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#11 | July 2024
Summer is here and so is the heat. To help you stay cool indoors, we put together another issue on the latest (and greatest) in genomics! In this issue, learn about the quest to sequence non-human primate genomes, how natural selection leads to changes in our DNA and how conservation genomicist Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., came to study ancient DNA.
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Genomics at a glance 
Primate XY
NHGRI researcher Brandon Pickett, Ph.D., is working hard to finish the first complete chromosome sequences from non-human primates, an incredibly difficult task given the challenges in sequencing repetitive DNA. But in his quest to sequence the ape, what if he … goes ape?
The genomic tradeoff
In this video, explore the history of Familial Mediterranean Fever and learn how natural selection leads to changes in our DNA code that improve our chances of survival.
NHGRI's oral history collection: Interview with Beth Shapiro
Beth Shapiro, Ph.D., a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, recounts her journey in the field of ancient DNA, how her research has evolved with the advent of new genome sequencing technologies and her recent work with Colossal Biosciences Inc. focusing on de-extinction and species preservation.
2024 Louise M. Slaughter National DNA Day lecture
Joe Palca, Ph.D., former science correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) speaks about what DNA means to non-biologists and how much someone needs to know about DNA to make informed decisions about genetic engineering, genetic privacy or when life begins.
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Hot off the press 
August 1 marks a significant date in the history of NHGRI. Aug. 1, 2008 was the last day that Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., served as the director of the Institute.
Dr. Collins obviously went on to become the NIH Director. He is the longest serving NHGRI director, having served 15 years and 4 months. However, current NHGRI Director Dr. Eric Green, who has been serving for 14 years and 8 months, is gaining on him!
Special shoutout goes to Alan E. Guttmacher, M.D., for serving as acting director for over a year before Dr. Green’s official appointment on November 17, 2009.
View the 2008 press release announcing Dr. Collins’ plan to step down.
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Meet the NHGRI staff 
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What's on our minds 
Sex and gender are multifaceted and variable — and not as binary as we once thought.
While genomics has provided much insight into our understanding of human biology, it has also been misused to support inaccurate claims about people in sexual and gender minority groups. What do we know about sex and gender with our knowledge of genomics and how has that changed?
NHGRI is hosting a symposium about sex, gender and genomics in the upcoming symposium on July 17-18, 2024, where experts from different fields clarify and contextualize the complexities around sex, gender, and genomics by considering them in their scientific, ethical, and historical contexts. Learn more and register now!
Refresh your knowledge of sex chromosomes with our X chromosome and Y chromosome infographics!
What we're reading 
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