Episode 16: Links

Absolute Science Podcast
Episode 16 timepoints and links
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Segment 1

(0:22) The sleep aid Ambien has been linked to strange behavior: Sleep eating, sleep driving, and -- in Adam's case (5:40) -- sleep emailing.

(2:47) Some insomnia linked to disruptions in circadian rhythms.

(4:00) The Feldman lab, where Mignon studied circadian rhythms in Neurspora crassa (with pictures of race tubes).

Segment 2

(7:30) Genetic penetrance: Wikipedia entry

(7:40) Alzheimer's genetic testing

(8:10) Genetic testing for hemochromatosis

• The most common genetic condition in the U.S.
• Often undiagnosed
• Easy to treat by blood draws
  
• Puts you at risk of developing heart disease, liver problems, and more
• Two mutations account for the majority of cases of this disease
• It's recessive, so even if you have hemochromatosis, you might not have an obvious family history of the disease
  

(10:05) Genetic testing for breast cancer

• Testing is usually done by resequencing the gene
• A change in the gene isn't enough to tell you if you are at risk
• Family context is a must
• Multiple people, including affected people, must have the same change for it to mean anything
• You can't go in by yourself and get a genetic test for breast cancer
• Even if you have the change, you might not get breast cancer. Different changes in the gene confer different levels of risk.
• A new article that came out after we did the podcast, about false negatives in genetic testing for breast cancer.
  

(13:10) Recreational genetic testing

• Cellf (A company that provides nutritional genetic testing)
• Mignon's article about genetic testing

Disclosure

(13:45)

DNA Direct (A genetic testing company that occasionally hires Mignon to write content.)
Genetic Health (The company where Mignon & Adam first worked together.)