Francisco Mojic and Junk DNA

Veronique Greenwood interviews Francisco Mojic, the researcher at the University of Alicante who discovered that the junk DNA in cells actually served as a simple immune system. This discovery led to the discovery of CRISPR and eventually the ability to analyze the genome.

-DD

We Are Frankenstein

David Robson muses on how our bodies can become hosts of another's cells after conception. Most of the article explores cases of chimeras that occur to a child in the womb or to a mother's body as a result of pregnancy.

In regard to the latter case, a remarkably high percentage of tested mothers (63%) show male DNA lodged in their brain (Chan et al., 2012), which presumably was the result of carrying a son in pregnancy. I speculate that in some subliminal way this "shared flesh" may bond mother and child.

-DD

DNA for Data Storage

Lucas Mearian reports on Swiss efforts to record and retrieve data stored in manufactured DNA . The technology offers impressive storage densities, but reading a specific files is challenging.

-DD

 

DNA for Data Storage

Patrick Nelson comments that DNA is a better storage medium than hard disks or other current technologies.

-DD