ADC RESEARCH

Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past

One-hour lecture by Professor David Reich, presented to a general audience at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in December, 2018.

Genes, Cognition, and Human Brain Evolution

One-hour lecture by Dr Christopher A Walsh presented to a general audience at the Harvard Museum of Natural History in October, 2018.

ALLEN ANCIENT DNA RESOURCE

“The Allen Ancient DNA Resource” is a repository of present-day and ancient genotypes, containing variants of human genomes. The repository reports all data published by our own laboratory in substantial part using funding from the Paul M. Allen foundation, and also attempts to include all data published by other groups. Data are heavily curated and annotated and is intended as a resource for the scientific community.

Click here to access the Allen Ancient DNA Resource.

Image retrieved from Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history

HUMAN ACCELERATED REGIONS (HARS)

HARs are regions of the genome that are highly conserved through mammals but experience accelerated substitution rates in humans, suggesting that they may be under positive selection specifically in the human lineage. This track hub in the UCSC Genome Browser displays data from epigenomic assays, massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA), and targeted sequencing of autism cohorts that are relevant to understanding HAR function.

Below is a sample of the track hub available on the UCSC Genome Browser. Click here to access the UCSC Genome Browser.

INDUCIBLE ELEMENTS IN HUMAN GABA-ERGIC NEURONS

Neuronal activity-dependent gene expression is essential for brain development. Although transcriptional and epigenetic effects of neuronal activity have been explored in mice, such an investigation is lacking in humans. This track hub contains data on inducible genes and regulatory elements in human iPSC-derived GABAergic neurons. The datasets available in this track hub are described in more depth in the manuscript, Activity-dependent regulome of human GABAergic neurons reveals new patterns of gene regulation and neurological disease heritability (Boulting et al., Nat Neuro 2021).

Below is a sample of the track hub available on the UCSC Genome Browser. Click here to access the UCSC Genome Browser .

Our research is supported by the Allen Discovery Center program through The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. The Allen Discovery Centers are a new type of center for leadership-driven, compass-guided research in partnership with major research organizations and universities. The Allen Discovery Centers are long-term investments for the Frontiers Group, which typically provides $10 million to a Center for the first four years, with the intention to expand in a second four- year phase with an additional $10 million, matched by partner support, for a potential total scope of activity of $30 million. The Allen Discovery Center at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School is currently in the second phase of this program.