PLT Test Blog

This post has something for both the casual reader and the scientists among you.   Today I will start with the science. Epigenetics Epigenetics are chemical markers that can appear on your DNA as the result of some environmental exposure, like diet or stress.   Methylation is a type of epi gene tic change in which methyl groups are added to DNA and switch on or off the underlying gene.   This can have severe consequences depending on which gene is affected. Identical Twins It seems that if one identical twin has autism, there is a 70% chance that the other twin will be autistic.   In 30% of the cases the twin is neurotypical.   Researchers have very cleverly started to analyse pairs of twins from this 30% group and look for epigenetic marks.   This would highlight genetic causes of autism. Apoptosis Apoptosis is a tricky word to spell, for somebody like me, but is actually something quite simple;  i t is programmed cell death.   Apoptosis happens...

You may have noticed a week ago SAP, the German software giant, announced that it will in future try to ensure that 1% of its 60,000 workforce are autistic.   This attracted quite a lot of publicity.   It might have been kinder if they had referred to Asperger’s, or at least High Functioning Autism. Not all autistic people are savants or computer wizz kids. When it comes to TV, the messages are often either trivial or sensational.   But, t hanks to the internet, you can access very relevant and intelligent films, and all for free. The MIND Institute at the University of California in Sacramento, has a rich library of material, from some very well qualified people.   http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/videos/video_autism.html These films are typically an hour long and cover many of the subjects that have appeared in this blog.   If you are a fan of Temple Grandin, you can even watch her film.   I liked the one by Deborah Fein, halfway down the li...