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Human evolution in genetic fast lane

Countering a common theory that human evolution has slowed to a crawl or even stopped in modern humans, a new study examining data from an international genomics project describes the past 40,000 years as a time of supercharged evolutionary change, driven by exponential population growth and cultural shifts.

10 Dec 2007

Genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up

Researchers discovered genetic evidence that human evolution is speeding up – and has not halted or proceeded at a constant rate, as had been thought – indicating that humans on different continents are becoming increasingly different.

10 Dec 2007

Tiny DNA molecules show liquid crystal phases, pointing to new scenario for first life on earth

A team led by the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Milan has discovered some unexpected forms of liquid crystals of ultrashort DNA molecules immersed in water, providing a new scenario for a key step in the emergence of life on Earth.

22 Nov 2007

Discovery of 300 previously unidentified human genes

Using supercomputers to compare portions of the human genome with those of other mammals, researchers at Cornell have discovered some 300 previously unidentified human genes, and found extensions of several hundred genes already known.

21 Nov 2007

Newly completed genome sequence may provide new treatment options for dandruff

Scientists from P&G Beauty announced that they successfully sequenced the complete genome for Malassezia globosa (M. globosa) , a naturally occurring fungus responsible for the onset of dandruff and other skin conditions in humans.

6 Nov 2007

Planned Parenthood files suit against Missouri law that would require abortion clinics to upgrade facilities

Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri last week filed a second lawsuit in Jackson County, Mo., asking the court to exclude clinics that offer only medical abortions from a state law (SB 370) designating facilities providing some abortions as "ambulatory surgical centers" to exclude clinics that offer only medical abortions, the AP/Hays Daily News reports.

29 Oct 2007

Direct selection of human genomic loci by microarray hybridization

Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Roche NimbleGen Inc., a fully integrated part of Roche Applied Science, have published details of a highly efficient and cost-effective method for capturing targeted regions of the genome via NimbleChip microarrays in preparation for high-throughput 454 Sequencing.

16 Oct 2007

Recognizing and assessing the progression of cognitive impairment and dementia in primary care

Dementia is a growing burden for society, propelling patients and caregivers to increasingly use the health-care system. A year ago, local researchers, health-care professionals, and community advocates came together to form the Indianapolis Discovery Network for Dementia (IDND) to enhance dementia care in the nation's twelfth largest city.

12 Oct 2007

Natural selection at the genetic level

In a molecular tour de force, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have provided an exquisitely detailed picture of natural selection as it occurs at the genetic level.

10 Oct 2007

BioNanomatrix and Complete Genomics form joint venture after NIST grant awarded

BioNanomatrix, Inc. and Complete Genomics Inc. (CGI) have announced that they have formed a joint venture that has received an $8.8 million grant award from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology Advanced Technology Program (NIST-ATP) to develop a system capable of sequencing the entire human genome in eight hours at a cost of less than $100

29 Sep 2007

New view of what causes greatest genetic variability among individuals

A study by Yale researchers offers a new view of what causes the greatest genetic variability among individuals - suggesting that it is due less to single point mutations than to the presence of structural changes that cause extended segments of the human genome to be missing, rearranged, or present in extra copies.

27 Sep 2007

Smallpox evolved earlier than believed

Smallpox is older than thought, according to results of a new technique reported in the Sept. 24 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

27 Sep 2007

New understanding of gene mutation responsible for fragile X syndrome

Scientists have discovered how the gene mutation responsible for fragile X syndrome - the most common inherited form of mental retardation - alters the way brain cells communicate.

18 Sep 2007

JAK genes and cancer

Cancer-causing genes can work in more powerful and sneaky ways than have been realized.

18 Sep 2007

New Rensselaer tools speed stem cell research

Engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed tools to help solve two of the main problems slowing the progress of stem cell research - how to quickly test stem cell response to different drugs or genes, and how to create a large supply of healthy, viable stem cells to study from only a few available cells.

13 Sep 2007

Ultraconserved elements in the genome: Are they indispensable?

Three years ago, "ultraconserved elements" were discovered in the genomes of mice, rats, and humans.

5 Sep 2007

First individual genome sequence of one person

Independent sequence and assembly of the six billion base pairs from the genome of one person ushers in the era of individualized genomics

4 Sep 2007

Gene regulation in humans is closer than expected to simple organisms

Gene networks are some of the most basic features of a living organism. An external or internal stimulus activates some genes, which in turn control others genes whose activity turns on or off various biological processes (such as the cell cycle, energy production, DNA repair, cellular suicide etc).

30 Aug 2007

New clue to mechanisms of gene signaling and regulation

Scientists have discovered a pattern in the DNA sequence of the mouse genome that may play a fundamental part in the way DNA molecules regulate gene expression.

24 Aug 2007

Biologists discover one reason why chromosomes break, often leading to cancer

In the past ten years, researchers in genome stability have observed that many kinds of cancer are associated with areas where human chromosomes break.

6 Aug 2007