"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
"Science and Biotechnology Books Made Simple" |
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Scientists at the National Institute of
Health (NIH)-[The Human Genome Project] have achieved 99% of high quality
sequence of the human genome with 99.99% accuracy
(April 2003). A
working draft sequence of the human genome has already been done by
scientists at The Human Genome Project at NIH and Celera Genomics
(6/27/00). (The above information was adapted from
the Human Genome Project Information page). About 97% of the Human Genome does not
produce any protein. The non-coding pieces of DNA are known as
introns. Only 3% of the DNA (about 30,000 to 40,000 genes) will
code for proteins. The coding pieces of DNA are known as
exons, since they produce
proteins. Other News
Source- ScienceDaily News
1/29/10 Targeting Gene Activity The recent discovery that riboswitches, the sections of mRNA that can bind to small target molecules and affect the gene’s activity, has led scientists to rewire these riboswitches so that genes can get activated through the addition of synthetic molecules instead of the naturally occurring molecules. Scientists at the University of Manchester were able to monitor how successfully they had re-wired the cells by observing the creation of a protein that makes the cells glow green. According to Dr. Neil Dixon, a senior researcher in the team, using the technology to selectively activate and regulate genes would lead to a deeper understanding of how cells function. This rewiring of genetic switches would have a great impact in drug discovery and the emerging field of synthetic biology. The work is reported in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Source- ScienceDaily News
12/21/09 Your Christmas Tree Has Many Times More DNA than You! Conifers tree have twelve chromosomes, but they are extremely large. One cell from a spruce or pine has seven times as much DNA as a human cell does. It is not known why these trees have many more DNA material than humans other than they have thrived for millions of years on planet earth. The spruce is Sweden's most important plant. They dominate the forests of southern and central Sweden and is the most important raw material for the Swedish forestry industry. Swedish Scientists are now planning to map the genome of the spruce tree. By doing this, it will provide help understand the fuel value of the trees, and their frost and disease resistance. The project is projected to take four to five years, and besides the eight Swedish researchers -- Björn Andersson, KI, Rishikesh Bhalerao, UPSC, Rosario Garcia Gil, UPSC, Pär Ingvarsson, UPSC, Stefan Jansson, UPSC, Joakim Lundeberg, KTH, Ove Nilsson, UPSC, and Björn Sundberg, UPSC -- Canadian, Italian, and Belgian researchers will contribute to the project, which, as far we know, is the largest project in the world to tackle the species that has the largest DNA. Source- ScienceDaily News
11/14/09 Mice are Happy After Gene-Knockout Scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore have found antidepressant and anti-anxiety behaviors in tests of mice lacking a gene in the brain responsible for mood disorders. The gene, known as PKCI/HINT1 may have a role in regulating moods. Mice with the gene gave up trying to avoid danger during testing such as swimming or exposure to light. However, mice without the gene did not give up. "We don't yet know why the deletion of the gene altered the mood status of the mice," says Wang, a neuroscientist. The protein that is encoded by the gene could be a possible target for diagnostic or therapeutic agents which may eventually help individuals suffering from depression, bipolar disorders or schizophrenia. However, it is not known yet how the protein works. Mood dysfunction are believed to be multifactorial, involving hereditary, chemical imbalance and psychosocial factors Source-
ScienceNOWDaily News 9/16/09 Monkeys See Color through Gene Therapy Using gene therapy, scientists at the University of Washington, Seattle, were able to restore color vision to colorblind squirrel monkeys. The male squirrel monkeys see only the colors blue and yellow since they lack a gene in the cone cells (cells for detecting colors) that allows them to distinguish red and green from gray. Dr. Jay Neitz and his colleagues injected the retinas of colorblind monkeys with a virus carrying the human gene for red-detecting pigment in cone cells. Twenty weeks after the gene therapy, the treated monkeys began to spot red and green dots in the computer color tests. Dr. Neitz believes that the monkey’s adaptability is due to the presence of the color-processing circuitry in their brains. This study has the potential for color-blindness treatment in humans. Source- Wired
Science 7/30/09 Blue Food Dye Helps Rat with Spinal Cord Injury Walk Again Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center used food additive FD&C blue dye No.1, which is very similar to a compound that blocks nerve inflammation, to treat rats with spinal cord injury. When the dye was infused, the rats turned blue, but recovered much faster than rats that were not treated. Dr. Nedergaard and colleagues found that blocking an ATP receptor called P2X7 prevented inflammation associated with spinal cord injury. They looked for compounds that had similar structure to the receptor, and discovered the blue dye. The dye is harmless and used in everyday products consumed in the United States, such as Gatorade and Jell-O. The dye crosses the blood-brain barrier, which can be delivered into a vein. One drawback is that the dye must be injected within 15 minutes of injury, which is not practical in a real life situation. More research is needed before the scientists can start clinical trials in humans. Source- ScienceDaily 7/5/09 A 'Jumping Gene' Reduces the Effect of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Gene Researchers from Germany have found a new gene that makes obese mice less susceptible to diabetes. Around 1.6 billion people are overweight and at risk of type 2 diabetes. It is 50% hereditary and also depends on nutrition and lifestyle. The study compared the DNA of different mouse strains. Some of the mice were obese but were not susceptible to diabetes, other mice continued to gain weight and developed type 2 diabetes. The difference between the two types of mice was a DNA fragment known as "jumping gene" or "transposon" which is found in a non-coding segment of the gene Zfp69. The risk, in combination with obesity, leads to high sugar levels and a defect in fat metabolism. Since the human genome is full of such fragments the "transposon", it may also play a role in higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Source-
medicalnewstoday.com 5/15/09 A Diabetes Drug that Works on Genes that Control Glucose Scientists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center found that the known diabetes type 2 drug, Metformin, regulates genes that control sugar levels. They found that a protein called CBP is involved in communications between the liver and the pancreas in maintaining normal level of glucose. Over-production of sugar is suppressed by insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas. Metformin mimics CBP's action. To test their theory, researchers fed mice with high-fat diets in order to make them diabetic (insulin resistance). Their high glucose level did not go down until they were treated with metformin. Furthermore, the CBP levels in these mice after treatment went up to the levels as non-diabetic mice and their blood became normal. When the diabetic mice were given copies of defective CBP, the drug did not have an affect. This was proof that metformin worked directly on CBP. This discovery will be important for development of therapies for individuals affected by diabetes. Since CBP is also involved in growth and development of many processes in the body, it may help scientists treat other conditions such as cancer, infertility and stunt growth. This study was recently published in Cell. Source- Yahoo News
3/24/09 Gene Mutations Linked to Sudden Heart Failure Scientists found ten genetic mutations associated with sudden cardiac arrest. These mutations affect the timing of heart contractions which is known as "QT interval". An international team screened almost 16,000 people who had QT intervals measured by electrocardiogram. The scientists analyzed 2.5 million sites on each genome to match small changes in gene sequence associated with abnormal QT intervals. A gene, Nos 1asp, known to contribute to heart problems, as well as several other genes were identified in the study. A single mutation does not necessarily mean a higher risk of irregular heartbeat, but when all the genes are taken together, the risk becomes significant. Source-
Science Dailey 1/24/09 Genetically Altered Fruit Fly Live Longer Scientists at Brown University found earlier that a mutation in the Indy (I am not dead yet) gene in fruit flies is responsible for extending their life span by decreasing free radicals which are a cellular byproduct that contribute to cancer and aging. The fruit fly's life was extended from 35 days to 70 days. Recently, the researchers studies the differences in changes between the fruity flies with the Indy mutation and normal flies throughout their life-span. Comparing the expression of genes they found that those involved in generating the power necessary for a normal life span were expressed at lower levels in the Indy flies. Having lower level of expression led to a decrease level in free radicals but did not decrease the amount of energy in the cell. Future therapies that can reduce free radicals may help extend life in humans. __________________________________________________
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