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  • microRNAs have a role in hearing impairment

    Alice McCarthy, September 23rd, 2010 | Filed under

    The human inner ear is surprisingly complex, controlled by a large variety of genes – most with unknown roles – that can influence hearing loss. To identify the genetic influences leading to hearing loss, Prof. Karen B. Avraham, of the Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry at Tel Aviv University, Israel is investigating the biological roles of a group of non-coding RNAs called microRNAs (miRNAs). These RNA molecules are involved in turning off, or silencing, specific genes.

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  • Waste Not

    Alice McCarthy, July 29th, 2010 | Filed under

    You all know we at the Broad are passionate about our science. But news circulated today in the lobby of our Cambridge Center facilities that we are also doing our part in protecting the environment.

    Our landlord announced that the complex of buildings including Cambridge Center posted some impressive recycling numbers. We're a few months away from America Recycles Day on November 15 but we thought we'd share the news. 

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  • Gregor Mendel's 188th!

    Alice McCarthy, July 20th, 2010 | Filed under

    Since I work at a world-class institution where I encounter genetics and genomics research daily, it is only right to acknowledge the birthday of Gregor Johann Mendel (1852-1884), the Austrian friar whose puttering in the garden led to more than just the day’s edibles.

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  • Variants linked to Kidney Disease in African-Americans

    Alice McCarthy, July 16th, 2010 | Filed under

    A team of researchers, including those associated with the Broad Institute, have come upon what they believe explains the increased risk of kidney disease found in African Americans.  In a Science journal paper published online July 15, investigators identified two variants of the ApoL1 gene located on chromosome 22 that are found in higher frequency in African-Americans with kidney disease.

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  • Human body louse genome reveals details of vector-transmitted disease

    Alice McCarthy, July 6th, 2010 | Filed under

    The less than lovable human body louse got a boost this summer with the unveiling of its full genome. Pediculus humanus humanus, a human bacteria-transmitting body parasite is a close cousin to the human head louse, living north on our craniums, Pediculus humanus capitis. The body louse genome was published in late June in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

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  • Five Questions for Nick Patterson

    Alice McCarthy, July 1st, 2010 | Filed under

    Nick Patterson is a man of many stories. Currently a Computational Biologist in the Broad’s Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Nick’s past lives have been as intriguing as his current research in mathematics and evolutionary biology.

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  • Darwin refused to be scooped

    Alice McCarthy, June 30th, 2010 | Filed under

    As we begin the second half of 2010, a look back in the timeline of interesting – we hope – dates in science reveals that on July 1,1858 Charles Darwin first went public about his views on the evolution of species.

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