New mammal reference genome helps ID genetic variants for human health."

 Angelinna Faisca

Current Event #10

Mr. Ippolito

AP Bio Even

Baylor College of Medicine. "New mammal reference genome helps ID genetic variants for human health." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 23 December 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/12/201223125728.htm>.

In this article, we learn the great importance of these new genes and what they can do to the diseases that plague our everyday life, especially since we are in a pandemic. Through the breed of money named, rhesus macaque, yes that is its name (Macaca mulatta is its scientific name). Through the rhesus macaque, over 85 million gene variants have been discovered. This amount of genetic variants is the largest scientists have seen amongst nonhuman primates, up to date. Also in this article, is a doctor named, Jeffery Rogers, who remarks, “We have actually identified thousands of new mutations in the population of research animals. Now colleagues all over the country who are investigating various aspects of health and disease using rhesus macaques can begin to make use of that information.” Having said this, this proves that these genes have made an impact on how our world works, including possible remedies to common diseases. The last genome that we have on record was of 2007, some distant years ago. Now we have a whole genome, this allows us to see the DNA of the rhesus macaque much better. While investigating the DNA of the rhesus macaque, their DNA was much more complex and repeating, showing the evolutionary deletions due to competition over the millions of years of evolution. These DNA sequences can possibly cure inverted blindness and even autism. Their DNA is so vast that scientists suggest that each primate has more genetic variants per human, which is pretty crazy to think about. Lastly, these genes will be studied by primatologists, which will give better insight and data about the genomes of non-human primates.

I think that this is very relevant towards our society because with breakthroughs of genetics, we can use their DNA to make discoveries of new cures for diseases that ail us everyday, and still continue to as a society, such as autism, which is a cause that is talked about worldwide and effects almost every single family, no matter the status. Furthermore, if this is the most accurate information since 2007, then what has been missing before this new data? So many questions can be answered, leading to more possibilities that can help humanity in the long run.

It was a short article, so nothing to really critique, however I think that images could have been added since it would enhance the interest that the reader would engage in, creating an image that would help the reader understand better the article, especially if they are not students of biology, unlike the context of us in this class. Overall, the article was easy to understand and I enjoyed reading it.