Yet in some cases, it might turn out that gene pathways stemming from different genes converge at some point, into one common "superhighway," says Yin. "If you know that, you can do something in the superhighway part," he says.

Researchers studying epilepsy, for example, have discovered that at least 20 genes have a role to play in the onset of seizures, and dozens more may be involved. Though many might argue for directing research dollars to the continued search for epilepsy genes, Yin believes funding agencies should now consider investing in the search for these "superhighways" of gene convergence.

That search might be long and tedious, he adds, but it's most certainly worth a shot. "I think the history of scientific discovery teaches us that we can't predict anything. So we just have to play all the cards we can possibly play."

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Contact: Jerry Yin
jcyin@wisc.edu
608-262-5014
University of Wisconsin-Madison
11-Jul-2005