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BGI, UC Davis partner to create new sequencing facility in Sacramento

The University of California, Davis, and BGI, the world's largest genomic institute, based in China, have signed a historic agreement that will change the landscape of genomic sciences in California and the Western states, and foster critical breakthroughs in the areas of food security and human, animal and environmental health.

27 Oct 2011

C. sinensis parasite lacks enzymes required for fatty acid biosynthesis

The human liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis affects more than 35 million people in South East Asia and 15 million in China. Infection by this parasite causes clonorchiasis. Repeated or chronic infection can lead to serious disease of the liver, gall bladder or bile ducts, including the frequently fatal bile duct cancer - cholangiocarcinoma.

24 Oct 2011

Sewage provides perfect ecosystem for studying diversity of uncharacterized viral populations

Raw sewage provides a perfect ecosystem for studying the diversity of viral populations that remain uncharacterized. This is one of the principal conclusions of a study published in the journal mBio by a team comprising experts from the UB's Laboratory of Water and Food Viral Pollution, Washington University and the University of Pittsburgh, under the direction of James Pipas.

22 Oct 2011

X Prize Foundation offers $10 million for innovative diagnostic device

Jim, I'm a doctor, not a device developer! Remember how in Star Trek, Dr. McCoy could point his tricorder at things and magically -; oops, I mean, "scientifically" -; determine all kinds of chemical components and medical diagnoses? The X Prize Foundation -; best known for offering prizes for space flight and cheap genome decoding -; is about to put up $10 million for the invention of a medical device in the spirit of that tricorder: It must be able to diagnose 15 common medical conditions within three days, with no intervention from a health care professional.

22 Oct 2011

NIH awards DNASU $6.5M grant to expand Protein Structure Initiative-Materials Repository

Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute- is home to a rich trove of biological material. Known as DNASU, this growing storehouse-a sort of genetic Library of Congress-holds over 147,000 plasmids, (circular DNA samples that can be used to produce individual proteins), as well as full genome collections from numerous organisms and proteins associated with many leading human diseases.

21 Oct 2011

Agilent announces winners of 2011 eMerging Insights grant program

Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced the winners of the 2011 eMerging Insights grant program: Dr. Michael J. MacCoss of the University of Washington and Dr. Peter J. Park of Harvard University. Each will be awarded $75,000 toward their ongoing research on open source data-integration tools.

21 Oct 2011

New sequencing method can identify genetic variants linked to ASD

Geneticists at Emory University School of Medicine have demonstrated a method that enables the routine amplification of all the genes on the X chromosome. The technology allows the rapid and highly accurate sequencing and identification of novel genetic variants affecting X chromosome genes.

19 Oct 2011

Colon cancer may be linked to a bacterium that causes appendicitis and gum disease: Study

A new study shows that a bacterium that causes appendicitis and gum disease is also found in colon tumors. Researchers suggest that it may set the stage for colorectal cancer, the second-deadliest malignancy. The bacterium – fusobacterium might play a role in determining the prognosis of colorectal cancers and shaping their treatment, according to two research teams independently reporting a relationship between the rod-shaped microbe and cancers of the lower digestive system.

18 Oct 2011

AICR recommends intake of cancer-fighting foods

Colleen Spees has always been interested in the role that diet played in disease, and set her sights on a career where she would counsel patients and train future dietitians. With multiple family members diagnosed with various types of cancer, Colleen decided to make the transition from clinical professional and nutrition educator to research scientist.

18 Oct 2011

Whole genome sequencing study to determine causes of idiopathic human diseases

Scripps Health announced today it has launched an innovative clinical research study that is using whole genome sequencing to help determine the causes of idiopathic human diseases -- those serious, rare and perplexing health conditions that defy a diagnosis or are unresponsive to standard treatments.

18 Oct 2011

Scientists discover high levels of Fusobacterium in colorectal cancers

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute have found strikingly high levels of a bacterium in colorectal cancers, a sign that it might contribute to the disease and potentially be a key to diagnosing, preventing, and treating it.

18 Oct 2011

Researchers identify 42 genetic regions associated with liver function

Researchers have identified a large number of areas in the human genetic code that are involved in regulating the way in which the liver functions, in a new study of over 61,000 people, published today in the journal Nature Genetics.

18 Oct 2011

Two genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to severe dengue

Researchers in South East Asia have identified two genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to severe dengue. The study, funded by the Wellcome Trust and the Agency for Science, Technology, and Research, Singapore, offers clues to how the body responds to dengue infection.

18 Oct 2011

Scientists uncover vast new gene regulatory network linked with cancer

Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) and two other institutions have uncovered a vast new gene regulatory network in mammalian cells that could explain genetic variability in cancer and other diseases.

15 Oct 2011

NextBio predicts mechanisms underlying drug toxicity and identifies new cancer biomarker

New research presented this week highlights the ability of NextBio to help life scientists and clinicians investigate publicly available genomic data to assess biological mechanisms underlying drug toxicity, as well as discover prospective cancer biomarkers for further validation.

15 Oct 2011

Nature publishes Sangamo's gene correction strategy for A1AT deficiency

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: SGMO) announced the publication of a preclinical study demonstrating highly specific, functional correction of the alpha 1-antitrypsin (A1AT) gene defect in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) using zinc finger nucleases.

14 Oct 2011

BCL11A protein might serve as potential target for sickle cell disease

Flipping a single molecular switch can reverse illness in a model of sickle cell disease, according to a study by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. When turned off, the switch, a protein called BCL11A, allows the body to manufacture red blood cells with an alternate form of hemoglobin unaffected by the mutation that causes the disease.

14 Oct 2011

Scientisits uncover evidence of powerful new cancer genetic networks

In findings with major implications for the genetics of cancer and human health, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and two other science teams in New York City and Rome have uncovered evidence of powerful new genetic networks and showed how it may work to drive cancer and normal development.

14 Oct 2011

NIH awards Salk Institute $4.5M to establish new Neuroscience Core Center

The National Institutes of Health has announced that the Salk Institute will receive $4.5 million to establish a Neuroscience Core Center, a new research center intended to accelerate brain research that lays the foundation for developing new ways to treat congenital brain defects and neurological diseases.

14 Oct 2011

Study reveals new regulatory elements in human genome

An international research team led by Kerstin Lindblad-Toh at the Broad Institute, US and Uppsala University, Sweden has mapped and compared the genomes of 29 mammals. The findings, published in Nature, reveal millions of new regulatory elements in the human genome that in various ways govern how proteins are formed. The new knowledge is important for our understanding of how mutations in human genes give rise to diseases.

13 Oct 2011