SFARI Gene

Recent articles

A brown mouse looks away from a white mouse in a cage to its left.

‘VIP’ interneurons may drive autism traits in Dravet syndrome

The inhibitory cells misfire and contribute to social difficulties in mice that model the syndrome.

By Lauren Schenkman
19 July 2023 | 6 min read

Plethora of protein-making machines in neurons may underlie fragile X

An overabundance of ribosomes drives an imbalance of proteins produced from long and short genetic transcripts in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.

By Chloe Williams
21 July 2022 | 6 min read
researchers analyzing a big change in a DNA helix

Evolutionary approach reveals impact of missense variants in autism

Cross-species comparisons can help make sense of subtle genetic variants in people with autism and identify hundreds of new genes that may contribute to the condition.

By Chloe Williams
7 July 2021 | 5 min read
Computer screen reflection in spectacles of DNA profile, close up of face

New ranking system flags clinically relevant ‘autism genes’

A novel method to evaluate the strength of the evidence linking autism to specific genes could reveal which ones are most useful to screen for.

By Grace Huckins
5 May 2021 | 3 min read

‘Antisocial’ bees point to ancient roots for some autism genes

Honey bees that fail certain social tests have genetic profiles similar to those of people with autism.

By Hannah Furfaro, Jessica Wright
19 September 2017 | 5 min read

Family groups play key role in advancing autism research

Families need more support from researchers in order for their heroic efforts to be optimally effective.

By Stephan J. Sanders
27 June 2017 | 6 min read

Control centers for genes rife with autism-linked DNA blips

DNA sequences called enhancers — which boost the expression of genes from within or outside them — are enriched for genetic variants linked to autism, suggests a new study. The finding may help researchers understand how variants outside genes contribute to autism.

By Nicholette Zeliadt
3 August 2015 | 5 min read

Gene networks offer entry point to unraveling autism

By mapping the connections between autism genes, researchers are finding clues to the disorder’s origins. The key, they say, is to begin without bias.

By Jessica Wright
26 February 2015 | 5 min read

No ‘ideal’ tissue for gene expression studies of autism

Researchers should investigate a broad spectrum of human- and animal-derived tissues to fully capture the complexity of autism, say Michael Talkowski and James Gusella.

By Michael Talkowski, James Gusella
15 April 2014 | 8 min read

Noncoding gene linked to autism

Researchers have identified a noncoding RNA, a genetic message that is not translated into a protein, that may be involved in autism. The discovery, published 4 April in Science Translational Medicine, came from examining a region on chromosome 5 that has been previously linked to the disorder.

By Courtney Humphries
9 April 2012 | 6 min read

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Rajesh Rao reflects on predictive brains, neural interfaces and the future of human intelligence

Twenty-five years ago, Rajesh Rao proposed a seminal theory of how brains could implement predictive coding for perception. His modern version zeroes in on actions.

By Paul Middlebrooks
18 December 2024 | 97 min listen

In memoriam: Yves Frégnac, influential and visionary French neuroscientist

Frégnac, who died on 18 October at the age of 73, built his career by meeting neuroscience’s complexity straight on.

By Bahar Gholipour
18 December 2024 | 9 min read
Illustration shows a solitary figure moving through a green and blue field of dots moving at different rates.

Explaining ‘the largest unexplained number in brain science’: Q&A with Markus Meister and Jieyu Zheng

The human brain takes in sensory information roughly 100 million times faster than it can respond. Neuroscientists need to explore this perceptual paradox to better understand the limits of the brain, Meister and Zheng say.

By Claudia López Lloreda
17 December 2024 | 8 min read