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Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022
Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2022

This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

This year’s stories highlight the expanding versatility of genetic techniques and the increasing utility of such research in all life science fields.

whole genome sequencing

A fishing cat with a fish in its mouth
Genome Spotlight: Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Dec 22, 2022 | 5 min read
A high-quality reference genome for this vulnerable feline may help scientists understand why they’re so prone to transitional cell carcinoma in captivity.
A tropical angelfish 
Genome Spotlight: Freshwater Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Oct 27, 2022 | 4 min read
A high school student uses crowdfunding to produce the first genome assembly for this popular aquarium species, underscoring the increasing feasibility of whole-genome sequencing.
Chromatogram peaks of a DNA sequencing analysis.
Brush Up: What Is Bisulfite Sequencing and How Do Researchers Use It to Study DNA Methylation?
Deanna MacNeil, PhD | 4 min read
Prior to DNA methylation sequencing, researchers treat their samples with sodium bisulfite to distinguish methylated cytosine from unmethylated cytosine.
Pink- and purple-stained cells clustered into glands
Phenotypic Variation in Cancer Cells Often Not Due to Mutations
Jef Akst | Oct 26, 2022 | 3 min read
Most differences in gene expression among cells within a tumor are likely due to environment or noise, a study suggests. 
A C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii) growing in a pot
Genome Spotlight: C-fern (Ceratopteris richardii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Sep 22, 2022 | 5 min read
Sequences for the model organism and two of its kin reveal how these plants got their oversized genomes.
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LabTalk Podcast - Hijacking Genes: Uncovering the Cause of Lineage Ambiguous Leukemia
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Chromosomal rearrangements reposition influential and often overlooked non-coding elements in the genome to hijack genes and cause cancer.
An Edith’s checkerspot butterfly
Genome Spotlight: Edith’s Checkerspot Butterfly (Euphydryas editha)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Aug 25, 2022 | 3 min read
A high-quality genome sequence for this versatile insect will likely aid eco-evolutionary research.
Artist’s rendition of a blue-green DNA double helix, viewed lengthwise from within one end.
Stem Cell Lines Riddled With Undetected Mutations
Dan Robitzski | Aug 12, 2022 | 4 min read
Most of the human induced pluripotent stem cells stored at major cell line repositories and used in research harbor thousands of DNA errors, a study finds, highlighting the need for improved quality control measures.
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Investigating Genetic and Epigenetic Landscapes with Long-Read Sequencing
The Scientist Creative Services Team in collaboration with Oxford Nanopore | 1 min read
Matthew Naish will discuss what he learned about Arabidopsis thaliana centromeres from long-read sequencing experiments.
genome sequence text on screen 
Q&A: Whole Genomes of 150,000 Britons Reveal Novel Genetic Variants
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Aug 5, 2022 | 5 min read
Height and onset of menarche are among traits linked to previously unidentified genetic variants in noncoding regions of the human genome.
A desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on sand
Genome Spotlight: Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 21, 2022 | 4 min read
A chromosome-scale genome sequence for this infamous agricultural pest could help mitigate its plagues.
Mining Coding Regions with Whole-Exome Sequencing
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Multiple next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques offer insights into health and disease.
Illustration of a DNA virus sneaking genetic material into a host’s nucleus
Infographic: Possible Mechanisms of Gene Transfer in Eukaryotes
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 6 min read
Genetic studies have made it clear that eukaryotic horizontal gene transfer can and does happen. Exactly how, though, remains speculative.
Landscape illustration
Horizontal Gene Transfer Happens More Often Than Anyone Thought
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jul 5, 2022 | 10+ min read
DNA passed to and from all kinds of organisms, even across kingdoms, has helped shape the tree of life, to a large and undisputed degree in microbes and also unexpectedly in multicellular fungi, plants, and animals.
Battling COVID-19 with Genomics
The Scientist’s Creative Services Team | 1 min read
Download this eBook to discover how genomic sequencing is uncovering new information about the SARS-CoV-2 virus and aiding public health decision making in the fight against a global pandemic!
a black abalone on a rock
Genome Spotlight: Black Abalone (Haliotis cracherodii)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jun 23, 2022 | 3 min read
The researchers who constructed the first reference genome for this critically endangered mollusk say it will assist restoration efforts.
a giant isopod in an aquarium
Genome Spotlight: Giant Isopod (Bathynomus jamesi)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | May 26, 2022 | 3 min read
The first high-quality genome for a marine isopod may shed light on how this group of crustaceans adapted to the deep, dark depths of the ocean.
Dogs of various breeds running in the field.
They’re All (Potentially) Good Dogs
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Apr 29, 2022 | 2 min read
Research finds that a dog’s behavior has little to do with its genes.
A tubifer cardinalfish
Genome Spotlight: Tubifer cardinalfish (Siphamia tubifer)
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Apr 28, 2022 | 3 min read
These tiny reef fish harbor luminous bacteria, and the chromosome-level assembly of the species’ genome may facilitate the duo’s use as a vertebrate model for symbiosis.
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