work was selected for poster awards at the 51st Annual Drosophila Research Conference in Washington, D.C., April 7-11, 2010.

• share
• favorite_border

They might not be known for their big brains, but fruit flies are helping to make scientists and doctors smarter about what causes Huntington’s disease and how to treat it. New research, published in the journal GENETICS describes a laboratory test that allows scientists to evaluate large numbers of fruit fly genes for a possible role in the formation of plaque-like protein aggregates within cells. Those genes often have counterparts in humans, which might then be manipulated to stop or slow the formation of plaque-like protein aggregates, the hallmark of Huntington’s and several other neurodegenerative diseases.

• share
• favorite_border

Don’t put down the red wine and vitamins just yet, but if you’re taking antioxidants because you hope to live longer, consider this: a new study published in the June 2010 issue of the journal GENETICS casts doubt on the theory that oxidative stress to our tissues shortens lifespan. That’s because researchers from McGill University in Canada have identified mutations in 10 different genes of worms (genes believed to have counterparts in humans) that extend their lifespan without reducing the level of oxidative stress the worms suffer. The results contradict the popular theory that production of toxic reactive oxygen species in tissues is responsible for aging.

• share
• favorite_border

Research published in the journal GENETICS suggests that genetic interaction with diet primarily determines variations in metabolic traits such as body weight, as opposed to diet alone.

• share
• favorite_border

Research by Yale scientists, published in the journal GENETICS, identifies pieces of control DNA that turn on or off genes that allow fruit flies to differentiate between smells, paving the way for better insect repellents.

• share
• favorite_border

Hopkins, Baylor and Stanford scientists identify a protein folding machine in yeast cells that controls the folding of other important “machines” that power cells, as a target for arsenite, an arsenic compound and common water contaminant.

• share
• favorite_border

The Genetics Society of America announces the recipients of its five awards for distinguished service in the field of genetics. They are: James E. Haber, Thomas Hunt Morgan Medal; John R. Carlton, Genetics Society of America Medal; Abby F. Dernburg, Edward Novitski Prize; Joseph R. Ecker, George W. Beadle Award; Peter J. Bruns, Elizabeth W. Jones Award for Excellence in Education.

• share
• favorite_border

The Genetics Society of America announces that Tina Hesman Saey, a molecular biology writer with Science News, is the first recipient of the GSA Excellence in Research Journalism Award. Dr. Saey received this award in recognition of her online and printed article, “Molecular Evolution,” (January 31, 2009).

• share
• favorite_border

An effort to increase biofuel production has led scientists to discover genes in yeast that improve their tolerance to ethanol, allowing the production of more ethanol from the same amount of nutrients. This study shows how genetically altered yeast cells survive higher ethanol concentrations, addressing a bottleneck in the production of ethanol from cellulosic material (nonfood plant sources) in quantities that could compete economically with fossil fuels.