Weekly KromoNews: Volume 4, Issue 3
Editor's Note
Consumer Genetics Tests: Direct-to-consumer personal genomics is set to explode in 2008. In addition to companies offering genetic testing for specific medical conditions, others are now offering whole genome scans as well as sequencing. Prices range from a couple hundred dollars to hundreds of thousands. Are these services worth the cost?
Developing efficient and affordable technology to enable personal genomics continues to be a challenge. But, an even greater challenge will be to help consumers make sense of the data generated from their personal genomes. Information is most powerful when it is actionable.
Read more about this and other related issues at: Eye on DNA
Until next week,
--
Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Guest Editor, KromoNews
This Week in Genetics
Immunity genes may have been influenced by viruses
Jan 24, 2008
Rapid evolution of a protein produced by an immunity gene is associated with increased antiviral activity in humans, a finding that suggests evolutionary biology and virology together can accelerate the discovery of viral-defense mechanisms, according to researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. These findings, published in January issue of PLoS Genetics, present a striking example by which evolutionary studies can directly lead to biomedically important discoveries in the field of infectious diseases.
[PLoS Genetics]
Read Full Story
Role of genetic switch in development of disease revealed
Jan 25, 2008
A new resource that identifies regions of the human genome that regulate gene expression may help scientists learn about and develop treatments for a number of human diseases, according to researchers at Dukes Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy (IGSP). According to the researchers, the majority of DNA in our bodies is packaged, or tightly structured. The research team attempted to identify the areas of DNA across the entire genome that are not packaged, because it is known that those are the regions that are important in regulating gene activity.
The researchers published their findings in the January 25, 2008 issue of the journal Cell. The study was funded by the Duke IGSP and the National Human Genome Research Institute.
[Cell]
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Obesity may be linked to nervous system
Jan 23, 2008
A discovery by Queens biologists and their students sheds new light on the genetic roots of obesity – a condition that is increasing dramatically in North America and has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer.The new findings may also help to unlock the mystery of how our nervous systems control obesity.
[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]
Read Full Story
Pathology Central: Your personal research assistant
Since its launch barely a month ago, Pathology Central has fast become one of the most used modules within Kromosoft:
- Pathology Central, Breast Cancer
- Pathology Central, Autism
- Pathology Central, Melanoma
Upcoming Genetics Event
ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (Bioinformatics Track) |
| When: | Sun Mar 16, 2008 to Thu Mar 20, 2008 |
| Title: | ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (Bioinformatics Track) |
| Description: | The ACM Symposium on Applied Computing (SAC) is a primary forum for applied computer scientists and application developers from around the world to interact and present their work. SAC 2008 is sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Applied Computing (SIGAPP) and is presented in cooperation with other ACM Special Interest Groups. |
| Where: | , Fortaleza, Brazil |
| Contact: | Mathew J. Palakal |
| Email: | mpalakal@cs.iupui.edu |
| Website: | http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~bioin/ |
Genetics Term of the Week: Anaphase
Anaphase is a stage of mitosis immediately following metaphase. In
anaphase, chromosome separate and sister chromatids move to the opposite poles
of the eukaryotic cell.
Read more
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