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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).

Annelie Wendeberg presents protocol for identification of environmental microbes

Metagenomics, the study of DNA isolated from samples of naturally occurring microbial populations, is rapidly growing. Improvements to cloning and sequencing techniques are allowing researchers to study microorganisms in environmental samples, and new knowledge of species interactions and community dynamics is emerging.

5 Jan 2010

Formatech selects ViroMed’s VM206 for Fillanthropy Program

Today, Formatech has selected the next candidate for its Fillanthropy Program: ViroMed’s VM206 therapeutic cancer vaccine. Under the Fillanthropy Program, Formatech will donate the services required to aseptically fill and finish one lot of the vaccine to support ViroMed’s upcoming clinical trials.

5 Jan 2010

Transcription factor promotes stem cell proliferation to repair tissue damage

The master regulator of muscle differentiation, MyoD, functions early in myogenesis to help stem cells proliferate in response to muscle injury, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University. The study appears online Jan. 4 in the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).

5 Jan 2010

Cepheid granted EUA for Xpert Flu A Panel test

Cepheid today announced it has been granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Xpert® Flu A Panel test.

4 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

Experimental lung cancer drug promising against brain cancer glioblastoma and prostate cancer

An experimental drug currently being tested against breast and lung cancer shows promise in fighting the brain cancer glioblastoma and prostate cancer, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found in two preclinical studies.

4 Jan 2010

Research may point to more effective therapeutic targets for prion diseases

Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute have determined for the first time that prions, bits of infectious protein devoid of DNA or RNA that can cause fatal neurodegenerative disease, are capable of Darwinian evolution.

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

Final results of Maxygen's modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer announced

Maxygen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of improved versions of protein drugs, today announced the final results of its modified "Dutch Auction" tender offer, which expired at 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on December 23, 2009.

31 Dec 2009

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

Study suggests genetic variations predispose African-Americans to diabetes

For years, scientists have tried to determine the basis for discrepancies between race and the predisposition for development of diseases such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Could factors such as differences in lifestyle or access to health care play a role, or is there something else in play?

29 Dec 2009

CtIP protein plays a critical role in DNA repair

La Jolla, CA-In order to preserve our DNA, cells have developed an intricate system for monitoring and repairing DNA damage. Yet precisely how the initial damage signal is converted into a repair response remains unclear. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have now solved a crucial piece of the complex puzzle.

28 Dec 2009

Study suggests Fanconi Anemia and Bloom's Syndrome proteins may act in common DNA repair pathway

A new study establishes a molecular link that bridges two rare inherited disorders and explains why these diseases result in genetic instability. The research, published by Cell Press in the December 24th issue of the journal Molecular Cell, may lead to a better understanding of the complex mechanisms that enable cells to repair damaged DNA.

28 Dec 2009

Disinfectants can promote growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Using disinfectants could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics as well as the disinfectant itself, according to research published in the January issue of Microbiology.

28 Dec 2009

Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine identify a critical component, Jarid2

Like a child awaiting the arrival of Christmas, embryonic stem cells exist in a state of permanent anticipation. They must balance the ability to quickly become more specialized cell types with the cellular chaos that could occur should they act too early (stop shaking those presents, kids!).

28 Dec 2009

Test tube experiments show slight changes in protein chemistry can eliminate Huntington's disease in mice

In Huntington's disease, a mutated protein in the body becomes toxic to brain cells. Recent studies have demonstrated that a small region adjacent to the mutated segment plays a major role in the toxicity. Two new studies supported by the National Institutes of Health show that very slight changes to this region can eliminate signs of Huntington's disease in mice.

28 Dec 2009

Bacterial DNA reveals a rise in antibiotic resistant genes

Antibiotic resistance in the natural environment is rising despite tighter controls over our use of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture, Newcastle University scientists have found.

24 Dec 2009

Gene's role in immune system may suggest new treatments for childhood asthma

Pediatric researchers have identified a novel gene involved in childhood asthma, in one of the largest gene studies to date of the common respiratory disease. Because the gene, called DENND1B, affects cells and signaling molecules thought to be instrumental in the immune system overreaction that occurs in asthma, the discovery may have singled out an important target for new treatments.

23 Dec 2009

Scientists use DNA sequence to characterize genome rearrangement in breast cancer samples

The first detailed search of breast cancer genomes to uncover genomic rearrangements is published today. The team characterised the ways in which the human genome is broken and put back together in 24 cases of breast cancer.

23 Dec 2009

Nationwide Children's Hospital chosen as a BCR for TCGA

Nationwide Children's Hospital recently was awarded an initial $5.5 million contract from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to serve as a Biospecimen Core Resource (BCR) for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), a program co-managed by the NCI and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

23 Dec 2009