Genetics News And Research - May 2008 Archives

New Technique Allows Targeted Inactivation Of Genes In Research Model (5/31/2008)

Finding has broad implications for genetic research ...> Full Article

New insights into cellular reprogramming revealed by genomic analysis (5/31/2008)

Research uncovers critical molecular events underlying reprogramming of differentiated cells to a stem cell state ...> Full Article

Statistical tool could explain gene study variations (5/30/2008)

While scientists are using the human genome to associate certain genes with disease, Dr. Hongyan Xu wants to ensure they are accounting for natural variations in those genes. ...> Full Article

Scientists reveal the genetics of fat storage in cells (5/29/2008)

Scientists devised a genetic screen to identify genes responsible for fat storage in cell of fruit flies, and potentially other species. ...> Full Article

Scientists Build A Better DNA Molecule (5/29/2008)

New technique allows long DNA molecules to be composed hierarchically from smaller building blocks ...> Full Article

Scientists sequence first female DNA (5/28/2008)

Geneticists in the Netherlands are the first to determine the DNA sequence of a woman ...> Full Article

Metagenomics of skin reveals insights into the human microbiome (5/27/2008)

The human body is home to a diverse range of microorganisms, estimated to outnumber human cells in a healthy adult by ten fold. The importance of characterizing human microbiota for understanding health and disease is highlighted by the recent launch of the Human Microbiome Project ...> Full Article

Research Suggests Abnormal 'Editing' of Gene Messages a Cause of Lupus (5/26/2008)

Researchers have uncovered evidence that the abnormal "editing" of gene messages in a type of white blood cell may be behind the development of lupus ...> Full Article

Whole genome activity, letter-by-letter (5/26/2008)

Global sequence and chip study examines eukaryotic transcription ...> Full Article

Real-time observation of the DNA-repair mechanism (5/24/2008)

Researchers have witnessed the spontaneous repair of damage to DNA molecules in real time ...> Full Article

Scientists Visualize Gene Regulation in Living Cells (5/23/2008)

A research team has applied advanced imaging methods and computer simulations to be able to glance at the regulation of a cancer-related gene in a living cell ...> Full Article

First Draft of Oil Palm Genome Completed (5/22/2008)

Knowledge of the plant and environment genomes will foster the development of improved plant feedstocks, biofertilizers, plant disease diagnostic and control solutions and renewable fuels ...> Full Article

Researchers bring new meaning to the term 'computer bug' (5/21/2008)

US researchers have created 'living computers' by genetically altering bacteria ...> Full Article

DNA clues to reproductive behaviour (5/20/2008)

Different modes of reproduction leave 'signatures' in an organism's DNA sequence ...> Full Article

First use of DNA fingerprinting to identify viable embryos (5/19/2008)

Research could lead to improved pregnancy rates and fewer multiple pregnancies ...> Full Article

Too hot to handle! Scientists identify heat sensing regulator (5/18/2008)

Neuroscientists are a step closer to understanding pain sensitivity - specifically why it's variable instead of constant - having identified a gene that regulates a heat-activated molecular sensor. ...> Full Article

Plant biologists discover unexpected proteins affecting small RNAs (5/18/2008)

What geneticists are learning about RNA silencing pathways in plants could be applied to cancer chemotherapy ...> Full Article

Scientists Discover New Class of Small RNAs That Regulate Gene Expression and Protect the Genome (5/17/2008)

The list of short RNAs grows longer ...> Full Article

Research shines spotlight on a key player in the dance of chromosomes (5/16/2008)

Cell division is essential to life, but the mechanism by which emerging daughter cells organize and divvy up their genetic endowments is little understood. In a new study, researchers report on how a key motor protein orchestrates chromosome movements at a critical stage of cell division. ...> Full Article

Scientists decipher fruit tree genome for the first time (5/16/2008)

Researchers from several universities of the USA and China have sequenced for the first time papaya genome; they have also identified the DNA of a transgenic organism for the first time. ...> Full Article

How body size is regulated: International study discovers ten new genes related to human growth (5/15/2008)

Scientists are beginning to unravel the question why people distinctly vary in size ...> Full Article

Genetic variation linked to sugary food (5/15/2008)

A new study finds that individuals with a specific genetic variation consistently consume more sugary foods ...> Full Article

Center Helps ZS Genetics Prepare for Archon X PRIZE Race (5/14/2008)

ZS Genetics, Inc. will pursue its molecular approaches at the Hubbard Center for Genome Studies at the University of New Hampshire as it prepares for the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics race. ...> Full Article

DNA fingerprinting simplified (5/14/2008)

Teen helps design classroom DNA experiments using common food dyes ...> Full Article

Life without TORC is one big struggle (5/13/2008)

Humans and fruitflies - those pesky little buggers that are irresistibly attracted to overripe fruit - share more than a sweet tooth. Both rely on the same insulin-regulated molecular pathway to maintain their energy balance when starved for food ...> Full Article

Scientists Identify Key Roadblock to Gene Expression (5/13/2008)

A team of scientists has provided, for the first time, a detailed map of how the building blocks of chromosomes, the cellular structures that contain genes, are organized in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster ...> Full Article

Scientists dig deeper into the genetics of schizophrenia by evaluating microRNAs (5/12/2008)

Researchers have illuminated a window into how abnormalities in microRNAs, a family of molecules that regulate expression of numerous genes, may contribute to the behavioral and neuronal deficits associated with schizophrenia and possibly other brain disorders. ...> Full Article

A new gene trigger for pregnancy disorder identified (5/12/2008)

Clues into how preeclampsia may surface in some pregnancies ...> Full Article

Genetic 'tag team' keeps cells on cycle (5/11/2008)

By surveying the activity of thousands of genes at several different time points, researchers at the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy have uncovered new evidence that a network of influential genes act as a kind of genetic tag team to orchestrate one of the most fundamental aspects of all life: the cell cycle. ...> Full Article

Researcher leads effort, develops test to identify dwarfism gene (5/11/2008)

If this technology is adopted by producers, in theory, we should never see another case of this form of dwarfism. ...> Full Article

Unraveling the Genomic Code for Development (5/10/2008)

Scientists have produced the first complete description of the complex network of genes that create a particular type of cell in an organism. ...> Full Article

MicroRNAs appear essential for retinal health (5/9/2008)

Retinas in newborn mice appear perfectly fine without any help from tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs except for one thing - the retinas do not work. ...> Full Article

Shaq of bacteria (5/8/2008)

The secret to an unusually large bacteria may be found in its ability to copy its genome tens of thousands of times. ...> Full Article

Superbug genome sequenced (5/8/2008)

The genome of a newly-emerging superbug, commonly known as Steno, has just been sequenced. The results reveal an organism with a remarkable capacity for drug resistance. ...> Full Article

Break it down (5/7/2008)

Genome sequence of Podospora anserina reveals unsuspected ability to use complex carbon sources ...> Full Article

Evolutionary Intricacies Of Rickettsia Pathogens Revealed (5/7/2008)

Scientists have unveiled some of the evolutionary intricacies of rickettsial pathogens by analyzing over a decade's worth of genomic data ...> Full Article

Mouse can do without man's most treasured genes (5/7/2008)

The mouse is a stalwart stand-in for humans in medical research, thanks to genomes that are 85 percent identical. But identical genes may behave differently in mouse and man ...> Full Article

Platypus genome sequence published (5/6/2008)

Platypus genetic blueprint reveals the early history of mammals ...> Full Article

The tachykinin receptor 3 gene has been linked to alcohol and cocaine dependence (5/6/2008)

The tachykinin receptor 3 gene has been linked to alcohol and cocaine dependence ...> Full Article

Researchers report the cloning of a key group of human genes, the protein kinases (5/5/2008)

Researchers report cloning of nearly all predicted human protein kinase genes in functional form, and generation of a corresponding set of kinases lacking catalytic activity that are necessary for functional studies ...> Full Article

New Map Reveals Dynamic Variation in Human Genome (5/4/2008)

A team of researchers has produced the first high-resolution map showing the structural variation that exists in the human genome. With the map, researchers can now begin to see how the underlying structure of one person's genome differs from that of another. ...> Full Article

Protocols features classic approaches for analyzing chromosomes (5/2/2008)

Two classic methods for chromosomal analysis ...> Full Article

First genome-wide scan for osteoporosis (5/1/2008)

Research has uncovered two genes to aid diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis. ...> Full Article