Article looks at another David Page contribution to the science of genetics.
A weakness in the system that allows the male Y chromosome to protect and repair itself can explain an array of genetic sexual disorders.:
The palindromes were discovered in 2003 when the Y chromosome's sequence of bases, represented by the familiar letters G, C, T and A, was first worked out by David Page of the Whitehead Institute and colleagues at the DNA sequencing center at WUSTL medical school.

References:

1. Sept. 15, 2009 — New Clues to Sex Anomalies in How Y Chromosomes Are Copied in the The New York Times

An international team of scientists has reported finding two more genetic risk factors of Alzheimer's disease. Includes comments by co-author and WUSTL professor of genetics in psychiatry Alison Goate.

References:

1. Sept. 8, 2009 — More Alzheimer genetic risk factors found in the United Press International

and 3 others.

Decoding the genome of a man with acute myeloid leukemia revealed genetic mutations that may be common among other cancer patients. The findings could help scientists understand the genetic basis of cancer. Includes comments by WUSTL researchers Richard Wilson, co-author and director of the Genome Center, and Timothy Ley, study senior author and medicine professor.

References:

1. Aug. 5, 2009 — Genome of Leukemia Patient Reveals Common Mutations in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 13 others.

WUSTL biochemists Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson helped decode the human genome and are now working to find genetic mutations associated with acute myeloid leukemia.

References:

1. June 30, 2009 — Elaine Mardis and Richard Wilson: Taking Cancer's Genetic Measure in the U.S. News & World Report online

Are some people hardwired to get the blues? Scientists have long believed that a tendency toward melancholy runs in families. A new study published on June 16 in JAMA now threatens to send researchers back to the drawing board. The meta-analysis of 14 prior studies concludes that the so-called depression gene may not be associated with an elevated risk for depression, as many researchers had believed. WUSTL psychiatric geneticist Alexandre Todorov, whose 2007 peer-reviewed study was included in the JAMA piece, comments.

References:

1. June 17, 2009 — Study: 'Depression Gene' Doesn't Predict the Blues in the Time.com

Black churches that hold blood drives after informing parishioners about the importance of blood donations for children with sickle cell disease will get a big upsurge in first-time donors, new research shows. WUSTL School of Medicine sickle cell researcher Michael DeBaun comments.

References:

1. Dec. 24, 2008 — Black churches help enlist first-time blood donors in the Reuters Health Medical News

and 4 others.

For the first time, researchers have decoded all the genes of a person with cancer and found a set of mutations that might have caused the disease or aided its progression. Includes comments by Richard Wilson, senior study author and director of WUSTL's Genome Sequencing Center, and WUSTL hematologist Timothy Ley, director of the study.

References:

1. Nov. 6, 2008 — Experts Decode Cancer Patient's Genes, Seeking Treatment Clues in the The New York Times

and 57 others.

A large probe of lung tumors sheds light on the mutations that tend to underlie cancer in a new study conducted by researchers from Washington University, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. The study also identifies new cellular pathways that can trigger these malignancies.

References:

1. Oct. 22, 2008 — Closest look yet at lung cancer genes in the Science News Web edition

In a series of court documents that were at turns chilling and bizarre, federal investigators said U.S. Army microbiologist Bruce Ivins misled government agents investigating the 2001 anthrax mailings, sent emails with language closely matching the handwritten letters sent to victims and had access to the strain of anthrax used in the crime. WUSTL microbial genetics expert George Weinstock, who was not involved in the investigation, comments.

References:

1. Aug. 7, 2008 — FBI Paints Chilling Portrait of Anthrax-Attack Suspect in the The Wall Street Journal

Researchers on Tuesday launched an effort to create a library of human genetics using the online encyclopedia Wikipedia in hopes it could spur widespread discussion about thousands of individual genes.
Authors of the "gene wiki" group outlined its lofty aims in a paper published on the Public Library of Science's online journal, PLoS Biology. The eight authors are from the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation in San Diego, San Diego State University and Washington University in St. Louis.

References:

1. July 9, 2008 — Edit your DNA: 'Gene wiki' to debut on Wikipedia in the The Associated Press State & Local Wire

and 29 others.

When scientists announced last week that they had deciphered the complete genetic playbook for the duck-billed platypus, the public reacted with unexpected enthusiasm. WUSTL genetics professor and co-author Wesley Warren explains the attraction for researchers.

References:

1. May 13, 2008 — A Gene Map for the Cute Side of the Family in the The New York Times

An international scientific team, which announced the first decoding of the platypus genome, said the findings provided "many clues to the function and evolution of all mammalian genomes," including that of humans, and should "inspire rapid advances in other investigations of mammalian biology and evolution." The research was conducted by a group of almost 100 scientists led by WUSTL genetics professor Wesley Warren.

References:

1. May 8, 2008 — Looking at Genome of the Platypus in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

Decoding the platypus genome has long been an important goal for biologists seeking to understand the origins of mammal evolution. That goal was reached by the team of project leader, WUSTL's Wesley Warren.

References:

1. May 7, 2008 — Platypus Genome Reveals Secrets of Mammal Evolution in the National Geographic News

NPR's Joe Palca reports that scientists have now completed a draft DNA sequence of the platypus genome that reveals reptilian and mammalian elements. WUSTL genetics professor Richard Wilson, who directed the platypus genome project at WUSTL, comments.

References:

1. May 7, 2008 — Platypus Is Even More Strange Than It Looks in the NPR All Things Considered

and 1 others.

With Congress poised to eliminate a big barrier to genetic testing for risk of certain diseases, consumers still face challenges in figuring out which ones offer useful information.
Despite heavy marketing by some genetic-test makers, the wide use of genetic tests has been held back by a variety of factors, including questions about the tests' usefulness and concerns that results could be used by employers and insurers to discriminate against people. Critics argue that many tests can't accurately identify which people are at risk for various illnesses.
WUSTL medical researcher Brian Gage comments.
Includes Web links to learn more about genetic testing.

References:

1. May 1, 2008 — Which Genetic Tests are Really Worth Getting? in the The Wall Street Journal

WUSTL psychiatry professor and lead author Carolyn Sartor comments on a new WUSTL study that says: Young people often begin drinking alcohol because of environmental factors, such as peer pressure. But genes appear to be a significant factor in determining whether drinking progresses to problem drinking and alcoholism.

References:

1. April 29, 2008 — The roots of alcoholism . . . in the genes? in the Los Angeles Times

As personal genetic testing takes off, some worry that marketing is getting ahead of science.
With each new marketing push comes new criticism. Some say DNA testing doesn't belong in virtual clinics: One key issue is regulation.
WUSTL pediatrics and genetics specialist Thomas Morgan worries that the business is getting ahead of the science. "I might scare myself or reassure myself falsely based on the very limited knowledge that we have."

References:

1. April 21, 2008 — May We Scan Your Genome? in the Newsweek

The discovery by three separate teams of scientists makes the strongest case so far for the biological underpinnings of nicotine addiction and sheds more light on how genetics and lifestyle habits join forces to cause cancer.
This finding could someday lead to screening tests and customized treatments for smokers trying to kick the habit.
"This is really telling us that the vulnerability to smoking and how much you smoke is clearly biologically based," said WUSTL psychiatry professor Laura Bierut, a genetics and smoking expert who did not take part in the studies. She praised the research as "very intriguing."

References:

1. April 3, 2008 — Genetic Link Tied to Smoking Addiction in the Associated Press

and 256 others.

Richard Wilson, director of WUSTL's Genome Sequencing Center, comments on the successful mapping of the corn genome.

References:

1. Feb. 26, 2008 — Group says it has mapped corn genome in the Associated Press

and 76 others.

In 1984 and again in 1999, the National Academy of Sciences, the nation's most eminent scientific organization, produced books on the evidence supporting the theory of evolution and arguing against the introduction of creationism or other religious alternatives in public school science classes. Barbara A. Schaal, a vice president of the academy and an evolutionary biologist at WUSTL, comments on the third volume recently published.

References:

1. Jan. 4, 2008 — Evolution Book Sees No Science-Religion Gap in the The New York Times

and 6 others.