Redundant Genetic Instructions in ‘Junk DNA’ Support Healthy Development, Princeton University

ScienceDaily (July 17, 2010) — Seemingly redundant portions of the fruit fly genome may not be so redundant after all. New findings from a Princeton-led team of researchers suggest that repeated instructional regions in the flies’ DNA may contribute to normal development under less-than-ideal growth conditions by making sure that genes are turned on and off at the appropriate times. If similar regions are found in humans, they may hold important clues to understanding developmental disorders.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC