Skip to Content

Genetic Mutations of the Year

A website highlights common genetic variations that made a splash in 2009.
January 5, 2010

SNPedia, a wiki-based database of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), has created my favorite top 10 list yet–the best SNPs of 2009, ranked according to “an elusive and ultimately subjective combination of medical importance, statistical believability, and overall general interest.”

SNPs are common genetic variations that have been highly scrutinized in recent years for their link to disease. SPNedia has compiled information on each of these SNPs, allowing people to analyze their own genetic profile by running their SNP data through it. (Tech Review contributors David Ewing Duncan and Misha Angrist have both tried it out.)

Topping the list is rs4244285, a variation in the drug metabolizing gene, CYP2C19, which determines how well you can metabolize the antiplatelet drug Plavix and other drugs. I wrote about this SNP last month and new devices being developed to easily identify it in hospitals and doctor’s offices.

The list includes a number of other variations that affect metabolism of a number of drugs, such as warfarin, or the susceptibility to side effects from certain drugs, such as muscle pain or weakness associated with statins and liver toxicity linked to the antibiotic floxacillin.

Check out the full list here.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.

Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.

Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch

Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.

How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets

When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.