Genetics News and Research

Latest Genetics News and Research

Vanderbilt, Scripps Research form partnership to open new institute

The Scripps Research Institute and Vanderbilt University have formed a partnership to advance science at the interface of chemistry and medicine, the institutions announced today.

14 Jan 2011

Chicks that don’t pass on bird flu

Influenza from birds, commonly known as H5N1 avian flu, has killed at least 306 people during the past seven years and innumerable birds and poultry. Now a team of scientists in Britain have developed a way to breed poultry that are genetically resistant to H5N1 or any other avian flu virus. The study by Scientists from Cambridge and Edinburgh universities was reported in the Jan. 13 issue of Science.

13 Jan 2011

AAAS elevates Dartmouth professors to rank of Fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elevated four Dartmouth professors to the rank of Fellow, including three members of the faculty of Dartmouth Medical School.

13 Jan 2011

Pan-European comparative genomics project to develop software suite for gene regulation analysis

Today, CLC bio announced to be heading a pan-European comparative genomics project, COGANGS (Comparative Genomics and Next Generation Sequencing), to develop a software suite, where up to one thousand genomes, can be used as knowledge input in gene regulation analysis.

13 Jan 2011

Interaction with opposite sex activates specific genes

Scientists from Texas have made an important step toward understanding human mating behavior by showing that certain genes become activated in fruit flies when they interact with the opposite sex. This research, published in the January 2011 issue of the journal GENETICS, shows that courtship behaviors may be far more influenced by genetics than previously thought. In addition, understanding why and how these genes become activated within social contexts may also lead to insight into disorders such as autism.

13 Jan 2011

BIDMC scientist wins 2011 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for cancer research

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center cancer geneticist Pier Paolo Pandolfi, MD, PhD, is the recipient of the 2011 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR (American Association of Cancer Research) International Award for Cancer Research.

13 Jan 2011

Aβ, tau and Fyn protein interactions may lead to brain dysfunction and AD

Though the cause of Alzheimer's disease still is unknown, recent studies have implicated three proteins strongly in its onset. New research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Gladstone Institutes and the Baylor College of Medicine indicates that interactions between those three proteins might lead to brain dysfunction and AD in a mouse model of the disease.

13 Jan 2011

Obesity in children today may contribute to 2-5 year decline in life expectancy

For the first time in history, the next generation will not live longer, or even as long, as their parents. "Diseases such as Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions and joint deterioration - what were once considered 'adult' diseases - are regularly being diagnosed in children, due to the prevalence of obesity," said Jessica Bartfield, MD, internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System.

13 Jan 2011

New Down syndrome non-invasive test for ‘mums-to-be’ on the horizon

According to experts a simple DNA test for Down syndrome could save nearly all pregnant women from invasive tests like amniocentesis. Usually 3% to 5% of pregnant women in the UK or some 30,000 women have to undergo invasive tests like amniocentesis that increases the risk of miscarriage to 1%. The new DNA blood test could bring this down to 0.1%, according to a study in the British Medical Journal.

12 Jan 2011

Scientists introduce DNA directly into cell nucleus using protein nanodisks

One of the challenges of gene therapy - a set of methodologies aimed at treating several nucleic acid diseases - is to assure that this material arrives directly to the nucleus of the cell without losing a substantial amount along the way and without producing any undesired side effects. With this aim, scientists experiment with the use of different types of vectors, molecules capable of transporting genetic material to the correct place.

12 Jan 2011

Michael Cuccione Foundation donates $5 million to support childhood cancer research

The Michael Cuccione Foundation is donating $5 million to support the childhood cancer research program at the Child & Family Research Institute at BC Children's Hospital, now named the Michael Cuccione Foundation Childhood Cancer Research Program. The gift, the largest ever to cancer research at BC Children's, was announced during an event at the research institute, where the program is based.

12 Jan 2011

UH, Case Western University commence clinical trial for bipolar disorder

The Mood Disorders Program at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, along with the Bipolar Trials Network, is launching Bipolar CHOICE.

12 Jan 2011

Genethon deploys Atempo Digital Archive to optimize biotherapy research data storage resources

Atempo, a leading provider of cross-platform data protection and archiving solutions, announced today that Genethon, a French non-profit biotherapy research center, has deployed Atempo Digital Archive, Atempo's advanced file archiving platform, to optimize its storage resources.

12 Jan 2011

New database provides easy access to information about genes and biological functions

The human genome sequence, initially completed in draft form nearly a decade ago, has revolutionized biological research. But most research findings are buried in the scientific literature, and linking basic biological processes to genomic information can be difficult without substantial effort or training. A new resource that provides easy access to information about genes and their biological functions was just released by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

12 Jan 2011

Proposed health research agency for UK

According to the Academy of Medical Sciences, a new body to regulate all health research in the UK should be established. The authorities suggest that the current regulatory system was dysfunctional and thus hampering medical advances and they blame red tape for the decline in the UK’s share of clinical research. The report suggests creating a Health Research Agency that would make approving projects quicker and cheaper. According to Health Secretary for England, Andrew Lansley, the government would consider how the recommendations could be implemented.

11 Jan 2011

Qui Tam case against NeoGenomics dismissed with prejudice

NeoGenomics, Inc. announced today that it has been notified that the Qui Tam complaint filed against it and several other healthcare companies in 2009 has been voluntarily dismissed with prejudice by the relator in the case. As a result, no further action will be taken against NeoGenomics in this matter.

11 Jan 2011

Basal-like breast cancer is equally aggressive disease in African American women and white women: Study

In 2006, a team from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill schools of Public Health and Medicine and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center found that breast cancer in younger African American women is more likely to be the more aggressive basal-like (or triple-negative) subtype - one factor thought to be behind known racial disparity differences in breast cancer patient outcomes.

11 Jan 2011

Fertile women gravitate toward males with masculine facial features

When their romantic partners are not quintessentially masculine, women in their fertile phase are more likely to fantasize about masculine-looking men than are women paired with George Clooney types.

11 Jan 2011

Novel scoring system identifies PTEN genetic mutation

Researchers have discovered a method for more precise identification of individuals who should undergo testing for genetic mutations of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN, which associates with a variety of conditions including several types of cancers. The research has created a diagnostic scoring system that improves on established criteria.

11 Jan 2011

QIAGEN to acquire minority stake in Alacris Theranostics

QIAGEN has signed an agreement for the acquisition of a strategic stake in Alacris Theranostics GmbH, a German start-up company using novel technologies to develop individualized cancer treatment strategies based upon a patient's genomic profile, and for the acquisition of an exclusive option to access all biomarkers emerging from this discovery program.

From QIAGEN Manchester Limited 11 Jan 2011