Mobile DNA: Finding Treasure in Junk

11. A quirk of L1 elements—a lousy 3' end is important for genome evolution

In 1991, another graduate student, Susan Holmes, joined the lab. Since Holmes had entered the human genetics graduate program at Hopkins because of a strong interest in neurogenetics and schizophrenia, I’m not sure how she got to my lab and the study of L1 biology. She was a rather quiet person who spoke softly but with confidence. She had a pale complexion, betraying her Celtic heritage. She had obtained her BA degree in Biology from Swarthmore, a fine liberal arts school on the Philadelphia Main Line. Susan’s parents were members of the intelligentsia. Her father was an esteemed Professor of the History of Science at Yale, and her mother also had the air of an academic. ...