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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).

Zebrafish publishes special issue on cancer biology

The zebrafish, a translucent fish often used as a model of human development and disease, offers unique advantages for studying the cause, growth, and spread of tumors using strategies and methods presented in the current "Cancer Biology" special issue of Zebrafish, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com). The entire issue is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/zeb

8 Jan 2010

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

Researchers discover rules that dictate the three-dimensional shapes of RNA molecules

University of Michigan researchers have discovered the rules that dictate the three-dimensional shapes of RNA molecules, rules that are based not on complex chemical interactions but simply on geometry.

8 Jan 2010

Gene modification of human embryonic stem cells may yield potential treatments for genetic diseases

Biologists have developed an efficient way to genetically modify human embryonic stem cells. Their approach, which uses bacterial artificial chromosomes to swap in defective copies of genes, will make possible the rapid development of stem cell lines that can both serve as models for human genetic diseases and as testbeds on which to screen potential treatments, they say.

8 Jan 2010

Breakthrough findings could lead to new treatments for prostate, brain and skin cancers

Researchers at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital and McGill University in Montreal have discovered a previously unsuspected link between two different genetic pathways which suppress the growth of cancer tumours.

8 Jan 2010

Epigenetic diagnosis and therapies, a new strategy for treating cancer

A tumor's genetic profile is often useful when diagnosing and deciding on treatment for certain cancers, but inexplicably, genetically similar leukemias in different patients do not always respond well to the same therapy.

7 Jan 2010

New genetic findings may lead to better interventional therapies for obsessive compulsive disorders

A collaboration between the University of Massachusetts Medical School, the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and the Broad Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has identified a genetic locus on canine chromosome 7 which coincides with an increased risk of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) susceptibility.

7 Jan 2010

Mutations in genome regulation machinery identified in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

In a new study, scientists have searched for mutations in the gene regions of more than 100 kidney cancer samples, the largest number of samples from a single tumour type to be sequenced to date.

7 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

Response Genetics and Genetic Technologies sign exclusive distribution and services agreement

Response Genetics Inc., a company focused on the development and sale of molecular diagnostic tests for cancer, and Genetic Technologies Ltd. (ASX: GTG; NASDAQ: GENE), the leading private genetic testing laboratory in Australia, today announced an exclusive distribution and services agreement.

7 Jan 2010

Study explains how H. pylori infection causes stomach cancer

Researchers report that Helicobacter pylori, the only bacterium known to survive in the harsh environment of the human stomach, directly activates an enzyme in host cells that has been associated with several types of cancer, including gastric cancer.

7 Jan 2010

Ensemble Discovery initiates strategic alliance with Pfizer

Ensemble Discovery today announced the initiation of a strategic alliance with Pfizer Inc. to discover and develop drug candidates of a novel class against a number of high-value pharmaceutical targets.

6 Jan 2010

CSHL scientist discovers how bookmarking protein triggers leukemia

Each cell inherits genes from its parent as well as epigenetic information - what amounts to an instruction manual that specifies which genes should be activated or "expressed," when and to what level.

6 Jan 2010

Toxic chemicals make us susceptible to a wide range of diseases

From the Industrial Revolution and onward, the world has become an environment that is overflowing with dangerous toxins. Mass manufacturing has resulted in thousands of chemical pollutants being released in the atmosphere, water, and soil. As well, there has been a widespread increase of chemicals being added to almost every type of food and retail product.

6 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

UC San Diego bioengineering professor receives 2009 Presidential Science Prize

For Shu Chien - a pioneer in the growing field of bioengineering - understanding and learning the marvels of how the human body works has been the foundation of his decades-long quest to advance science and technology worldwide. The UC San Diego bioengineering professor's significant scientific endeavors have paved the way for recognition of his renowned work at the university's Jacobs School of Engineering and abroad.

6 Jan 2010

Findings reveals 'limpet-like' proteins can play a key role in DNA repair

UK scientists have found that a crafty family of 'limpet-like' proteins can play a crucial role in repairing DNA damage - according to two research papers published in Nature today (Wednesday). These findings could pave the way to the design of new anti-cancer drugs which target this process.

6 Jan 2010

Laureate Pharma, Selexis SA collaborate to provide streamlined access to complementary contract services

Laureate Pharma, Inc. a US based biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing organization and Selexis SA, a Swiss based contract developer of high performance production cell lines, jointly announced today their continued collaboration via a joint-marketing relationship. This expanded relationship provides streamlined access to a set of highly complementary contract services.

6 Jan 2010

Genetic rogue elements could help diagnose breast and bowel cancer

Scientists at The University of Nottingham have found that a group of genetic rogue elements, produced by DNA sequences commonly known as 'junk DNA', could help diagnose breast and bowel cancer.

5 Jan 2010

Swedish study opens new potential for combating resistant bacteria

Neisseria meningitidis, the meningococcus, is a bacterium that can cause diseases with high fatality rates, and there has therefore been considerable concern that, like other bacteria, it might become resistant to antibiotics. But now a study from örebro University and örebro University Hospital in Sweden shows that there has not been any increase in resistant meningococci in Sweden over the last 15 years. According to researcher Sara Thulin Hedberg, the reason for this may be that it is not especially advantageous for bacteria to develop resistance.

5 Jan 2010

DNA News and Research

Further Reading

Zebrafish publishes special issue on cancer biology

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

Researchers discover rules that dictate the three-dimensional shapes of RNA molecules

Gene modification of human embryonic stem cells may yield potential treatments for genetic diseases

Breakthrough findings could lead to new treatments for prostate, brain and skin cancers

Epigenetic diagnosis and therapies, a new strategy for treating cancer

New genetic findings may lead to better interventional therapies for obsessive compulsive disorders

Mutations in genome regulation machinery identified in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Protein complex proves valuable for changing cell fate

Response Genetics and Genetic Technologies sign exclusive distribution and services agreement

Study explains how H. pylori infection causes stomach cancer

Ensemble Discovery initiates strategic alliance with Pfizer

CSHL scientist discovers how bookmarking protein triggers leukemia

Toxic chemicals make us susceptible to a wide range of diseases

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

UC San Diego bioengineering professor receives 2009 Presidential Science Prize

Findings reveals 'limpet-like' proteins can play a key role in DNA repair

Laureate Pharma, Selexis SA collaborate to provide streamlined access to complementary contract services

Genetic rogue elements could help diagnose breast and bowel cancer

Swedish study opens new potential for combating resistant bacteria

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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