DNA Barcodes: Creative New Uses Span Health, Fraud, Smuggling, History, More Nov 12, 2009
In 2003, scientists agreed on a 645 base pair region of the COI gene that mutates quickly enough to distinguish closely-related species but slowly enough that individuals within a species have similar barcodes. In Mexico, scientists will seal a global agreement on the elusive challenge of how to do likewise reliably with plants, a historic breakthrough that may open the door to global crackdowns on illegal timber trading and better regulation of herbal medicines, among other potential uses. (Science Daily)
Regado Biosciences Announces Allowance in Europe of a Fundamental Patent Broadly Covering Oligonucleotide Modulators to Blood Coagulation Factor Aptamers Sep 18, 2009
As such, their pharmacologic activity can be controlled by a matched, complementary oligonucleotide active control agent (the Watson-Crick base pair complement of a fraction of the agent to be controlled), which can bind to the aptamer, removing it from its target and reversing it biologic effects. More information can be found at. (PR Newswire)
The first DNA barcodes of commonly traded bushmeat are published Sep 6, 2009
A 645 base pair region of the COX1 gene (cyotochrome c oxidase subunit 1) has been agreed-upon by researchers as appropriate for barcoding, given that it is both highly variable and very specific. Barcoding has been used to distinguish shark species, to check the labeling of caviar and red snapper, and to identify the presence of endangered whales in Asian markets. (EurekAlert!)
IBM Scientists Use DNA Scaffolding To Build Tiny Circuit Boards Aug 17, 2009
These short segments act as staples - effectively folding the viral DNA into the desired 2D shape through complementary base pair binding. The short staples can be modified to provide attachment sites for nanoscale components at resolutions (separation between sites) as small as 6 nanometers (nm). (PR Newswire)
Schizophrenia Linked For First Time To Specific Chromosome Region Jul 3, 2009
A DNA base pair is effectively the genome's smallest possible accounting unit the penny, as it were, of genetic variation. As a simplified analogy, think of your genetic inheritance as a stack of 3 billion pennies, with each coin bearing one of four mint marks. (Science Daily)
DNA template could explain evolutionary shifts Jun 22, 2009
That means it must replicate its DNA. During this process, an enzyme called a helicase separates the two strands, breaking the hydrogen bonds between the A T and G C base pairs ... In this newer report, Lupski and colleagues describe how this process called fork stalling and template switching (FoSTeS) in humans or microhomology-mediated break-induced replication (MMBIR) in simpler models generated genomic rearrangements ranging in size from several megabases to a few hundred base pair... (EurekAlert!)
Neurological Disorder In Golden Retriever Dogs Caused By A Mutation In Mitochondrial DNA May 31, 2009
This implied a maternal inheritance, which was confirmed by the identification of a one base pair deletion in the mitochondrial tRNA-Tyr gene. Further analyses revealed that the mutation leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, which in turn causes a progressive loss of neurons. (Science Daily)
First draft of Neanderthal genome revealed Feb 13, 2009
2 billion base pairs in the Neanderthal genome ... 7 billion base pairs, but that includes many duplications ... Paabo hopes to cover each Neanderthal base pair 12 to 15 times in the years ahead. (MSNBC -- Technology)
