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The Latest

Autism Genes Activate During Fetal Brain Development

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have found that mutations that cause autism in children are connected to a pathway that regulates brain development.

New Insights into 3D Genome Organization and Genetic Variability

While genomics is the study of all of the genes in a cell or organism, epigenomics is the study of all the genomic add-ons and changes that influence gene expression but aren’t encoded in the DNA sequence. A variety of new epigenomic information is now available in a collection of studies published Feb. 19 in Nature by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap Epigenomics Program.

New Species, the ‘Ruby Seadragon,’ Discovered by Scripps Researchers

Mysterious red fish emerges from museum collections

Tau-Associated MAPT Gene Increases Risk for Alzheimer’s Disease

An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, has identified the microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) gene as increasing the risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The MAPT gene encodes the tau protein, which is involved with a number of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD) and AD. These findings provide novel insight into Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration, possibly opening the door for improved clinical diagnosis and treatment.

UC San Diego Maintains No. 5 NSF Ranking for R&D Expenditures

As it has for several years, the University of California, San Diego ranks fifth among top U.S. universities for research and development expenditures, with $1,075,554,000 in expenditures for fiscal year 2013, according to figures just released by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Lab-in-a-Box Takes Aim at Doctors’ Computer Activity

They call it “the Lab-in-a-Box.” According to Nadir Weibel, a research scientist in the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department at the University of California, San Diego, inside the box are assorted sensors and software designed to monitor a doctor’s office, particularly during consultations with patients. The goal is to analyze the physician’s behavior and better understand the dynamics of the interactions of the doctor with the electronic medical records and the patients in front of them. The eventual goal is to provide useful input on how to run the medical practice more efficiently.