I was reading a very interesting article about how repeats or deletions of genes can be as influential on the phenotype as the types of genes themselves. Towards the end of the article I read this:
Meanwhile, Wigler and Sebat have some preliminary evidence linking autism to specific variants in gene copy number. They are keeping mum on the details until they can confirm the find, but their work has already attracted a massive $11 million grant from a charity called the Simons Foundation.
Wigler works at the Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory near New York City. The Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas is also mentioned as a institution where research in this aspect of genetics is being conducted.
Here is a link to the bit where you pay to read this article:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025461.300.html
Genomics: We are all numbers
08 April 2006
Bob Holmes
New Scientist issue 2546
pages 38-41.
I came across this snippet of information about Mr Wigler the gene scientist from another article:
So far, the Simonses have handed out 15 grants to researchers, including two Nobel Prize winners. His largest gift so far -- $13.8 million -- has gone to biologist Michael Wigler at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on Long Island. Dr. Wigler, a brilliant and reclusive scientist who played computer games during a recent interview, has come up with a new way to scan chromosomes in search of genetic errors.
Is it just me, or do you think there could be something a bit lacking or a bit odd about the way Mr Wigler conducts himself in social situations? Mr Wigler couldn't have been making much eye contact during that interview if he was busy playing computer games. I think most people would consider that to be rude or eccentric behaviour. And why would such a "brilliant" person as Mr Wigler want to be a "recluse"? Maybe Mr Wigler should check out his own genome. :wink: :wink:
It wouldn't shock me to discover the scientest started researching Autism because he either had it or had a condition related to it. And he may not be linking his quest for knowledge to what others might end up doing with that knowledge.
I'm sure this guy has enough intelligence to understand where this research will probably lead. He isn't just smart, he's very smart, according to what has been written.
I'm sure this guy has enough intelligence to understand where this research will probably lead. He isn't just smart, he's very smart, according to what has been written.
Even if he is very smart, and even aware what might be done with the research, he may not support those concepts. When my son locks onto something he wants to solve, he could care less about what others want from it. He is totally focused on what he wants from it. Isn't that possible here?
Well, who knows. I do see a lot of good that can come from the knowledge, as well.
Yeah, he definitely sounds like a candidate for AS.
I also found it ironic that another possible Aspie/HFAer, Francis Galton, coined the term \"eugenics\". :roll:
Hello All, ici Ilja,
I did some research or googled around, whatever, & found a few things. I can't link it all here, because this is the public area on AFF & linking could end in upranking by searchengines or forcing Amy to break up links to prevent upranking bad sites.
But I have Michael H. Wigler, PhD. bio, including email & photo:
http://hcr3.isiknowledge.com/author.cgi?&id=620
Read the last 6 paragraphs in this newsarticle about his laboratory:
http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/l...navigation
Maybe it's an idea to remind him of that period.
This is an interesting article about his sponsor Jim Simones, read it open minded, carefully & note the small details...
http://www.watervilleresearch.com/news/e...254-1.html
It might be my "Needle-in-a-haystack-syndrome" as Amy diagnosed me once, but reading facts about Simones, I think there is still hope.
That's as far I can write about this in this area.
Ilja.
Wigler and Sebat are in a group that has developed a method to do large-scale "copy number polymorphism" genotyping. They're now just applying the method across a large number of conditions. They're doing fishing expeditions, no real mechanistic elucidation, though.