Blind mole rats (Spalax spp) are extraordinary rodents that spend most of their lives underground, digging in poorly ventilated tunnels. Their ability to conduct intensive aerobic work under low oxygen pressures is remarkable, as is their lifespan of 20 years or more, which despite its length is not associated with spontaneously arising tumors. A paper… Read more »
With problems ranging from locust plagues to forest destruction, Madagascar may appear to be a beautiful & diverse paradise, but looks can be deceiving… Recently it was announced that Madagascar is facing its worst locust plague since the 1950s. Already one quarter of the island’s crops have been depleted, and 60% of the population’s… Read more »
Following our spectacular special issue on plant genomics (which you can re-live here), July brought another set of amazing articles with a broad, if unintentional, underlying RNA-esque theme. All tissues, all ages We kicked off with a study from Alvis Brazma and colleagues, who analyze gene expression across 21 different human tissues and cell lines,… Read more »
Genome Biology recently published a Correspondence article that argued for a bigger uptake of PacBio’s SMRT sequencing platform. We debated the issues arising in a Twitter chat, showcased here.