Paper in Cell Reports “Paradigm Shift” Against TEs as “Genomic Parasites or Junk DNA”

autoimmune disease, biology, biomarkers, cancer, Cell (journal), disease, dysregulation, Evolution, exons, gene enhancers, gene expression, gene regulatory networks, gene silencers, genetics, genome architecture, genome organization, human genome, Intelligent Design, Junk DNA, lncRNAs, mammalian DNA, methylation, Nature (journal), neurodegeneration, non-coding RNAs, promoters, repetitive DNA, RNA, Science (journal), splicing regulators, transposable elements
This language is remarkable coming from a journal often considered the third most important in the world for biology. Source
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More Functions Reported for Repeat “Junk” DNA

biology, CCCTC-binding factor, DNA, DNA structure, function, G-quadruplex, G4s, gene expression, genetics, genome, genome topology, guanine, humans, Intelligent Design, Junk DNA, minisatellite, non-B DNA, pericentromeric repeats, PNAS, repetitive DNA, telomeres, telomeric repeats, topologically associating domains
Papers note that repetitive DNA — the type of DNA that our junk-DNA-defending friends assure us must be functionless — is vital for forming G4 structures. Source
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Fascinating Hypothesis from Weinstein: Repetitive “Junk” DNA Stores Integer Variables

biological processes, Bret Weinstein, chromosomes, Discovery Institute, DNA, embryonic development, ERVs, evo-devo, Evolution, evolutionary biology, function, gene expression, genes, genetics, genome, integer variables, Intelligent Design, Joe Rogan, Jonathan McLatchie, Junk DNA, microsatellites, repetitive DNA, Richard Sternberg, supporters, telomeres, variables
This opens up a world of potential functions for repetitive DNA that open-minded scientists can consider. Source
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Former “Junk DNA,” STRs Found to Be “Rheostats” that “Precisely Regulate Gene Expression”

autism, binding kinetics, biology, cancer, Crohn’s disease, DNA, eukaryotes, Evolution, fine-tuning, gene expression, Genomics Proteomics & Bioinformatics, heaters, human genome, Intelligent Design, Junk DNA, light dimmer, motor speed, motors, mutations, nucleotides, ovens, phenotypes, power control, proteins, regulatory elements, repetitive elements, rheostat, schizophrenia, Science (journal), Short Tandem Repeats, STRs, transcription factor
Rheostats are “often used as power control devices, for example to control light intensity (dimmer), speed of motors, heaters, and ovens.” Source
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How Plants Talk When We’re Not Around

anesthesia, associative learning, biology, Claude Bernard, communications, consciousness, fungi, gene expression, glutamate, Hailing Jin, heliotropism, Life Sciences, Mimosa pudica, miRNAs, nervous system, Neuroscience & Mind, plants, psychology, Rainer Hedrich, RNA, sensory hair, shameplant, TMAO, Venus flytrap, vernalization, worms
One genuine surprise in recent decades has been the discovery that plants have nervous systems like animals. Source
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Researchers: What’s Evolutionary Debris to You Is Unexplored Territory to Us

centromeres, DNA, Evolution, evolutionary processes, gene expression, Genome Research, human genome, Intelligent Design, Joe Felsenstein, John Avise, Junk DNA, Laurence Moran, Nicholas Matzke, nucleic acids, repetitive elements, researchers, RNA, T. Ryan Gregory, telomeres, transposable elements
From a new, open-access article, “Implications of the first complete human genome assembly.” Source
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Application of ID: Leveraging Design Triangulation to Anticipate Biological Redundancy

Bacillus, Bacillus subtilis, beauty, biological redundancy, biological systems, biology, catalytic converters, cellular cost, design triangulation, duplicate genes, E. coli, elegance, Elizabeth Mueller, environment variability, enzymes, Evolution, fine-tuning, fitness, function, gene expression, genetic information, Intelligent Design, keyless entry systems, laboratory conditions, maintenance, Neo-Darwinism, optimality, periplasmic enzymes, precision, proteins, responsive backup circuits, robustness, speakers, sporulation, Stanford University, storage, transmission
In previous posts, I’ve covered how neo-Darwinism can make biological redundancy more confusing than it should be. Source
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New BIO-Complexity Paper Details Complexity of Function and Assembly of Bacterial Flagellum

bacterial flagellum, BIO-Complexity, chemotaxis, Complexity, computer science, degradation, elegance, engineers, Evolution, evolutionary biologists, filament, fine-tuning, gears, gene expression, hook, Intelligent Design, peer-reviewed literature, proteins, rod, Science (journal), stator, Waldean Schulz
The author, Dean Schulz, an engineer with a PhD in computer science, takes a “bottom up” approach. Source
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