Ricki Lewis

I eagerly awaited publication of the novel Eruption, the brainchild of the late, great Michael Crichton and James Patterson, a master storyteller whose trademark staccato sentences and short chapters propel his thrillers. Crichton authored 28 novels, Patterson more than 200.

The Associated Press deemed Eruption "a seismic publishing event." Proclaimed BookBub, "an "instant #1 New York Times bestseller was in the cards the moment James Patterson agreed to complete Michael Crichton's partial manuscript!"

I can't wait for the film. But the book has a glitch in a genetic explanation. It might seem minor, just a few pages, but the entire subplot of a nefarious government cover-up of a biotech disaster unfurls from it.

A Spectacular Hybrid

To continue reading, go to DNA Science at PLoS, where this post first appeared.

Angelman and Prader-Willi syndromes are intriguing related conditions. Each arises from missing the same small section of chromosome 15, but one develops if the gap comes from the female parent, the other if it comes from the male.

A Peculiar Pair of Disorders

Prader-Willi syndrome is the more distinctive, and therefore more likely to make headlines.

A newborn with Prader-Willi is small and struggles to put on weight. A toddler becomes obsessed with eating as metabolism slows precipitously. Frantic parents lock kitchen cabinets, garbage cans, and refrigerators to keep their children from eating until their digestive organs burst.

The brain's hypothalamus malfunctions and can't regulate appetite, and so children can't sense when they are full. Plus, their stomachs do not empty quickly enough. The unremitting hunger becomes life-threatening.

In contrast, a child with Angelman syndrome has autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability, an extended tongue, large jaw, poor coordination, and convulsions that make the arms flap. The distinctive facial features led Harry Angelman, when he described the condition in 1962, to call affected individuals "puppet children." In 1982 "Angelman syndrome" replaced the derogatory puppet comparison.

To continue reading, go to DNA Science at Public Library of Science, where this post first appeared.

On Call, Dr. Anthony Fauci's memoir, is a riveting read that ricochets through infectious disease challenges since the early 1980s. It concludes with the most insidious of afflictions – the ignorance of how science works that led to threats to his life and the safety of his family during COVID.

Dr. Fauci has saved many millions of lives, as a physician-scientist for decades as well as through the legions of medical workers he's trained. And what a joy to read a memoir that the author clearly wrote! I loathe the politico tell-alls that are magically written, edited, and published in mere months, thanks to ghostwriters.

On Call was a trip back in time for me. It opens at the dawn of HIV/AIDS, just after I got my PhD in genetics and started my writing career. I've included links to some of my articles, where relevant.

To continue reading, go to DNA Science blog at PLoS, where this post first appeared.