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Biology professor Dr. Jennifer Grove publishes book analyzing electric charge of chromosomes

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Jennifer Grove just co-authored her first book, “Our discoveries about the electric charge properties of chromosomes: and their implications for genetics, pediatrics, oncology, and other medical disciplines.” The book presents decades of research findings with the purpose of understanding how chromosome structure, function and chromosomal aberrations can lead to a wide range of diseases and disorders.

“We are all so excited to finally release these findings to the science community,” says Dr. Grove, who collaborated with Dr. Ivan Kanev and Kelli Novak on the book. “We’ve had a positive response already from several researchers around the world. I feel very fortunate and grateful to have been a part of this research process with so many amazing people.”

The research began over 20 years ago under the support of the late Dr. Warren Sanger of the Human Genetics lab at UNMC. Dr. Ivan Kanev, the primary investigator, made this one of his great passions while working in the clinical lab. He instigated a collaborative research project working closely with numerous cytogeneticists, biophysicists, and statisticians from many parts of the world.

“I was able to help Dr. Kanev while working full-time in the lab and slowly working towards my Ph.D. The process took some time, but in 2020 we were finally able to put forth the energy and needed efforts to successfully finish the project.”

The book is now available to purchase on Amazon.

Dr. Grove earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) in 2005, M.S. in Biology from UNO in 2007, and then began her career in cytogenetics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Human Genetics Lab. She began her Ph.D. in the Medical Sciences Interdepartmental Area (MSIA) graduate program at UNMC in 2011.

“I continued to work full time as a cytogenetic technologist in the Human Genetics Lab, which prolonged my completion of the degree, but allowed me more opportunities to work with this project, gain valuable knowledge in the field of genetics, oncology, and pediatrics, and start a family.”

In 2016, she successfully defended her dissertation over the Genetic Landscape of Pediatric Myelodysplastic Syndromes and immediately started in the fall of 2016 at College of Saint Mary.

Book Synopsis

We spent over two decades in an effort to search and study the same electric charge properties of chromosomes that were doubted, rejected, and ignored in mainstream theories and concepts in genetics and molecular biology. Our searching revealed previously unnoticed similarities between chromosomes and the Tesla coil transformer, magic numbers in the construction of nucleosomes, and Fibonacci like spirals in the construction of solenoids. We studied previously unknown structures and events related to the interactions between negatively charged DNA and positively charged histones. We used the charge of chromosomes to reveal issues and to propose solutions concerning: (i) the construction and function of chromosomes; (ii) the mechanism responsible for the development of non-disjunction causing numerical abnormalities of chromosomes known as Down, Turner and other syndromes; (iii) the mechanism for the development of structural abnormalities of chromosomes causing cancer, Alzheimer and other human diseases; (iv) the mechanism responsible for functional abnormalities of chromosomes causing autism, infertility, mental and physical disabilities and other health conditions.