5 September 2012 Last updated at 01:54 By Michelle Warwicker Reporter, BBC Food

A new DNA test has been developed to allow retailers to authenticate Aberdeen-Angus beef, in a bid to protect its name and heritage.

"If you get a bright red chunk of beef, it may well look nice in a polystyrene tray, but it certainly won't eat very well," says Aberdeen-Angus breeder Geordie Soutar.

"But if you get one with a little bit of white fat round it and speckles through it, it will cook and eat sublimely."

The original Aberdeen-Angus was first bred in the early 19th Century in northeast Scotland, but now the cattle are bred in South America, Canada, the US and South Africa.

Now most Aberdeen-Angus cattle are cross-bred, and the amount of pure-bred Aberdeen-Angus beef on the market "is very very small", says Ron McHattie, chief executive of The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society.

This means breeders are keen to ensure no impostors lacking in fat and flavour sully Aberdeen Angus beef's reputation, because premium beef demands premium prices.

Waitrose sells Aberdeen-Angus beef sirloin steak for 24 per kg (6.00 per 250g pack), while the MacDonalds Brothers butchers in Perthshire, which is supplied by Geordie Soutar, charges 23.08 per kg of Aberdeen-Angus sirloin steak.

However cut-price chain Aldi recently introduced a range of "certified" Aberdeen-Angus beef, setting the cost of sirloin steak at 17.58 per kg (3.99 per 227g pack).

To ensure that such beef is legitimate, a DNA test has been developed for The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society by IdentiGEN, a company that provides DNA technology to the food industry.

Continue reading here:
Protecting prime cuts

The trial to solve the December 2000 murder of an 80-year-old woman will be decided by blood.

Victor Guzman, 39, is charged with the first degree murder of Severina Dolores Fernandez a killing that was as mysterious as it was gruesome at the time of the crime. The only evidence connecting Guzman to the murder is a DNA sample taken from the scene.

In his opening statement on Tuesday, state prosecutor Scott Warfman described the scene in Fernandezs otherwise tidy apartment in East Little Havana.

Police found her body in a puddle of blood on her bed, naked, with 58 stab wounds. Blood splatters stained the armrest of a chair, a couch cushion, the dresser, the window and the sink.

The trial began on an emotional note, with the prosecution calling Isabel Reyes, the victims niece.

Reyes spoke affectionately of her aunt and the routine that she kept every afternoon. Tia Lola, as Reyes called her, would go outside every day at 5 p.m. to get her newspaper, come upstairs, fold the paper to the crossword and get a bowl of sherbet to eat while she solved it.

When police found her body on the afternoon of Dec. 9, 2000, the tub of sherbet was still melting on the counter. Warfman showed the jury two graphic photos of the crime scene, which he said looks like finger-painting, theres so much blood.

But not all of it came from the victim.

Fernandez managed to fight off her attacker enough to draw his blood, leaving behind DNA evidence that didnt match existing police records.

Some two years later, the same DNA turned up in the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Miami Beach, but police had no idea whose DNA marked both heinous crimes.

Read this article:
DNA center stage in killing of 80-year-old East Little Havana woman

NEW YORK, Sept. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Monster, the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance headphones and electronic accessories, and Viacom, home to the world's premier entertainment brands, today announced a global alliance for the launch of a new audio brand Monster DNA. With Monster's latest advancement in sound engineering, Monster DNA headphones bring music listeners a new sound that is as powerful and striking as the bold design of the headphone itself. More than a headphone, Monster DNA will look to serve today's music listener and music artists with a focus on music sharing, music community, and social awareness reaching the music entertainment community globally through an exclusive integrated campaign across Viacom music and entertainment brands worldwide including CMT, COMEDY CENTRAL, Logo, MTV, MTV2, mtvU, SPIKE, Tr3s, VH1 and VH1 Classic.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120904/NY67054 )

Rooted in the technology behind music, Monster has been dedicated to improving the music listening experience, from its development of high-performance audio cable for audiophiles, to professional recording and instrument cables for musicians. Recently, the company changed the way people think about what a headphone can sound like when it engineered the sound of the popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

Said Noel Lee, The Head Monster: "We're excited about what we have accomplished with next generation sound with Monster DNA. It's the evolution of what a headphone can look and sound like. Sonically, they completely kick ass yet still have refined sound qualities that all music lovers can appreciate."

Viacom will provide a global platform for the Monster DNA headphones through its diverse entertainment brands, which continue to innovate, create culture and connect with young audiences at the intersection of music and entertainment. "Just like Viacom's brands, Monster DNA headphones are designed to reflect the creativity and confidence of young people," said Jeff Lucas, Head of Sales, Music and Entertainment for Viacom. "Through this partnership, we're plugging Monster in to the deep connection we have with our young audiences, and giving our fans a new way to experience sound and express originality."

Monster DNA is Next Generation EverythingDesigned with both the music and fashion consumer in mind, Monster took a very aggressive approach to evolve its audio signature, the technologies that make it possible, the not-square-or- round triangle speaker housing, and its fashion forward two-tone color design. Extensive design considerations included advanced ear cushion design and lightness for overall better ear comfort than similar on-ear headphones. "We tried to think of everything we could do to make Monster DNA better than anything out there for today's extensive music listener. We even included a nifty buddy jack to share what you're listening to, something we thought people might want to do but haven't thought about," added Lee.

Music Isn't the Only Thing That Matters Music is a very powerful platform, building on the message that music matters, Monster and Viacom want to ensure that Monster DNA helps advance important pro-social causes that resonate with young music fans. The unprecedented alliance will benefit from the global marketing power of Viacom's brands and connect to many of its pro-social campaigns, including the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, SPIKE's Hire a Vet and the VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

Monster DNA to Debut at 2012 MTV Video Music AwardsThe Monster DNA campaign will officially launch at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, airing live from Los Angeles on Thursday, September 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. The new headphones will be integrated into several elements, and VMA performing and presenting music artists and celebrities will have the first-hand look and sound experience when they receive special chrome versions, a nod to MTV's moon man. Monster DNA will also be integrated into the 2012 MTV EMA, airing globally from Frankfurt, Germany on Sunday, November 11th.

Monster DNA in Stores Soon Monster DNA will be available in the U.S. in September and in Europe in October at the following retailers: Apple stores worldwide, Best Buy and its Global Subsidiaries (Future Shop) and HMV Europe. They will be offered in seven different versions, including On-Ear models in Black, White, Cobalt Blue and Perfect Teal for a suggested retail price of $199.95, as well as Black and White In-Ear versions (SRP:$99.95).

ABOUT MONSTER Monster was founded over 30 years ago by Head Monster Noel Lee, who was recently honored with the prestigious Plus X Award: Lifetime Achievement Award, as a company dedicated to creating products that enhance the sound quality of music. The company engineered the sound of the acclaimed Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and has become the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance, sonically superior headphones, all of which feature the company's Pure Monster Sound. Monster is also the world's leading manufacturer of advanced connectivity solutions for high-performance home entertainment, audio, home cinema, computer and gaming as well as a leading innovator in the field of mobile accessories and professional audio. The company also provides high-performance AC power line conditioning and protection products for audio/video systems, as well as energy-saving power products. Monster continues to lead in innovation with over 300 U.S. and international patents and dozens pending, offering more than 4,000 products in over 134 countries worldwide.

See original here:
Monster And Viacom Introduce Monster DNA Headphones And A New Alliance To Support Music Culture

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/k3m8pf/dna_sequencing_t) has announced the addition of Jain PharmaBiotech's new report "DNA Sequencing - Technologies, Markets and Companies" to their offering.

This report briefly reviews basics of human genome variations, development of sequencing technologies, and their applications. Current large and small sequencers are described as well as companies developing them. Various applications of sequencing are described including those for genetics, medical diagnostics, drug discovery and cancer. Next generation sequencing technologies, both second and third generations, are reviewed. Companies developing software for analysis of sequencing data are also included. Selected academic institutes conducting research in sequencing are also listed.

Current market is mostly for research applications and future markets will be other applications related to healthcare. The value of DNA sequencer market in 2011 is described with estimates for 2016 and 2021. Various methods and factors on which market estimates depend are described briefly. Small sequencers form the basis of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. Several marketing strategies have been outlined.

The report includes profiles of 100 companies involved in sequencing and their 101 collaborations. The report text is supplementd by 32 tables, 12 figures and 275 selected references to the literature.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. DNA Sequencing Technologies

3. Comparative Analysis of Sequencing Technologies

4. Research Applications of Sequencing

Original post:
Research and Markets: DNA Sequencing - Technologies, Markets and Companies - Updated 2012 Edition

31 August 2012 Last updated at 02:17 ET By Helen Briggs BBC News

The DNA of a cave girl who lived about 80,000 years ago has been analysed in remarkable detail.

The picture of her genome is as accurate as that of modern day human genomes, and shows she had brown eyes, hair and skin.

The research in Science also sheds new light on the genetic differences between modern humans and their closest extinct relatives.

The cave dweller, a Denisovan, was a cousin of the Neanderthals.

Both groups of ancient humans died out about 30,000 years ago, but have left their mark in the gene pool of modern people.

The Denisovans have mysterious origins. They appear to have left little behind for palaeontologists save a tiny finger bone and a wisdom tooth found in Siberia's Denisova cave in 2010. Though some researchers have proposed a possible link between the Denisovans and human fossils from China that have previously been difficult to classify.

A Russian scientist sent a fragment of the bone from Siberia to a team led by Svante Paabo at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

He thought it might belong to an early modern human, but the results came as a surprise.

DNA analysis revealed a human who was neither a Neanderthal nor a modern human but the first of a new group of ancient humans.

More:
Cave girl's DNA gives up secrets

31 August 2012 Last updated at 03:45 ET By Hannah Barnes BBC Radio 4's The Report

Scientists, lawyers and politicians have raised new concerns over the quality of forensic evidence testing - so is the criminal justice system too reliant on lab tests without realising their limitations?

"There was a knock at the door, in the early hours of the morning, saying I was being arrested for murder. I asked, 'what evidence have you got?' and they said they thought it was my DNA.

"I thought 'I'll prove I'm not a suspect' but it didn't pan out that way. DNA has become the magic bullet for the police... they thought it was my DNA, ergo it must be me."

David Butler has every right to be cynical about the use of DNA evidence by the police. He spent eight months in prison, on remand, facing murder charges after his DNA was allegedly found on the victim.

I think in the current climate [DNA] has made police lazy

"That was when Alice fell down the hole. Everything went upside down. My whole life changed overnight," he told Radio 4's The Report.

"It was hard. The loneliness was the worst, not speaking to your family. I've led a good life, I've been a good man, and this to me was an absolute horror story."

The police had accused Mr Butler of murdering a woman, Anne Marie Foy, in 2005 - his DNA sample was on record after he had willingly given it to them as part of an investigation into a burglary at his mother's home some years earlier.

The DNA sample was only a partial match, of poor quality, and experts at the time said they could neither say that he was guilty nor rule him out.

Original post:
DNA test jailed innocent man for murder

Published: Aug. 30, 2012 at 3:33 PM

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Danish researchers report they can monitor marine biodiversity and fish stocks by using DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales.

The DNA method is superior to traditional methods that use selective and invasive techniques mostly limited to commercial species and restricted to areas with favorable conditions, they said.

"The new DNA-method means that we can keep better track of life beneath the surface of the oceans around the world, and better monitor and protect ocean biodiversity and resources," researcher Philip Francis Thomsen at the University of Copenhagen said.

Seawater contains DNA from animals such as fish and whales that can reveal their presence in the ocean based on water samples of just half a quart, he said.

"We analyzed seawater samples specifically for fish DNA and we were very surprised when the results started to show up on the screen," he said.

"We found DNA from both small and large fish, as well as both common species and rare guests. Cod, herring, eel, plaice, pilchard and many more have all left a DNA trace in the seawater."

The DNA method has an advantage over tradition data collection in that it can be performed virtually anywhere without impacting the local habitat, researchers said. It just requires a sample of water.

The research has been published in the open access international scientific journal PLOS ONE.

Read the original:
DNA in seawater can track fish and whales

Scientists have produced a digital image of a genome tens of thousands of years old with the resolution of a typical living persons, enabling them to describe the life and history of the ancient humans in great detail, they reported in Thursdays issue of Science magazine.

Led by Svante Paabo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, the scientists have created the highest quality genome sequence of ancient humans yet.

Therefore, the Denisovans as the group has been called, after the Siberian cave harboring its fossils: a finger bone and two teeth are much better known genetically than Neanderthals, although there are hundreds of specimens from them.

There is no difference in what we can learn genetically about a person that lived 50,000 years ago and from a person today, Paabo said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.

The international team of researchers used only genetic material from a tiny finger bone from a girl that lived in Siberia tens of thousands of years ago. The specimen was found in a cave in 2008 and, based on preliminary genetical analyses by the team in 2010, was attributed to a novel group of humans closely related to Neanderthals.

The Denisovan genome is particularly close to my heart, because it was the first time that a new group of humans were discovered and defined just from DNA, Paabo said.

The scientists owe their insights mainly to new technological advances in sequencing of prehistoric DNA. All forensics on ancient DNA were originally developed for modern DNA, said Matthias Meyer of the Max Planck Institute, lead author of the article. He was responsible for developing approaches that take into account challenges typical for ancient genetic material, such as its scarcity and degraded state.

The breakthrough came partly through starting the sequencing with single strands of DNA, as opposed to the usual approach of using double strands. Earlier this year, the researchers made the raw genome sequence available to the public by publishing it online.

Using the DNA alone, the scientists reconstructed the appearance of the Siberian girl: She had brown eyes and dark hair and skin. Also from genetic information, the scientists pieced together the girls pedigree and compared it with modern humans and Neanderthals. The Denisovans contributed genetic material only to present Australian Aborigines and some people in Melanesia, whereas Neanderthals left their mark on everyone outside Africa, Paabo said.

The scientists analyzed the differences between the DNA of the Denisovan and that of modern humans around the world, allowing them to come up with an estimate of the specimens age. Based on the mutation rate in modern humans, the team approximated the age of the Siberian girl at about 80,000 years. That conflicts with archeological data that assign the geological layer of the fossil to an age of 30,000 to 50,000 years. Carbon dating, a standard procedure to determine the age of fossils, would provide a more definitive answer, but the specimen is too small for that.

Read the original:
DNA offers sharp image of ancient humans

Genetic data of unprecedented completeness have been pulled from the fossil remains of a young Stone Age woman. The DNA helps illuminate the relationships among her group ancient Siberians known as Denisovans Neandertals, and humans.

The Denisovans genetic library suggest that she came from a small population that expanded rapidly as it moved south through Asia, says a team led by Matthias Meyer and Svante Pbo of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany. Denisovans passed genes to Papua New Guineans but not to Asians, Europeans or South Americans, the researchers report online August 30 in Science. Thats in line with previous evidence that Denisovans contributed to the ancestry of present-day Australian aborigines and Melanesians.

The new investigation also finds that Asians and South Americans possess more Neandertal genes than Europeans do. Although Neandertals inhabited Europe and West Asia, they may have interbred most frequently with Homo sapiens in East Asia, or, possibly, had their genetic contributions to Europeans diluted as increasing numbers of Stone Age humans reached that continent.

We can now start to catalog essential genetic changes that occurred after we separated from our closest extinct relatives, Pbo says. Preliminary DNA comparisons between people today and the young female Denisovan have identified eight human-specific genes involved in brain functions, including one linked to language and speech development.

Despite the new advance in retrieving ancient DNA, Denisovans evolutionary identity, and the full extent of Denisovan flings with human groups, is far from settled. Denisovan fossils, which date to at least 44,000 years old, consist of only a finger bone and two teeth unearthed at Siberias Denisova Cave.

Previous work partly reconstructed DNA from the finger fossil and unveiled a close genetic link between Neandertals and Denisovans (SN: 1/15/11, p. 10).

Think of the new achievement as Denisovan DNA 2.0. Meyer and Pbos group devised a method to separate the paired chromosomes, the coiled packages in which DNA is stored and inherited, in ancient samples. DNA inevitably degrades over the millennia, but preserved stretches on one chromosome often compensate for damaged patches on a corresponding chromosome. This allowed scientists to read the DNA letters of nondegraded sections of the complete genetic file. Going over each stretch of DNA 30 times, the researchers were able to assemble a version of Denisovan DNA thats about as complete and accurate as what can be obtained from a living person.

Producing a full genome of such high quality from such an old specimen illustrates how far we have come in just a few years in the field of ancient DNA sequencing, says evolutionary geneticist Rasmus Nielsen of the University of California, Berkeley.

Comparisons of premium-grade Denisovan DNA to large samples of DNA from people today should begin to clarify where and when ancient interbreeding took place, Nielsen says.

Meyer and Pbos team compared its new-and-improved Denisovan material to genetic samples from 11 living people, including five Africans from different tribes or ethnic groups; two Europeans, one from France and one from Sardinia; two Chinese, one from a northern ethnic group and one from a southern ethnic group; a Papua New Guinean; and a villager from Brazils Amazon forest.

Read more:
DNA unveils enigmatic Denisovans

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

A replica of the pinky bone fragment found in a Siberian cave. Researchers used the bone bit to extract and sequence the genome of a girl who lived tens of thousands of years ago.

Scientists in Germany have been able to get enough DNA from a fossilized pinky to produce a high-quality DNA sequence of the pinky's owner.

"It's a really amazing-quality genome," says David Reich of Harvard Medical School in Boston. "It's as good as modern human genome sequences, from a lot of ways of measuring it."

The pinky belonged to a girl who lived tens of thousands of years ago. Scientists aren't sure about the exact age. She is a member of an extinct group of humans called Denisovans. The name comes from Denisova cave in Siberia, where the pinky was found.

Two years ago, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig reported that they had been able to get just enough DNA from the fossil to make a rough sequence of her DNA. But Matthias Meyer developed a far more efficient way of recovering ancient DNA, so he went back to the tiny amount of DNA left over from the first effort, and reanalyzed it.

"And from this little leftover, we were able to determine the sequence of the Denisova genome 30-fold over," says Meyer.

What that means is they were able to look at every single location along all of this girl's chromosomes 30 times to be absolutely certain that they had the right DNA letter in the right spot. The new results appear in the online edition of the journal Science.

The high-quality sequence gives scientists valuable new data for studying ancient humans. Researchers have begun, for example, to explore which modern human populations may have inherited genes from Denisovans.

The entrance to the Denisova cave in southern Siberia.

Visit link:
Pinky DNA Points To Clues About Ancient Humans

By John Lauerman - 2012-08-30T18:00:00Z

DNA analysis of an extinct human ancestor that lived 80,000 years ago has pinpointed fundamental genes tied to the brains evolution, showing how genome testing is changing anthropology and archaeology along with medicine.

At least eight genes that rose to prominence in human DNA since the time of the ancient relatives, called Denisovans, affect nerve growth and language, an international team of researchers said today in the journal Science. The cognitive power conferred by these genes may have keyed the development of complex thinking skills, culture and civilization said Svante Paabo, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

This is perhaps in the long term, to me, the most fascinating part about this; what it will tell us in the future about what makes us special in the world, he said yesterday on a conference call.

New DNA techniques are reshaping knowledge of human evolution just as quickly as theyre sparking the development of medical tests and treatments. Using a tiny amount of material from an ancient finger bone, scientists were able to analyze the ancient ancestors genes as closely as those of anyone who walked into a lab today, said David Reich, a Harvard Medical School genetics professor who contributed to the study.

Almost every cell in an organism holds a complete copy its genome, the chemical code for making proteins and tissues. The Denisovan genome analyzed in the study gives a broad visual picture of the individual it came from, holding genes that predict brown hair, brown eyes and dark skin in humans.

Denisovans, who lived in Asia, were closely related to Neanderthals, a group of human ancestors that existed at about the same time.

The structure of the bone the DNA came from suggests it was that of a young girl, about 7 or 8 years old, the scientists said. Paleontologists excavated the fragment, along with two teeth, at Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia in 2008.

In some ways, this ancient genome is even higher quality than the modern-day genomes weve produced, Reich said in a telephone interview. This means that very degraded ancient DNA samples that werent possible to study before can now be studied.

As part of the investigation, the researchers sequenced 11 new genomes from people in representative populations in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Among modern human populations, the Denisovan genome is most similar to the DNA of Papua New Guinea natives, the study said.

Continued here:
Ancient Human Kin’s DNA Code Illuminates Rise of Brains

Alprentiss Nash, shown in 2010 at Menard Correctional Center, has been fighting his murder conviction since a genetic test showed someone else's DNA was on a ski mask found at the scene. (Zbigniew Bzdak, Chicago Tribune / September 29, 2010)

11:09 a.m. CDT, August 30, 2012

Alprentiss Nash, 37, was sentenced to 80 years for the death of Lion Stroud. According to prosecutors, Nash was wearing a black ski mask when he broke into Stroud's home in 1995. The mask was found near the crime scene, they said.

Cook County prosecutors opposed Nash's request for DNA testing on the ski mask, but the Illinois Appellate Court later ordered it. Testing was done on skin cells found on the mask, and the genetic profile was matched to an inmate who recently was paroled from prison after serving time for a drug conviction.

Nash's attorney, Kathleen Zellner, requested additional testing and the state's attorney's office agreed.

In an interview at Menard Correctional Center earlier this year, Nash said he hoped the DNA results would lead to his release. "I'm tired of doing time," he said.

Chicagobreaking@tribune.com

Twitter: @ChicagoBreaking

Here is the original post:
After DNA review, murder charges being dismissed 17 years later

ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2012) Danish researchers at University of Copenhagen lead the way for future monitoring of marine biodiversity and resources by using DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales in the oceans. A half litre of seawater can contain evidence of local fish and whale faunas and combat traditional fishing methods. Their results are now published in the international scientific journal PLOS ONE.

"The new DNA-method means that we can keep better track of life beneath the surface of the oceans around the world, and better monitor and protect ocean biodiversity and resources," says PhD student Philip Francis Thomsen from the Centre for GeoGenetics, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen.

Marine ecosystems worldwide are under threat with many fish species and populations suffering from human over-exploitation, which greatly impacts global biodiversity, economy and human health. Today, marine fish are largely surveyed using selective and invasive methods mostly limited to commercial species, and restricted to areas with favourable conditions.

However, researchers at Centre for GeoGenetics now lead the way for future monitoring of marine biodiversity. They have shown that seawater contains DNA from animals such as fish and whales. The species leave behind a trace of DNA that reveals their presence in the ocean based on water samples of just half a litre.

From freshwater to seawater

The development of the novel DNA monitoring approach was accomplished by PhD student Philip Francis Thomsen and Master's student Jos Kielgast from the Centre for GeoGenetics headed by Professor Eske Willerslev. In December last year, they showed that small freshwater samples contain DNA from several different threatened animals, and after having published these results they began to focus on seawater. Here it also proved possible to obtain DNA directly from the water, which originated from local species living in the area.

"We analysed seawater samples specifically for fish DNA and we were very surprised when the results started to show up on the screen. We ended up with DNA from 15 different fish species in water samples of just a half litre. We found DNA from both small and large fish, as well as both common species and rare guests. Cod, herring, eel, plaice, pilchard and many more have all left a DNA trace in the seawater," says Philip Francis Thomsen.

In the other study the researchers showed that it is also possible to obtain DNA from harbour porpoise in small water samples taken in the sea, so the approach is not only limited to fish, but can also track large marine mammals.

A new and efficient method

The study also compares the new DNA method with existing methods traditionally used for monitoring fish such as trawl and pots. Here, the DNA method proved as good as or mostly better than existing methods. Moreover, the DNA method has a big advantage that it can be performed virtually anywhere without impacting the local habitat -- it just requires a sample of water. Associate Professor and fish expert Peter Rask Mller from the National History Museum of Denmark, who also participated in the study, is optimistic.

Read the original post:
New DNA method tracks fish and whales in seawater

NEW YORK On a wind-swept island off New York City, the remains of 850,000 people rest in pine boxes in a grid of covered trenches but many are not resting in peace.

They are the unidentified or unclaimed dead who have been found around the nation's largest city often with little hope of a loved one ever knowing their fate. Now, with advances in DNA technology and anthropology and with new federal funding, the city medical examiner's office has exhumed dozens of the bodies in a new push to identify several decades' worth.

It's how Ben Maurer's family finally learned that the 17-year-old had jumped to his death from a Manhattan building on June 25, 2002.

His mother, Germaine, submitted his DNA to the medical examiner in 2009, when the first phase of the project began. The DNA was entered into a public database containing information on thousands of cases of missing and unidentified people and matched a John Doe buried in the potter's field on 101-acre Hart Island on Long Island Sound.

He was given a proper funeral near the family's home in Piscataway, N.J., shortly after his remains were returned to them in 2009.

"It meant everything," said Jared Maurer, Ben's 28-year-old brother. "It finally gave us closure to what had happened to Ben."

Jared Maurer said he frequently visits his brother's grave site. "I tell him I miss him, I tell him I love him," he said.

At any given time, there are 40,000 active missing and unidentified person cases in the United States. New York State accounts for 25 percent of those cases, most of them in New York City.

The identities of some of the bodies in the potter's field are known, but their families are too poor to have them buried elsewhere.

DNA samples weren't regularly taken from all bodies until about 2006, so the only way to identify many bodies is to exhume them, once DNA samples can be matched up with a description of a corpse, as in Maurer's case.

Read the original here:
DNA project unlocks potter's field secrets

John Flesher | Associated Press

An Asian carp, jolted by an electric current from a research boat, jumps out of the Illinois River. The fishs DNA was detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July?30-31 from Sandusky Bay in Lake Erie.

The Columbus Dispatch Wednesday August 29, 2012 8:15 AM

The discovery of additional Asian carp DNA in Sandusky Bay has state and federal wildlife officials increasing efforts to see whether the invasive fish has entered Lake Erie.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reported yesterday that Asian carp DNA had been detected in 20 of 150 water samples taken July 30-31.

In earlier tests, four of 325 water samples in Sandusky Bay and two of 92 samples taken from Maumee Bay were positive. State and federal officials swept the area over three days this month but found no actual Asian carp.

We are going to go out and do more electro-fishing and netting to see what we can find, said Bethany McCorkle, an agency spokeswoman. We wont know until we actually have a live fish.Jeffrey Reutter, the director of Ohio Sea Grant and Ohio State Universitys Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie, called the latest test results disappointing.

At this point, that is definitely worrisome, he said.

Finding breeding carp would signal a huge threat to the lakes $1-billion-a-year fishing industry and its $10-billion-a-year tourism industry. The carp out-compete native fish for food. After escaping fish farms during massive floods in 1993, they now dominate several stretches of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers.

Sandy Bihn, the director of the Toledo-based Lake Erie Waterkeeper advocacy group, expressed hope that the fish havent set up housekeeping.

Originally posted here:
Lake Erie experts fear DNA spike is sign of Asian carp

Chamberlain Farm Produce Inc. in Owensville, Ind. is the source of at least some of the salmonella that has infected 178 people in 21 states.

The Salmonella bacteria collected from Chamberlain Farms matches the "DNA fingerprint" of the salmonella strain responsible for sickening 178 people, including 62 who were hospitalized, FDA spokeswoman Shelly Burgess said.

73 sickened by salmonella-tainted mangoes, say California health officials Cantaloupe-linked salmonella kills two FDA: Avoid cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana

She stressed that federal and state agencies were still investigating whether there might be other sources of the salmonella involved in the outbreak.

"Just because we've identified this as one source, things just don't stop here," she said. "We're still assessing the full scope of this."

Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Salmonella infection, or salmonellosis, may cause diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps within eight to 72 hours of exposure. Most people recover without treatment, but it can be deadly for some. In some cases, diarrhea associated with the infection can be so dehydrating that medical attention is necessary. If salmonella spreads beyond infected people's intestines, they risk death.

Amy Reel, a spokeswoman for the Indiana State Department of Health, said samples have been collected from multiple southern Indiana farms. The FDA is handling analysis of those samples, she said.

Gary Zhao, an attorney for the southwestern Indiana farm, said Tuesday in response to a message seeking comment that the farm would release a statement later this week.

Last week, Tim Chamberlain, who runs the 100-acre (40-hectare) Chamberlain Farms, said it had stopped producing and distributing cantaloupe on Aug. 16, when the FDA alerted him that the fruit could be tainted.

The rest is here:
DNA test confirms cantaloupe from Chamberlain Farms of Indiana a source in 21-state salmonella outbreak

OTTAWA Ottawa music promoter DNA Presents isnt letting a little setback get in the way of helping out in the community.

DNA Presents is organizing Farm Aid, a country music benefit concert Sept. 16 at Ottawa Stadium featuring Michelle Wright and Paul Brandt, to aid Ottawa-area farmers struck by this summers drought. The benefit concert, organized in partnership with Ottawa Stadium officials, also features Gail Gavan, Jason Blaine, Emerson Drive and Ambush. Y101 will host the concert and Wayne Rostad is the guest MC.

One of many shows DNA is presenting this fall, it comes just months after one of the companys founding partners allegedly fled the country with the proceeds from the Escapade Music Festival. Nick Vachon, arrested in Aruba, is now in police custody in Ottawa awaiting another bail hearing on charges that he stole the money from the festivals coffers.

Despite that financial setback, the partners in DNA Presents are determined to carry on with a full slate of shows.

Were not going anywhere and we slowly want to get back to where we were. This is something that will help us get back on our feet, said Michael OFarrell, one of the four partners in the Ottawa company. It has a show with Swedish DJ and music producer Marcus Schossow Wednesday at Barrymores and it has announced a Sept. 22 show at the CE Centre with dadalife, one of the acts that appeared at the Escapade Music Festival.

He said the idea for Farm Aid came from Don Foley, chair of the Ottawa Stadium Group and a local farmer.

Its a great show, and with the summer that weve had with the drought its definitely a good thing for the community. Ottawa has a great agricultural community and were happy to help Ottawa farmers.

OFarrell said if Farm Aid attracts an average of 5,000 people the concert has the potential to raise about $100,000. The recent cancellation of the Capital Hoedown festival may mean that Ottawa fans are ready to support a different country music event, he added.

With the country acts that we got and the supporting acts its still a pretty significant lineup, he said. He said other acts are going to be named shortly.

OFarrell said a full-scale country music festival is not out of the question for next year and more discussions will be done after Farm Aid is over. He said DNA Presents has a good working relationship with Mark Monahan, head honcho at Bluesfest, and hed be interested in talking to Monahan about possibly staging a country music festival in Ottawa.

Go here to see the original:
DNA Presents organizes Farm Aid concert

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2012) A new study led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that a healthy intake of micronutrients is strongly associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men. In younger men, however, a higher intake of micronutrients didn't improve their sperm DNA.

In an analysis of 80 healthy male volunteers between 22 and 80 years of age, the scientists found that men older than 44 who consumed the most vitamin C had 20 percent less sperm DNA damage compared to men older than 44 who consumed the least vitamin C. The same was true for vitamin E, zinc, and folate.

"It appears that consuming more micronutrients such as vitamin C, E, folate and zinc helps turn back the clock for older men. We found that men 44 and older who consumed at least the recommended dietary allowance of certain micronutrients had sperm with a similar amount of DNA damage as the sperm of younger men," says Andy Wyrobek of Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division.

"This means that men who are at increased risk of sperm DNA damage because of advancing age can do something about it. They can make sure they get enough vitamins and micronutrients in their diets or through supplements," adds Wyrobek.

Wyrobek conducted the research with a team of researchers that includes Brenda Eskenazi of the University of California at Berkeley's School of Public Health and scientists from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. They report their findings in the August 27 online issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Their research comes as more men over 35 have children, which raises public health concerns. Previous research conducted in Wyrobek's lab found that the older a man is, the more he's likely to have increased sperm DNA fragmentation, chromosomal rearrangements, and DNA strand damage. Older men are also more likely to have increased frequencies of sperm carrying certain gene mutations, such as those leading to dwarfism. These findings help explain why aging men are less fertile and are predicted to have more chromosomally defective pregnancies and a higher proportion of offspring with genetic defects.

But until now, researchers haven't understood whether diet can protect against the detrimental effects of aging on the sperm genome.

The scientists studied a group of about 80 men between 20 and 80 years old with an average age of 44. They were recruited several years ago as part of the California Age and Genetic Effects on Sperm Study when Wyrobek was at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Each man who participated in the study filled out a 100-item questionnaire that estimated their average daily vitamin intake, both from food and supplements.

In addition, their sperm DNA quality was assessed via a lab analysis in which a voltage gradient pulls broken DNA strands from intact strands within the sperm nucleus.

Each volunteer's intake of a micronutrient was classified as low, moderate, or high based on how they compared to other participants. The median daily intake, both from diet and supplements, was 162 milligrams for vitamin C, 23.7 milligrams for vitamin E, 2,586 micrograms for -carotene, 475 grams for folate, and 12.3 milligrams for zinc. Many participants, even those who reported to be healthy, consumed much less than the recommended dietary allowance for many of the micronutrients.

Read the original:
Nutrition tied to improved sperm DNA quality in older men: Healthy micronutrient intake linked to reduced DNA ...

LORTON, Va., Aug. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --The Bode Technology Group, Inc. (Bode), a leading provider of innovative forensic DNA services, announced today the launch of their Rapid DNA Service to provide near real-time DNA analysis. This service delivers a DNA profile from forensic samples in less than 90 minutes resulting in a fast turnaround of investigative leads for law enforcement agencies holding persons of interest. Bode's Rapid DNA Service also allows for DNA to be used as a biometric application for identity resolution of detainees at critical screening points.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120619/PH27111LOGO)

"The 'CSI Effect' has raised the expectations of the public. Bode's new Rapid DNA Service, which provides a DNA profile from evidence samples or reference samples in under 90 minutes, has significantly closed the gap between television fiction and real life. This service also brings reality to the possibility of using DNA as a biometric for identity resolution," said Barry Watson, CEO & President of Bode. "DNA has been labeled the gold standard in forensic science by the National Academy of Science, and this rapid service makes it applicable in more situations."

Rapid DNA Service utilizes commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment already commonly used in forensic laboratories and capitalizes on improvements to both rapid thermal cycling and direct amplification. Bode scientists have also made significant advancements in obtaining DNA from virtually all forensic and biological evidence types, including cigarette butts, bloodstains, touch evidence and handled objects.

Mike Cariola, COO of Bode Technology, said, "We have achieved a breakthrough and are the only forensic laboratory providing a service that can successfully obtain high quality DNA profiles from evidentiary items this rapidly. We have implemented an amplification procedure that meets the FBI's Quality Assurance Standards for validation and sets a new performance level for the forensic community which is a testament to the ingenuity of our scientists."

Bode's expertise and innovation allows us to offer this industry leading service for evidentiary items. Other rapid DNA systems will soon reach the market, but require significant capital expenditure while providing lower throughput and are limited to only processing reference samples. In addition, these systems are still pending validation by the forensic community. Bode's Rapid DNA Service provides an immediate solution.

Bode's Virginia laboratory is one of the few private facilities worldwide to receive ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from both the American Society of Crime Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB-International Program) and the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board/FQS for forensic testing.

For more information, see http://www.bodetech.com/rapid-dna.

About The Bode Technology Group, Inc.

Bode Technology provides a comprehensive set of state-of-the-art forensic DNA collection products, analysis services, and research services to law enforcement, justice system, and other government agencies around the world. Operating one of the most internationally respected private DNA laboratories, Bode's forensic DNA experts have assisted in identifying criminals in every state in the United States, and played a key role in the exoneration of numerous individuals. Bode provides immigration and paternity testing worldwide. Bode has also been instrumental in the identification of victims of natural disasters, war, crime, and terrorism, including the attack on the World Trade Center.

Read more here:
Bode Technology Offers First Rapid DNA Service Delivering a DNA Profile from Evidentiary Samples in Under 90 Minutes

Public release date: 27-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dan Krotz dakrotz@lbl.gov 510-486-4019 DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

A new study led by scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that a healthy intake of micronutrients is strongly associated with improved sperm DNA quality in older men. In younger men, however, a higher intake of micronutrients didn't improve their sperm DNA.

In an analysis of 80 healthy male volunteers between 22 and 80 years of age, the scientists found that men older than 44 who consumed the most vitamin C had 20 percent less sperm DNA damage compared to men older than 44 who consumed the least vitamin C. The same was true for vitamin E, zinc, and folate.

"It appears that consuming more micronutrients such as vitamin C, E, folate and zinc helps turn back the clock for older men. We found that men 44 and older who consumed at least the recommended dietary allowance of certain micronutrients had sperm with a similar amount of DNA damage as the sperm of younger men," says Andy Wyrobek of Berkeley Lab's Life Sciences Division.

"This means that men who are at increased risk of sperm DNA damage because of advancing age can do something about it. They can make sure they get enough vitamins and micronutrients in their diets or through supplements," adds Wyrobek.

Wyrobek conducted the research with a team of researchers that includes Brenda Eskenazi of the University of California at Berkeley's School of Public Health and scientists from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. They report their findings in the August 27 online issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Their research comes as more men over 35 have children, which raises public health concerns. Previous research conducted in Wyrobek's lab found that the older a man is, the more he's likely to have increased sperm DNA fragmentation, chromosomal rearrangements, and DNA strand damage. Older men are also more likely to have increased frequencies of sperm carrying certain gene mutations, such as those leading to dwarfism. These findings help explain why aging men are less fertile and are predicted to have more chromosomally defective pregnancies and a higher proportion of offspring with genetic defects.

But until now, researchers haven't understood whether diet can protect against the detrimental effects of aging on the sperm genome.

The scientists studied a group of about 80 men between 20 and 80 years old with an average age of 44. They were recruited several years ago as part of the California Age and Genetic Effects on Sperm Study when Wyrobek was at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Each man who participated in the study filled out a 100-item questionnaire that estimated their average daily vitamin intake, both from food and supplements.

Continue reading here:
Nutrition tied to improved sperm DNA quality in older men