The Legal Dimensions of Genomic Sequencing in Newborn Screening.

The possible integration of genomic sequencing (including whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing) into the three contexts addressed in this special report-state-mandated screening programs, clinical care, and direct-to-consumer services-raises related but distinct legal issues. This essay will outline the legal issues surrounding the integration of genomic sequencing into state newborn screening programs, parental rights to refuse and access sequencing for their newborns in clinical and direct-to-consumer care, and privacy-related legal issues attending the use of sequencing in newborns.

Whole-Genome Screening of Newborns? The Constitutional Boundaries of State Newborn Screening Programs.

State newborn screening (NBS) programs routinely screen nearly all of the 4 million newborns in the United States each year for ∼30 primary conditions and a number of secondary conditions. NBS could be on the cusp of an unprecedented expansion as a result of advances in whole-genome sequencing (WGS). As WGS becomes cheaper and easier and as our knowledge and understanding of human genetics expand, the question of whether WGS has a role to play in state NBS programs becomes increasingly relevant and complex.

Photosynthetic features of non-Kranz type C versus Kranz type C and C species in subfamily Suaedoideae (Chenopodiaceae).

The objective of this study was to characterise photosynthesis in terrestrial non-Kranz (NK) C species, Bienertia sinuspersici Akhani and Suaeda aralocaspica (Bunge) Freitag & Schütze (formerly Borszczowia aralocaspica), compared with closely related Kranz type C Suaeda eltonica Iljin and Suaeda taxifolia Standley, and C species Suaeda heterophylla Bunge and Suaeda maritima Dumort in subfamily Suaedoideae (Chenopodiaceae). Traditional Kranz type C photosynthesis has several advantages over C photosynthesis under certain environmental conditions by suppressing photorespiration. The different photosynthetic types were evaluated under varying levels of CO and light at 25°C.