Life Sciences
Mitochondrial DNA's Surprising Variability Could Complicate Forensic and Genealogical Analyses
Chevy Chase, MD (Scicasts) - Forensic anthropologists, human evolution researchers, and crime scene investigators might want to take note: The mitochondrial genome–long thought to be nearly identical in every cell in the human body–actually varies to a surprising degree, according to new research by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists. The research shows that different forms of the mitochondrial genome can be present in different organs from the same individual, and that these forms probably arise during embryonic development.
Researchers Create Atlas of Transcription Factor Combinations
San Diego, CA (Scicasts) - In a significant leap forward in the understanding of how specific types of tissue are determined to develop in mammals, an international team of scientists has succeeded in mapping the entire network of DNA-binding transcription factors and their interactions. This global network, indicating which factors can combine to determine cell fate, was published in the March 5 issue of the journal Cell.
EMBL Scientists Present Genetic Catalog of our Gut Flora
Heidelberg, Germany (Scicasts) - The thousands of bacteria, fungi and other microbes that live in our gut are essential contributors to our good health. They break down toxins, manufacture some vitamins and essential amino acids, and form a barrier against invaders. A study published this week in Nature shows that, at 3.3 million, microbial genes in our gut outnumber previous estimates for the whole of the human body.
Naegleria Genome Sequenced
Berkeley, CA (Scicasts) - In the long evolutionary road from bacteria to humans, a major milestone occurred some 1.5 billion years ago when microbes started building closets for all their stuff, storing DNA inside a nucleus, for example, or cramming all the energy machinery inside mitochondria.
Researchers Sequence Ancient Polar Bear Fossil
Buffalo, NY (Scicasts) - According to a report from the University of Buffalo, a rare, ancient polar bear fossil discovered in Norway in 2004 is yielding a treasure trove of essential information about the age and evolutionary origins of the species whose future is now seen as synonymous with the devastation wrought by climate change.
Smoking Significantly Increases Risk of Aneurysm in People with Certain Genes
Dallas, TX (Scicasts) - According to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2010, for people who carry common gene variants, cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk that a blood vessel in the brain will weaken and balloon out – called an aneurysm – which could be life-threatening if it ruptures.
NHGRI Launches Online Genomics Center
Bethesda, MD (Scicasts) - An online tool to help educators teach the next generation of nurses and physician assistants about genetics and genomics was launched by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The tool is part of NHGRI’s effort to address the growing need among health care professionals for knowledge in this area, which is paving the way for more individualized approaches to detect, treat and prevent many diseases.
Life Technologies Debuts the SOLiD PI System
Carlsbad, CA (Scicasts) - Life Technologies has unveiled plans for the Applied Biosystems SOLiD PI System, a flexible and easy-to-use genomic analysis platform that, the company believes, will bring next-generation sequencing within the grasp of all life science research laboratories worldwide. Early customer adoption of the SOLiD PI System is expected to begin in the second half of 2010.
Genetic Link between Misery and Death Discovered
San Diego, CA (Scicasts) - In ongoing work to identify how genes interact with social environments to impact human health, UCLA researchers have discovered what they describe as a biochemical link between misery and death. In addition, they found a specific genetic variation in some individuals that seems to disconnect that link, rendering them more biologically resilient in the face of adversity.
imaGenes GmbH Adds Certification of Roche NimbleGen DNA Methylation Analysis to Service Portfolio
Madison, WI, (Scicasts) - Roche NimbleGen has announce that imaGenes GmbH, located in Berlin, Germany, has passed the certification process to qualify as a Roche NimbleGen Certified Service Provider (CSP) for DNA Methylation Analysis. imaGenes is a solution provider for functional genomics and proteomics with a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality services for molecular life sciences. This is the second certification for imaGenes to provide service for NimbleGen arrays, following the successful certification as ChIP-chip CSP in December 2009, and makes them the first service provider in Europe with multiple certifications.
Research Program to Understand Malaria Receives $12.7 Million
Victoria, Australia (Scicasts) - A research program that aims to better understand malaria infection and develop treatments and vaccines for the disease has been awarded $12.7 million (US$11.5 million) by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
Life Technologies Launches Capillary Electrophoresis Sequencing System for Forensic Laboratories
Carlsbad, CA (Scicasts) - Life Technologies has unveiled the launch of a new genetic analysis system designed to optimize data quality and deliver increased reliability, performance, quality assurance and ease-of-use specifically for forensic DNA testing laboratories. The Applied Biosystems 3500 Series Genetic Analyzer is the latest addition to the company's line of capillary electrophoresis (CE) DNA sequencing systems, and has been validated to support a specific feature set and workflow for human identification (HID) applications. The company made the announcement at the American Academy of Forensic Sciences 62nd Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington.
Melanoma Transcriptome Reveals Genomic Alterations Not Seen Before
Cold Spring Harbor, NY (Scicasts) - Melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, afflicts more than 50,000 people in the United States annually and the incidence rate continues to rise. In a study published online in Genome Research, scientists have delved further into the RNA world of the melanoma tumour and have identified genomic alterations that could play a role in the disease.
New Tool Shows Connections Between Stem Cells and Cancer
Chevy Chase, MD (Scicasts) - According to a report from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, researchers at the Institute have a new tool to understand how cancers grow -- and with it a new opportunity to identify novel cancer drugs. They've been able to break apart human prostate tissue, extract the stem cells in that tissue, and alter those cells genetically so that they spur cancer.
Screening Cancer Genomes for the Driver Mutations in Tumour Suppressor Genes
Hinxton, UK (Scicasts) - A new study of mutations in cancer genomes shows how researchers can begin to distinguish the 'driver' mutations that push cells towards cancer from the 'passenger' mutations that are a by-product of cancer cell development. The study also shows that at least one in nine genes can be removed without killing human cells.
Scientists Map Genetic Regulatory Elements for the Heart
Bethesda, Maryland and Chicago, IL (Scicasts) - According to a report from the National Institutes of Health and the University of Chicago, scientists have devised a new computational model that can be used to reveal genetic regulatory elements responsible for development of the human heart and maintenance of its function.
RIKEN Chooses Genedata Expressionist for High Throughput Proteomics R&D
Basel, Switzerland and Tokyo, Japan (Scicasts) - Genedata, a provider of advanced software solutions for drug discovery and life science research, has announced that the Japanese research foundation RIKEN has chosen Genedata Expressionist to support biomarker development for cancer research. The renowned government foundation is using proteome analysis and Mass Spectrometry (MS) to identify biomarkers to aid in the development of serum-based diagnostic methods.
Evolutionary Relationships Among Arthropods Analyzed
LOS ANGELES (Scicasts) - Since the dawn of the biological sciences, mankind has struggled to comprehend the relationships among the major groups of "jointed-legged" animals — the arthropods. Now, a team of researchers, including Dr. Joel Martin and Dr. Regina Wetzer from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM), has finished a completely new analysis of the evolutionary relationships among the arthropods, answering many questions that defied previous attempts to unravel how these creatures were connected. Their study is scheduled for publication in the journal Nature on Feb. 24.
Researchers Obtain Brain Recordings from Fruit Flies
A dye-filled glass electrode (pink) is inserted into a fruit fly's brain. The electrode and the brain are immersed in saline (colored blue in this image). The fly is flapping its wings in tethered flight. Image by Gaby Maimon and Michael Dickinson/Caltech
Pasadena, CA (Scicasts) - According to a report from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), researcher at the Institute have obtained the first recordings of brain-cell activity in an actively flying fruit fly.
Scientists Synthesize Unique Family of Anti-cancer Compounds
New Haven, CT (Scicasts) - Scientists at Yale University have streamlined the process for synthesizing a family of compounds with the potential to kill cancer and other diseased cells, and have found that they represent a unique category of anti-cancer agents, according to a report from the Institute.
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