Plants were grown on lunar soil by scientists at the University of Florida.
Researchers Robert Ferl and Anna-Lisa Paul. Tyler Jones/UF/IFAS
According to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, the research is critical to the agency’s long-term aspirations in human space exploration. He adds that the findings might have consequences for plants flourishing in hostile environments on Earth. According to the researchers, the plants produced in lunar soil samples exhibited “stunted” roots and leaves, as well as some “reddish pigmentation.” The expressed gene patterns mirrored how Arabidopsis has previously responded to stress in other severe settings, according to researchers. Researchers picked some of the seedlings after 20 days and prepared to examine the plant RNA.
The genome of a single sperm contains the genetic material of one pair of paternal chromosomes.
Researcher Kevin Bishop looks at zebrafish samples. Techniques used to sequence the human genome can also be applied to other species. Ernesto Del Aguila III / National Institutes of Health
Researchers are re-analyzing 92 percent of the genome to look for genetic variants that may be causing illnesses. “We identified many more, tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands” of new variants, says David Dennis. In addition, researchers can better investigate how centromere proteins assemble and what happens when they alter or lose function using the new genome. As part of his research, Evan Eichler aims to decode the genetic code on paternal and maternal chromosomes. By systematically sequencing a large number of individuals from diverse origins, he claims that it would be possible to better understand the genetic variation of the globe and identify relevant genetic variants.
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