This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Monday 30 January 2023
The Human Genome : All the Eggs in One Basket?
Healthcare's Standard genome is based on a single, American from Buffalo, New York. Although the genes of all humans are 99.9% the same, the inherent bias of the 'human genome' has drawbacks for much of the world's population (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/jan/29/the-human-genome-needs-updating-but-how-do-we-make-it-fair). One person cannot be representative of the entire world. Most genome sequencing for medical purposes, is actually fundamentally biased. Indeed, the less ancestry one shares with the guy from Buffalo, the more unlikely it is that your particular genetic variation will be detected. In some patients, this will result in conditions being undiagnosed. Possible treatments may consequently be unoffered. In an attempt to limit this inherent bias, reference genomes for specific countries are now being generated. Having said that, one individual (usually a male), will not even be entirely representative of each of these countries.
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Castoffs in Chile
Sixty thousand tonnes of used clothing dumped on Chile each year. Most of this 'rag trade waste' comes from China; South Korea, the...
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The UK government continue their quest to turn England's rivers back into sewers. They first facilitated the privatised water companies...
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Garden plants in France, The Netherlands, The UK and Sikkim (NE India).
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