Mysterious sightings of a giant creature in the lake have fascinated Loch Ness visitors for years. The fabled Lock Ness monster, or ‘Nessie’, has been speculated to be a prehistoric marine reptile, called a plesiosaurus, or a shark. However, a recent DNA study could shed some light on one of Scotland’s longest running legends. Scientists […]
The gene that controls how much sleep a person needs to feel fully rested has been identified by researchers. Back in 2009 the researchers led by Ying-Hui Fu, PhD, discovered that those with a mutation in their DEC2 gene averaged 6.25 hours sleep per night, compared to 8.06 hours in those without the mutation. 10 […]
Following the loss of the UK’s measles free status, the World Health Organization (WHO) has stripped another 3 European countries of their eradication status. Albania, the Czech Republic and Greece have joined the UK in no longer being considered measles free. Kate O’Brien of the WHO’s Immunization Department said that the 4 countries were stripped […]
Higher levels of environmental pollution correlate with higher incidences of a range of mental disorders, a new study has identified. The researchers looked at populations in both the US and Denmark. In the US study, the levels of environmental pollution were determined from air, water and land quality measurements, in addition to population density and […]
The Digital DNA series explores the role of large-scale genetic testing in science, industry and society. We aim to understand both the benefits and risks of this emerging technology and see what the future may hold. In our third interview of the Digital DNA series we talked to Dr. Patrick Short, CEO of Sano Genetics. […]
Scientists have successfully grown a ‘cyber organoid,’ a simplified organ formed from stem cells with integrated electrochemical sensors to observe its development. Organs are formed by the self-assembly of stem cells into complex 3D structures. However, due to the difficulty of monitoring this process there are still significant gaps in scientists’ understanding. Electrochemical sensors have […]
THE IC-MYCO ASSAY WAS RECENTLY DESIGNATED “BREAKTHROUGH DEVICE” BY FDA Anaheim, Cal. August 8, 2019 – At the 71st Annual American Association of Clinical Chemistry Scientific Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo , iCubate ® , a provider of molecular diagnostic solutions for infectious disease detection, presented data on the company’s iC-Myco Assay. iCubate’s latest assay […]
We talked to Cath Stanley, the CEO of the Huntington’s Disease Association. The charity offers support to those affected by Huntington’s, as well as carers and healthcare professionals, to ensure patients get the best care available. FLG: What is Huntington’s disease and What Are the Symptoms? CS: Huntington’s disease is a rare genetic disorder. It […]
In any field, data science is an emerging area where roles can be hard to define or quantify by hiring managers. For those looking to employ data scientists within their business, this role can lead to a wealth of unanswered questions. This chapter from our Data Solutions for Drug Development Report, sets out key tips […]
Scientists have engineered proteins to form fractal geometric shapes with never-ending patterns, closely resembling those found in nature. The protein patterns could have applications in next-generation biomaterials. Fractal geometric shapes make extremely useful biomaterials as they have large surface to volume ratios, allowing rapid exchange of materials. This makes them ideal for applications both in […]
The UK Biobank’s 2019 scientific conference concluded this month, showcasing fantastic speakers on topics ranging from use of the UK Biobank, to using genomics to understand individual risk. Among them was Professor Josh Denny, Vanderbilt University. FLG spoke to him about his talk on phenome-wide association studies (PheWAS): a research technique used to understand what disease associations can be made with a given gene.
The study of epitranscriptomics has ramifications for better understanding disease symptoms and pushing forward drug treatment. But it’s also an emerging area still misunderstood by many. FLG spoke to Dr Samie Jaffrey, Professor of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, about the field.
A new treatment for malnourished children, using food that promotes a healthy microbiome, has been found to aid recovery better than current alternatives. Malnourished children often struggle to recover and find gaining weight again extremely difficult, even with sufficient food. Scientists have long suspected this is due to the role of the gut microbiome. Gut […]
NASH is present in nine to 18 million people in America alone. Yet no single drug has yet been approved for its treatment. To discuss why therapies are proving so elusive, and where efforts will be made in the future, FLG has gathered some of the most influential names in the field to discuss the problem in our latest webinar: New Approaches to the Old Hunt for NASH Therapies, held at 4pm on 11 July 2019.
Intermountain Healthcare and deCODE Genetics, a subsidiary of Amgen based in Iceland, have announced a major joint collaboration and study of 500,000 genomes centred around discovering new connections between genetics and human diseases. The study represents the largest US DNA-mapping attempt from a single population.
