Genetics at a SNP

Genetics at a SNP – There are genetic variants, SNPs, associated with a tendency to have almost any physical trait such as baldness, athleticisim, green eyes, red hair, obesity, alcohol dependence, type 2 diabetes and many other diseases, even the amount of earwax one produces. There are also SNPs associated with the presence of metabolic enzymes or the lack thereof that mean an individual is more or less responsive to a given pharmaceutical or other therapeutic agent. There are often variations between human populations, so a SNP that is common in one geographical or ethnic group may be much rarer in another. Now, UK researchers have developed a very simple technique for finding SNPs that could revolutionise testing for genetic disease markers and more…