The Deeper Genome

Over a decade ago, as the Human Genome Project completed its mapping of the entire human genome, hopes ran high that we would rapidly be able to use our knowledge of human genes to tackle many inherited diseases, and understand what makes us unique among animals. But things didn't turn out that way. For a start, we turned out to have far fewer genes than originally thought — just over 20,000, the same sort of number as a fruit fly or worm. What's more, the proportion of DNA consisting of genes coding for proteins was a mere 2%. So, was the rest of the genome accumulated 'junk'? Things have changed since those early heady days of the Human Genome Project. But the emerging picture is if anything far more exciting. In this book, John Parrington explains the key features that are coming to light - some, such as the results of the international ENCODE programme, still much debated and controversial in their scope. He gives an outline of the deeper genome, involving layers of regulatory elements controlling and coordinating the switching on and off of genes; the impact of its 3D geometry; the discovery of a variety of new RNAs playing critical roles; the epigenetic changes influenced by the environment and life experiences that can make identical twins different and be passed on to the next generation; and the clues coming out of comparisons with the genomes of Neanderthals as well as that of chimps about the development of our species. We are learning more about ourselves, and about the genetic aspects of many diseases. But in its complexity, flexibility, and ability to respond to environmental cues, the human genome is proving to be far more subtle than we ever imagined.

As the Human Genome Project completed its mapping of the entire human genome, hopes ran high that we would rapidly be able to use our knowledge of human genes to tackle many inherited diseases, and understand what makes us unique among animals. But things didn't turn out that way ... but the emerging picture is if anything far more exciting. Parrington gives an outline of the deeper genome, involving layers of regulatory elements controlling and coordinating the switching on and off of genes; the impact of its 3D geometry; the discovery of a variety of new RNAs playing critical roles; the epigenetic changes influenced by the environment and life experiences that can make identical twins different and be passed on to the next generation; and the clues coming out of comparisons with the genomes of Neanderthals as well as that of chimps about the development of our species.

Rapid developments in the manipulation of genomes, including editing genes with 'molecular scissors' and the synthesizing of new lifeforms look set to transform our future, and perhaps that of life on Earth. John Parrington explains the cutting edge science and its implications.

Leading medical genetics scholar Moyra Smith reviews current and recent work in genetics and genomics to assess progress in understanding human variation and the pathogenesis of common and rare diseases in which genetics plays a role. Smith provides an exceptional overview of the most important biomedical progress arising from the greatly increased genetic information base generated by gene mapping and the sequencing of the complete Human Genome. This book addresses into a wide spectrum of topics associated with human genetics and genomics, including: Human origins; migrations and human population diversity gained though genomic analyses. The complexities of psychiatric diseases that are influenced by genetics. The pathogenesis of late-onset neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinsonism, and ALS. Key aspects of protein misfolding. Gene-environment interactions in DNA damage and repair and DNA instability. Micro RNAs and mRNA translation. Epigenetics. New functions for old enzymes in cancer.

Human genomes are 99.9 percent identical—with one prominent exception. Instead of a matching pair of X chromosomes, men carry a single X, coupled with a tiny chromosome called the Y. Tracking the emergence of a new and distinctive way of thinking about sex represented by the unalterable, simple, and visually compelling binary of the X and Y chromosomes, Sex Itself examines the interaction between cultural gender norms and genetic theories of sex from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, postgenomic age. Using methods from history, philosophy, and gender studies of science, Sarah S. Richardson uncovers how gender has helped to shape the research practices, questions asked, theories and models, and descriptive language used in sex chromosome research. From the earliest theories of chromosomal sex determination, to the mid-century hypothesis of the aggressive XYY supermale, to the debate about Y chromosome degeneration, to the recent claim that male and female genomes are more different than those of humans and chimpanzees, Richardson shows how cultural gender conceptions influence the genetic science of sex. Richardson shows how sexual science of the past continues to resonate, in ways both subtle and explicit, in contemporary research on the genetics of sex and gender. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, genes and chromosomes are moving to the center of the biology of sex. Sex Itself offers a compelling argument for the importance of ongoing critical dialogue on how cultural conceptions of gender operate within the science of sex.

From the author of the acclaimed The Epigenetics Revolution (‘A book that would have had Darwin swooning’ – Guardian) comes another thrilling exploration of the cutting edge of human science. For decades after the structure of DNA was identified, scientists focused purely on genes, the regions of the genome that contain codes for the production of proteins. Other regions – 98% of the human genome – were dismissed as ‘junk’. But in recent years researchers have discovered that variations in this ‘junk’ DNA underlie many previously intractable diseases, and they can now generate new approaches to tackling them. Nessa Carey explores, for the first time for a general audience, the incredible story behind a controversy that has generated unusually vituperative public exchanges between scientists. She shows how junk DNA plays an important role in areas as diverse as genetic diseases, viral infections, sex determination in mammals, human biological complexity, disease treatments, even evolution itself – and reveals how we are only now truly unlocking its secrets, more than half a century after Crick and Watson won their Nobel prize for the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1962.

Genomic science indicates that humans descend not from an individual pair but from a large population. What does this mean for the basic claim of many Christians: that humans descend from Adam and Eve? Leading evangelical geneticist Dennis Venema and popular New Testament scholar Scot McKnight combine their expertise to offer informed guidance and answers to questions pertaining to evolution, genomic science, and the historical Adam. Some of the questions they explore include: - Is there credible evidence for evolution? - Do we descend from a population or are we the offspring of Adam and Eve? - Does taking the Bible seriously mean rejecting recent genomic science? - How do Genesis's creation stories reflect their ancient Near Eastern context, and how did Judaism understand the Adam and Eve of Genesis? - Doesn't Paul's use of Adam in the New Testament prove that Adam was a historical individual? The authors address up-to-date genomics data with expert commentary from both genetic and theological perspectives, showing that genome research and Scripture are not irreconcilable. Foreword by Tremper Longman III and afterword by Daniel Harrell.

Recent advances that allow scientists to quickly and accurately sequence a genome have revolutionized our view of the structure and function of genes as well as our understanding of evolution. A new era of genetics is underway, one that allows us to fully embrace Dobzhansky's famous statementthat "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution".Genetics: Genes, Genomes, and Evolution presents the fundamental principles of genetics and molecular biology from an evolutionary perspective as informed by genome analysis.By using what has been learned from the analyses of bacterial and eukaryotic genomes as its basis, the book unites evolution, genomics, and genetics in one narrative approach. Genomic analysis is inherently both molecular and evolutionary, and every chapter is approached from this unifiedperspective.Similarly, genomic studies have provided a deeper appreciation of the profound relationships between all organisms - something reflected in the book's integrated discussion of bacterial and eukaryotic evolution, genetics and genomics. It is an approach that provides students with a uniquely flexibleand contemporary view of genetics, genomics, and evolution.Online Resource Centre:* Video tutorials: a series of videos that provide deeper, step-by-step explanations of a range of topics featured in the text.* Flashcards: electronic flashcards covering the key terms from the text.For registered adopters of the text:* Digital image library: Includes electronic files in PowerPoint format of every illustration, photo, graph and table from the text* Lecture notes: Editable lecture notes in PowerPoint format for each chapter help make preparing lectures faster and easier than ever. Each chapter's presentation includes a succinct outline of key concepts, and incorporates the graphics from the chapter* Library of exam-style questions: a suite of questions from which you can pick potential assignments and exams.* Test bank of multiple-choice questions: a ready-made electronic testing resource that can be customized by lecturers and delivered via their institution's virtual learning environment.* Solutions to all questions featured in the book: solutions written by the authors help make the grading of homework assignments easier.* Journal Clubs: a series of questions that guide your students through the reading and interpretation of a research paper that relates to the subject matter of a given chapter. Each Journal club includes model answers for lecturers.* Instructor's guide: The instructor's guide discusses the educational approach taken by Genetics: Genes, Genomes, and Evolution in more detail, why this approach has been taken, what benefits it offers, and how it can be adopted in your class.