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Researchers devise method to pinpoint key genetic variations under positive natural selection that may impact human health

Fossils may provide tantalizing clues to human history but they also lack some vital information, such as revealing which pieces of human DNA have been favored by evolution because they confer beneficial traits - resistance to infection or the ability to digest milk, for example. These signs can only be revealed through genetic studies of modern humans and other related species, though the task has proven difficult.

8 Jan 2010

Protein complex proves valuable for changing cell fate

The DNA contained within each of our cells is exactly the same, yet different types of cells - skin cells, heart cells, brain cells - perform very different functions. The ultimate fate of these cells is encoded not just in the DNA, but in a specific pattern of chemical modifications that overlay the DNA structure.

7 Jan 2010

Agilent Technologies, Covaris sign co-marketing agreement to streamline next-generation sequencing experiments

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A) and Covaris Inc. today announced a co-marketing agreement in which Covaris S2 DNA shearing technology will be marketed with the Agilent SureSelect Target Enrichment System to streamline next-generation sequencing experiments.

6 Jan 2010

Scientists determine how RNAi, a biological response to RNA, can regulate gene expression

A team of scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has determined a hierarchical set of criteria that explain how the molecular precursors of gene-regulating small RNAs are sorted by the cellular machinery.

5 Jan 2010

Carbon nanotube: A viable alternative for rapid DNA sequencing

Faster sequencing of DNA holds enormous potential for biology and medicine, particularly for personalized diagnosis and customized treatment based on each individual's genomic makeup.

4 Jan 2010

US-German team studies genome mutations

"While the long term effects of genome mutations are quite well understood, we did not know how often new mutations arise in the first place," said Detlef Weigel, director at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. It is routine today to compare the genomes of related animal or plant species.

3 Jan 2010

Scientists discover a new family of giant virus

After Mimivirus, Mamavirus and the virophage, the group of giant viruses now has a new member called Marseillevirus. Discovered in an amoeba by the team led by Didier Raoult at the Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes research group (CNRS/Université Aix-Marseille 2), a description of this new virus was published this week on the website of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

31 Dec 2009

New project analyzes genetic sequence and variations of every gene expressed by 1,000 tumors

No two tumors are alike, but analyzing the genetics of cancers from different parts of the body may reveal surprising details useful for treatment and prevention.

22 Dec 2009

Psychopharmacology expert calls for more mental health staffing at army bases

The recent shootings at the Ft. Hood, Texas army base, allegedly by an army psychiatrist, have placed much-needed focus on mental health care in the army. In an article published in the December issue of the journal CNS Spectrum, renowned psychopharmacology expert Stephen M. Stahl, MD, PhD, calls for increased mental health staffing at Fort Hood and other army bases.

14 Dec 2009

Transgenomic's SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS mutation detection kit launched

Transgenomic, Inc. announced today the launch of its SURVEYOR Scan K-RAS kit, the first in a family of mutation detection kits the company plans to offer featuring its proprietary SURVEYOR Nuclease and WAVE® HS DHPLC platform. SURVEYOR Scan technology is a novel approach to mutation detection that uses a PCR amplification reaction and hybridization to form heteroduplex DNA molecules in samples with K-RAS mutation.

9 Dec 2009

Club Red Clinic offers preventive care for women with cardiovascular risk factors

When the University of Virginia Health System's new Club Red Clinic was on the drawing board, its organizers envisioned creating an innovative, cost-effective model for healthcare delivery. In a bold move, they decided to meld two timely healthcare concepts - prevention and shared medical appointments (SMAs) - into a unique clinical offering that has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients.

5 Dec 2009

University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarded IBM SUR grant

The University of Pittsburgh's McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which connects scientists who work on tissue engineering, cell therapies, artificial organs and biodevices, has been awarded a Shared University Research (SUR) Award from IBM ( IBM). The IBM SUR Award will provide IBM computer hardware, software and services to Pitt for its cutting-edge "in silico" biological research, which uses computer simulations to explore biological pathways and test therapeutic interventions.

2 Dec 2009

UC3M researchers developing a prototype for extracting drug interactions

A pharmacological interaction occurs when the effects of a one drug are modified by the presence of another. The consequences can be harmful if the interaction causes an increase in the toxicity of the drug or if it diminishes its effect, possibly even causing the patient's death, in the worst case scenario. At present, there are databases for checking possible interactions between drugs administered to patients, but the main problem is that many of the databases are not updated for three years.

1 Dec 2009

Researchers devise new tools for typing cells from children with acute lymphatic leukemia

Researchers at Uppsala University and University Children's Hospital in Uppsala have devised powerful new tools for typing cells from children with acute lymphatic leukemia and for prediction of how children with leukemia will respond to chemotherapy.

28 Nov 2009

Researchers uncover atomic-level action of ring-shaped protein motors

The atomic-level action of a remarkable class of ring-shaped protein motors has been uncovered by researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) using a state-of-the-art protein crystallography beamline at the Advanced Light Source (ALS).

25 Nov 2009

SIRO Clinpharm and Mediscis team up to expand clinical development plans

SIRO Clinpharm, a global Contract Research Organization (CRO) with bases in India, US, Europe and Israel today announced their alliance with Mediscis, an early drug development company based in Poitiers and La Rochelle, France.

18 Nov 2009

Startling new mammogram guidelines incite debate about risk, cost

The Washington Post: "Women in their 40s should stop routinely having annual mammograms and older women should cut back to one scheduled exam every other year, an influential federal task force has concluded, challenging the use of one of the most common medical tests" (Stein, 11/17).

17 Nov 2009

Gene variants which influence insulin metabolism can also affect birth weight

Low birth weight increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Until recently scientists had attributed this to maternal malnutrition during pregnancy. However, now it seems that genetic background may also play a major role. A research team of Technische Universität München and Helmholtz Zentrum München has now demonstrated, that gene variants which influence insulin metabolism can also affect birth weight.

12 Nov 2009

Health information technology's 11% combined annual growth rate to continue through 2013: Scientia Advisors

Health information technology (HIT) is the fastest growing segment of the $1 trillion global health care marketplace—and its “impressive” 11 per cent combined annual growth rate is likely to continue through 2013, according to a Scientia Advisors global industry review released today.

10 Nov 2009

Experts gather to outline the latest creative applications of DNA barcoding

The scientific ability to quickly and accurately identify species through DNA "barcoding" is being embraced and applied by a growing legion of global authorities - from medical and agricultural researchers to police and customs authorities to palaeontologists and others.

7 Nov 2009