How transcription factors achieve their in vivo specificities is a fundamental question in biology. Regulation of Distalless (dll) gene in insects served as an excellent model to study mechanisms of Hox genes and this is the topic of our classic paper today. Richard mann’s lab published some stunning stuff on role played by segmentation genes in regulation of distalless gene in 2004 Nature issue. This article is a real classic providing some finer details in repression of distalless in abdomen of insects. Ever since the first paper by Vachon et …

German scientists announced the first rough draft of the genome of our closest relatives, Neanderthals. Leading the team, Svante Pääbo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology made this announcement through a video conference to reporters assembled at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The team has successfully decode 3.7 billion bases of of Neandertal DNA from a 38,000-year-old bone of a female Neandertal fossil discovered in Vindija cave in Croatia, which is expected to provide more insights into human evolution.This accounts for …

The famous Nature journal joined in the celebrations on Darwin day by releasing a special issue on Charles Darwin life and work . Current issue is a treat for all covering varying aspects like what evolution has done to shape human nature and some of the problems inherent in applying biology to questions about humanity. The issue also contain an essay on Darwin’s pigeons and poetry by his great great grand-daughter Ruth Padel. But my favorite is the “insight” section dealing with natural selection and How the modern scientists built …

Happy Birthday Charles Darwin !!!! It was on this day ,200 years ago Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury , considered by many as the most influential scientist of all time. Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution by natural selection in his famous book On the Origin of Species, which completely changed our perception towards planet Earth and our place inside it.This book of charles Darwin was mainly based on his famous ship journey. Darwin was an exceptional thinker and was way ahead of his time, that could be …

Kelly J. Beumera et al reported an efficient way of mutagenesis for any target in Drosophila by direct embryo injection of mRNAs encoding specific zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). To explore the consequences resulted from alterations in DNA forms the basis of genetic analysis and it can done in more than one way. In forward genetics, mutations responsible for particular phenotypes are traced back to their genomic location. In reverse genetics, a genomic target is identified and mutations are directed to it and this a remarkable technique in elucidating function of gene …

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate with Ilya Ruvinsky in the Department of Ecology & Evolution and the Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology at The University of Chicago.
The project will focus on understanding the mechanisms responsible for evolutionary and physiological robustness of transcriptional networks.Biology (http://www.igsb.anl.gov/).
To apply, please submit applications (by e-mail to I. Ruvinsky at ruvinsky@uchicago.edu), including (1) a CV, (2) a 1-page statement of past accomplishments and PDFs of most relevant publications, (3) research interests and (4) names and contact information of three referees. …

Angus Davison’s lab is looking for a post doc to work on snail chirality A deep-seated theoretical problem has stoked a burning interest in understanding the symmetry-breaking event during development – how is one side of an organism consistently distinguished from the other, given that the side that is called ‘right’ is essentially arbitrary? Although most prior research has concentrated on models such as the mouse, chick and frog, the coiling or chiral variation of the pond snail Lymnaea may be crucial in coming to understand asymmetry. This …