A statistical trick can help researchers home in on subtle genetic blips that contribute to autism, according to unpublished results presented Saturday at the 2015 International Meeting for Autism Research in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In a feat that unites findings from 2,800 experiments in more than 100 types of cells, researchers have mapped the human epigenome — the many layers of code that turn genes on or off.

Watch the complete replay of Kathryn Roeder’s webinar discussing how powerful statistical tools can yield insight into the genetic risk for autism.

A new online database called Braineac details how variations in DNA sequence shape gene expression in the human brain.

Many of the genes that have emerged as the strongest autism candidates have turned out to regulate the expression of hundreds, if not thousands, of other genes. Within these networks, scientists are homing in on pathways that underlie autism.

New estimates on the role of common mutations in autism raise questions about how to quantify and parse genetic risk. Three experts say both common and rare variants are worth pursuing.
 

Common genetic variants that have minor effects may contribute about half the risk of developing autism, according to a study published Sunday in Nature Genetics. Identifying these variants would require tens of thousands of samples.

A long-awaited report, published today in Nature, confirms that with access to tens of thousands of genomes, researchers can identify common genetic risk factors for a complex neuropsychiatric disorder.

Researchers have sequenced hundreds of human and mouse genomes to generate an atlas of more than 200,000 regions that regulate gene expression, they reported 27 March in Nature.

Mutations in TRIM33, a protein that is part of the cell’s cleanup crew, may up the risk for autism, according to a study published 5 November in Molecular Psychiatry.