Teach Me in 10 - Why COVID-19 Genetics Research May Be Biased With Dr Thomas Stoeger

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Teach Me in 10

When applying genetics to the study of COVID-19, scientists are learning a lot. Our DNA codes for proteins, some of which are required for SARS-CoV-2 to interact with and infect a host cell, others that are implicated in the downstream effects of viral infection, such as inflammatory responses. But how do scientists choose which genes to study? A new study by Dr Thomas Stoeger, a postdoc at North Western University, suggests there is a historical bias involved: scientists are studying human genes that have already been heavily investigated, independent of COVID-19. In this installment of Teach Me in 10, Stoeger expands on the key points of this study and the implications of bias in scientific research. Full research publication: Meta-Research: COVID-19 research risks ignoring important host genes due to pre-established research patterns.