DNA

Study: How environment may have affected ancient societies

PULLMAN, Wash. – A new study in PLOS ONE shows for the first time that epigenetic marks on DNA can be detected in a large number of ancient human remains. This could improve understanding about the effects of famine and disease in the ancient world.

Grant helps WSU improve state’s most valuable crops

By Sylvia Kantor, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University have been awarded $2.53 million to improve fruit quality and disease resistance of crops in the rosaceae family (apple, blackberry, peach, pear, rose, strawberry, sweet cherry and tart cherry).

Rock Doc column: Correcting errors in the language of life

By E. Kirsten Peters, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – My word processor is set up to deal with the errors I make when writing. The programmers who wrote the computer program knew I’d screw things up, so they built in corrective functions like spellcheck and the ability to simply […]

$1.5 million grant to advance ‘big data’ for genomic research

By Sylvia Kantor, College of Agricultural, Human & Natural Resource Sciences PULLMAN, Wash. – Scientists at Washington State University have received a grant from the National Science Foundation to help meet the growing needs of the data driven genomic science community. The Tripal Gateway project will build on existing cyberinfrastructure to enhance the capacity of […]

$1.45M grant: Preserving genome stability to fight disease

By Judith Van Dongen, WSU Spokane Office of Research SPOKANE, Wash. – Molecular biologist Weihang Chai, an associate professor of medical sciences, has received a five-year $1.45 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the potential role of the CST protein complex in preserving genome stability.