Sienna Fedoruk Brain Disorders

 5. Brain Disorders (Sienna Fedoruk) 

Brain disorders and disabilities are one of the things that scientists are still looking into because of how many mutations the brain can have along with how many ranging symptoms there are. They can impact a person's ability to function when carrying out basic activities or they can affect someone's speech, look, memory, or even be fatal.  

This specific article goes into how targeting the junk in their genes ultimately "tackles" the disorder. Half of the human genome is repeated DNA sequences that are classified as junk DNA which are know shown to sometimes cause disease by regulating these genes. Short tandem repeats (STR's) are being seen to expand unexpectedly linking to around 50 neurological disorders such as ALS. Researcher Xiao Shawn Liu is the scientist behind targeting these junk DNA sequences using CRISPR tools to control the repeats leading to restored cell function, reduced neuron damage, and treating brain tumors! 

https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/tackling-brain-disorders-targeting-junk-their-genes 

Other Link:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22934-brain-diseases 

 April 24 

Sienna Fedoruk Treatment of SMA

 4. Treatment of SMA (Sienna Fedoruk) 

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness as time progresses. There are five known sub types all ranging in severity and onset age in which there is no cure but medication and therapy could manage symptoms.  This article gives insight on a new UK screening test to see if babies have SMA by using a heel-prick blood test. SMA is caused through a genetic mutation leading to progressive muscle weakness including, neuron survival, breathing, and swallowing in which a life expectancy can be only two years. However, if detected early, gene therapy could give these families and children a long life with no visible effects of the disease.  

Grayce Pearson was diagnosed too late and now lives with SMA type 2 as she manages her symptoms through medication. Due to her late diagnosis treatment options are limited which will most likely lead to motor loss. The importance of this heel-prick test could save families from grieving a short lived life of a child and be able to identify and manage the disease before symptoms arise.  

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx26glrw310o 

Other: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14505-spinal-muscular-atrophy-sma  

April 23 

Sienna Fedoruk Kangaroo Island: Koala's Surviving Chlamydia

 3. Kangaroo Island: Koala's Surviving Chlamydia (Sienna Fedoruk) 

Chlamydia is a very common sexually transmitted infection that can be spread through intercourse or maternal transmission through the spread of bacteria. In Australia up to 88% of koalas have been affected by this epidemic caused by the bacteria Chlamydia pecorum often leading to death among this population. This specific article goes into detail about a koala population on Kangaroo Island that is free of chlamydia despite it being 12 miles away from the main island. Genetically, this population of koalas comes from a very limited gene pool because of how secluded they are leading to a lot of inbreeding and are said to be "genetically fragile"(BBC). 

Although their isolation has protected them from the fatal epidemic, their evolutionary potential is in danger. The main island might be affected by chlamydia but as time goes on the genetic diversity among these koala's will mutate and create an antibody. Whereas the isolated koalas will slowly start to degrade through genetic mutations linked to inbreeding. However, if the two mix together maybe an antibody could be produced sooner due to the mixing of different alleles! 

 https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260401-the-island-saving-koalas-from-chlamydia 

Other Source:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4023-chlamydia    

April 22

Sienna Fedoruk DNA and Second Code

 2. DNA and the "Second Code" (Sienna Fedoruk) 

This study showed an insight on the genetic code offering cells that detect inefficient genetic instructions ultimately silencing them, leading to a hidden layer of DNA control.  DNA is made up of four nucleotide bases that have 3 letter codons that tell cells what protein codes for what. Scientists found that while looking at quality control using CRISPR screening they discovered a RNA-binding protein called DHX29 which interacts with the 80S ribosome. The significance of this discovery was that DHX29 associated with the ribosomes reading non-optimal codons and further works with the GIGYF2•4EHP protein complex to suppress mRNA's containing these codons and silencing them! 

These new findings gave scientists a new outlook on gene regulation through codon choices playing a role in gene expression. With these findings scientists are hoping that DHX29 mechanisms could give new insights on cell differentiation, cellular balance, and cancer research.   

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260408225946.htm 

Other Link: https://www.fjc.gov/content/361230/DNA-basics-nucleotides-genes-genome   

April 15 

Sienna Fedoruk Gut Bacteria

 1. Gut Bacteria(Sienna Fedoruk) 

A study shows that the people you live with can change your gut bacteria. There are so many neurological studies on how being with people that you love or care for can create dopamine and feel good chemicals to be released, but people never hear about how those people can also be changing their gut microbiomes. Scientists studied social interactions of the Seychelles Warbler, a small bird located on Cousin's Island, and tested its fecal matter to discover that the gut microbiomes of the warblers partner, helper, and birds amongst the same group were all very similar despite their different diets. 

A gut microbiome is specifically characterized by its environment which include thousands of bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The importance of this study showed that the birds with close relationships had anaerobic bacteria that could survive in low oxygen conditions. For humans sharing similar gut biomes and anaerobic bacteria can create a stronger immune system and improve overall digestive health.  

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260413043131.htm 

Other link:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/25201-gut-microbiome   

April 3

AI tool reveals DNA exists in partially open states

                    

    Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes and Arc Institute used artificial intelligence to discover that DNA is often stored in partially open states, rather than being fully closed or fully accessible as previously believed.

    DNA is wrapped around protein structures called nucleosomes, which help package over six feet of DNA inside each cell. For years, researchers thought genes were either “on” or “off” depending on whether DNA was tightly wrapped. However, this study found the genome behaves more like a volume dial, allowing different levels of gene activity.

    Using an AI tool called IDLI, researchers identified 14 distinct nucleosome structural states. More than 85% of nucleosomes showed some distortion, meaning sections of DNA were partially exposed and potentially available for gene regulation. This creates a more flexible system for controlling how genes function.

    These findings are important in genetics because subtle gene expression changes are linked to diseases like cancer, aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. Understanding this hidden DNA “grammar” could help scientists design future treatments that adjust gene activity more precisely.

Article Link: https://www.drugtargetreview.com/ai-tool-reveals-dna-exists-in-partially-open-states/2135350.article

Additional Resource: https://distilinfo.com/2026/04/30/ai-reveals-dna-is-far-more-accessible/

The “Wanderlust” Gene

 

 Scientists suggest that the migration-linked genetic variants may be the cause of some people moving away from their birthplace.  These variants are mainly found during brain development in active excitatory neurons.  The article talks about the inheritance of moving away from a person’s birthplace- known as the “wanderlust” gene.  A neurogeneticist conducted a study at the University of Iowa, analyzing data from 250,000 individuals in the United Kingdom.  He found that those who moved farther away from their original home shared similar gene variants.  These findings were then compared to DNA from over 10,000 years ago from 1,300 different people.  Through this comparison, the same genetic variants found today were the same ones that predicted migration patterns in people from over a thousand years ago.  Over time, the frequency of this variant has increased, suggesting that natural selection has favored movement as humans continue to grow.  This genetic variant has effects that translate into a person’s life.  Those with this variant are more likely to see faster income growth and have “risk-taking” thought processes.

Picture/Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/wanderlust-dna-brain-development 

Second Article: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.05.703995v1.full 

The Amazon Molly

     

The Amazon Molly is an all-female freshwater fish species found in southern Texas and Mexico. The Amazon Molly resulted from a cross between the Atlantic Molly and the Sailfin Molly. When Amazon mollies reproduce, their offspring are clones of the parents’ DNA. Typically, asexual species do not survive long because there is no sexual recombination through mating. However, this species uses gene conversion, a DNA repair mechanism, to stay healthy and produce viable offspring. How does this work? The fish use a “copy and paste” method, taking specific stretches of genetic code from their own chromosomes and using them on others. This method works because it allows the fish to pass on beneficial traits, erase harmful mutations, and fix errors from its two parent species. Without the ability to purge harmful mutations through sexual reproduction, the Amazon Molly “avoids accumulating harmful mutations by shuffling its own genome around” (Schartl, 2026).

Picture/Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/sex-skipping-fish-hacks-evolution-gene 

Second Article: https://www.lmu.de/en/newsroom/news-overview/news/how-a-clonal-fish-avoids-genetic-decay-752cd04a.html