Genome sequence of an Australian kangaroo, Macropus eugenii, provides insight into the evolution of mammalian reproduction and development.

BACKGROUND: We present the genome sequence of the tammar wallaby, Macropus eugenii, which is a member of the kangaroo family and the first representative of the iconic hopping mammals that symbolize Australia to be sequenced. The tammar has many unusual biological characteristics, including the longest period of embryonic diapause of any mammal, extremely synchronized seasonal breeding and prolonged and sophisticated lactation within a well-defined pouch. Like other marsupials, it gives birth to highly altricial young, and has a small number of very large chromosomes, making it a valuable model for genomics, reproduction and development. RESULTS: The genome has been sequenced to 2 × coverage using Sanger sequencing, enhanced with additional next generation sequencing and the integration of extensive physical and linkage maps to build the genome assembly. We also sequenced the tammar transcriptome across many tissues and developmental time points. Our analyses of these data shed light on mammalian reproduction, development and genome evolution: there is innovation in reproductive and lactational genes, rapid evolution of germ cell genes, and incomplete, locus-specific X inactivation. We also observe novel retrotransposons and a highly rearranged major histocompatibility complex, with many class I genes located outside the complex. Novel microRNAs in the tammar HOX clusters uncover new potential mammalian HOX regulatory elements. CONCLUSIONS: Analyses of these resources enhance our understanding of marsupial gene evolution, identify marsupial-specific conserved non-coding elements and critical genes across a range of biological systems, including reproduction, development and immunity, and provide new insight into marsupial and mammalian biology and genome evolution

Project Presentations: Stepping off the merry-go-round

With 27 science project presentations to hear, Margaret Cocks Decided it was time to step off the merry-go-round to find a more effective approach – combining a jigsaw strategy and a carousel activity

Evaluating Private Roads on Nantucket

The Town of Nantucket has 400 miles of road, of which 313 miles are privately owned. Many of these privately owned roads are poorly maintained which creates conditions that can impair emergency vehicle access. The goal of this project was to evaluate the conditions of a sample of the unpaved private roads on Nantucket, and to make recommendations for the repair and maintenance of the roads in order to ensure the safe passage of emergency vehicles. The team accomplished this goal by developing an evaluation protocol and systematically evaluating a sample of the private roads on Nantucket. The team then used the data to develop cost estimates and priorities for fixing the roads

Structured Case-Based Ethics Discussion for Trainees and Faculty on Dermatopathology

Introduction Ethical and professional dilemmas are part of the day-to-day practice of medicine, including within dermatopathology (e.g., ethical implications of self-referring skin biopsies for pathology interpretation). There is a need for teaching aids that dermatology educators can easily access to help provide ethics education. Methods We held an hour-long, faculty-facilitated, interactive, virtual discussion about ethical issues in dermatopathology. The session followed a structured, case-based format. We administered anonymous online feedback surveys after the session and used the Wilcoxon signed rank test to compare participants’ before and after responses. Results Seventy-two individuals from two academic institutions participated in the session. We collected 35 total responses (49%) from dermatology residents (n = 15), dermatology faculty (n = 14), medical students (n = 2), and other providers and learners (n = 4). Feedback was largely positive, with 21 attendees (60%) indicating they learned a few things and 11 (31%) indicating they learned a great deal. Additionally, 32 participants (91%) indicated they would recommend the session to a colleague. Our analysis showed that attendees had a greater self-perceived level of achievement for each of our three objectives after the session. Discussion This dermatoethics session is structured so as to be easily shared, deployed, and built on by other institutions. We hope that other institutions will use our materials and results to improve upon the foundation presented here and that this framework will be used by other medical specialties seeking to foster ethics education in their training programs