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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).

Roche introduces new real-time PCR system

With "Size: Reduced. Fun: Amplified.", Roche Applied Science launched its new real-time PCR system on June 27th, 2011. The small, silent, sleek LightCycler Nano Instrument supports state-of-the-art technology for fast PCR protocols featuring leading edge thermal resolution and reproducibility.

1 Jul 2011

Coffee protects against Alzheimer's disease

The study appears online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, was in mice whose DNA had been tweaked to contain a human Alzheimer’s gene. Just like humans with familial Alzheimer’s, these mice become increasingly forgetful as they age. It was seen that the equivalent of four to five cups of caffeinated coffee every few days led to much improved memories in the Alzheimer’s mice, says study co-author Gary Arendash, a scientist at the Florida Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center in Tampa.

30 Jun 2011

Sensitivity of bladder cancer cells linked to chemotherapy and expression of miR-34a gene

Researchers at the UC Davis Cancer Center have discovered a way of sensitizing muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells so that they succumb to the toxic effects of chemotherapy. The finding adds to mounting evidence that tiny strands of RNA - called microRNA - play key roles in some of the deadliest types of cancer.

30 Jun 2011

TCGA examines ovarian serous adenocarcinoma tumors from 500 patients

An analysis of genomic changes in ovarian cancer has provided the most comprehensive and integrated view of cancer genes for any cancer type to date. Ovarian serous adenocarcinoma tumors from 500 patients were examined by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Research Network and analyses are reported in the June 30, 2011, issue of Nature.

30 Jun 2011

Researchers develop way to uncover evolution of human cancer cells

A team of researchers led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco has developed a way to uncover the evolution of human cancer cells, determining the order in which mutations emerge in them as they wend their way from a normal, healthy state into invasive, malignant masses.

30 Jun 2011

Genes in Tasmanian Devil give new hope to children with cancer

Cancer researchers have generated a genetic blueprint of the Tasmanian Devil genome, revealing cancer-associated genes that may answer important questions about adult and childhood cancer.

30 Jun 2011

Vaccines may be given in food in the near future

Soon children could be vaccinated with bacteria mixed in milk and people in the developing world given unprecedented access to immunisations under a scheme proposed by an Australian Nobel laureate, Barry Marshall.

29 Jun 2011

DMI completes rHEALTH sensor reduced-gravity experiments for NASA FAST program

In September 2010, the DNA Medicine Institute (DMI) successfully completed reduced-gravity experiments on its rHEALTH sensor for the NASA Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology (FAST) program. NASA recently followed that experiment with a $190,000 contract to DMI to analyze data from the parabolic flights.

29 Jun 2011

Prototype small molecule drugs could suppress hepatitis C

Targeted multi-drug treatments for hepatitis C patients that could stop the virus in its tracks have come a step closer, thanks to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK.

29 Jun 2011

Insufficient sleep can reduce benefit of hormones released during sleep

Nearly half of all Americans reported having difficulty sleeping. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that about 35% of people surveyed in 12 states said they slept less than 7 hours a night on average.

29 Jun 2011

Start of clinical validation study of Down’s syndrome diagnostic test

In conjunction with several Central European prenatal centers, scientists at GATC Biotech AG and LifeCodexx AG have begun the clinical validation study of a non-invasive, prenatal diagnostic test based on next generation sequencing.

28 Jun 2011

bioMD changes name to Allied Healthcare Group

bioMD Limited (ASX: BOD) today announced a change of corporate name to reflect the merger with Allied Medical Ltd earlier this month. The new Company will be called Allied Healthcare Group Ltd and trade under the ASX code AHZ.

28 Jun 2011

454 Life Sciences launches new GS FLX+ System for high-throughput sequencing

454 Life Sciences, a Roche Company, announced today the launch and immediate availability of the new GS FLX+ System, an instrument capable of generating extra-long sequencing reads up to 1,000 by in length.

28 Jun 2011

Inefficiency of activation-induced deoxycytidine deaminase is good for the immune system

Why is antibody diversity important? Think about it like this, said Myron Goodman, who is an author on the paper: "Why don't you die when I sneeze? It's because you have a powerful immune system. And the way to get a decent immune system is for your body to have a way to respond to insults it has never seen before."

28 Jun 2011

QIAGEN's common shares added to U.S. Russell indexes

QIAGEN N.V. today announced that its common shares were added to the U.S. large-cap Russell 1000 Index and the broad-market Russell 3000 Index.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 28 Jun 2011

Data from microarrays co-developed by OGT to be presented at ECC 2011

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), provider of innovative clinical genetics and diagnostic solutions to advance molecular medicine, has announced details of its upcoming workshop at the European Cytogenetics Conference 2011, held in Porto, Portugal (2–5 July).

From Oxford Gene Technology 28 Jun 2011

FDA approves Althea's PAI to manufacture commercial parenteral product

Althea Technologies, Inc. announced today that following a comprehensive FDA Pre-Approval Inspection (PAI) in April 2011, it has received a license to manufacture and package a commercial parenteral product for the US market.

28 Jun 2011

Scientists identify central switch responsible for epilepsy

UC Irvine and French researchers have identified a central switch responsible for the transformation of healthy brain cells into epileptic ones, opening the way to both treat and prevent temporal lobe epilepsy.

28 Jun 2011

Gene Codes releases Sequencher 5.0

Gene Codes Corporation announces the release of Sequencher 5.0. It incorporates new DNA sequence data alignment algorithms with SNP and methylation analysis for next-generation DNA sequence data. Performance for assembly and alignment of sequences and contigs is hundreds of times faster.

28 Jun 2011

Luminex acquires EraGen Biosciences

Luminex Corporation today announced the completion of its acquisition of privately-held EraGen Biosciences, Inc., an innovator in molecular diagnostic testing technologies for infectious disease and genetic applications, for $34 million in cash.

From Luminex 28 Jun 2011