A large Chinese mother– baby study containing new genetic variants has been found
Maternal genes are related to cholestasis and bile acid in East Asian mothers: a new study of their maternal and baby genetic profiles
The Chinese study of mothers and their babies has found genetic variations that were not observed in other populations and links between their baby’s growth and their mothers. The study is among the first to look at the genetic profiles of East Asian people, a largely under-represented population in genomic research. Maternal health and fetal development have a lot of links, for example, lighter and shorter babies are born to mothers with higher blood pressure.
The researchers were able to find genetic variations that had not been observed in other populations. The mother gained weight when she was pregnant with one variant. The risk of fetal death due to the chondrogenic disease cholestasis in pregnant women is linked to increased levels of bile acid. The researchers say the variant could be more prevalent in East Asian mothers than in those from other regions because it also has a role in protecting people from the hepatitis B virus, which is common in China.
The researchers found that there were differences in the effects of some genetic variant on the same trait between mothers and their babies. Some variants were linked to altered 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 wants to further explore how a person’s genetic risk profile can change with age or have an epigenetic component.
The study also identified some new links. Mother with high levels of bile acid have shorter babies. Clifton says the analysis falls short of establishing causality but offers leads for further research.
Genetic studies that explore links between genomes and disease are becoming increasingly popular, says Teri Manolio, director of the Division of Genomic Medicine at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Manolio says they allow researchers to analyse data in an “agnostic fashion” and “find stuff you didn’t expect”. The number of study participants is relatively small and any associations need to be confirmed in larger sample sizes, according to Manolio.
Nonetheless, Clifton is excited that the Guangzhou project is starting to yield findings. “We can look forward to a lot more data from this cohort and a lot more interesting outcomes,” she says.
What biological systems can biologically do to combat the pollution of natural hair conditioners and lotions? A journalist’s perspective on the sea otter
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. The News from Chemical and Engineering.
Sea otter help to protect the salt marshes of Monterey Bay by eating shore crabs that endanger the habitats. The crabs like to eat the roots of the pickleweed plant that holds the sandy banks together. Almost hunted to extinction by the end of the nineteenth century, the sea otters are making a comeback. In areas where otters had returned, erosion slowed from 30 cm a year to 10 cm a year. When you think about it, it says a lot. “You can have a single animal, the sea otter, come in and through predation actually mitigate the effects of erosion.”
Source: Daily briefing: Discoveries from a huge study of mothers and babies in China
What science should scientists know about online misinformation? An analysis of the rise in Europe’s measles, mumps and rubella cases
With it comes concerns about online misinformation, as nearly half of the world is going to vote in an election. Scientists who study the political reach of social media have found themselves in the worst situation they’ve been in for years. For example, Twitter has stopped providing free research access to its data. New legislation in Europe may change that, and others are trying out other ways to get the word out. “We have to learn how to get insights from more limited sets of data,” says computer scientist Kate Starbird.
Measles cases are rising in Europe because fewer children are protected with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. Last year, European nations reported 42,200 cases of the disease, a jump from less than 1000 cases in the previous year. Health authorities are sounding the alarm and facilitating the most vulnerable — usually young children — to get both doses of the MMR jab. In the United Kingdom, the number of children who are protected against vaccine is the lowest in a decade. “It’s considered to be one of the most infectious respiratory infections there is,” says population-health researcher Helen Bedford. “The only thing that you can do to stop measles spreading is get vaccinated.”
According to a new poll, scientists are some of the most trusted people in the world to tell the truth about innovations. At the same time, people are concerned that governments are interfering in science and lack the competence to regulate emerging technology. A Nature editorial calls on social scientists — economists, ethicists, legal scholars and sociologists — to help develop the evidence-based policies and regulations needed to earn public confidence in the competence of policymakers. 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
The first sighting of a newborn great white shark: Carlos Gauna and Phillip Sternes film a baby white shark shed its covering in the water
Growing human neurons in the laboratory can be a time-consuming process. The equivalent cortical cells in a mouse can take years to reach maturity, which is slower than cortical cells. Researchers have been exploring some of the mechanisms that could be behind these very different timescales of growth and have found a kind of epigenetic ‘braking’ effect that slows maturation. Manipulating this ‘brake’ could allow scientists to speed up the study of older brain cells in a dish.
Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and biologist Phillip Sternes used a drone to film what could be the first-ever sighting of a newborn great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). They spotted the 1.5-metre-long pup shedding its white coating into the water. I think it was a baby white shark, according to the person who said it. (The Guardian | 3 min read) (Carlos Gauna/The Malibu Artist)
