Sex chromosomes have evolved from autosomes hundreds of times across the tree of life. In mammals, sex is controlled by the Y chromosome-linked gene SRY, which triggers the development of male anatomy. Sex determination in most mammals is extremely conserved; essentially all marsupials and placental mammals share the same pair of X and Y chromosomes…

GENETICS and G3 are excited to welcome new editors! GENETICS and G3 Series Editor: Lauren McIntyre GENETICS Associate Editors: Anne Britt, Elizabeth Hauser, Jennifer Surtees, Paul Scheet, Mikko J. Sillanpää, Mario Calus, Katie Peichel G3 Associate Editors: Michael J. Axtell, Fernando Pardo-Manuel de Villena, Shavannor M. Smith, Joshua Udall GENETICS and G3 Series Editor LAUREN MCINTYRE University of Florida Lauren McIntyre is developing a…

Guest post by Shruthi Vembar. GSA-Art features the creative works of scientists. Read more in GSA President Stan Fields’ call for submissions. If you would like to submit your own work or nominate someone else’s, please send an email to GenesToGenomes@genetics-gsa.org with “GSA-Art” in the subject line. Madhubani painting, also known as Mithila painting, is an art form that originated in Northern…

To the unaided eye, Antarctic soil and alpine glaciers may appear to be barren wastelands devoid of life. But some microbes call hostile habitats like these home. Research on one such organism, published in the latest issue of G3, reveals some of the mechanisms behind cold adaptation—and explains why these otherwise hardy creatures can’t survive…

The Genetics Society of America does not take stands on political candidates or parties. Nevertheless, because the recent American election campaign was characterized by deep divisions and episodes of anger and fear, we feel compelled to reaffirm the values that unite us. Science thrives on diversity. Like most scientists, genetic researchers rarely work alone; they…

Guest post by Bonny Brewer. GSA-Art features the creative works of scientists. Read more in GSA President Stan Fields’ call for submissions. If you would like to submit your own work or nominate someone else’s, please send an email to GenesToGenomes@genetics-gsa.org with “GSA-Art” in the subject line. I have been in love with DNA for as long as I can remember.…

Dear President-elect Trump, It’s me again. I wrote you last week to say why you should make science a cornerstone of your administration. Don’t feel bad that with all the hubbub of starting up your new job, you haven’t had a chance to get back to me yet. But as I’ve read about some of…

Given the outcome of the US presidential election, some of our members have asked us if they should fear an erosion of federal support for research funding. Others have asked more pointed questions, such as: What is the GSA doing to defend the interests of geneticists? Young scientists, they’ve told us, are now even more…

In the fast-paced life of a bacterium, the ability to manufacture proteins quickly and efficiently is crucial. In these organisms, mRNAs—the templates for building proteins—have a string of bases near the start called the Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence. This motif increases the rate at which translation is initiated. Some results suggest that the presence of SD…

The human brain is an amazing machine powered by electricity. Carefully controlled patterns of changing electrical charges in neurons allow us to to think, move, and speak. When this system is disrupted, very bad things happen. A seizure occurs when a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain interrupts normal functioning. Seizures are accompanied…

Check out the November issue of GENETICS by looking at the highlights or the full table of contents! ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS This Month’s Centennial Articles Charlesworth et al. on background selection and neutral diversity, pp. 829-832 Stephen I. Wright Associate Editor Stephen I. Wright introduces the 1993 GENETICS Classic by Charlesworth. This landmark article revealed an important effect structuring neutral…