"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
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Taken from Fox News 11/30/00 A New Vaccine that Protects Monkeys from Ebola Virus Scientists at the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health developed a vaccine that protected monkeys against the deadly Ebola virus. Four macaques were injected with the vaccine had no ill effect after being exposed to normal deadly doses of Ebola. Four macaques that did not receive the vaccine died within one week. The vaccine was made by using a weakened virus that normally causes respiratory disease with DNA pieces that encodes Ebola viral proteins. Ebola virus kills up to 90 percent of its victims within days of exposure. Outbreaks occurred only in Africa. The virus causes severe pain, high fever, and hemorrhage. It can spread by bodily contact. The vaccine is very promising for future development of vaccine for humans. Taken from
Environmental News Network 11/27/00 Blocking Out Foreign Genes in Hybrid Corn Scientists at the University of Wisconsin have found that teosinte, a wild cousin of maize, when bred into hybrid corn, is capable of keeping genetically modified genes out from the hybrid corn. Teosinte has been around for thousands of years as a weed. It is a grass and its genetic makeup is very similar to that of corn, except for a few genes. Cross-fertilization between strains of corn occurs as pollen carrying genes is carried by bees or blown with the wind from one field to another. This can result in contamination with genetically modified corn and can, then, ruin traditional hybrid corn. Teosinte has a built-in-barrier, by a single gene, that keeps foreign corn genes out, thus ensuring the plant's unique genetic makeup. This technology will assure farmers that the corn has not been contaminated by genes from nearby fields, and can be marketed to countries that now prohibit imports of genetically modified corn. Taken from Yahoo News
Online 11/27/00 Autism Gene is Discovered Scientists at the University of Rochester in NY have discovered one of several genes that is involved in autism. Autism is a brain disorder that is characterized by profound social withdrawal and repetitive behavior. More than 400,000 Americans are affected. Children need to inherit just one copy of the abnormal gene, known as HOXA1, from a parent to be autistic. Researchers found a patient with severe autism had inherited a copy of the affected gene from both parents. HOXA1 is one of a family of genes important in early embryo's brain development. Mice who do not have this gene have brainstem damage, malformed ears and other signs of autism. The discovery will help scientists understand the changes in the brain when HOXA1 is mutated. Taken from Yahoo News
Online 11/21/00 A Gene that Increases Risk of Alzheimer's Disease Scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland have identified a gene, known as Cystain C(CST3) that increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease later in life. the study was based on 517 people wih the disease and a control group fo 390 healthy people. When two copies of the gene were present, the likelihood of developing Alzheimer after age 75 increased about nine times. However, CST3 gene accounts for only a small portion of Alzheimer's cases. Only 5.6% of people with the disease in the study had two copies of the gene. Taken from BBC News 11/16/00 A Gene that Protects Against AIDS Scientists have discovered a gene, known as RANTES, that determines whether an individual will be infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficieny Virus) or develops AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). They found that small differences in the RANTES gene, which is involved in the immune system, can increase a person's susceptibility to the virus, while taking longer to develop the disease. This discovery may lead to development of drugs that mimicks the gene and would stop HIV from progressing into AIDS. Scientists have also identified a gene (CCR5) which makes a person resistant to HIV infection. The gene prevents the T- cell receptors (of the immune system) that HIV binds to from being made.
Taken from USA Today 11/13/00 DNA Analysis Traces Human Ancestry Scientists have shown that about 80% of Europeans came from primitive hunters who arrived to the continent 40,000 years ago. Researchers analyzed the Y chromosome of 1,007 men from 25 different locations in Europe. The Y chromosome is used since changes in its DNA sequence do not happen frequently as in the X chromosome. The Y chromosome is passed from fathers to sons and determines maleness in the offspring. The studies suggest that primitive, stone-age humans came to Europe, probably from Central Asia or the Middle East, in two separate migrations starting about 40,000 years ago. These early humans lived by hunting animals and gathering plant food. The hunters used crudely sharpened stones and fire. The study involved more than a dozen researchers from both USA (Stanford) and Europe. Taken from Daily
Yomiuri On-Line 11/8/00 DNA Test of Tutankhamen Japanese scientists announced that they will analyze DNA samples from the mummy of ancient Egyptian pharoah, Tutankhamen. The scientists want to determine whether the pharoah was the son of Amenhotep III, and the cause of his death. Tutankhamen reigned from 1333 B.C. until 1323 B.C., before dying at the early age of 18. The cause of his death was not known. The mummy, along with many artifacts, was discovered by the British archeologist Howard Carter in 1922, and are on display at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo. Taken from BBC News 11/3/00 Gene Therapy for Trout Gene therapy was used to protect trout from viral infection that kills millions of them every year. The vaccine is made of a gene that codes for antibodies against a fish virus. The gene was made in a mouse to mount an immune response against the virus. Almost all of the treated fish survived after infection. Regular vaccines are usually made from a deactivated virus to stimulate the production of antibodies against that particular virus when the body is exposed to it. ____________________________________________________
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