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Alternative splicing tunes sex differences in flies
The Y chromosome has an unanticipated role in sex-biased intron retention in Drosophila. Differences between males and females in sexually dimorphic species stem in part from disparities in gene expression. This sex-biased expression can be achieved through numerous means, one of which is alternative splicing. In a recent study, Wang et al. investigated differences in one…
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New wheat variety makes lofty loaves
Crop properties improved by point mutation in microRNA binding domain of Q gene. Humans have been cultivating wheat for ten thousand years, transforming it from an unruly grass into a useful crop highly adapted to our needs. But even after millennia, there are still new avenues for improving this staple food. A new type of…
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Keeping transformation on target
Biolistic genetic transformation in C. neoformans produces few off-target side effects. While genome editing is a staple of genetics research, there remains anxiety about unintended side effects of genetic transformation, one of the most common longstanding genome-editing techniques. Some researchers fear that the process of introducing exogenous DNA into a cell may cause unwanted mutations,…
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New Career Development Symposia: science policy careers, evolution, DNA replication and repair
We are proud to support three new symposia organized by student and postdoctoral members of the GSA! Check out the descriptions from the 2018 awardees of GSA Career Development Symposia funding. This program empowers early career members to organize local events that enhance the professional development of their peers, including career skills symposia, workshops, and networking events. Is there…
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Early Career Leadership Spotlight — Lindsay Holden
We’re taking time over the following weeks to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us every week to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Lindsay Holden Steering Committee Portland State University SMART Scholar, US Army Public Health Center Research Interest Differences between…
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The AAAS Science & Technology Fellowships: an inside view
This post is part of the Early Career Scientist Policy Subcommittee’s series on science policy fellowships. You can also search for fellowship opportunities in the GSA Policy Fellowship Database. AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships (STPF) give scientists and engineers the opportunity to apply their knowledge and analytical skills to the policymaking process. These US-based fellowships…
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Kelley Harris: Give students the freedom to choose
Kelley Harris is the Biology Major Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Strong mentorship and her graduate training prepared Kelley for this multifaceted position that includes advising, administration, and communication. In the Decoding Life series, we talk to geneticists with diverse career paths, tracing the many directions possible after research training. This series is…
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Looking up to blue skies
GSA President Jeannie Lee invites your input. Like everything right now, science is changing fast. It seems like every time I look up from my work, the view has shifted, and the landscape is a little less familiar. This speed can be both exciting and disorienting, but either way, it pays to scan the horizon…
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Early Career Leadership Spotlight — Tony Patelunas
We’re taking time over the following weeks to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us every week to learn more about our early career scientist advocates. Tony Patelunas Career Development Subcommittee University of Connecticut Research Interests Waddington explained developmental specification as a ball rolling…
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Do longevity genes really influence aging?
A reanalysis of genes tied to life span in mice reveals only a select few affect aging. Like it or not, you are always getting older. The mechanisms responsible for this fact of life, non-negotiable as it is, remain poorly understood. To identify genes that drive the aging process, researchers typically look for those that…
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In memoriam: Margaret Lieb
Guest post by Nina Wolff pays tribute to long-standing GSA member Margaret Lieb. Margaret (Peggy) Lieb died on March 8, 2018 in South Pasadena, California at the age of 94. After attending schools in New Rochelle, NY, she graduated magna cum laude from Smith College, and subsequently studied with H.J. Muller at Indiana University and…