Press Release from National Institute of Health The National Institutes of Health plans to invest at least $100 million over the next four years toward an audacious goal: develop affordable, gene-based cures for sickle cell disease (SCD) and HIV. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will also invest $100 million toward this goal. The […]
Pancreatic cancer cells can recruit immune cells to restore their oxygen supply in response to anti-angiogenesis therapies. To maintain their nutrient and oxygen supplies tumour cells initiate the formation of new blood vessels, in a process known as angiogenesis. Many cancer therapies work by blocking angiogenesis, as the process does not usually occur in […]
Metagenomics, or environmental genomics, is the study of genetic material recovered from the natural environment. Increased environmental pollution is expected to drive the metagenomics market, as tools to enable the rapid spread of chemicals through ecosystems become essential for environmental monitoring. Environmental Genomics As microorganisms are responsible for degradation of environmental pollutants, their DNA […]
A newly discovered cell organelle may prevent cancer formation by ensuring that the genetic material is sorted properly when cells divide. When cells divide by mitosis, the chromosomes split down the middle to ensure each new cell has a full copy of the genetic material. Protein tubes called microtubules are responsible for pulling the separate […]
In a major shake-up of the pharmaceutical market, Biogen announced that it intends to seek approval from the FDA for its Alzheimer’s drug aducanumab. This follows their earlier announcement that the two clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of the drug in patients had been discontinued. However, Biogen state that data from additional patients in the […]
A new gene editing tool known as Prime Editing has been developed that could reverse the harmful mutations in over 89% of genetic diseases. Building on the CRISPR Success Currently the CRISPR Cas-9 system is the most widely used gene editing technique. However, concerns about CRISPR editing genes, other than the ones it is targeted […]
Bacteria are constantly evolving resistance to antibiotics, and it is estimated that over 23,000 people have died from resistant infections in the US. The multiple methods that bacteria use to acquire antibiotic resistant genes are not well understood. However, for the first time a ‘harpoon’ mechanism that bacteria use to gain resistance has been caught […]
Our guest contributor Dr Neil Lamb continues his fortnighty Shareable Science Blog. Neil is the Vice President for Educational Outreach at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and Shareable Science will explore how genetics is relevant to people in their everyday lives. In many ways, genetics boils down to a study of diversity. Humans share more […]
CRISPR gives us the ability to precisely edit genes within cells, and the technique holds enormous potential for transforming the gene therapy space. However, concerns about CRISPR editing genes other than the ones it is targeted to have hindered its introduction into patient treatments. Known as off-target mutations, these unintended gene edits caused by CRISPR […]
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative disease characterized by the build-up of amyloid protein plaques in the brain. There are two conflicting theories for the cause of Alzheimer’s disease – the first being that the build up of the amyloid plaques directly causes the disease, and the second being that metabolic defects initiate the build-up of protein. […]
Reducing brain activity could extend human lifespan, new research shows. Although it is known that gene expression changes as people age, the mechanisms that extend human lifespan are not well understood. However, new research has revealed that differences in brain activity could be the reason some people live longer than others. Extended longevity in humans […]
A new gene that enables people to survive on much less sleep has been identified. Most people require at least eight hours of sleep each night. Sleep deprivation can lead to multiple negative health impacts, including heart diseases and depression. However, some people have genetic variants which allow them to feel fully rested after only […]
The consumer genetic testing platform AncestryDNA will now offer customers genetic testing to understand their risks for a number of health conditions. From Family History to Healthcare Previously, Ancestry has exclusively focused on helping people trace their family history and understand inheritable traits. However, possibly in a bid to keep up with many of their […]
Suicide is UK’s leading, and silent, cause of death for young people aged 20-34 years. Rona Strawbridge, UKRI Innovation, has used the population genomic data from the UK Biobank in an effort to find the genetic association of psychological condition phenotypes such as depression. She will be discussing her work at the upcoming Festival of Genomics. […]
Manassas, VA – October 1, 2019 – ATCC launched its new ATCC Genome Portal, a publicly available database of reference-quality genome sequences matched to authenticated ATCC biological materials that will help researchers interpret and reproduce their results with confidence. The portal, which launched with an initial 250 genome sequences of widely used bacterial strains, delivers […]
