2012

Autworks, a new online tool, has data on almost 20,000 human genes linked to nearly 3,000 disorders. The tool, published 28 November in BMC Medical Genomics, creates gene-network maps for each disorder and highlights the overlap between them.

The brains of newborn pigs are similar in shape and mature at the same rate as those of human infants. That makes piglets a good model for studying neurological disorders, according to a study published in the November issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

By combining pedigree information with sequencing data, a new software tool helps focus on genetic variants likely to be responsible for disease, researchers reported 10 October in Bioinformatics.

Researchers have developed a method to fix and stain intact mouse brains for electron microscopy, according to a study published 21 October in Nature Methods. The technique allows them to trace the paths of neurons as they project across the brain.

Female mice of two different genetic backgrounds consistently model the behavioral features of Rett syndrome, according to a study published 9 October in Human Molecular Genetics. Although Rett syndrome presents almost entirely in girls, researchers have thus far relied mostly on male mice to model the disorder.