Genetic in Biological News

Joint research into an enzyme that causes genetic diseases

This release is available in Spanish . Researchers from CIC bioGUNE's Structural Biology Unit and Columbia University (New York) have conducted a joint research project, published in the prestigious scientific journal Structure , to gain in-depth knowledge of the structure of pyruvate ca...

Comprehensive look at rare leukemia finds relatively few genetic changes launch disease

The most comprehensive analysis yet of the genome of childhood acute myeloid leukemia (AML) found only a few mistakes in the genetic blueprint, suggesting the cancer arises from just a handful of missteps, according to new findings from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The research appears i...

A genetic basis for schizophrenia

Chicago, Illinois, July 21, 2009 Schizophrenia is a severely debilitating psychiatric disease that is thought to have its roots in the development of the nervous system; however, major breakthroughs linking its genetics to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment are still unrealized. Jill Morris, PhD ...

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis may pose neurological risks

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) has helped many couples conceive healthy children and is generally considered a safe practice. However, a new long-term analysis of PGD in mice suggests that this procedure may increase risks of weight gain and memory decline in adulthood. PGD is used al...

New research finds possible genetic link to cause of pregnancy loss and disorders

KNOXVILLE -- Scientists at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have published new findings about a cause of a condition at the root of genetic disorders such as Down Syndrome, pregnancy loss and infertility. Called aneuploidy, the condition i...

Iowa State University researchers develop process for 'surgical' genetic changes

AMES, Iowa - Research led by scientists at Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute has resulted in a process that will make genetic changes in plant genes much more efficient, practical and safe. The breakthrough was developed by David Wright, an associate scientist, and Jeffery Townsen...

LincRNAs serve as genetic air-traffic controllers

BOSTON Earlier this year, a scientific team from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Broad Institute identified a class of RNA genes known as large intervening non-coding RNAs or "lincRNAs," a discovery that has pushed the field forward in understanding the roles of these molecul...

New test can detect both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities in embryos

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: One-step screening for both genetic and chromosomal abnormalities has come a stage closer as scientists announced that an embryo test they have been developing has successfully screened cells taken from spare embryos that were known to have cystic fibrosis. They tol...

New, less invasive genetic test greatly improves pregnancy rates in older women with poor prognosis

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: A new test examining chromosomes in human eggs a few hours after fertilisation can identify those that are capable of forming a healthy baby, a researcher told the 25th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Monday 29 June)...

T-STAR grant funds genetic studies on shrimp and papaya and endangered cycad rescue

The projects funded will serve aquaculture and papaya farmers as well as work toward the preservation of an endemic cycad species endangered due to attacks by several species of invasive insects. Hui Gong, an aquaculture researcher with WPTRC, was awarded $186,960 for a genetic variability stud...

Aussie and Kiwi researchers make double MS genetic discovery

Australian and New Zealand researchers have accelerated research into Multiple Sclerosis by discovering two new locations of genes which will help to unravel the causes of MS and other autoimmune disease. Their findings will be published today in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics . ...

Specific genetic cause of fetal alcohol-related developmental disorders found

Alcohol consumption by pregnant women hinders brain development in their children by interfering with the genetic processes that control thyroid hormone levels in the fetal brain, a new animal study found. Results will be presented Wednesday at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washin...

Horse whisperers, lion tamers not needed: Scientists find genetic regions that soothe savage beasts

In what could be a breakthrough in animal breeding, a team of scientists from Germany, Russia and Sweden have discovered a set of genetic regions responsible for animal tameness. This discovery, published in the June 2009 issue of the journal GENETICS ( http://www.genetics.org ), should help ani...

Geography and history shape genetic differences in humans

New research indicates that natural selection may shape the human genome much more slowly than previously thought. Other factors -- the movements of humans within and among continents, the expansions and contractions of populations, and the vagaries of genetic chance have heavily influenced the d...

Scientists discover new genetic immune disorder in children

Your immune system plays an important function in your healthit protects you against viruses, bacteria, and other toxins that can cause disease. In autoinflammatory diseases, however, the immune system goes awry, causing unprovoked and dangerous inflammation. Now, researchers from the National Ins...

Penn researchers discover genetic risk factor for testicular cancer

(PHILADELPHIA) Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have uncovered variation around two genes that are associated with an increased risk of testicular cancer. Testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men, and its incidence among non-Hispanic Caucasian ...

Combined stem cell-gene therapy approach cures human genetic disease in vitro

LA JOLLA, CAA study led by researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has catapulted the field of regenerative medicine significantly forward, proving in principle that a human genetic disease can be cured using a combination of gene therapy and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell t...

International Serious Adverse Events Consortium announces initial study results in its global research collaboration to identify genetic markers related to drug induced liver injury

Chicago (June 1, 2009) The International Serious Adverse Events Consortium (SAEC) announced today initial results from its research designed to discover genetic markers that may predict individuals at risk for serious drug induced liver injury (DILI). The SAEC is a nonprofit research corporation...

UF makes gene therapy advance in severe genetic disorder

GAINESVILLE A dog born with a deadly disease that prevents the body from using stored sugar has survived 20 months and is still healthy after receiving gene therapy at the University of Florida putting scientists a step closer to finding a cure for the disorder in children. Called glycogen st...

A genetic link to premature ejaculation

Premature ejaculation can be embarrassing, but a new study suggests that it might be a genetic disorder. Researchers from Turku, Finland, interviewed more than three thousand men - all pairs of male twins and their older or younger brothers - about the first time they had sex. Many participants...

A new mouse model provides insight into genetic neurological disorders

Neurosensory diseases are difficult to model in mice because their symptoms are complex and diverse. The genetic causes identified are often lethal when transferred to a mouse. The lack of animal models slows progress in understanding and treating the diseases. By strategically altering a protein-...

Identification of genetic variants affecting age at menopause could help improve fertility treatment

Vienna, Austria: For the first time, scientists have been able to identify genetic factors that influence the age at which natural menopause occurs in women. Ms Lisette Stolk, a researcher from Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, told the annual conference of the European Society of Human ...

DNA-Prokids: Genetic identification against traffic in human beings

This release is available in Spanish . DNA-Prokids ( http://www.dna-prokids.org ), an international project on human trafficking prevention and fight using genetic identification of victims and their relatives, was officially presented today, at the University of Granada (UGR) headquar...

ISU researcher identifies genetic pathway responsible for much of plant growth

AMES, Iowa -- Researchers at Iowa State University have discovered a previously unknown pathway in plant cells that regulates plant growth. Yanhai Yin, an assistant professor in genetics, development and cell biology, examined signaling mechanisms of a plant hormone called brassinosteroids. The ...

Study finds genetic links to age of first menstrual period and menopause

Boston, MA -- Newly identified gene variants associated with the age at which females experience their first menstrual period and the onset of menopause may help shed light on the prevention of breast and endometrial cancer, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. In a new study, researchers ...

Most extensive genetic resource for reef-building coral created

AUSTIN, TexasA nearly complete collection of genes for a species of reef-building coral has been assembled by a team led by biologists from The University of Texas at Austin. The scientists will use the genetic data to understand natural variations in corals from around the world and how they r...

UNC study identifies genetic cause of most common form of breast cancer

The discovery of tumor-suppressor genes has been key to unlocking the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to uncontrolled cell proliferation the hallmark of cancer. Often, these genes will work in concert with others in a complex biochemical system that keeps our cells growing and dividing...

Comprehensive genetic study paves way for new blood-pressure medicines

Eight previously unknown genes that affect blood pressure were recently identified in a comprehensive international study comprising 34,433 Europeans. The findings of the study, in which Uppsala University researchers participated, are being presented today in the Web edition of Nature Genetics ....

Study finds novel genetic risk factors for kidney disease

A team of researchers from the United States, the Netherlands and Iceland has identified three genes containing common mutations that are associated with altered kidney disease risk. One of the discovered genes, the UMOD gene, produces Tamm-Horsfall protein, the most common protein in the urine of...

Sequencing the cow's genetic code -- a new agricultural era dawns

GENEVA/LAUSANNE Researchers from the Universities of Geneva and Lausanne, as well as the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics have been part of a major international project to sequence the bovine (cow) genome, a female Hereford cow named L1 Dominette. Sequencing the bovine genome is now complete, p...

Using combinatorial libraries to engineer genetic circuits advances synthetic biology

(Boston) -- Streamlining the construction of synthetic gene networks has led a team of Boston University researchers to develop a technique that couples libraries of diversified components with computer modeling to guide predictable gene network construction without the back and forth tweaking. ...

The genetic X-factor

A collaboration between more than 70 researchers across the globe has uncovered nine new genes on the X chromosome that, when knocked-out, lead to learning disabilities. The international team studied almost all X chromosome genes in 208 families with learning disabilities - the largest screen of ...

Joint statement by German science organizations on green genetic engineering

Germany's Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Ilse Aigner, has banned the cultivation of genetically modified maize. The ban took effect immediately on 14 April. The minister noted that the ban is an isolated decision on a particular case, not a fundamental rejection of...

Researchers examine bacterial rice diseases, search for genetic solutions

AMES, Iowa -- As a major food source for much of the world, rice is one of the most important plants on earth. Keeping it safe from disease has become, in part, the task of a group of three researchers from Iowa State University and one from Kansas State University. The researchers are looki...

Researchers identify genetic markers for aggressive head and neck cancer

March 18, 2009 (BRONX, NY) Scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified genetic markers that signal poor outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. These findings could one day lead to a genetic test that could help select or predict successful tr...

Symposium to look at genetic basis of exercise

BETHESDA, Md. (Mar. 18, 2009) 'Adaptation to exercise' is a familiar phenomenon, even if the phrase is not: A sedentary person takes up jogging and can barely make it around the block. After jogging regularly for a few weeks, the person can jog a mile, then two, then three. With regular exercise, ...

Researchers take first look at the genetic dynamics of inbreeding depression

Researchers have taken a first look at the broad genetic changes that accompany reproductive declines in inbred populations. Although scientists have known for more than a century that small populations of closely related plants or animals are likely to suffer from low reproductive success, the...

The genetics of fear: Study suggests specific genetic variations contribute to anxiety disorders

Polymorphisms are variations in genes which can result in changes in the way a particular gene functions and thus may be associated with susceptibility to common diseases. In a new study in Psychological Science , a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, psychologist Tina B. Lonsdo...

New potential therapeutic target discovered for genetic disorder -- Barth syndrome

Researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center may have discovered a new targeted intervention for Barth Syndrome (BTHS). BTHS, a sometimes fatal disease, is a serious genetic disorder occurring predominantly in males that leads to infection or heart failure in childhood. The new study entitled, "Role ...

Autism Speaks funds $5 million to studies on genetic and environmental risk factors for autism

NEW YORK, NY (February 26,2009) Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, today announced that it has committed $5 million to investigate genetic and environmental risk factors for autism. The project will expand and link two large-scale, multi-site studies fo...