Genetics News And Research - May 2009 Archives

Omega fatty acid balance can alter immunity and gene expression (5/31/2009)

Using a controlled diet study with human volunteers, researchers may have teased out a biological basis for the increased inflammation observed due to humans' shift in their consumption of omega fatty acids. ...> Full Article

Slicing chromosomes leads to new insights into cell division (5/30/2009)

By using ultrafast laser pulses to slice off pieces of chromosomes and observe how the chromosomes behave, biomedical engineers at the University of Michigan have gained pivotal insights into mitosis, the process of cell division. ...> Full Article

Research in green genetic engineering is indispensable (5/27/2009)

Science and business in Germany demand more reliable legal and political frameworks and a more open social climate in order to be able to better exploit the opportunities offered by green genetic engineering. With this objective, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft released a joint memorandum on May 13 in Berlin. ...> Full Article

Yeast missing sex genes undergo unexpected sexual reproduction (5/26/2009)

An emerging form of the pathogenic yeast Candida is able to complete a full sexual cycle in a test tube, even though it's missing the genes for reproduction. And it may also do so while infecting us, according to Duke University Medical Center researchers. ...> Full Article

Getting more from whole-transcript microarrays (5/25/2009)

The widely used Affymetrix Whole-Transcript Gene 1.0 ST (sense target) microarray platform, normally used to assay gene expression, can also be utilized to interrogate exon-specific splicing. Research published today in the open-access journal BMC Bioinformatics shows scientists how to monitor alternative splicing activity on a genome-wide scale, without investing in new exon microarray technologies. ...> Full Article

Why the thumb of the right hand is on the left hand side (5/24/2009)

It is the concentration of a few signaling molecules that determines the fate of individual cells during the early development of organisms. In the renowned journal Current Biology, a team of molecular biologists led by Pia Aanstad of the University of Innsbruck reports that a variety of molecular mechanisms accounts for the interpretation of the concentration of the signaling molecule Hedgehog. ...> Full Article

Research team finds important role for junk DNA (5/24/2009)

Researchers from Princeton University and Indiana University who have been studying the genome of a pond organism have found that junk DNA may not be so junky after all. They have discovered that DNA sequences from regions of what had been viewed as the "dispensable genome" are actually performing functions that are central for the organism. They have concluded that the genes spur an almost acrobatic rearrangement of the entire genome that is necessary for the organism to grow. ...> Full Article

Researcher identifies genetic pathway responsible for much of plant growth (5/23/2009)

Iowa State University researchers have discovered a previously unknown pathway in plant cells that regulates plant growth. ...> Full Article

Scientists discover genetic defects linked with rare bearded lady (5/23/2009)

New research provides exciting genetic insight into a rare syndrome that first appeared in the medical literature in the mid 1800s with the case of Julia Pastrana, the world's most notorious bearded lady. The study, published by Cell Press in the May 21 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics, reveals intriguing molecular clues about the pathogenesis of this mysterious condition that has captured the attention of the public since the Middle Ages. ...> Full Article

UCSF creates fast, affordable tool for finding gene 'on-off' switches (5/22/2009)

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MicroRNA regulation of tumor-killing viruses avoids unwanted viral pathology (5/22/2009)

Scientists have determined how to produce replication-competent viruses with key toxicities removed, providing a new platform for development of improved cancer treatments and better vaccines for a broad range of viral diseases. ...> Full Article

Proteomics: Finding the key ingredients of disease (5/21/2009)

New findings from an international collaboration, involving McGill University, the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center and the Human Proteome Organization published in Nature Methods show how to improve protein analysis to tease out relevant potential disease-causing molecules. ...> Full Article

New tool isolates RNA within specific cells (5/20/2009)

A team of University of Oregon biologists, using fruit flies, has created a way to isolate RNA from specific cells, opening a new window on how gene expression drives normal development and disease-causing breakdowns. ...> Full Article

100 reasons to change the way we think about genetics (5/19/2009)

Article reviews evidence for epigenetic inheritance in wide range of species ...> Full Article

Study finds genetic links to age of first menstrual period and menopause (5/18/2009)

Two genes clarify the genetic control of female sexual maturation, and point to regulatory mechanisms involved in human growth and development ...> Full Article

ACLU - Myriad Genetics lawsuit will become landmark case (5/17/2009)

The American Civil Liberties Union action in filing a lawsuit yesterday against Myriad Genetics is going to lead to one of the most important legal battles in the history of biotechnology, asserts Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. The ACLU charged that the patenting of two human genes linked to breast and ovarian cancer will inhibit medical research. The organization also claims that the patents are invalid and unconstitutional. ...> Full Article

Good fences make good neighbors (5/15/2009)

Our genome is a patchwork of neighborhoods that couldn't be more different: Some areas are hustling and bustling with gene activity, while others are sparsely populated and in perpetual lock-down. Breaking down just a few of the molecular fences that separate them blurs the lines and leads to the inactivation of at least two tumor suppressor genes, according to researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. ...> Full Article

Researchers reel in RNA surprise with microbial ocean catch (5/14/2009)

An ingenious new method of obtaining marine microbe samples while preserving the microbes' natural gene expression has yielded an unexpected boon: the presence of many varieties of small RNAs -- snippets of RNA that act as switches to regulate gene expression in these single-celled creatures, MIT researchers report in the May 14 issue of Nature. Before now, small RNA could only be studied in lab-cultured microorganisms. ...> Full Article

Most extensive genetic resource for reef-building coral created (5/12/2009)

A nearly complete collection of genes for a species of reef-building coral has been assembled by a team led by biologists from The University of Texas at Austin. The scientists will use the genetic data to understand natural variations in corals from around the world and how they respond, at the genetic level, to rising water temperatures. ...> Full Article

Visualizing virus replication in three dimensions (5/11/2009)

Dengue fever is the most common infectious disease transmitted by mosquitoes -- some 100 million people around the world are infected. Researchers at the Hygiene Institute at Heidelberg University Hospital were the first to present a three-dimensional model of the location in the human cell where the virus is reproduced. Their research provides an insight into the exact process of viral replication and serves as a model for other viruses. It offers new approaches for developing measures to prevent or treat dengue fever. ...> Full Article

GEN highlights emerging biotechnology clusters (5/10/2009)

Although Boston, San Francisco, San Diego and Cambridge (UK) are always near the top of most biotechnology cluster lists, other areas around the world are starting to pop up on the life science radar screen, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. ...> Full Article

Researchers find snippet of RNA that helps make individuals remarkably alike (5/9/2009)

Uniformity, or singleness of form, is a general property of life. Biologists have long pondered how this feature is produced in the face of such great variation in genetics and environmental conditions. Northwestern University researchers now have identified a microRNA that is critical to the robustness of the molecular network that helps regulate uniformity. This knowledge could lead to a better understanding of cancer cells, which do not act in controllable, uniform ways. ...> Full Article

Gene may 'bypass' disease-linked mitochondrial defects, fly study suggests (5/8/2009)

By lending them a gene normally reserved for other classes of animals, researchers have shown they can rescue flies from their Parkinson's-like symptoms, including movement defects and excess free radicals produced in power-generating cellular components called mitochondria. The gene swap also protects healthy flies' mitochondria, and to a large extent the flies themselves, from the damaging effects of cyanide and other toxins. ...> Full Article

Meet DNA's personal assistants (5/8/2009)

Just as scientists finished sequencing the human genome, they got a new surprise. Inside the genetic pathway, where DNA produces proteins to sustain life, they found microRNA. These tiny ubiquitous molecules have opened a new research channel in biology, allowing scientists to more closely examine what causes genetic diseases, and what makes our cells tick. ...> Full Article

Scientists discover specific small RNA pathways protect germ line from transposons (5/8/2009)

Animal germ line cells, such as sperm and ova, protect their genomes against transposon-inflicted damage via an immune system operated by a family of proteins called Piwi and Piwi-interacting RNA molecules (piRNAs). CSHL scientists led by Dr. Gregory Hannon now show that in the fruit fly ovary, somatic cells that surround germ cells also have a piRNA pathway, although a slightly different one, that specifically protects their genomes against transposons called gypsy elements. ...> Full Article

Researcher identifies key function in protein, cell transcription (5/7/2009)

An Iowa State University researcher has figured out a mechanism involved in marking where assembly instructions are located in a cell's DNA. ...> Full Article

Random picks better than complicated process in gene identification (5/7/2009)

Researchers at Purdue University have found a way to save time, money and a little frustration in searches for specific genes that shed light on the biological processes associated with all forms of life. ...> Full Article

Researchers develop whole genome sequencing approach for mutation discovery (5/6/2009)

The Stowers Institute's Hawley Lab and Molecular Biology Facility have developed a "whole-genome sequencing approach" to mapping mutations in fruit flies. The novel methodology promises to reduce the time and effort required to identify mutations of biological interest. The work was published in the May issue of the journal Genetics. ...> Full Article

Stopgap DNA repair needs a second step (5/6/2009)

Genetic "mistakes" can occur following a certain form of error-prone DNA repair. Weizmann Institute scientists have now revealed how this two-step process takes place. ...> Full Article

Genetic secrets of date palm unlocked (5/5/2009)

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar have mapped a draft version of the date palm genome, unlocking many of its genetic secrets. ...> Full Article

Nanotechnology holds promise for STD drug delivery (5/5/2009)

Yale researchers describe a breakthrough in safe and effective administration of potential antiviral drugs -- small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules that silence genes -- the first step in development of a new kind of treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The work is reported May 4 as an advance online publication of Nature Materials. ...> Full Article

When cells reach out and touch (5/3/2009)

RNA production revs up during cell-to-cell contact ...> Full Article

Medical school researchers report oral delivery system for RNAi therapeutics (5/2/2009)

Paper in scientific journal Nature describes proof of concept for oral delivery of therapeutic short interfering RNA molecules ...> Full Article

Genome projects launched for three extreme-environment animals (5/1/2009)

BGI-Shenzhen announces the launch of three new genome sequencing projects: The polar bear, the emperor penguin, and the Tibetan antelope ...> Full Article