Jack Li '08 presented his summer research on the use of transposon genetics as a marker for evolutionary biology at this year's Sigma Xi research conference in Orlando. Li's transposon project is under the direction of Assistant Professor of Biology Wei-Jen Chang, who is leading this collaborating project with colleagues from Princeton University.
While little research has been done on the transposon gene, small genetic sequences that moves freely throughout the genome of just about every organism by copying and re-inserting itself into the hosts' genetic database, it is known that due to the high frequency of transposition induced by transposons, genetic mutations can sometimes occur through the alteration of the DNA codings as well as the amount of genetic information present at any given locus.
Sigma Xi is an international, multidisciplinary research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement. There are nearly 60,000 Sigma Xi members in more than 100 countries around the world.
While little research has been done on the transposon gene, small genetic sequences that moves freely throughout the genome of just about every organism by copying and re-inserting itself into the hosts' genetic database, it is known that due to the high frequency of transposition induced by transposons, genetic mutations can sometimes occur through the alteration of the DNA codings as well as the amount of genetic information present at any given locus.
Sigma Xi is an international, multidisciplinary research society whose programs and activities promote the health of the scientific enterprise and honor scientific achievement. There are nearly 60,000 Sigma Xi members in more than 100 countries around the world.
