Genetics News & Research
 | DNA "linker" strands coax nano-sized rods to line up in way unlike any other spontaneous arrangement of rod-shaped objects. The arrangement -- with the rods forming "rungs" on ladder-like ribbons could result in the fabrication of new nanostructured materials with desired properties. ...> Full Article |
The genome sequence of Tibetan antelope sheds new light on high-altitude adaptation.
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Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio have identified four genes in baboons that influence levels of "bad" cholesterol. This discovery could lead to the development of new drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease.
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A University of Iowa researcher and his colleague have conducted a study that reveals important and useful insights into how and why developmental genes often take inputs from two independent "morphogen concentration gradients."
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 | The newly sequenced genome of the carnivorous bladderwort plant provides surprising insight into noncoding 'junk' DNA, a mysterious genetic material that makes up about 98 percent of the human genome and much of the genomes of other species. The bladderwort genome has almost no junk: 97 percent consists of genes and small control regions, showing that vast quantities of noncoding 'junk' DNA are not needed for complex life to exist. ...> Full Article |
 | Animals, insects, and plants use a variety of sensing mechanisms to detect invading pathogens such as viruses. One complex and effective antiviral defense system they share is based on recognition of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), often produced when a virus invades a host cell. New information leading to a clearer understanding of the mechanisms underlying viral dsRNA sensing is presented in a comprehensive Review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research. ...> Full Article |
A team of 70 scientists today reports having sequenced the genome of the 'sacred' lotus plant, which is believed to have a powerful genetic system that repairs defects, and may hold secrets about aging successfully.
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 | Scientists at the Institute of Food Research have been mining the genome of C. botulinum to uncover new information about the toxin genes that produce the potent toxin behind botulism. ...> Full Article |
In a groundbreaking move that provides new insight into avian evolution, biology and conservation, researchers at Texas A&M University have successfully sequenced the complete genome of a Scarlet macaw for the first time.
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In a report in the journal Current Biology, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine use the model of the social amoeba -- Dictyostelium discoideum -- to identify the genetic controls on how the amoeba differentiate the different bacteria and respond to achieve their goal of destruction.
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Doctors should not have the right or responsibility to force-feed their patients with genomic information about their future health risks, according to bioethicists writing on May 9 in Trends in Biotechnology, a Cell Press publication. They write in response to controversial recommendations from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics on the reporting of incidental findings in clinical genome sequencing.
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 | The sacred lotus is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract pollinators. Now researchers report that they have sequenced the lotus genome. Of all the plants sequenced so far -- and there are dozens -- sacred lotus bears the closest resemblance to the ancestor of all eudicots, a broad category of flowering plants that includes apple, cabbage, cactus, coffee and tobacco. ...> Full Article |
From Ireland to the Balkans, Europeans are all closely related according to a new study of the DNA of people from across the continent. The study examined relatedness among Europeans up to about 3,000 years ago, comparing genetic sequences from over 2,000 individuals. The results are published 7 May in the open access journal PLOS Biology.
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Genome assembly, the molecular equivalent of trying to put together a multi-million piece jigsaw puzzle without knowing what the picture on the cover of the box is, remains challenging due to the very large number of very small pieces, which must be assembled using current approaches. As reported May 5 online in the journal Nature Methods, a collaboration involving DOE JGI researchers has resulted in an improved and fully automated workflow for genome assembly.
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A new analysis by the Synthetic Biology Project finds the number of private and public entities conducting research in synthetic biology worldwide grew significantly between 2009 and 2013.
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