In an essay I published last year for the Lasker Essay Contest (and republished in our blog), I described optogenetics and chemogenetics, two technologies recently developed for basic neuroscience research that have the potential to improve the way we treat psychiatric illness. The major drawback to drugs currently prescribed for diseases such as depression, PTSD,(...)
epigenetics
The Butterfly Effect: Wing Research Method Shows Promise
Posted by | Perspectives in Research, Recently PublishedFrom the flower on your front porch to your cousin’s lower back tattoo, butterflies are one of the most immediately recognizable insects due to their magnificent wings. Though I am no butterfly expert myself, I can distinguish a few species native to my area by their color patterns. Interestingly, wing patterns and coloration may be(...)
Diving into Epigenetics Aboard NASA’s parabolic arc aircraft
Posted by | Perspectives in ResearchThe technology behind genome sequencing and the science of genomics has advanced incredibly quickly over the past decade. However, in the process, it has come to light that only 1 to 20 percent of common disease heritability can be attributed to the normal genetic sequences of our chromosomes. Instead, epigenetics — in the form of(...)