Research Highlights in 2019

A study in Nature Ecology and Evolution reports the genome sequence of the Komodo dragon and describes genomic features that may underlie its distinct physiology.

A study in Nature Genetics shows that genomic rearrangements that cause extensive changes to chromatin topology do not alter expression for the majority of genes.

A recent study in Science demonstrates how capturing gene expression over a developmental time course enables the discovery of dynamic expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) that would otherwise be challenging to find.

A study in Nature emphasizes that the diversity of genetic ancestries represented by large-scale genomic studies needs to be increased in order to ensure that their findings — and any resulting advances in health care — are relevant to everyone, regardless of ethnicity.

New research in Cell describes the technique of ‘DNA microscopy’, in which the spatial distribution of mRNAs is inferred through sequencing DNA tags, without direct visualization.

A study in Nature Methods describes a light-activated dynamic looping (LADL) system, which consists of a synthetic architectural protein that rapidly induces long-range chromatin interactions in response to blue light.

A study in Genome Biology reports an unbiased screen for human genomic regions at which interindividual variation in DNA methylation is consistent across cell types and tissues, providing new targets for studying epigenetic links to disease.

Reporting in Cell, two groups now show that parental responses to the environment are passed to their offspring by small RNAs.

A new study in Science identifies strong selective pressure on mitochondrial DNA during transmission through the female germ line, as well as an interplay with the nuclear genome that shapes mitochondrial genetic variation.

Two recent studies trace epigenetic marks in cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) to characterize the evolution of the epigenome in cancer.

A study in Nature describes a CRISPR–Cas9-based ‘molecular recorder’ that can report on cellular state and cell lineage, in mice, from fertilization through to adulthood.

A study in Cell incorporates metabolic networks into a machine-learning approach to provide mechanistic insights into bacterial antibiotic lethality.

A study in Science uses experimental and population genomic approaches to examine the molecular underpinnings of evolved pollution resistance in Gulf killifish.

A study of ancient horse genomes, described in Cell, reveals the existence of two now-extinct horse lineages and shows that modern breeding practices reduced genetic diversity in horses.

A new study reports a genome-wide polygenic score (GPS) that is predictive of obesity, thus providing opportunities for early health interventions.

An experimental evolution study published in Science demonstrates that non-additive interactions between pollinators (bumblebees) and herbivores (caterpillars) drive rapid evolution in plants.

Two new spatial transcriptomics techniques published in Nature and Science bring us an important step closer to the goal of achieving transcriptome-wide data at single-cell resolution.

Two meta-analyses of fecal metagenomics studies report the presence of a microbial signature that is predictive of colorectal cancer.

A fuller understanding of bacterial genomic variation could provide insight into host pathophysiology. A new study in Nature demonstrates that structural variants are highly prevalent in human gut microbiomes and that some associate with host disease risk factors.

A new study in Science reports the existence of a subpopulation of somatic cells from which ‘elite’ clones emerge that outperform other clones to drive reprogramming.