The Genetic Profiles of East Asian Mothers in the Guangzhou Study: The Effect of Genetic Variations on Maternal Health and Baby Growth

A huge study of Chinese mothers has shown that there are genes that have not been observed in other populations and that there is a link between mother and baby growth. The study looked at the genetic profiles of East Asian people, who are largely under-represented ingenomic research. Maternal health and fetal development can be linked, for example, mothers with high blood pressure have lighter and shorter babies than do mothers with low blood pressure.

The researchers uncovered genetic variants that have not been observed in other populations. One variant is linked to the weight gain of a mother during her pregnancies. Another was associated with increased levels of bile acid and risk of developing the liver disease cholestasis in pregnant women, which has been linked to an increased risk of fetal death. The researchers say the variant could be more prevalent in East Asian mothers than in those from other parts of the world because it protects against the hepatitis B virus, which is common in China.

The researchers found differences between the effect of genetic variations on mothers and their babies. Some variants were associated with altered cholesterol levels in infants, but not in their mothers. It is fascinating to learn that a baby’s genes play a large part in determining their cholesterol profile when they are born. These discrepancies between child and mother suggest that a person’s genetic risk profile could change with age or have an epigenetic component, which Qiu says the team hopes to further explore.

The study also identified some new links. The mothers with higher levels of bile acid had shorter babies. Clifton says the analysis falls short of establishing causality but offers leads for further research.

Genetic studies that explore links between genomes and disease are becoming increasingly popular, says Teri Manolio, director of the Division of Genomic Medicine at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. Manolio says they allow researchers to find what they don’t think they’ll find. Manolio cautions that there is a relatively small amount of study participants, and that any association needs to be confirmed by larger sample sizes and experimental studies.

Despite that, Clifton is pleased that the Guangzhou project is beginning to yield results. She says that we can look forward to a lot more data from this cohort.

Sea otters in California are saving salt marshes by feeding crabs: a remarkable phenomenon that helps a sea otter protect its habitat

The chemistry Nobel Laureate hopes that her recent creation, the first enzyme that breaks carbon-carbon bonds, will inspire people to look at how biology can fight pollutants found in hair conditioners and balms. (Chemical & Engineering News | 3 min read)

Sea otters in Monterey Bay, California are helping to protect salt marshes from erosion by feasting on shore crabs that destabilize these threatened habitats. The crabs eat the roots of a plant that helps hold the banks together. Almost hunted to extinction by the end of the nineteenth century, the sea otters are making a comeback. erosion went from 30 cm a year to 10 cm a year in areas where otter returned. “It’s remarkable when you think about it,” says community ecologist Jane Watson. There is a sea otter who can be used to help mitigate the effects of erosion.

Source: Daily briefing: Discoveries from a huge study of mothers and babies in China

Science should not be misrepresented on social media, but scientists should be pushed back by scientists: The example of Europe in the age of Twitter

It is an election year, and with it comes worries about online misinformation. Scientists who study the political reach of social media find themselves in the worst position of their careers. For example, Twitter has stopped providing free research access to its data. Many hope that new legislation in Europe will change that; others are exploring workarounds such as interviewing people who use the platforms. “We have to learn how to get insights from more limited sets of data,” says computer scientist Kate Starbird.

Measles cases are rising in Europe because fewer children are protected with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. A dramatic jump in the number of confirmed cases of the disease took place in Europe last year. Health authorities are sounding the alarm and facilitating the most vulnerable — usually young children — to get both doses of the MMR jab. The coverage of vaccinations for children under five has been going down for the last decade in the UK. “It’s considered to be one of the most infectious respiratory infections there is,” says population-health researcher Helen Bedford. “The only thing that you can do to stop measles spreading is get vaccinated.”

Good news for public trust in science: according to a new poll, scientists are among those most trusted by 32,000 respondents from 28 countries to tell the truth on innovations. People are concerned that governments aren’t capable of regulating emerging technology and that they are interfering with science. A Nature editorial calls on social scientists — economists, ethicists, legal scholars and sociologists — to help develop the evidence-based policies and regulations needed to earn public confidence in the competence of policymakers. Governments who overpolize science should be pushed back by scientists.

Source: Daily briefing: Discoveries from a huge study of mothers and babies in China

The first sighting of a newborn white shark: a giant pup sheds its white coating into the water and makes an old cortical cell turn its own

It can take a long time in the laboratory to grow human neurons. A mouse’s equivalent cells in cortical cells take years to reach maturity. Researchers have been exploring some of the mechanisms that could be behind these very different timescales of growth and have found a kind of epigenetic ‘braking’ effect that slows maturation. Scientists may be able to speed up the study of old brain cells by manipulating thisbrake.

Wildlife filmmaker Carlos Gauna and biologist Phillip Sternes used a drone to film what could be the first-ever sighting of a newborn great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). They spotted the 1.5-metre-long pup shedding its white coating into the water. “I believe it was a newborn white shark shedding its embryonic layer,” says Sternes. (The Guardian | 3 min read) (Carlos Gauna/The Malibu Artist)