Feature Channels: Genetics

Filters close
Released: 29-Nov-2011 12:00 PM EST
Seaweed Hotspots, Illegal Logging, and Discovering New Species Under the Desert
University of Adelaide

More than 450 world experts from 60 countries will converge on Adelaide, Australia this week to discuss the importance of DNA "barcoding" - a rapidly growing international initiative to develop a genetic identity tool for all plants and animals on Earth.

Released: 28-Nov-2011 1:30 PM EST
Splice Now or Splice Later
Rutgers University

Cells often multi-task when synthesizing and splicing RNA. But when unconventional splicing is required, they synthesize first and splice later, according to a study led by researchers at the Public Health Research Institute at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and published in Cell .

20-Nov-2011 11:00 PM EST
Two-Spotted Spider Mite Genome May Yield Better Pesticides
University of Utah

A University of Utah biologist and an international research team decoded the genetic blueprint of the two-spotted spider mite, raising hope for new ways to attack the major pest, which resists pesticides and destroys crops and ornamental plants worldwide.

Released: 21-Nov-2011 1:50 PM EST
Scientists Genetically Increase Algae Biomass by More than 50 Percent
Iowa State University

Research at Iowa State University has led to discovery of a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. The breakthrough comes from turning on certain genes in algae that increase the amount of photosynthesis in the plant, which leads to more biomass.

Released: 21-Nov-2011 8:00 AM EST
Tweaking a Gene Makes Muscles Twice as Strong
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

An international team of scientists has created super-strong, high-endurance mice and worms by suppressing a natural muscle-growth inhibitor, suggesting treatments for age-related or genetics-related muscle degeneration are within reach.

17-Nov-2011 1:40 PM EST
One for You, One for Me: Researchers Gain New Insight Into the Chromosome Separation Process
Stowers Institute for Medical Research

Each time a cell divides—and it takes millions of cell divisions to create a fully grown human body from a single fertilized cell—its chromosomes have to be accurately divvied up between both daughter cells. Researchers at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research used, ironically enough, the single-celled organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae—commonly known as baker’s yeast—to gain new insight into the process by which chromosomes are physically segregated during cell division.

7-Nov-2011 4:15 PM EST
Novel Method Discovered to Reveal the Genetic Relatedness Between Individuals
Kennedy Krieger Institute

Kennedy Krieger researcher finds unexpected familial relationships in data widely used by biomedical research community.

Released: 3-Nov-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Quebec Genealogical Research Provides Clues to Genetic Consequences of Human Migration Patterns
Universite de Montreal

Research published in Science today reveals that the first individuals settling on new land are more successful at passing on their genes than those who did not migrate.

Released: 31-Oct-2011 4:50 PM EDT
No Increased Risk of Breast Cancer for Non-Carriers in Families with BRCA Gene Mutation
American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)

Summary of a study being published online October 31, 2011, in the Journal of Clinical Oncology finding that close relatives of women who carry mutations in a BRCA gene – but who themselves do not have such genetic mutations ¬– do not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to relatives of women with breast cancer who do not have such mutations. These results run counter to a previous study showing a higher risk for these women, and suggest they may not need extra cancer screening and other preventive measures

Released: 28-Oct-2011 10:10 AM EDT
Texas Biomed Develops New Approach to Study Depression; Finding May Lead to New Marker for Risk
Texas Biomedical Research Institute

Scientists at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute and Yale University have identified a new target area in the human genome that appears to harbor genes with a major role in the onset of depression.

26-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Using Gene Therapy to Make Thyroid Tumors More Susceptible to Radioiodine Therapy
American Thyroid Association

Researchers are exploring a novel therapeutic approach intended to modify the genetic make-up of radioiodine-refractory forms of thyroid cancer to make them more susceptible to the anti-cancer effects of radioiodine therapy.

Released: 27-Oct-2011 5:25 PM EDT
Proposed NIH Genetic Testing Registry Lacks Clarity, Understates Costs
Association for Molecular Pathology

The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) submitted comments to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in which the Association voiced concerns about the proposed Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) as currently designed, and requested that NIH take clarity and cost into consideration when designing a test registry.

26-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Gene Mutation Increases Risk of Recurrent Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Some Patients
American Thyroid Association

– Individuals with advanced papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) that are associated with the BRAFV600E gene mutation have a higher risk of recurrent disease and progression to more advanced, poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, according to data presented today at the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association (ATA).

24-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
How Major Signaling Pathways Are Wired to Our Genome Gives New Insight Into Disease Processes
Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research

Whitehead Institute scientists have determined that master transcription factors determine the genes regulated by key signaling pathways. By manipulating these pathways, scientists may find new ways to treat cancer and other diseases.

   
Released: 27-Oct-2011 10:00 AM EDT
How Unlocking the Genetic Secret of Insects Could Improve Human Health, Welfare
Kansas State University

Michael Kanost, distinguished professor and head of the department of biochemistry at Kansas State University, heads one of the premier laboratories conducting research on insect immunity.

Released: 26-Oct-2011 1:30 PM EDT
Einstein Researcher Helps Lead Consortium for $10 Million “X Prize” to Sequence Genomes of 100 Centenarians
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Nir Barzilai, M.D., director of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, will help lead a newly formed centenarian consortium for the Archon Genomics X PRIZE presented by Medco. The $10 million dollar incentivized prize competition, which was announced today, challenges teams of scientists and entrepreneurs to sequence the complete genomes of 100 healthy centenarians in 30 days. Intended to help usher in an era of personalized medicine and learn from the genetic advantages of the exceptionally long-lived, the competition tasks teams with delivering medical quality genome sequencing results for $1,000 per centenarian.

Released: 26-Oct-2011 11:50 AM EDT
Study Identifies Genetic Basis of Human Metabolic Individuality
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College

In what is so far the largest investigation of its kind, researchers uncovered a wide range of new insights about common diseases and how they are affected by differences between two persons' genes. The results from this study could lead to highly targeted, individualized therapies.

Released: 26-Oct-2011 10:50 AM EDT
Gene Responsible for Relapses in Young Leukemia Patients
Universite de Montreal

ATF5 polymorphisms influence efficacy of E. coli asparaginase.

Released: 25-Oct-2011 11:50 AM EDT
"Junk DNA" Defines Differences Between Humans and Chimps
Georgia Institute of Technology

DNA sequences for human and chimpanzees are nearly indentical, despite vast phenotypical differences between the two species. Georgia Tech researchers have determined that the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes are highly variable between humans and chimpanzees and may account for these major differences.

Released: 25-Oct-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Gene Regulatory Protein Is Reduced in Bipolar Disorder
Tufts University

A new study provides evidence that changes in gene regulation may contribute to the development of bipolar disorder. Researchers found low levels of a transcription factor in the brain’s prefrontal cortex and cerebellum in postmortem samples from patients with bipolar disorder, suggesting a new target for drug therapy.

20-Oct-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Gene Mutations Predict Early, Severe Kidney Disease
American Society of Nephrology (ASN)

1) Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease affects 12.5 million people worldwide; some patients develop severe disease during early childhood 2) Certain genetic mutations aggravate the disease and cause early symptoms 3) Genetic tests could identify who’s at risk for early disease.

Released: 24-Oct-2011 10:45 AM EDT
Dana-Farber, Brigham and Women’s Launch Cancer Genomic Database
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber and Brigham and Women’s Hospital have launched a research program to scan adult cancer patients’ tumor tissue for nearly 500 cancer mutations in 41 genes. The goal is to build a comprehensive database for research into the genetic makeup of different cancer types and, ultimately, the development of more treatments.

13-Oct-2011 9:00 PM EDT
Young Human-Specific Genes Correlated with Brain Evolution
University of Chicago Medical Center

Young genes that appeared since the primates split from other mammal species are expressed in unique structures of the developing human brain, a new analysis finds. The correlation suggests that scientists studying the evolution of the human brain should look to genes considered recent by evolutionary standards and early stages of brain development.

Released: 14-Oct-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Vast Hidden Network Regulates Gene Expression in Cancer
Columbia University Irving Medical Center

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. The studies appear in today’s online edition of Cell.

11-Oct-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Researchers Reconstruct Genome of the Black Death
McMaster University

An international team—led by researchers at McMaster University and the University of Tubingen in Germany—has sequenced the entire genome of the Black Death, one of the most devastating epidemics in human history.

Released: 12-Oct-2011 11:35 AM EDT
Study Could Help Improve Gene Therapy for Heart Disease, Cancer
Loyola Medicine

A Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine study could lead to improved gene therapies for conditions such as heart disease and cancer as well as more effective vaccines for tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases.

6-Oct-2011 2:45 PM EDT
BRCA2 Genetic Mutation Associated with Improved Survival and Chemotherapy Response in Ovarian Cancer
JAMA - Journal of the American Medical Association

Among women with a certain type of high-grade ovarian cancer, having BRCA2 genetic mutations, but not BRCA1, was associated with improved overall survival and improved response to chemotherapy, compared to women with BRCA wild-type (genetic type used as a reference to compare genetic mutations), according to a study in the October 12 issue of JAMA.

Released: 11-Oct-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Advanced Genetic Test Influences Medical Treatment, Reports Genetics in Medicine
Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

Chromosomal microarray (CMA)—a powerful test for diagnosing the genetic abnormalities causing some types of developmental delay and birth defects—can be used in an evidence-based manner to provide important information for patient treatment, according to a pair of studies in the September issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

6-Oct-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Sexual Selection by Sugar Molecule Helped Determine Human Origins
UC San Diego Health

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say that losing the ability to make a particular kind of sugar molecule boosted disease protection in early hominids, and may have directed the evolutionary emergence of our ancestors, the genus Homo.

3-Oct-2011 8:00 AM EDT
Decade of Effort Yields Diabetes Susceptibility Gene
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Ten years of meticulous mouse breeding, screening, and record-keeping have finally paid off for Alan Attie and his lab members.

Released: 6-Oct-2011 12:30 PM EDT
Important Human Genetic Structures Identified for the First Time
Rutgers University

Genetic information transferred within cells plays an essential role both in the healthy function of the human body and in changes within cells that can trigger serious disease. New research led by Dmitry Temiakov, Ph.D., of UMDNJ-School of Osteopathic Medicine, has identified important mechanisms of this genetic transfer process for the first time. These new findings, published in the journal Nature, open the door to developing potential therapies for several serious diseases including cancers. They also add to basic knowledge of the functioning of the healthy human body.

Released: 3-Oct-2011 2:30 PM EDT
Study Gauges Emotional Toll of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing
Mayo Clinic

Among the latest health care trends seeking to advance “individualized medicine” are private companies marketing genetic testing directly to patients. The mail-in kits, with price tags as high as $2,500, use a saliva specimen to identify small variations in the human genome (called “single nucleotide polymorphisms” or “SNPs”) associated with heightened risk for diseases such as diabetes and prostate cancer.

22-Sep-2011 4:00 PM EDT
Large Meta-Analysis Finds New Genes for Type 1 Diabetes
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

The largest-ever analysis of genetic data related to type 1 diabetes has uncovered new genes associated with the common metabolic disease, which affects 200 million people. The findings shed light on gene networks in the disorder.

Released: 29-Sep-2011 3:35 PM EDT
"Alarm Clock" Gene Explains Wake-Up Function of Biological Clock
Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Ever wondered why you wake up in the morning ---- even when the alarm clock isn't making jarring noises? Wonder no more. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a new component of the biological clock, a gene responsible for starting the clock from its restful state every morning.

Released: 29-Sep-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Not Quite 'Roid Rage
North Carolina State University

Put up your dukes. A North Carolina State University study of aggression in fruit flies aims to provide a framework for how complex gene interactions affect behavior. And these clues in flies could translate to a better understanding of human genes and behavior.

23-Sep-2011 8:55 AM EDT
Seattle Researchers Map Genome of Advanced, Lethal Prostate Cancers and Discover 'Hypermutation'
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

A team of researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington has conducted the first comprehensive assessment of every gene in the genome of advanced, lethal prostate cancer. Until now, the genetic composition of such tumors had been poorly defined.

Released: 26-Sep-2011 10:50 AM EDT
Newly Identified DNA Repair Defect Linked to Increased Risk of Leukemia Relapse
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital scientists tie low levels of a key DNA repair protein to loss of regulatory genes in a study that offers new clues about why acute lymphoblastic leukemia sometimes returns.

   
23-Sep-2011 1:15 PM EDT
Jumping Gene Enabled Key Step in Corn Domestication
University of Wisconsin–Madison

In seeking to better understand how teosinte gave rise to corn, a scientific team has pinpointed one of the key genetic changes that paved the way for corn’s domestication.

Released: 22-Sep-2011 3:00 PM EDT
Bijou's Abnormally Large Clitoris Leads to Big Surprise
Universite de Montreal

An x-ray of the abnormally large clitoris of a French bulldog revealed that it contained a baculum (or penile bone).

Released: 22-Sep-2011 12:50 PM EDT
Decoding Vaccination: Researchers Reveal Genetic Underpinnings of Response to Measles Vaccine
Mayo Clinic

Researchers at Mayo Clinic are hacking the genetic code that controls the human response to disease vaccination, and they are using this new cipher to answer many of the deep-seated questions that plague vaccinology, including why patients respond so differently to identical vaccines and how to minimize the side effects to vaccination.

Released: 21-Sep-2011 1:50 PM EDT
A Gene for Lou Gehrig’s Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia Identified
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease -- two fatal neurodegenerative disease with distinct but sometimes overlapping symptoms -- are triggered by a common mutation in many cases, according to researchers who say they have identified the mutated gene.

Released: 20-Sep-2011 5:00 PM EDT
Using Human Genomes to Illuminate the Mysteries of Early Human History
Cornell University

Cornell University researchers are utilizing the complete genome sequences of people alive today to shed light on events at the dawn of human history, such as the times of divergence of early human populations and of the “out of Africa” migration of the ancestors of modern Europeans, Asians, and other non-African groups.

Released: 20-Sep-2011 4:30 PM EDT
More Focus Needed on Early Markers of Alzheimer’s Disease
University of Massachusetts Amherst

Results of a new study at the University of Massachusetts Amherst suggest that people in midlife who are at genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease might show subtle differences in the speed at which they process information compared to those who do not have particular genetic risk.

Released: 20-Sep-2011 10:00 AM EDT
Several Common Genetic Variants Found to be Associated With Mental Illness
Mount Sinai Health System

Findings represent a significant advance in understanding the causes of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

15-Sep-2011 2:00 PM EDT
Genetic Differences May Cause Higher Rates of Prostate Cancer in African-American Men
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

1) Differences could explain the higher rates of prostate cancer and mortality. 2) Understanding differences could lead to specialized treatment.

Released: 20-Sep-2011 12:45 AM EDT
Researchers Sequence Dark Matter of Life
University of California San Diego

Researchers have developed a new method to sequence and analyze the dark matter of life—the genomes of thousands of bacteria species previously beyond scientists’ reach, from microorganisms that produce antibiotics and biofuels to microbes living in the human body.

Released: 19-Sep-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Fast-Evolving Genes Control Developmental Differences in Social Insects
Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications

A new study found that genes involved in creating different sexes, life stages and castes of fire ants and honeybees evolved more rapidly than genes not involved in these processes. The fast-evolving genes also exhibited elevated rates of evolution before they were recruited for development.

Released: 19-Sep-2011 9:00 AM EDT
Large International Study Discovers Common Genetic Contributions to Mental Illness
University of North Carolina Health Care System

This study of more than 50,000 adults ages 18 and older provides new molecular evidence that 11 DNA regions in the human genome have strong association with these diseases, including six regions not previously observed.

Released: 16-Sep-2011 1:40 PM EDT
Breeding Soybeans for Improved Feed
Crop Science Society of America (CSSA)

A unique study shows the progress of soybean breeding for improved animal nutrition.

Released: 16-Sep-2011 11:45 AM EDT
Genetics May Explain Why Calcium Increases Risk for Prostate Cancer
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist

A study by epidemiologists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and colleagues suggests that a high intake of calcium causes prostate cancer among African-American men who are genetically good absorbers of the mineral.



close
2.5763