Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences
The Scripps Research Institute's Department of Molecular and Integrative Neurosciences Department has become one of the key groups for research on neurologic and psychiatric disorders, nationally and internationally. Neuroscience is an area that benefits most from the human genome project, because many neurologic and even psychiatric diseases are influenced by heredity. The ability of modern molecular biologists to manipulate the protein composition of individual neurons and genome expression opens up possibilities to delineate neuronal networks that underlie specific behaviors and their genetic component.
At the Scripps Florida campus research scientists are focused on the non-functional parts of the human evolution genome, which may in fact turn out to be functional. The newest focal point in this relatively unexplored universe includes a panorama of tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of non-protein-coding RNAs of various categories. The RNA molecule has previously been thought of as merely the message carrier between the DNA and the protein factories in our cells.
Among the diseases that may be affected by these non-coding genes are fragile X syndrome, a common genetic disorder associated with mental impairment, which also play a role in the onset of autism; non-coding RNA may also play a far more significant role in Alzheimer's disease by increasing the levels of amyloid plaque in the brain; certain behavioral problems associated with schizophrenia may also be result of the actions of specific microRNAs.
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