Is Autoimmunity a Result of Genetic Adaptation to Pathogens?
Pinworms–small worms that infect the intestines–are the most common worm infection in the United States. Although all people are over 99.9% genetically identical, the small amount of diversity that does...
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SNPwatch: Genetic Association Study of Leprosy Yields New Insights into an Ancient Disease
Leprosy is a chronic, disabling disease caused by a bacterium (Mycobacterium leprae) that infects only humans and armadillos. The disease affects the skin and peripheral nerves, leading to sores, numbness...
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Bugs in Your Mouth: Yours Isn’t the Only DNA Floating Around in that Spit Sample
Each of us is made up of about 50 trillion cells, which is pretty mind-blowing until you consider the number of microbial cells living on or in each of us....
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Thinking Outside the Box: Bacterial Genetics and the Peopling of the Pacific
Not all bacteria are bad. Sure, there are plenty of nasty bugs that can make life pretty unpleasant; the ones that cause leprosy, anthrax, and cholera immediately come to...
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