Popular Press vs. Primary Literature

This web page was produced as an assignment for Genetics 677, an Undergraduate course at UW-Madison

I read two articles that were published around the time of the isolation of the FBN1 gene. One was a popular press article published in the New York Times (1991) while the other was a primary literature article published in The American Society of Human Genetics (1994). The popular press article and the primary literature article obviously targeted very different audiences. The popular press article stressed the fact that the phenotypes caused by Marfan syndrome can lead to death hence the research done on the gene is important to help better diagnose patients. In other words, the article told the public why they should care that this gene was isolated. The primary literature article also was able to give a good big picture idea of the importance of the research done by explaining the importance of further studies needed to be done about null alleles.

When it came to detail, neither article performed. The popular press article just overall lacked much of the detail about the gene, oversimplifying the process of isolation. Also, not crediting those who did the research or where to look for more information. The primary literature article did the opposite and presented too much detail in a jumbled manner. It was difficult to follow even with having a background in genetics because it was not clear which patients expressed which data or why some data was omitted. In other words, the presentation of the results could have been much more clear and organized.

In conclusion, I was able to learn something about FBN1 gene from both articles. In the popular press article I learned that scientists were approaching the task of gene isolation from two separate angles. The primary literature showed me an early technique that tested for differential allelic expression of FBN1 and that amount of expression of mRNA from FBN1 is vital in further research. Both articles were able to convey a main point, even though one oversimplified by lacking of detail while the other poorly presented the excess detail included.

References

Angier, N. (1991, July 25) Gene isolated in deadly disease. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/25/us/gene-is-isolated-in-deadly-disease.html?scp=14&sq=marfan&st=cse
D. Hewett, J. Lynch, A. Child, H. Firth, & B. Sykes. (1994). Differential allelic expression of a fibrillin gene (FBN1) in patients with marfan syndrome. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 55(3), 447. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1918385/?page=1

Gabrielle Waclawik
[email protected]
May 13, 2010
www.gen677.weebly.com