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Video: Mining genes from whole genomes

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology are enabling researchers to comb quickly — and ever more cheaply — through whole genomes. At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Evan Eichler talked to SFARI about what the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence information means for autism research.

By Sarah DeWeerdt

18 November 2010 | 1 min read

This article is more than five years old.

Neuroscience—and science in general—is constantly evolving, so older articles may contain information or theories that have been reevaluated since their original publication date.

Rapid advances in DNA sequencing technology are enabling researchers to comb quickly — and ever more cheaply — through whole genomes to learn about genetic variation involved in different traits and diseases.

In October 2010, Evan Eichler used data from the 1,000 Genomes Project and found roughly 1,000 genes — including some associated with brain development — that are prone to deletion or duplication.

At the Society for Neuroscience annual meeting in San Diego, Eichler, professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington, talked to SFARI about what the rapid accumulation of genetic sequence information means for autism research.