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DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Nearly every cell in a person’s body has the same DNA. Most DNA is located in the cell nucleus (where it is called nuclear DNA), but a small amount of DNA can also be found in the mitochondria (where it is called mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA).

Mirina closes Versant led Series A-1 financing

Mirina Corporation, a privately held biotechnology company focused on the generation of novel microRNA (miRNA) therapeutics with improved properties, announced today that it has closed a Series A-1 financing. The round was led by new investor Versant Ventures. Previous investors Alexandria Real Estate Equities, ARCH Venture Partners, OVP Venture Partners and WRF Capital also participated in the round. In conjunction with this financing, Brian Atwood, Managing Director of Versant Ventures, will join the Board of Directors.

26 Apr 2010

University of Utah researchers knock out genes in nematode worms

Knocking genes out of action allows researchers to learn what genes do by seeing what goes wrong without them. University of Utah biologists pioneered the field. Mario Capecchi won a Nobel Prize for developing knockout mice. Kent Golic found a way to cripple fruit fly genes. Now, biologist Erik Jorgensen and colleagues have devised a procedure for knocking out genes in nematode worms.

26 Apr 2010

FDA clears Osmetech's eSensor Thrombophilia Risk Test

Osmetech, plc today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the eSensor® Thrombophilia Risk Test (TRT), a multiplexed molecular diagnostic test for four genetic markers associated with thrombosis. The panel includes Factor V Leiden, Factor II Prothrombin, MTHFR 677 and MTHFR 1298 in a single test panel.

26 Apr 2010

Three genetic regions associated with cigarette smoking

A team of scientists has used data from genome-wide association studies to identify genetic variants associated with key smoking behaviors that have a significant impact on health.

26 Apr 2010

Recent business progress at Penwest Pharmaceuticals

Penwest Pharmaceuticals Co. today sent a letter to its shareholders to provide an update on the Company's recent progress and on corporate governance developments.

24 Apr 2010

Physician panel to discuss issues related to Qutenza at Investor Day

NeurogesX, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced today that Anthony DiTonno, President and CEO, and members of the NeurogesX management team, will host an Investor Day on Friday, April 30, 2010, from 8:15am-11:00am EDT in New York City

24 Apr 2010

Mechanisms pathogenic viruses exploit to evade immune systems of hosts

Viruses have evolved a broad range of strategies that enable them to evade the immune systems of their hosts. A team of researchers led by LMU virologist Professor J-rgen Haas has been studying a novel, recently discovered mechanism that pathogenic viruses exploit for this purpose, and their latest results could point the way to new antiviral therapies. The mechanism is based on the production of short RNA molecules, called microRNAs, by the virus.

24 Apr 2010

Novel clinical research approaches for rapidly identifying and preventing congenital cardiovascular defects

Structural and functional congenital cardiovascular abnormalities present at birth are the leading source of all congenital defects encountered in live births. Nearly half a million children in the United States have structural heart problems ranging in severity from relatively simple issues, such as small holes between chambers of the heart, to very severe malformations, including complete absence of one or more chambers or valves.

24 Apr 2010

Spacelabs Healthcare launches Ultraview 2900 with dual display capability for patient monitoring

Spacelabs Healthcare expands its patient monitoring portfolio by introducing the Ultraview 2900 with dual display capability. Clinicians can now simply and efficiently chart and access lab results on one display, while the other display remains dedicated to their patients' real-time physiologic waveforms and alarms.

24 Apr 2010

Trinean launches DropSense96 and DropPlate 16 G for genomic DNA quantification

Only 6 months after the release of its ground-breaking DropSense 96 spectrophotometer, Trinean, pioneer in high throughput analysis of droplets of samples in microfluidic structures, is now launching another device that will set the tone in scientific circles: the DropPlate 16 G. This upgrade of the current microfluid disposable, the DropPlate 16 U, allows researchers to quantify 96 DNA/RNA samples of only 2 microl in less than 5 minutes.

24 Apr 2010

Moffitt Cancer Center reports increasing interest in ERCC1 Analysis test for selecting chemotherapy for NSCLC

Moffitt Cancer Center announces steadily growing interest in the ERCC1 Analysis, the first test developed for selecting chemotherapy for Non Small Lung Cancer patients. Each year, more than 200,000 Americans are diagnosed with lung cancer.

24 Apr 2010

Victoza produces greater reductions in A1C, FPG and body weight than Januvia: Study

Yesterday, The Lancet published online the results of the first study comparing the once-daily human GLP-1 analog, Victoza (liraglutide [rDNA] injection) with a DPP-4 inhibitor, Januvia. The 26-week trial showed that Victoza produced significantly greater reductions in A1C, fasting plasma glucose, and body weight than Januvia, with similar or better overall treatment satisfaction.

24 Apr 2010

Environmental factors may play bigger role in tumor development: BIDMC study

It is an accepted fact that genetics play a key role in a person's susceptibility to cancer, and that throughout life, mutations can cause damage to tumor suppressor genes further increasing the chances of developing cancerous tumors.

24 Apr 2010

AFFiRiS' AD02 Alzheimer's vaccine candidate in phase II clinical testing

AFFiRiS AG's clinical Alzheimer's vaccine candidate AD02 has already progressed to phase II clinical testing. It may therefore be possible to confirm the efficacy of the vaccine as early as during 2012. Indeed the start of this efficacy study comes only five months after the completion of the corresponding phase I study. The company is active in several disease areas and is currently developing a total of twelve prospective products in all stages of the development pipeline up to clinical phase II.

24 Apr 2010

OSI Systems: Spacelabs Healthcare expands patient monitoring portfolio with Spacelabs Ultraview 2900

OSI Systems, Inc., a vertically-integrated provider of specialized electronic products for critical applications, announced that its Healthcare Division, Spacelabs Healthcare, has expanded its patient monitoring portfolio with the introduction of the Spacelabs Ultraview 2900.

24 Apr 2010

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

"A year after the emergence of swine flu [H1N1], U.S. health authorities and laboratories say the pandemic illustrated the need for new vaccine production techniques that are faster and more reliable," Agence France-Presse writes in an article that examines the challenges associated with current vaccine development practices and plans for future development.

24 Apr 2010

Merz Aesthetics debuts at ASAPS annual meeting with announcement of FDA approval of Asclera Injection

Following news of the acquisition of BioForm Medical, Inc. earlier this year, Merz Aesthetics, the new business unit of Merz Pharma Group, makes its debut at the prestigious American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (ASAPS) annual meeting with the announcement of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) recent approval of Asclera™ (polidocanol) Injection, a sclerotherapy treatment for uncomplicated spider and reticular veins.

24 Apr 2010

Golub Capital provides $12.0M of senior subordinated debt to support recapitalization of IDT

Golub Capital today announced that it has provided $12.0 million of senior subordinated debt to support the recapitalization and ongoing growth of Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. This transaction marks the first investment made by GC 2009 Mezzanine Partners, L.P., which is Golub Capital's sixth fund dedicated to middle market mezzanine debt financings.

From Integrated DNA Technologies 24 Apr 2010

Researchers discover and characterize general mechanism controlling transcription elongation in bacteria

Researchers from NYU Langone Medical Center have discovered and characterized a general mechanism that controls transcription elongation in bacteria. The mechanism, described in the April 23 issue of Science, relies on physical cooperation between a moving ribosome and RNA polymerase (RNAP) that allows for a precise adjustment of the transcriptional yield in response to translational needs. The study could lead to the development of new ways to interfere with bacterial gene expression and serve as a new target for antimicrobial therapy.

23 Apr 2010

New on-off switches: SUMO protein silences developmental genes, SNP2 snips SUMO to allow gene expression

Deleting a gene in mouse embryos caused cardiac defects and early death, leading researchers to identify a mechanism that turns developmental genes off and on as an embryo matures, a team led by a scientist at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center reported today in Molecular Cell.

23 Apr 2010

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Mirina closes Versant led Series A-1 financing

University of Utah researchers knock out genes in nematode worms

FDA clears Osmetech's eSensor Thrombophilia Risk Test

Three genetic regions associated with cigarette smoking

Recent business progress at Penwest Pharmaceuticals

Physician panel to discuss issues related to Qutenza at Investor Day

Mechanisms pathogenic viruses exploit to evade immune systems of hosts

Novel clinical research approaches for rapidly identifying and preventing congenital cardiovascular defects

Spacelabs Healthcare launches Ultraview 2900 with dual display capability for patient monitoring

Trinean launches DropSense96 and DropPlate 16 G for genomic DNA quantification

Moffitt Cancer Center reports increasing interest in ERCC1 Analysis test for selecting chemotherapy for NSCLC

Victoza produces greater reductions in A1C, FPG and body weight than Januvia: Study

Environmental factors may play bigger role in tumor development: BIDMC study

AFFiRiS' AD02 Alzheimer's vaccine candidate in phase II clinical testing

OSI Systems: Spacelabs Healthcare expands patient monitoring portfolio with Spacelabs Ultraview 2900

News outlets examine H1N1's impact on U.S. vaccine development plans, Mexico's handling of outbreak

Merz Aesthetics debuts at ASAPS annual meeting with announcement of FDA approval of Asclera Injection

Golub Capital provides $12.0M of senior subordinated debt to support recapitalization of IDT

Researchers discover and characterize general mechanism controlling transcription elongation in bacteria

New on-off switches: SUMO protein silences developmental genes, SNP2 snips SUMO to allow gene expression

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