24-06-2012 19:10 **PLEASE? Click 'LIKE'? & Add To Favourites If You Enjoyed This Video!!! Make sure to check out the KOTD website at - World Domination 3 tickets on sale soon - Since the dawn of the new era of battling, few rappers have shown as much passion and work-ethic as DNA. Getting his start with Grind Time as one of the youngest battlers in the league, he quickly proved that age was not a factor as he moved up in the ranks. After facing opponents such as Rone, Loe Pesci and P-Nut, DNA moved onto the Ultimate Rap League and debuted against Oun P. Since then, DNA has faced top-tier opponents such as T-Rex, Tsu-Surf, Young Ill, X-Factor, Big T, Tech 9, as well as the highly publicized match against Dizaster at KOTD: Flatline. With his sharp wordplay, rapidfire delivery, and uncanny freestyle ability, DNA has shown that he is able to win over any crowd, even when the odds are seemingly against him. Eurgh will be DNA's first overseas opponent, and his second battle for KOTD. Ever since he entered the JumpOff WRC Qualifiers in 2007 at the age of 17, Eurgh has been a force to be reckoned with. At the time, known simply as Arkaic's partner, Eurgh made his mark with his lyrical wit, and also for his infamous angry speech after discovering that he and his partner would not be going to the finals. Since then, however, Eurgh has become a forerunner in the British battle scene, starting Don't Flop in 2008 with fellow rapper Cruger, a league that has ...

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KOTD - Rap Battle - DNA vs Eurgh - Video

BRADFORD, England, June 24 (UPI) -- Men who smoke before conception can damage the DNA of their offspring in the womb that may give him or her a higher risk of disease, British researchers say.

Diana Anderson of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Bradford in England, and colleagues found evidence showing why men should be urged to stop smoking before trying to conceive in the same way women have been urged to quit tobacco.

A fertile sperm cell takes about three months to fully develop; therefore men would ultimately need to quit smoking long before conception to avoid causing genetic problems, Anderson said.

Anderson and colleagues used DNA biomarkers to measure genetic changes in the paternal blood and semen around conception, as well as maternal and umbilical cord blood at delivery in families from two different European regions in central England and a Greek island.

Information regarding the lifestyle, environmental and occupational exposures of these families was taken from validated questionnaires. The combined analysis of exposures and DNA biomarkers was used to evaluate the role of exposures before conception and during pregnancy in the causation of genetic changes in the offspring.

"These transmitted genetic changes may raise the risk of developing cancer in childhood, particularly leukemia and other genetic diseases," Anderson said in a statement. "We hope that this knowledge will urge men to cease smoking before trying to conceive."

The findings were published in the FASEB Journal.

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Sperm of smoking dads can hurt child DNA

DNA evidence leads to three robbery suspectsby Chris BristolYakima Herald-Republic

YAKIMA, Wash. -- DNA evidence usually gets headlines in murder cases and sex crimes.

But the discovery of cigarettes butts at the scene of a robbery outside Toppenish last year illustrates the potential DNA has for becoming an everyday crime-fighting tool.

It took nine months for results, but now three people are in custody and a fourth is being sought.

"It's a little unusual," said Stew Graham, chief of detectives for the Yakima County Sheriff's Office. "We have a few more options nowadays."

The arrests stemmed from an incident in September that began at Legends Casino.

According to arrest affidavits, a 42-year-old Toppenish man told deputies he was approached inside the casino by two women about going somewhere for "a little fun."

The man said the trio left the casino and drove a few miles away to Becker Road. One of the women rode with him, directing him where to go, while the other followed in a maroon Jeep Cherokee.

The robbery occurred on a dirt lane off Becker when a small white car blocked the man's vehicle, which was boxed in by the Cherokee from behind. The man said he got out and was beaten and robbed by two men who had been waiting in the white car. They took his wallet and his money -- $47.

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DNA evidence leads to three robbery suspects

REX, Ga. Joan Tribble held tightly to her cane as she ventured into the overgrown cemetery where her people were buried. There lay the pioneers who once populated north Georgias rugged frontier, where striving white men planted corn and cotton, fought for the Confederacy and owned slaves.

The settlers interred here were mostly forgotten over the decades as their progeny scattered across the South, embracing unassuming lives.

But one line of her family took another path, heading north on a tumultuous, winding journey that ultimately led to the White House.

The white men and women buried here are the forebears of Tribble, a retired bookkeeper who delights in her two grandchildren and her Sunday church mornings. They are also ancestors of Michelle Obama, the first lady.

The discovery of this unexpected family tie between the nations most prominent black woman and a white, silver-haired grandmother from the Atlanta suburbs underscores the entangled histories and racial intermingling that continue to bind countless American families more than 140 years after the Civil War.

The link was established through more than two years of research into Obamas roots, which included DNA tests of white and black relatives. Like many African-Americans, Obama was aware that she had white ancestry, but knew little more.

Now, for the first time, the white forebears who have remained hidden in the first ladys family tree can be identified. And her blood ties are not only to the dead. She has an entire constellation of white distant cousins who live in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and beyond, who in turn are only now learning of their kinship to her.

Those relatives include professionals and blue-collar workers, a retired construction worker, an accountant, a dietitian and an insurance claims adjuster, among others, who never imagined they had black relatives. Most had no idea that their ancestors owned slaves.

Many of them, like Tribble, 69, are still grappling with their wrenching connection to the White House. You really dont like to face this kind of thing, said Tribble, whose ancestors owned the first ladys great-great-great-grandmother.

Some of Tribbles relatives have declined to discuss the matter beyond the closed doors of their homes, fearful that they might be vilified as racists or forced to publicly atone for their forebears.

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DNA give new insights into Michelle Obama’s roots

The Virginia Department of Forensic Science has released DNA test reports in 30 of the 38 cases that the Urban Institute says support exoneration. Five of those cases are from Richmond.

Two of the Richmond cases, Victor Burnette and Thomas Edward Haynesworth, led to exonerations that were supported by Michael N. Herring, the Richmond commonwealth's attorney who became a key advocate for Haynesworth.

But as far as Herring is concerned, in the three other cases, even if the DNA test results were available at the time of the trials, it would not have altered the outcomes.

Dennis Michael Titus, now 53, was convicted in Richmond of the April 10, 1978, murder and attempted rape of a 31-year-old sunbather stabbed to death on the roof of her West Franklin Street high-rise apartment building.

DNA testing in his case failed to identify his DNA in sperm taken from a physical evidence recovery kit from the victim, identified in news accounts as Mary Dill Simpson, but did find the DNA of an unknown male.

According to reports, police said they did not believe Simpson had been raped. Nevertheless, they obtained the evidence later subjected to DNA testing. Police said Titus, a janitor at the building, became a suspect when he indicated to police he knew she was dead before her body was found.

Police also said that after he was arrested, he admitted killing her when she refused to have sex with him. Titus was sentenced to life and is being held at the Powhatan Correctional Center. He declined to be interviewed last week.

Bernard Coleman, now 49, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the Dec. 20, 1985, slaying of his roommate, Cedric Lee Mayo, 24, shot to death during a quarrel after both men had been drinking.

Mayo was shot once near the eye with a .22-caliber bullet. After the killing, Coleman and a friend took Mayo's body to a wooded area off North 39th Street, where a passer-by found it on Christmas Eve. Coleman fled to Washington and was arrested in February 1986.

The evidence tested in that case was described only as a white suit in the report that said Coleman's DNA was not found. Coleman was released from prison in 1991 and could not be reached for comment.

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Richmond DNA cases show not all reports prove innocence

The Fredericton SPCA is selling dog DNA kits to help owners determine their pet's breed.

The test can help an owner find out if their Rottweiler actually has some Chihuahua in its genes, or if their family's pureblood Labrador is really a mutt.

"This is CSI-type technology that is now available in your home," said LeeAnn Haggerty, the education and outreach co-ordinator for the Fredericton SPCA.

The dog DNA is matched to a genetic database of more than 190 different breeds to help identify the specific breed.

Within three weeks of administering the test, owners receive an eight-page report detailing their dog's ancestry.

Haggerty said the mixed-breed identification kits, which cost $70, have been popular in Fredericton so far.

Identifying a dog's breed can help owners understand what kind of dog they are dealing with, said Amy Schneider, a veterinarian at the Valley Veterinary Hospital in Fredericton.

"If you're talking about a mixed breed dog then you're talking about different breeds mixed together and then who knows what the resulting behaviours of that dog will be," she said.

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Dog DNA kits track mutt makeup

FREDERICTON, New Brunswick, June 22 (UPI) -- Canadian dog owners can now buy a DNA kit with "CSI-type technology" to help them determine their pet's breed, officials of an animal group say.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in the New Brunswick capital of Fredericton says the kit can help owners confirm if their pet is purebred or a mutt, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reported Friday.

Within three weeks of administering the DNA test, owners receive an eight-page report detailing their dog's ancestry from matching the DNA to a genetic database of more than 190 different breeds.

"This is CSI-type technology that is now available in your home," said LeeAnn Haggerty, education and outreach coordinator for the Fredericton SPCA.

The identification kits, which cost $70, have been popular in Fredericton so far, she said.

Confirming a dog's breed, or its mix, can help owners understand what kind of dog they are dealing with, Fredericton veterinarian Amy Schneider said.

"If you're talking about a mixed breed dog then you're talking about different breeds mixed together and then who knows what the resulting behaviors of that dog will be," she said.

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Dog owners offered 'CSI-type' DNA test

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (CBS) A state appeals court has ordered that DNA evidence from a 1997 murder trial in Lake County be tested for the first time.

As WBBM Newsradios Bernie Tafoya reports, Louis Rozo, 46, has already served more than 15 years of his 75-year sentence. He was convicted of the murder of retired speech pathology professor Christy Shervanian, 69, on Dec. 1, 1996, in his Highland Park home.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradios Bernie Tafoya reports

Rozo tried a few years ago to get a Lake County judge to order than evidence from the trial undergo DNA testing, but he was turned down.

But now, a higher court says samples of tissue from underneath the victims fingernails, and blood recovered from a glove, should be tested.

Rozo also wants the DNA samples to be compared to those of two men who were lovers of the victim. One of them, Rudolph Zink, even testified for the prosecution at Rozos trial in 1997.

There is no reason not to test the already extant DNA evidence of the two other men whom (Rozo) alleges were actually involved in the murder. This evidence would be materially relevant to defendants claim of innocence, Second District Appellate Justice Robert McLaren wrote in his opinion.

Rozo will be eligible for parole in 2034.

DNA evidence is a hot-button issue in Lake County, following several recent cases where it led to convictions being tossed, or charges being dropped.

Leading the high-profile cases in Lake County is that of Jerry Hobbs, who was jailed for five years awaiting trial, having been charged in the murders of his 8-year-old daughter, Laura Hobbs, and her friend, Krystal Tobias, 9. Their bodies were found in 2005 in the Beulah Park Forest Preserve in Zion.

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Appeals Court Allows For DNA Testing In 1996 Highland Park Murder Case

MO BIO's novel MagnaClear(TM) technology, included in the PowerMag(TM) Soil DNA Isolation Kit, enables automated purification of DNA from soil, stool and environmental samples without surface binding to the beads, eliminating the adsorption of organic inhibitors that is typical of other magnetic bead technologies, and facilitating isolation of pure DNA. The PowerMag(TM) Microbial DNA Isolation Kit contains unique MagnaSwift(TM) technology, developed for rapid, automated purification of inhibitor-free DNA from pure microbial cultures, food cultures and swabs. The PowerMag(TM) Soil and Microbial DNA Kits are the first magnetic bead-based purification kits to incorporate patented Inhibitor Removal Technology, which removes PCR-inhibiting compounds associated with soil, stool and food cultures, including humic substances, phenolics, lipids and polysaccharides.

The PowerMag(TM) Soil and Microbial DNA Isolation Kits are available now. For more information, visit the MO BIO website (www.mobio.com/powermag) or call 800-606-6246.

MO BIO Laboratories, Inc. (www.mobio.com) has developed innovative tools for researchers in molecular biology since 1993. A global leader in solutions for soil and microbial nucleic acid purification, MO BIO's Power kits contain patented Inhibitor Removal Technology for removal of PCR inhibiting substances during the nucleic acid purification procedure. For samples that do not require inhibitor removal, MO BIO's UltraClean line includes optimized products for DNA and RNA isolation from a variety of sample types. For clinical samples, the BiOstic(TM) kits provide solutions for higher yields and purity of nucleic acids. At MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., our focus is quality products that work, save time and function for all sample types, not just the easy ones. It is MO BIO's aim to make researchers' working lives more productive and efficient, creating time to focus on what is critical, not just in work, but in life.

CONTACT: Heather Martinez, Technical Product Manager of MO BIO Laboratories, Inc., +1-760-929-9911

Web Site: http://www.mobio.com

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DNA Isolation Kits feature magnetic bead-based design.

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) In the small Texas town of Del Rio, about five miles from the Mexican border, lies Westlawn Cemetery, a place where the poor and lost are buried in unmarked graves, their identities unknown. A group of Baylor University professors and students hope to give those buried there a name and return them to their loved ones.

Dr. Lori Baker, associate professor of anthropology at Baylor, forensic science lecturer Jim Huggins, and 18 students exhumed remains at the cemetery and are performing DNA analysis to help identify the deceased.

After exhuming the graves, students worked in teams to analyze the remains and are in the process of performing a full anthropological analysis to determine age, sex, ancestry, and stature of the deceased, measuring and completing 3D scans of the bones at laboratories at Baylor and Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

During the field school in Del Rio, the team unearthed six deceased to be identified along with the remains of a baby. "I am hoping that we will be able to go back and see if the mother was also buried in the cemetery near the baby," Baker said.

The DNA analysis will be included in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) and the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) and shared with officials in Del Rio and the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs with the goal of positive identification and repatriation of the remains to their families in Mexico. For Baker, the field school is a unique opportunity for students to learn and have an impact on others.

"No one else in the United States is doing this right now -- taking students on a field school to identify the undocumented population that have died while crossing the border. This is unique," said Baker. "This field school has allowed the students to learn with hands-on experience how to locate and recover human remains in a forensic context. They are learning how to analyze the remains in order to learn all that they can from the deceased and how to look for signs of antemortem and post-mortem trauma. There is no better learning experience that we can provide for them. The field school also provided an opportunity for the students to work in a humanitarian effort that has the potential to significantly affect others."

Although this is Huggins's first field school of this type, his almost 30-year career in law enforcement has allowed him to experience exhumations as part of forensic criminal investigations. He believes experience is the best teacher for the students. "This type of project provides real-world experience for students who aspire to become anthropologists and forensic scientists as well as those who desire to serve in a worthwhile project," Huggins said.

Baker, who was recently featured in a four-part series on the National Geographic Channel called "The Decrypters," has examined the remains of roughly 300 unidentified, undocumented immigrants that resulted in 70 direct identifications and subsequent repatriations as part of her Reuniting Families Program. She hopes to help families heal after the loss of their loved ones.

"The families are left without knowledge of what became of their loved ones. These deceased individuals are buried without names and as long as they are buried, there is no further action to find their identities," Baker said. "We will do all we can to give them names and to get them back to their families. We hope that the closure will bring peace to the families."

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DNA used to identify deceased along Texas-Mexico border

The DNA of a man allegedly involved in a violent drug-related beating was found on a zap strap and a piece of electrical tape used to bind the victim, an expert testified at trial Monday in North Vancouver.

The victim's blood was also found on a picture frame inside another accused man's home, the expert said.

The DNA is among the physical evidence linking Robin Landrew Pryce, 42, of Surrey and Paul Joseph Defaveri, 50, of Squamish to a violent beating of Ronald Perry, 68, in a North Vancouver home almost three years ago.

Bryce and Defaveri are on trial for the attempted murder and aggravated assault of Perry before provincial court Judge Steven Merrick.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Earlier in the trial, Perry - who was involved in the criminal underworld -described how he was attacked with hammer and had his eyes gouged out after he tried to blackmail people who ran a marijuana North Vancouver grow op. Perry described in horrific detail how he was violently beaten inside the bungalow in the 1600-block of Phillip Avenue by two men on Sept. 2, 2009.

A passerby found him early the next morning, with a bag over his head, bound with zap straps, wire and tape, inside his car, parked on Vancouver's Oxford Street.

In court, Perry identified Defaveri as one of the people he'd gone to speak to in the house on Sept. 2, 2009. Pryce, Defaveri, and Defaveri's wife Marney King were living in the rented house at the time.

One of Defaveri's fingerprints was found in blood on an interior door of the house, a police investigator testified.

On Monday, DNA expert May Clark from the RCMP's forensic lab in Edmonton identified that blood - and samples taken from several other places in the Phillip Avenue house - as matching Perry's.

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DNA points to link in drug beating trial

With a rare possibility of exceptions, the DNA of Stanley Griffin was found under the fingernails of Jennifer Hailey, according to a DPS Crime Lab analyst.

Griffin is on trial for the September 2010 murder of Hailey in her College Station apartment. Griffin faces a capital murder charge, and the State of Texas is seeking the death penalty if they secure a conviction.

On Wednesday, the third day of testimony in the trial, analyst Allison Heard also told the jury a garden trowel found in an outdoor trash can near the Hailey home the morning of the murder was covered in the blood of Hailey's son. Heard could match any DNA on the handle.

- Click Here for Live Updates from the Courtroom from Steve Fullhart - Click Here for a Recap of Day 2 of the Trial - Click Here for a Recap of Day 1 of the Trial - Click Here for the Preview of the Trial

Authorities allege Griffin attacked the then-nine-year-old shortly after he saw his mother being strangled in her bedroom. Monday, the child testified that he saw Griffin on his mother's back choking her out, then ordered him to go back to his room. When he reemerged 15 minutes later, the boy said Griffin choked him and struck him in the head and neck with the trowel.

Again with a rare possibility of exceptions, the blood of the child was found on the shoes Griffin was wearing when he was arrested hours after the murder, this according to Emma Becker, a second crime lab analyst who testified Wednesday morning.

Prosecutors contend Hailey used her right hand to try and rip Griffin's left arm from around her neck. When authorities found Griffin later the day of the murder, he had fresh scratch marks on his left arm. He said they were caused two days earlier from riding his bike through brush.

A baseball cap found in the Pedernales Drive home of Hailey and her son was also tested for DNA. Hailey's DNA almost certainly was found on it, Heard testified. With other DNA found on the cap, Griffin could not be excluded as a possibility, but it was not as conclusive.

Shortly before the murder, Griffin was seen in surveillance video at a Navasota convenience store with a friend, who testified to dropping Griffin off near Hailey's home. He was wearing a similar hat.

Prosecutors elevated a murder charge against Griffin to capital because they allege he kidnapped Hailey's son. By the letter of the law, they claim the kidnapping was by virtue of Griffin's order to the boy to go back to his room as Griffin attack the boy's mother.

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DNA Evidence Ties Griffin to Murder Victim, Her Son

LEAMINGTON SPA, United Kingdom, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --DNA Dynamics, Inc.(OTC Pink: DNAD), a global developer and publisher of mobile videogames, is pleased to report that its newest mobile point-and-click adventure game, THE NAKED GUN: I.C.U.P., was recently featured as the "App of the Day" on Appsfire and as "New and Noteworthy" in the Apple App Stores in the U.S., Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

On Friday, June 15 the day after DNA launched its special five-day "Get NAKED for Under a Buck" promotional event, THE NAKED GUN: I.C.U.P quickly ascended the App Store ratings charts in the U.S., hitting #3 in the iPad Paid Entertainment category and #45 in overall iPad Paid Apps. Moreover, with 139 individual game reviews in the App Store has given THE NAKED GUN an overall 4.5 (out of 5) star rating.

About DNA Interactive Ltd

Established in 2010, DNA Interactive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of DNA Dynamics, is a publisher of games and apps for mobile and tablet devices including iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. At the present time, DNA Interactive's IP portfolio is comprised of proprietary game titles which include Quest of Legends, Jigsawium, Legacy: Mystery Mansion, Chess Crusade and Sudokium. Its licensed titles include The Naked Gun: I.C.U.P. and Warheads: Medieval Tales. For more information, please visit http://www.dna-interactive.com.

About DNA Dynamics, Inc.

Headquartered in Leamington Spa in the United Kingdom, DNA Dynamics is a worldwide developer and publisher of graphically rich, highly experiential interactive entertainment currently delivered on iOS, Android, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP platforms. Through its operating subsidiaries, DNA Studios and DNA Interactive, the Company has created, acquired or licensed a portfolio of highly recognizable or emerging brands that broadly appeal to its consumer demographics, ranging from children to adults and casual gamers to serious enthusiasts. For more information, please go to http://www.dnadynamics.net. You can also follow the Company on Facebook and Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of DNA Dynamics, Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of DNA Dynamics, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on DNA Dynamics' future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. DNA Dynamics cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, DNA Dynamics undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by DNA Dynamics.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:Elite Financial Communications Group, LLC Dodi Handy, President and CEO (Twitter:dodihandy) For Media: Kathy Addison, COO (Twitter:kathyaddison) (407) 585-1080 or via email at DNAD@efcg.net

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DNA Dynamics' The Naked Gun: I.C.U.P.® Hits #3 in iPad® Paid Entertainment Category and #45 in Overall iPad Paid Apps ...

U. chemistry professors Cynthia Burrows and Henry White led research team that developed a new way to detect DNA damage by adapting so-called nanopore technology used to sequence DNA and decipher genetic blueprints. Photo Credit: Lee J. Siegel, University of Utah

Research Study uses a protein known as a nanopore to pinpoint missing pieces in genome.

University of Utah chemists are refining a method for combing a persons genome in search of DNA damage that leads to mutations and disease. Professors Henry White and Cythnia Burrows are building on the so-called nanopore technique of sequencing DNA in which strands of genetic material are passed through a molecule-sized path, a protein known as a "nanopore."

"My interest in not just sequencing the A, T, C and G [letters corresponding to the basic molecules of DNA] but changes that happen on those bases from mutations," said Burrows. "A certain amount is OK because it gets fixed. That damage is ultimately where disease is caused, especially age-related diseases like cancer."

White, who chairs the U. chemistry department, and Burrows describe their method in a string of recent studies, including one published this week in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Strands of DNA are made of "nucleotide bases," the building blocks of nucleic acids. Some stretches of DNA strands are genes, which serve as codes that are translated into proteins.

The new mutation-hunting method looks for places where a base is missing known as an "abasic site" one of the most frequent lesions in the 3 billion-letter human genome. Such DNA damage happens 18,000 times a day in a typical human cell from exposure to countless irritants, such as sunlight, car exhaust and fast food.

"Over the course of a lifetime not every piece of damage gets repaired. You accumulate those over a lifetime. At some point you have a higher likelihood of one of these disease-causing mutations cropping up," Burrows said. Besides various cancers, other diseases arising from DNA damage include Huntingtons and atherosclerosis.

The cost of sequencing a persons genome will soon drop to less than $1,000 and become commonplace, allowing patients greater access to their genetic predisposition to disease and responsiveness to particular treatments. It currently costs about $10,000 and takes at least a week.

Burrow and Whites team adapted the nanopore sequencing technique so that it locates damage with the help of electrically charged saline-like liquids. Their method measures changes in the electrical signal as the DNA passes through the nanopore, like thread passing through the eye of a needle.

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University of Utah chemists developing new way to identify DNA damage

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

DNA Brands, Inc. (DNAX), makers of the great tasting DNA Energy Drink and DNA Meat Snacks, each a favorite of the action sports community and its enthusiastic followers, announced today that The Original Fast Food Company began distribution of DNAs Energy Drink product on June 12, 2012, beginning in Tallahassee, Florida, to be then followed by Pensacola, Florida. This will complete the Companys product distribution coverage of the Florida Panhandle and set the stage for its next phase of expansion covered by Original including the Gulf Coast regions of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as Southern Tennessee.

Robert Soler, General Manager of Grass Roots Beverage Company, a DNA subsidiary said, "In addition to bringing our energy drink to a larger audience, this partnership with The Original Fast Food Company in Pensacola and Tallahassee now gives us full coverage of the state of Florida, This expansion also makes us one of the few distribution options for other manufactures and brands seeking full statewide distribution through a single entity.

Jess McEntire, President/CEO of The Original Fast Food Company said, We chose to distribute DNA because it is undoubtedly the best tasting product of its class in the market. We are extremely excited to be part of this growing brand that is produced here in the state of Florida, and to be at the forefront of the brands increasing popularity. I'm confident that DNA Energy will be an important part of our portfolio of lines."

About The Original Fast Food Company

The Original Fast Food Company is a Direct Store Distributor of fresh fruit and sundries to the gas/convenience retail market, ranging from independent single and multi-store operations to regional and national chains. Areas of coverage include the Florida Panhandle, the Gulf Coast regions of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as Southern Tennessee.

About DNA Brands, Inc.

DNA BRANDS make DNA Energy Drink, the award-winning, best-tasting energy drink at the 2010 World Beverage Competition, and DNA Shred Stix. DNA Energy Drink is a proprietary blend of quality ingredients in four flavors Citrus, Lemon Lime, Sugar Free Citrus and CRANRAZBERRY. DNA is a proud sponsor of many action sport teams consisting of top athletes from Motocross, Surf, Wakeboard and Skateboard. Independent retailers throughout the state sell the DNA Brand products as well as national retailers including Walgreens, Race Trac and Circle K. Distribution is primarily through Grass Roots Beverage, the Companys wholly owned subsidiary and various Miller and Anheuser-Busch distributors in select markets.

True to its actions sports roots, DNA BRANDS, INC., has earned national recognition through its sponsorship of the DNA Energy Drink/Jeff Ward Racing team where it competes on a world-class level in Supercross and Motocross, reaching millions of fans. DNA Energy Drink(R) can also be found in other action sports such as Surfing, BMX, Wakeboarding and Skateboarding and its athletes are recognized stars in their own right.

For more information about DNA Energy Drink, its athletes and sponsorships, please visit http://www.dnabrandsusa.com or contact:

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DNA Brands Signs Multi-State Distribution Agreement with the Original Fast Food Company

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) -

DNA evidence could exonerate 38 people convicted of sexual assault and homicide in Virginia decades ago.

The findings of Virginia's post-conviction DNA project were released Monday by the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C.

In 2005, Virginia launched a huge undertaking for forensic labs to DNA test old swabs and threads of evidence that scientists filed away in the 1970s and 1980s. The Virginia Department of Forensic Science took on the tedious task of sifting through filed-away evidence for nearly 800 rape and homicide cases. Deputy Director Gail Jaspen says in 78 of those conviction cases from 1973 to 1988, the criminal's DNA wasn't discovered in the recently analyzed evidence.

"It is an indication when you make that finding, that further investigation is probably warranted and indeed, that's what has occurred in many cases," said Jaspen.

Five convicts have already been exonerated through the effort. Now, the Urban Institute says there could be many more.

"As much as one in six convicted offenders in Virginia in the '70s and 80s for sexual assault probably wasn't the right person," said John Roman, whois leading the study on the new data.

The Urban Institute's study concludes that for 38 of the criminals (33 sexual assault cases, five homicide cases) whose DNA wasn't found, there is a strong chance that the wrong person was put behind bars. However, Roman points out that only cases in which evidence still existed were examined, and that many other cases lacking evidence will never be rehashed.

"In most cases, evidence wasn't retained, which means that there's lots of other people in Virginia at that time who were wrongfully convicted," concluded Roman.

However, the process has only now begun for offenders who have found new hope with the recent DNA testing. The lab reports must be sent to the investigators and prosecutors who originally dealt with the case. The legal process for exoneration must then be taken on.

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DNA could free 38 sex assault, murder convicts

By Dena Potter and Zinie Chen Sampson The Associated Press June 18, 2012

RICHMOND

New DNA testing in hundreds of old Virginia homicide and sexual assault cases supports the exoneration of at least 38 suspects, according to a study released Monday by a national policy group that examined the test results.

The Urban Institute's study is the first to say how many exonerations are likely from Virginia's stash of archived, decades-old biological samples that so far have cleared at least five men who were convicted of sexual assaults. Officials with the state Department of Forensic Science, which is conducting the testing project, have said their job is not to suggest who should be exonerated, but to test the samples and deliver the results to law enforcement officials who determine whether they believe someone is innocent.

The institute's researchers found that in 5 percent of homicide and sexual assault cases, DNA testing ruled out the convicted person. If the scope is narrowed to just the sexual assault convictions, DNA testing eliminated between 8 percent and 15 percent of convicted offenders. The wrongful conviction rate previously had been estimated at 3 percent or less.

Although all of these tests were done on Virginia cases, a lead researcher said the results likely could be applied elsewhere.

"I believe that there's nothing about the Virginia situation that is much different from what was going on across much of the United States at that time," said John Roman of the Urban Institute. "I think that states have a responsibility to take these findings seriously in other places and investigate other cases that they have where they have retained evidence, because chances are they're going to find far more wrongfully convicted people than they would have anticipated before this study."

Researchers analyzed the results of new testing of DNA samples archived from 635 murder, sexual assault and non-negligent manslaughter cases that led to convictions. The cases stemmed from 715 offenses in Virginia between 1973 and 1987.

Virginia was able to do the testing because a state serologist and those she had trained had retained cotton swabs and clothing swatches. The samples mainly contained semen and blood samples from the cases during an era when DNA analysis wasn't widely used as an investigative tool. After two men were exonerated following the discovery of the old evidence, the state in 2005 ordered each of the samples tested.

The report acknowledged certain limitations. For instance, it said that in two-thirds of the cases the samples didn't have enough DNA for testing. Roman said that may mean the number of false convictions is much higher.

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Study: DNA tests show scale of bad convictions in Va.

Its been more than nine years, but a DNA match with a Texas prisoner has led to an arrest in a Montgomery County rape case.

David Martinez (Courtesy of Montgomery County police) David Martinez, 30, is facing rape, kidnapping and other charges in connection with the sexual assault of a 23-year-old woman in the Silver Spring area on March 3, 2003, according to Montgomery police.

The young woman had parked her car in the 700 block of Lowander Lane and was walking home when a man pushed her down, choked her, sexually assaulted her, then drove her in the back seat of a vehicle to Montgomery Knolls Elementary School, where he raped her and fled, Montgomery police said.

Montgomery authorities were told in July 2011 that a national DNA database linked Martinez to evidence from the rape scene, police said. Texas corrections officials said Martinez was serving a three-year sentence for injury to child before being transferred to Montgomery on June 14. A hearing is scheduled for July 13.

Electronic court records do not indicate if Martinez has retained an attorney.

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DNA match in 2003 Silver Spring rape case

Sterile oral swabs are used for DNA testing

DNA testing is often likened to identifying a suspect or victim of a crime a la Crime Scene Investigation, the television hit series. However, apart from using DNA as a tool to solve crime, there is an increasing awareness of the importance of knowing your personal DNA make-up and its implications, applications or relevance to health.

With recent innovations, a person can take his or her DNA samples in the comfort of the home using user-friendly testing kits.

EasyDNA Malaysia director Datin Sharifah Khairiyah Syed Mohamad says that DNA testing, especially using home-based testing kits, is a fairly new development in the country.

In most cases, the awareness comes after unpleasant situations such as infidelity or relationship disputes following wealth or property claims, she says.

Many have yet to realise that DNA testing is more than just about identifying a person or ascertaining relationship links between an alleged father and a child, or between siblings.

There are several types of DNA testing meant for various reasons. Besides the standard paternity tests, there are also procedures which are done for legal purposes such as Legal DNA Testing, DNA Profiles or Immigration DNA Testing.

Sharifah Khairiyah says: Such tests are for insurance claims or immigration reasons. There are cases where people take such tests for religious or marital purposes such as to find a valid wali (a Muslim womans closest adult male relative who has the authority to give her away in marriage).

It is also a trend among the rich and famous to keep their DNA profiles to protect their wealth and identities. There are also individuals who take the Ancestral Origin Testing to trace family roots or ethnicity, she adds.

PREDICTIVE POWER OF DNA

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Taking DNA samples at home

ScienceDaily (June 18, 2012) Scientists worldwide are racing to sequence DNA -- decipher genetic blueprints -- faster and cheaper than ever by passing strands of the genetic material through molecule-sized pores. Now, University of Utah scientists have adapted this "nanopore" method to find DNA damage that can lead to mutations and disease.

The chemists report the advance in the week of June 18 online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We're using this technique and synthetic organic chemistry to be able to see a damage site as it flies through the nanopore," says Henry White, distinguished professor and chair of chemistry at the University of Utah and senior coauthor of the new study.

Strands of DNA are made of "nucleotide bases" known as A, T, G and C. Some stretches of DNA strands are genes.

The new method looks for places where a base is missing, known as an "abasic site," one of the most frequent forms of damage in the 3-billion-base human genome or genetic blueprint. This kind of DNA damage happens 18,000 times a day in a typical cell as we are exposed to everything from sunlight to car exhaust. Most of the damage is repaired, but sometimes it leads to a gene mutation and ultimately disease.

By combining nanopore damage-detection with other chemical ways of altering DNA, the researchers hope to make this new technique capable of detecting other kinds of DNA damage by converting the damage to a missing base, says the study's other senior coauthor, Cynthia Burrows, a distinguished professor of chemistry at the University of Utah.

She adds: "Damage to the bases of DNA contributes to many age-related diseases, including melanoma; lung, colon and breast cancers; Huntington's disease; and atherosclerosis."

A patent is pending on the new method of doing chemistry on DNA that allows damage sites to be found using nanopore technology.

White and Burrows conducted the study with first author, Na An, a doctoral student in chemistry and Aaron Fleming, a postdoctoral research associate in chemistry. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, with equipment and software donations by Electronic BioSciences of San Diego.

Toward Cheaper, Faster DNA Sequencing

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Chemists use nanopores to detect DNA damage