Balancing selection is a classic mechanism for maintaining variability in immune genes
involved in host–pathogen interactions. However, it remains unclear how widespread the …

Leading animal models are powerful tools for translational research, but they also present
obstacles. Poorly conducted preclinical research in animals is a common cause of …

Many comparative genomics studies aim to find the genetic basis of species-specific
phenotypic traits. A prevailing strategy is to search genome-wide for genes that evolved …

Understanding the molecular basis of adaptation to the environment is a central question in
evolutionary biology, yet linking detected signatures of positive selection to molecular …

Evolutionary thinking can inform the choice and assessment of model species in
neuroscience, particularly when such models are intended to generate knowledge that will …

Many pathogens produce virulence factors that are specific toward their natural host.
Clinically relevant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates are highly …

Bivalve molluscs comprise 20,000 species occupying a wide diversity of marine habitats. As
filter feeders and detritivores they act as ecosystem engineers clarifying water, creating …

Numerous studies across a wide range of taxa have demonstrated that immune genes are
routinely among the most rapidly evolving genes in the genome. This observation, however …

Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapy to treat neurodegenerative diseases has not been
as successful as expected in some preclinical studies. Because preclinical research is so …

Abstract Background Oligoadenylate synthetases (OASs) are widely distributed in Metazoa
including sponges, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals and show large variation, with one to …