SCIENTISTS have created a robot made from DNA that can be instructed to find diseased cells in the body and deliver a payload to kill or reprogram them, according to a study from Harvard University.

The robot was made by folding DNA strands into a shape roughly like a clamshell. The researchers programmed the nano-sized device to open in the presence of leukaemia and lymphoma cells in a laboratory dish, where they delivered immune system antibodies that caused the cells to self-destruct, according to a report in the journal Science.

The next step will be to test the system in animals, tweaking the robot so it can circulate longer to locate all cancer cells. The technology isn't ready for commercial use, said Shawn Douglas, an author of the study.

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''In diseases such as cancer we know if we can find every single last cell and kill or reprogram it, we can cure that disease,'' said Dr Douglas, a researcher at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, in Boston. ''A lot of our current therapies fall short.''

The idea is based on the behaviour of the body's immune cells, which recognise viruses or other invaders and attack them, Dr Douglas said. The DNA nano-robots, with similar capabilities, may potentially lead to the development of new types of targeted cancer treatments that kill only abnormal cells, he said.

The robots don't reproduce. They have to be built in a process that has gained traction since the idea of DNA nanotechnology was first suggested in 1982.

DNA is a material, shaped in the form of a revolving ladder, that carries the genetic information in our cells. The double-sided strands have so-called sticky ends that allow them to be joined with other DNA. Scientists, led by Nadrian Seeman, now head of the department of chemistry at New York University, have used those sticky ends to form DNA into lattices that can be shaped.

The latest research created a robot in a clamshell shape that's held together with a ''zipper'' made of a special sequence of DNA, the report said. The zipper was programmed to release its grip when it recognised specific targets on a cell, allowing the robot to release its payload.

Dr Douglas and fellow scientists used the robot to deliver instructions encoded in antibodies to the cancer cells.

''It's an important step forward in specific targeting,'' said Milan Stojanovic, an assistant professor of experimental therapeutics at Columbia University, New York, who wasn't involved in the research. ''It looks exciting.''

Besides cancer, the robots may also benefit people with autoimmune disease, Dr Douglas said.

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DNA robot inflicts fatal blow on cancer cells

ScienceDaily (Feb. 16, 2012) — Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a robotic device made from DNA that could potentially seek out specific cell targets within a complex mixture of cell types and deliver important molecular instructions, such as telling cancer cells to self-destruct. Inspired by the mechanics of the body's own immune system, the technology might one day be used to program immune responses to treat various diseases.

The research findings recently appear in the journal Science.

Using the DNA origami method, in which complex three-dimensional shapes and objects are constructed by folding strands of DNA, Shawn Douglas, Ph.D., a Wyss Technology Development Fellow, and Ido Bachelet, Ph.D., a former Wyss Postdoctoral Fellow who is now an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Nano-Center at Bar-Ilan University in Israel, created a nanosized robot in the form of an open barrel whose two halves are connected by a hinge. The DNA barrel, which acts as a container, is held shut by special DNA latches that can recognize and seek out combinations of cell-surface proteins, including disease markers. When the latches find their targets, they reconfigure, causing the two halves of the barrel to swing open and expose its contents, or payload. The container can hold various types of payloads, including specific molecules with encoded instructions that can interact with specific cell surface signaling receptors.

Douglas and Bachelet used this system to deliver instructions, which were encoded in antibody fragments, to two different types of cancer cells -- leukemia and lymphoma. In each case, the message to the cell was to activate its "suicide switch" -- a standard feature that allows aging or abnormal cells to be eliminated. And since leukemia and lymphoma cells speak different languages, the messages were written in different antibody combinations.

This programmable nanotherapeutic approach was modeled on the body's own immune system in which white blood cells patrol the bloodstream for any signs of trouble. These infection fighters are able to home in on specific cells in distress, bind to them, and transmit comprehensible signals to them to self-destruct. The DNA nanorobot emulates this level of specificity through the use of modular components in which different hinges and molecular messages can be switched in and out of the underlying delivery system, much as different engines and tires can be placed on the same chassis. The programmable power of this type of modularity means the system has the potential to one day be used to treat a variety of diseases.

"We can finally integrate sensing and logical computing functions via complex, yet predictable, nanostructures -- some of the first hybrids of structural DNA, antibodies, aptamers and metal atomic clusters -- aimed at useful, very specific targeting of human cancers and T-cells," said George Church, Ph.D., a Wyss core faculty member and Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, who is Principal Investigator on the project. Because DNA is a natural biocompatible and biodegradable material, DNA nanotechnology is widely recognized for its potential as a delivery mechanism for drugs and molecular signals. But there have been significant challenges to its implementation, such as what type of structure to create; how to open, close, and reopen that structure to insert, transport, and deliver a payload; and how to program this type of nanoscale robot.

By combining several novel elements for the first time, the new system represents a significant advance in overcoming these implementation obstacles. For instance, because the barrel-shaped structure has no top or bottom lids, the payloads can be loaded from the side in a single step--without having to open the structure first and then reclose it. Also, while other systems use release mechanisms that respond to DNA or RNA, the novel mechanism used here responds to proteins, which are more commonly found on cell surfaces and are largely responsible for transmembrane signaling in cells. Finally, this is the first DNA-origami-based system that uses antibody fragments to convey molecular messages -- a feature that offers a controlled and programmable way to replicate an immune response or develop new types of targeted therapies.

"This work represents a major breakthrough in the field of nanobiotechnology as it demonstrates the ability to leverage recent advances in the field of DNA origami pioneered by researchers around the world, including the Wyss Institute's own William Shih, to meet a real-world challenge, namely killing cancer cells with high specificity," said Wyss Institute Founding Director, Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. Ingber is also the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital Boston, and Professor of Bioengineering at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "This focus on translating technologies from the laboratory into transformative products and therapies is what the Wyss Institute is all about."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

S. M. Douglas, I. Bachelet, G. M. Church. A Logic-Gated Nanorobot for Targeted Transport of Molecular Payloads. Science, 2012; 335 (6070): 831 DOI: 10.1126/science.1214081

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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DNA nanorobot triggers targeted therapeutic responses

A Houston man faces charges of rape and robbery in a 2009 case after a DNA test identified him as a suspect.

James West Jorden, 26, who is wanted on a charge of aggravated sexual assault, was not in custody Friday, according to online law enforcement records.

A woman told Houston police that she went to an apartment in the 6900 block of the South Loop East on July 5, 2009, to visit a friend.

As she walked through the complex, a man that she had never seen before pushed her into a vacant apartment, where he pulled her to the ground by her hair, according to court documents.

The man, later identified as Jorden through a DNA match, got on top of her and forced her to remove her pants and panties as he punched her several times in the head, records state.

After raping her, the man demanded her money, according to a complaint against Jorden filed by the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The woman pulled $190 from her clothing and threw it at the man, the complaint states.

As he was picking up the money, the woman ran to her car and drove to Ben Taub General Hospital, where she was examined for rape and gave a report to police, records state.

Last month, the state crime laboratory in Austin reported that a sample from the woman's rape kit matched Jorden's DNA. On Jan. 26, the woman tentatively identified him as her assailant in a photo line-up, police said.

carol.christian@chron.com

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DNA matches Houston man to 2009 rape

Newswise — A North Carolina State University chemist has found a way to give DNA-based computing better control over logic operations. His work could lead to interfacing DNA-based computing with traditional silicon-based computing.

The idea of using DNA molecules – the material genes are made of – to perform computations is not new; scientists have been working on it for over a decade. DNA has the ability to store much more data than conventional silicon-based computers, as well as the potential to perform calculations in a biological environment – inside a live cell, for example. But while the technology holds much promise, it is still limited in terms of the ability to control when and where particular computations occur.

Dr. Alex Deiters, associate professor of chemistry at NC State, developed a method for controlling a logic gate within a DNA-based computing system. Logic gates are the means by which computers “compute,” as sets of them are combined in different ways to enable the computer to ultimately perform tasks like addition or subtraction. In DNA computing, these gates are created by combinations of different strands of DNA, rather than by a series of transistors. The drawback is that DNA computation events normally take place in a test tube, where the sequence of computation events cannot be easily controlled with spatial and temporal resolution. So while DNA logic gates can and do work, no one can tell them when or where to work, making it difficult to create sequences of computational events.

In a paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Deiters addressed the control problem by making portions of the input strands of DNA logic gates photoactivatable, or controllable by ultraviolet (UV) light. The process is known as photocaging. Deiters successfully photocaged several different nucleotides on a DNA logic gate known as an AND gate. When UV light was applied to the gate, it was activated and completed its computational event, showing that photoactivatable logic gates offer an effective solution to the “when and where” issues of DNA-based logic gate control.

Deiters hopes that using light to control DNA logic gates will give researchers the ability not only to create more complicated, sequential DNA computations, but also to create interfaces between silicon and DNA-based computers.

“Since the DNA gates are activated by light, it should be possible to trigger a DNA computation event by converting electrical impulses from a silicon-based computer into light, allowing the interaction of electrical circuits and biological systems,” Deiters says. “Being able to control these DNA events both temporally and spatially gives us a variety of new ways to program DNA computers.”

Note to editors: An abstract of the paper follows.

“DNA Computation: A Photochemically Controlled AND Gate”

Authors: Alex Prokup, James Hemphill, and Alexander Deiters, North Carolina State University
Published: Online in the Journal of the American Chemical Society

Abstract:
DNA computation is an emerging field that enables the assembly of complex circuits based on defined DNA logic gates. DNA-based logic gates have previously been operated through purely chemical means, controlling logic operations through DNA strands or other biomolecules. Although gates can operate through this manner, it limits temporal and spatial control of DNA-based logic operations. A photochemically controlled AND gate was developed through the incorporation of caged thymidine nucleotides into a DNA-based logic gate. By using light as the logic inputs, both spatial control and temporal control were achieved. In addition, design rules for light-regulated DNA logic gates were derived. A step-response, which can be found in a controller, was demonstrated. Photochemical inputs close the gap between DNA computation and silicon-based electrical circuitry, since light waves can be directly converted into electrical output signals and vice versa. This connection is important for the further development of an interface between DNA logic gates and electronic devices, enabling the connection of biological systems with electrical circuits.

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Better Control for DNA-Based Computations

New nano-robots made from DNA can transport a precise deadly cargo to unhealthy cells.

The tiny robots bring closer the long-held nanotech dream of a fleet of small robots that can storm the body and kill diseased cells one by one.

"People already know about using antibodies to kill cells," said Shawn Douglas, a technology fellow at Harvard Medical School's Wyss Institute, which develops bio-inspired medical materials and devices. "The selective targeting and exposing the payload, that's the big novel thing."

PHOTOS: Extraordinary Beauty of the NanoArt World

Douglas and genetics research fellow Ido Bachelet made the new DNA nano-robots at Harvard with genetics professor George M. Church, known for helping to launch the Human Genome Project. Their research will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Science.

First, Bachelet and Douglas wondered if they could combine their respective expertise in immunology and building nanostructures to design a robot that would mimic the body's immune system. It would recognize infected cells and push their self-destruct buttons.

Previous breakthroughs included a nanoscale cube with a lid debuted in 2009 that self-assembled in a process called "DNA origami." Adding DNA strands caused the box to open. But Douglas felt that making the box so it got delivered to the right cells would be too difficult. So would making the mechanisms to enter and reprogram the bad cells.

Then Bachelet suggested that they didn't have to reprogram anything. They just had to make a structure that could deliver the right antibodies to a cell's surface with a clear message: stop dividing.

"We could actually make an open-ended container and then all it would need to do is just turn itself inside out," Douglas said.

Their nano-robot is constructed from DNA in a clam shell shape held shut with a special DNA lock. That lock is designed to recognize certain kinds of cancer cells. When it encounters one, the robot springs open and exposes the antibody payload.

NEWS: How To Make Nano-Origami

So, in the fight against cancer, these nano-robots could be the equivalent of sending SEAL Team Six.

"Our ability to perform that 'surgical strike' with nanoscale devices will ultimately allow us to do so in a way that's safe for the patient," Douglas said.

"Once we had the idea in mind that we don’t actually need to build some cage that gets inside the cell, we can actually just talk to the surface, we realized that all the other steps solved themselves."

-- Shawn Douglas, Harvard technology fellow and bioinspired engineering postdoc on his A-Ha! Moment

In the lab, their nano-robot successfully blew up lymphoma and leukemia cells, leaving good cells alone. Doing one of these reactions typically requires 100 billion copies of the robot. In order to start testing their creation on animals, the Harvard postdocs will have to figure out how to scale up to trillions.

Although the nano-robot works in a Petri dish, it will have to be redesigned for a trip through the bloodstream, Douglas said. Modifications are necessary to prevent the particle from getting cleared out by the kidneys or the liver before it has a chance to perform.

"My dream is for one of these devices to ultimately go through clinical trials and become an actual therapeutic that would be a novel treatment for some type of cancer," Douglas said.

Kurt Gothelf is a professor of chemistry at Aarhus University in Denmark, and the director of the Danish National Research Foundation's Center for DNA Nanotechnology. He and his colleagues made the self-assembling nanoscale DNA box with a lid in 2009.

"This is one of the things the field has needed, something to show that, hey, this can actually be useful" Gothelf said of the Harvard group's DNA nano-robot. Although their smart nanodevice isn't curing cancer yet, it does mark an important step along the way, he added.

"People have been talking a lot about robots that enter your body, and go to a place where something is wrong and fix it," Gothelf said. "This is the first example that this might come true one day."

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DNA Robots Deliver Deadly Punch to Bad Cells

17 February 2012 Last updated at 07:42 ET By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News

Scientists have developed and tested a "DNA robot" that delivers payloads such as drug molecules to specific cells.

The container was made using a method called DNA origami, in which long DNA chains are folded in a prescribed way.

Then, so-called aptamers - which can recognise specific cell types - were used to lock the barrel-shaped robot.

In lab tests described in Science, the locks opened on contact with cancer cell proteins, releasing antibodies that halted the cells' growth.

The method could find wide use in biological applications, where this kind of "specificity" is highly prized.

Lead author of the research, Shawn Douglas of the Wyss Institute at Harvard University, said the result brings together several recent research strands.

"We've been working on figuring out how to build different shapes using DNA over the past several years, and other researchers have used antibodies as therapeutics, in order to manipulate cell signalling, and yet others have demonstrated that aptamers can be used to target cancer cell types," Dr Douglas told BBC News.

"The novel part is really integrating all those different pieces and putting them together in a single device that works."

In essence, the approach co-opts a number of strategies of our immune systems, with the robots playing the role of white blood cells that hunt down problematic cells and destroy them.

The team tested the robots using several cultures of cancer cells including lymphoma and leukemia, with corresponding payloads of antibodies.

Because DNA is found in nearly all of our cells, Dr Douglas said the robots posed fewer problems of toxicity than many materials would have.

Scientists have already discovered a large number of different aptamers that can "recognise" proteins corresponding to different diseases, so the approach could in principle be adapted to a wide range of applications.

Dr Douglas said that there was still much optimisation to be done on the robots; for now the team will create a great many of them to be tested in an animal model.

Continued here:
'DNA robot' targets cancer cells

Nature | Health

Device identifies target then releases deadly payload.

February 16, 2012 |

By Alla Katsnelson of Nature magazine

DNA origami, a technique for making structures from DNA, may be more than just a cool design concept. It can also be used to build devices that can seek out and destroy living cells. [View a "DNA Origami" Slide Show.]

The nanorobots, as the researchers call them, use a similar system to cells in the immune system to engage with receptors on the outside of cells.

"We call it a nanorobot because it is capable of some robotic tasks," says Ido Bachelet, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, and one of the authors of the study, which is published in the February 17 issue of Science. Once the device recognizes a cell, he explains, it automatically changes its shape and delivers its cargo.

The researchers designed the structure of the nanorobots using open-source software, called Cadnano, developed by one of the authors--Shawn Douglas, a biophysicist at Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. They then built the bots using DNA origami. The barrel-shaped devices, each about 35 nanometers in diameter, contain 12 sites on the inside for attaching payload molecules and two positions on the outside for attaching aptamers, short nucleotide strands with special sequences for recognizing molecules on the target cell. The aptamers act as clasps: once both have found their target, they spring open the device to release the payload.

"You can think about it as a sort of combination lock," says Bachelet. "Only when both markers are in place, can the entire robot open."

The researchers tested six combinations of aptamer locks, each of which were designed to target different types of cancer cells in culture. Those designed to hit a leukemia cell could pick that cell out of a mixture of cell types then release their payload--in this case, an antibody--to stop the cells from growing. They also tested payloads that could activate the immune system.

The work "takes us one more step along the path from the smartest drugs of today to the kind of medical nanobots we might imagine," says Paul Rothemund, a computational bioengineer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and inventor of DNA origami.

Right on target

Because the nanorobots can be programmed to release their payload only when the target cell is in the correct disease state, they achieve a specificity that other drug-delivery methods lack, says Hao Yan, a chemist and nanotechnologist at Arizona State University in Tempe. "This really takes advantage of the programmability of DNA nanotechnology."

Whether or not these structures will work in a living organism remains to be seen. For one thing, they are designed to communicate with molecules on a cell's surface. "If your therapeutic target is inside the cell, it's going to be tricky," says Bachelet.

What's more, the nanorobots are quickly cleared by the liver or destroyed by nucleases, enzymes chew up stray bits of DNA. It might be possible to coat them with a substance such as polyethylene glycol, widely used to boost the length of time a drug can remain in the body, says Douglas, or "maybe to borrow inspiration from other biomolecules or cells"--such as red blood cells--"that can circulate in the blood for a long time". He and his colleagues are just beginning to think about testing the nanobots in mice, he says.

"If these sorts of problems can be solved, then the nanorobots have a chance at becoming real therapeutics," Rothemund says.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on February 16, 2012.

Go here to see the original:
DNA Robot Kills Cancer Cells

New nano-robots made from DNA can transport a precise deadly cargo to unhealthy cells.

The tiny robots bring closer the long-held nanotech dream of a fleet of small robots that can storm the body and kill diseased cells one by one.

"People already know about using antibodies to kill cells," said Shawn Douglas, a technology fellow at Harvard Medical School's Wyss Institute, which develops bio-inspired medical materials and devices. "The selective targeting and exposing the payload, that's the big novel thing."

PHOTOS: Extraordinary Beauty of the NanoArt World

Douglas and genetics research fellow Ido Bachelet made the new DNA nano-robots at Harvard with genetics professor George M. Church, known for helping to launch the Human Genome Project. Their research will appear in a forthcoming issue of the journal Science.

First, Bachelet and Douglas wondered if they could combine their respective expertise in immunology and building nanostructures to design a robot that would mimic the body's immune system. It would recognize infected cells and push their self-destruct buttons.

WATCH VIDEO: Nanotechnology promises to make our lives better.

Previous breakthroughs included a nanoscale cube with a lid debuted in 2009 that self-assembled in a process called "DNA origami." Adding DNA strands caused the box to open. But Douglas felt that making the box so it got delivered to the right cells would be too difficult. So would making the mechanisms to enter and reprogram the bad cells.

Then Bachelet suggested that they didn't have to reprogram anything. They just had to make a structure that could deliver the right antibodies to a cell's surface with a clear message: stop dividing.

"We could actually make an open-ended container and then all it would need to do is just turn itself inside out," Douglas said.

Their nano-robot is constructed from DNA in a clam shell shape held shut with a special DNA lock. That lock is designed to recognize certain kinds of cancer cells. When it encounters one, the robot springs open and exposes the antibody payload.

NEWS: How To Make Nano-Origami

So, in the fight against cancer, these nano-robots could be the equivalent of sending SEAL Team Six.

"Our ability to perform that 'surgical strike' with nanoscale devices will ultimately allow us to do so in a way that's safe for the patient," Douglas said.

In the lab, their nano-robot successfully blew up lymphoma and leukemia cells, leaving good cells alone. Doing one of these reactions typically requires 100 billion copies of the robot. In order to start testing their creation on animals, the Harvard postdocs will have to figure out how to scale up to trillions.

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Although the nano-robot works in a Petri dish, it will have to be redesigned for a trip through the bloodstream, Douglas said. Modifications are necessary to prevent the particle from getting cleared out by the kidneys or the liver before it has a chance to perform.

"My dream is for one of these devices to ultimately go through clinical trials and become an actual therapeutic that would be a novel treatment for some type of cancer," Douglas said.

Kurt Gothelf is a professor of chemistry at Aarhus University in Denmark, and the director of the Danish National Research Foundation's Center for DNA Nanotechnology. He and his colleagues made the self-assembling nanoscale DNA box with a lid in 2009.

"This is one of the things the field has needed, something to show that, hey, this can actually be useful" Gothelf said of the Harvard group's DNA nano-robot. Although their smart nanodevice isn't curing cancer yet, it does mark an important step along the way, he added.

"People have been talking a lot about robots that enter your body, and go to a place where something is wrong and fix it," Gothelf said. "This is the first example that this might come true one day."

© 2012 Discovery Channel

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DNA robots hunt down and kill cancer cells

By Elizabeth Lopatto - Thu Feb 16 19:00:00 GMT 2012

Enlarge image Robot Made from DNA May Help Deliver Drugs

Campbell Strong, Shawn Douglas & Gael McGill using Molecular Maya & cadnano via Bloomberg

Cell-targeting DNA nano-robots bearing antibody fragment payloads.

Cell-targeting DNA nano-robots bearing antibody fragment payloads. Source: Campbell Strong, Shawn Douglas & Gael McGill using Molecular Maya & cadnano via Bloomberg

Scientists have created a robot made entirely from DNA that can be instructed to find diseased cells in the body and deliver a payload to kill or reprogram them, according to a study from Harvard University.

The robot was constructed by folding DNA strands into a shape that looks roughly like a clamshell. The researchers programmed the nano-sized device to open in the presence of leukemia and lymphoma cells in a laboratory dish, where they delivered immune system antibodies that caused the cells to self-destruct, according to a report in the journal Science.

The next step will be to test the system in animals, tweaking the robot so that it can circulate longer in the blood to locate all cancer cells. The technology isn’t yet ready for commercial use, said Shawn Douglas, an author of the study.

“In diseases such as cancer we know if we can find every single last cell and kill or reprogram it, we can cure that disease,” said Douglas, a researcher at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard, in Boston. “A lot of our current therapies fall short.”

The idea is based on the behavior of the body’s immune cells, which recognize viruses or other invaders and attack them, Douglas said. The DNA nano-robots, with similar capabilities, may potentially lead to the development of new types of targeted cancer treatments that kill only abnormal cells, he said.

The robots don’t reproduce. They have to be constructed in a process that has gained traction since the idea of DNA nanotechnology was first suggested in 1982.

DNA is a material, shaped in the form of a revolving ladder, which carries the genetic information in our cells.

The double-sided strands have so-called sticky ends that allow them to be joined together with other DNA. Scientists, led by Nadrian Seeman, now head of the Department of Chemistry at New York University, have used those sticky ends to form DNA into lattices that can be shaped in various ways.

The latest research created a robot in a clamshell shape that’s held together with a “zipper” constructed of a special sequence of DNA, the report said. The zipper was programmed to release its grip when it recognized specific targets on a cell, allowing the robot to release its payload.

In the experiment, Douglas and his fellow scientists used the robot they constructed to deliver instructions encoded in antibodies to the cancer cells.

“It’s an important step forward in specific targeting,” said Milan Stojanovic, an assistant professor of experimental therapeutics at Columbia University in New York who wasn’t involved in the research, in an e-mail. “It looks very exciting.”

Besides cancer, the robots may also benefit people with autoimmune disease, Douglas said. One day, the robots might be used to find immune cells wrongly attacking the body and reprogram them, he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Elizabeth Lopatto in New York at elopatto@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reg Gale at rgale5@bloomberg.net.

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DNA Robots Programmed to Kill Cancer Cells, Harvard Study Shows

PROVO, Utah & LONDON & TEL AVIV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

MyHeritage, the most popular family network on the web, announced today the integration of DNA testing into its core family history offering. The move adds genetic genealogy to the company’s suite of tools for researching family history, used by millions of families around the world.

With more than 62 million registered users and 21 million family trees, MyHeritage has become the trusted home on the web for families wishing to explore their family history, share memories and stay connected. With the new biological layer added to the MyHeritage experience, users can now enjoy a service combining science, intuitive web features and social networking for discovering and sharing their family legacy.

“DNA testing provides a fascinating new way to discover one’s origins and find previously unknown relatives”, said MyHeritage Founder and CEO Gilad Japhet. “Offering the highest quality DNA tests to our tens of millions of users around the world in 38 languages, and providing DNA matches with hundreds of thousands of people who have already had their DNA tested, significantly advances our mission of bringing family history to the masses. By combining DNA with our innovative Smart Matching™ technology, families will be closer than ever before to constructing a more complete picture of their history”.

DNA is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. By purchasing a simple cheek-swab DNA test, users can now use information contained in their DNA to find present-day relatives who share a common ancestor up to many hundreds of years ago. A DNA test can also reveal ethnic origins such as Native American, African or Jewish descent on paternal or maternal lines, as well as uncover ancestral information for those who were adopted. While DNA tests can break through brick walls in family history research by revealing biological relations, MyHeritage’s flagship Smart Matching™ technology then steps in to help piece together the paper trail by uncovering how the family trees of related people actually connect. In addition, people with the same paternal surname can get together via MyHeritage to see if they’re related by DNA.

MyHeritage is introducing today a wide range of DNA tests to meet different research objectives and budgets, with special discounted prices for MyHeritage subscribers starting from as low as $84. Users can identify the deep ancestral origins of their direct paternal line (Y-DNA), of their direct maternal line (mtDNA), find relatives across all lines via autosomal DNA (Family Finder), receive a percentage breakdown of their ethnic roots and confirm or disprove whether someone is a close relative. View the full list of the DNA kits on MyHeritage and a list of Frequently Asked Questions about DNA tests on MyHeritage.

For the analysis of users’ DNA tests and the DNA matching, MyHeritage is working with long-time partner and global leader in genealogy DNA, Family Tree DNA. Pioneers of genetic genealogy and with a state-of-the-art laboratory, Family Tree DNA has established the world’s largest DNA database for genealogy and is well known for its work with National Geographic on the Genographic Project. All information is kept strictly confidential and is never shared.

Bennett Greenspan, President and CEO of Family Tree DNA said “We’re proud to work with MyHeritage to bring DNA testing to a much wider, global audience. The phenomenal size and reach of the global MyHeritage family network will create new horizons in collecting DNA data, helping many more people discover their ancestral origins”.

About MyHeritage

MyHeritage is the most popular family network on the web. Millions of families around the world enjoy having a private and free place for their families to keep in touch and to showcase their roots. MyHeritage’s Smart Matching™ technology empowers users with an exciting and innovative way to find relatives and explore their family history. Following the November 2011 acquisition of FamilyLink in Provo, Utah, MyHeritage offers billions of historical records through its website WorldVitalRecords.com. With all family information stored in a secure site, MyHeritage is the ideal place to share family photos and preserve special family memories. The site is available in 38 languages. So far more than 62 million people have signed up to MyHeritage. The company is backed by Accel Partners and Index Ventures, the investors of Facebook and Skype. For more information visit http://www.myheritage.com.

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MyHeritage Brings DNA Testing to the Global Community

Read more: Local, National, International, Education, Community, Health, Consumer, Science, Technology, News, Gene Tree, DNA, Rachel Welte DNA, Welte, Rachel Regalado DNA, Geneology, Scott Woodward, DNA Samples, DNA Kit, Family Tree, Ancestors, Finding your Family Tree, Relatives, Rachel Regalado Family Tree, Rachel Regalado Welte, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Morning Show, Family

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Blue eyes, brown hair, freckles.

We all have unique features, a combination of our relatives past and present.

But the way we look is just the tip of the iceberg, as who we are is written in our DNA.

A complex set of instructions that we inherit from our parents.

With the help of GeneTree, a genealogy research company, I set out on a journey to find my roots, and the origin of my family tree.

Getting started was easy.

I received a DNA kit in the mail from GeneTree.

Inside was a set of instructions, mouthwash, and a baggie.

After swishing for several minutes, I spit my DNA into the cup and sent it on its way, back to GeneTree for processing.

Then, after eight weeks, my results arrived.

Of course, I already had an idea of who, and where my ancestors were from, but the results were still surprising.

"You, out of all the ones (reporters) we have done so far, show two major extremes," Scott Woodward said.

To help me break it all down, I enlisted the help of Woodward, a genealogy expert and founding member of GeneTree.

We began by looking at my mother, and her family.

"When we put your mitochondria DNA into the database, we literally found a thousand people that connect to you," Woodward said.

One of 12 kids, my mom's roots extend back to Europe, the birthplace of many of her ancient relatives.

"If we look at the world today we find people that share your DNA almost exactly, and we find them in the United States, in Switzerland, in Russia, in Yugoslavia, and in Mexico," Woodward said.

And what about famous relatives?

Woodward said I share an ancient maternal ancestor with Marie Antoinette.

"You have a line that goes back to an ancestor, she (Antoinette) has a line that goes back to an ancestor, and they meet somewhere back in the past," he said.

Now for my dad, Richard Regalado (my maiden name).

Where are his predecessors from?

"On your father's side you belong to a group this is called O-3, and O-3 is an Asian type, and we see a lot of people with O-3 in the Philippines," Woodward said.

Which is exactly where my grandfather, Eduardo Regalado, was born and raised.

From there, his roots extend all the way to South East Asia.

"The DNA type is actually older than the use of surnames," Woodward said. "We really did not use surnames until relatively recent, the past 400 to 600 years."

In other words, Regalado is most likely a surname.

An important fact, because Woodward said I have a close connection to a person with the last name Espinoza in Peru.

"There are a lot of interesting possibilities there, and that is where DNA and genealogy can lead to very interesting stories," Woodward said.

So now it is up to me to continue my journey back in time, armed with the knowledge given to me by GeneTree.

If you are wondering how it all works, basically the founders of the company spent years gathering DNA samples from around the world.

For pricing and additional details on the DNA test, click here. 

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DNA: The map to your past

DNA lifted from a robbery victim's car may have led Boca Raton detectives to the man behind an attack in a woman's garage five months ago.

Lab test results released last week match DNA from the September crime scene to Reache Evans, 36, of Boca Raton, police said.

Evans was arrested Friday on a charge of home invasion robbery.

He is accused of walking into a woman's garage on Southwest 12th Road and grabbing her purse as she arrived home from shopping, police said. The two struggled until the purse strap broke and Evans was able to run off with it, police said.

Crime-scene technicians lifted the DNA from the exterior of the woman's car and sent it to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office crime lab. After the match was made, police showed the victim a photo lineup and she identified Evans as her attacker.

Boca Raton police have made several arrests thanks to recent advances in DNA technology.

Blood samples collected at the scene of a home robbery in 2010 led to an arrest 10 months later. The robber had cut himself as he crawled through a ripped window screen to get inside.

A major coup for Boca Raton police was a 2010 arrest in a cold case more than a decade old. John McKenzie, of Boynton Beach, was arrested for attacking a woman in March 1989 and raping her in an apartment.

He sliced off the woman's bathing-suit top, cut her hand and assaulted her. Investigators collected DNA from the scene, but at the time, technology didn't exist to identify him.

McKenzie was convicted of sexual battery and is serving a life sentence in prison. Recent DNA tests linked him to another Boca Raton rape case from 1987, resulting in additional sexual-battery charges against him.

A shared law enforcement database allows police to match DNA samples collected years ago to offenders in the system. The more the database grows, the more likely a match can be made.

apcampbell@tribune.com or 561-243-6609.

Read more:
DNA technology leads to arrest in Boca Raton home robbery

Using DNA evidence, prosecutors Tuesday linked Keith Mackowiak's stained clothing and other evidence to the 2007 double homicide of Aloysius and Catherine Twardowski of Seneca.

Jessica York, an expert forensic analyst from the DNA Diagnostic Center in Fairfield, Ohio, was first on the witness stand to formally introduce and explain how an accredited laboratory deciphers a complex DNA profile.

From evidence supplied by the Illinois State Crime Lab from the investigation of the murders of Twardowskis, York detailed results from her personal scientific examination of gloves believed to have been worn by the defendant during the crime.

The cloth gloves were found by police days after the killings in a fast-food bag discarded on U.S. 6 between Morris and Seneca, following information allegedly suppled by Mackowiak in an interrogation session in July 2007.

The expert said her analysis of the gloves, inside and out, found the DNA profiles were "consistent" with those of Aloysius Twardowski and Mackowiak, meaning there was a good statistical chance blood or other genetic material from both the victim and defendant had been in contact with the gloves.

York added that her DNA analysis found no link to Catherine Twardowski and Mackowiak's next door neighbor and one-time suspect, David Dulabhan of Seneca.

Of Dulabhan's clothes worn by him the week of the murders, York said her forensic testing could not exclude Aloysius Twardowski's DNA from miniscule spots found on his confiscated shorts and shirts.

State's Attorney Brian Towne's has argued that Dulabhan told the truth when he testified last week that Mackowiak "flicked" blood from a victim on him during a return car trip to the Twardowski house by the two former friends the day after the murders.

York's immediate supervisor, Dr. Julie Heinig, verified to the court the DNA results with her own independent review of the data.

As the state's case against Mackowiak enters its second week, more DNA profile evidence is expected to be presented by prosecutors.

Read more:
DNA evidence presented against Mackowiak

STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwire -02/15/12)- Applied DNA Sciences, Inc. (OTC.BB: APDN.OB - News) announced its financial results for the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2011 generating revenues of $516,904.

For the quarters ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, the company generated $516,904 and $317,817 in revenues from operations, respectively. The sixty-three percent (63%) increase in revenues was substantially generated from sales of our SigNature DNA and BioMaterial GenoTyping products. The Company's revenues earned from sale of products and services for the three months ended December 31, 2011 and 2010 included an aggregate of 75% and 52% from four customers of the Company's total revenues, respectively. Three and four customers accounted for 71% and 77% of the Company's total accounts receivable at December 31, 2011 and September 30, 2011, respectively. In fiscal 2011, we increased our customer base by 40%.

The company increased its revenues eighty-four percent (84%) quarter over quarter, from $280,678 for the last quarter of FY'11 ending September 30, 2011 to $516,904 for the first quarter of FY'12 ending December 31, 2011.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased from $1,329,209 for the three months ended December 31, 2010 to $2,152,428 for the three months ended December 31, 2011. The increase of $823,219, or 61.9%, is primarily attributable to the cost of stock based compensation incurred in the current period compared to the same period last year.

Research and development expenses increased from $20,706 for the three months ended December 31, 2010 to $78,473 for the three months ended December 31, 2011. The increase of $57,767 is attributable to additional research and development activity needed with current operations.

Total operating expenses increased to $2,329,274 for the three months ended December 31, 2011 from $1,442,738 for the three months ended December 31, 2010, or an increase of $886,536 primarily attributable to an increase in equity based compensation and in R&D expenditures.

Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2011 increased to $2,409,905 from a net loss of $1,344,096 for the three months ended December 31, 2010 primarily attributable to factors described above.

The quarterly report on Form 10-Q, which includes Applied DNA Sciences consolidated financial statements, is available for viewing and downloading, free of charge, through the Investor Relations section of APDN's Web site at http://www.adnas.com, or through the SEC's electronic data system at http://www.sec.gov.

Separately, in response to our overtures, the College Board has indicated that it is not interested in using our technology as a means to identify test takers.

About APDN

APDN sells patented DNA security solutions to protect products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and diversion. SigNature DNA is a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied. Our mark provides a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators. To learn more, go to http://www.adnas.com where APDN routinely posts all press releases.

The statements made by APDN may be forward-looking in nature. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDN's SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on December 8, 2011, our current reports on Form 8-K, and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

See more here:
Applied DNA Sciences Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2012 Results

TACOMA—

The fight over collecting DNA from anyone arrested for a serious crime is heating up in Olympia.

Opponents call it an invasion of privacy, but prosecutors say House Bill 2588 could be their best crime-fighting tool to keep repeat offenders off the street.

Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist cited a 2005 serial rape case as an example. Anthony Dias raped more than a dozen women, including two underage girls, before he was caught. 

HB 2588 requires police to collect a DNA cheek swab from anyone arrested for a felony; DNA that would then be put into a national databank.

“Currently when someone is arrested, that person is searched, photographed and fingerprinted. A cheek swab is no more intrusive than a fingerprint or photograph,” Lindquist said.

Shankar Narayan, of the American Civil Liberties Union, testified against the bill, saying it's a violation of the Fourth Amendment's right against unreasonable search and seizure.

“We want to see the types of crimes prevented as well, but unfortunately this bill isn't the right way to do it,” Narayan said. “The intrusiveness of the search is a big concern for us, and a lot of innocent people are going to be swept up in this and have DNA taken through no fault of their own.”

If this law was in place in 2005, prosecutors say, Dias would have been stopped. That's because before he assaulted 19 victims in Pierce and King County, he was arrested for a felony hit-and-run and would have been subjected to a DNA swab at that time.

Under this bill, supporters argue, the DNA would not be put into the databank until a judge finds probable cause, and if the case is eventually dismissed, the DNA would be destroyed.    

The measure would cost about $400,000 a year, funding that would come from traffic violations. The bill must move off the House floor Tuesday night to survive.

Read more from the original source:
DNA collection bill causes controversy

MARCO ISLAND, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

(AGBT) – Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today expanded its target-enrichment platform with the SureSelect XT Human Methyl-Seq system for epigenetic research into DNA methylation sites. It is the first comprehensive DNA methylation discovery system using target enrichment. Agilent will unveil the product at the Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting here tomorrow.

Agilent SureSelect XT Methyl-Seq is a unique in-solution tool for analyzing under- and over-methylated cytosine sites on the human genome. The assay combines SureSelect, the leading target-enrichment platform, with bisulfite sequencing, the gold standard for DNA methylation research and the first comprehensive discovery system. This enables unprecedented sequence coverage of only the most relevant regions for epigenetic studies, including those associated with a wide range of disorders such as cancer, imprinting disorders, behavioral and mental disorders, and many others.

“DNA methylation is a key epigenetic feature,” said John Stamatoyannopoulos, director of the Northwest Reference Epigenome Mapping Center at the University of Washington. “The availability of a cost-effective platform that intelligently targets millions of CpGs for bisulfite sequencing will greatly reduce the cost and expand the scope and utility of genome-scale DNA methylation analysis.”

“The kit covers all interesting methyl-cytosine sites for cancer research in the genome at an excellent effort-to-output ratio,” said Michal-Ruth Schweider, MD, Ph.D., Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics.

“We’re very pleased to offer this new tool to meet growing interest from the medical research community,” said Robert Schueren, Agilent vice president and general manager, Genomics. “Because abnormal methylation is reversible, this type of analysis holds great promise for the discovery of therapies.”

Agilent SureSelect XT Methyl-Seq allows researchers to analyze over 3.7 million individual CpG dinucleotide sequences for their methylation state. The system targets promoters, canonical CpG islands, and the more recently described “shores” and “shelves” found up to 4 kilobase pairs on either side of CpG islands. Studies have indicated that many methylation alterations are not in promoters or CpG islands, but most are within 2kb, the CpG island shore. The kit also targets known differentially methylated regions.

Agilent SureSelect XT Methyl-Seq delivers higher throughput and lower costs than whole genome bisulfite sequencing. It identifies regions that are not detected by restriction enzyme-based or immunoprecipitation-based methods. Because this product is a SureSelect XT offering, Agilent provides the complete workflow solution. This includes all reagents needed for library prep and target enrichment.

For more information, visit http://www.agilent.com/genomics/ngs.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A - News) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, electronics and communications. The company’s 18,700 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $6.6 billion in fiscal 2011. Information about Agilent is available at http://www.agilent.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive news is available at http://www.agilent.com/go/news.

View original post here:
TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Introduces First DNA Methylation Target-Enrichment System for Disease Research

Public release date: 14-Feb-2012
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Contact: Kendra Snyder
ksnyder@amnh.org
212-496-3419
American Museum of Natural History

When rabbis from the Orthodox Union started finding worms in cans of sardines and capelin eggs, they turned to scientists at the American Museum of Natural History to answer a culturally significant dietary question: could these foods still be considered kosher?

Using a technique called "DNA barcoding" at the Museum's Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, researchers identified the species and life cycles of the parasitic worms to determine whether the food's preparation violated Jewish dietary laws. The results, which were recently published online in the Journal of Parasitology, show that although the food contains a handful of species of roundworms, it is kosher.

"About 75 percent of all pre-packaged food has a kosher certification," said Mark Siddall, a curator in the Museum's Division of Invertebrate Zoology. "Many people, not just those in the Jewish community, look for this certification as a symbol of quality assurance in food preparation. If you're a food provider and you lose that certification, you're going to take a large hit."

The study began last March, when rabbinical experts from the Orthodox Union, the largest organization that certifies food products for the Jewish community, brought a variety of kosher-certified sardines and capelin eggs to the Museum. Their concern: the presence of the worms might be a sign that intestinal contents were allowed to mix with sardine meat or preserved capelin eggs during food preparation. If that were the case, kosher certification would be compromised.

The key to determining whether the canned food was improperly handled is in the worms' life cycles, Siddall said. "Some species of worms live in the muscles of fish when they're in the larval stage," he said. "Other species live in the fish's intestines when they're adults. We already know the life cycles for these parasites, so all we have to do is figure out what species were present in the canned food."

To do this, researchers used genetic barcoding, a technology based on a relatively short region of a gene in the mitochondrion, an energy-producing structure located outside of the cell's nucleus, that allows researchers to efficiently identify the species from which a piece of meat?or even a leather handbag?came from.

Work by Museum scientists has long included and promoted this technique, which has identified the presence of endangered whales in Asian markets, documented fraud in the labeling of tuna, and determined the species of animals on sale in African bushmeat markets. In this case, the scientists identified a handful of different nematode species, none of which are known to live in the guts of fish during their lifecycles?therefore, there's no evidence of intestinal worms co-mingling with the fish meat or eggs.

As a result, the Orthodox Union issued a decision that the food remains kosher.

"To our knowledge, this is the first application of DNA barcoding to an obviously cultural concern," said Sebastian Kvist, one of the paper's authors and a student in the Museum's Richard Gilder Graduate School. "This paper really exemplifies what science is all about?helping people."

###

Other authors include Anna Phillips, from the University of Connecticut, and Alejandro Oceguera-Figuero, from the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

Funding for the Museum's DNA Barcoding Initiative is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Richard Lounsbery Foundation.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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DNA barcoding of parasitic worms: Is it kosher?

WOBURN, Mass., Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The M220 Ultrasonicator is the newest DNA shearing system from Covaris.

The M220 is designed for Next-Gen sequencing applications. Using highly controlled AFA™ (Adaptive Focused Acoustics) technology, the M220 reproducibly shears DNA into random fragments ranging from 100bp to 1.5kb.

Compact, cost effective, and easy-to-use, the M220 is the ideal shearing system for MiSeq™ and PGM™ users. The M220 includes integrated cooling, eliminating the extra cost and space required for an external chiller, as well as reducing startup time to just 10 minutes. Using Covaris' microTUBE and miniTUBE consumables and lab-proven protocols, the M220 provides the high quality shearing results researchers have come to expect from Covaris.

The M220 provides the same performance benefits as the market leading S-series and E-series systems from Covaris including, precise energy control for user-selectable DNA fragment lengths, an isothermal process eliminating heat-induced molecular damage, closed vessels for highest sample recovery, and a non-contact process that eliminates cross contamination and clean-up. The M220 was recently released at SLAS and will be presented with performance data at AGBT 2012.

Covaris offers a complete range of DNA shearing products for all Next-Gen sequencing needs. For more information about the M220 Ultrasonicator please visit http://www.covarisinc.com.

About Covaris, Inc.

Covaris, Inc. provides advanced sample preparation systems for life and analytical science. Our sample prep technologies support a wide variety of applications including Next-Generation DNA sequencing, ChIP, proteomics, and compound management. Our patented Adaptive Focused Acoustic (AFA) technology enables a high energy density to bring unsurpassed speed and efficiency to biological and chemical sample preparation. The AFA process, based on shock wave physics, delivers controlled, precise, and accurate energy to biological and chemical samples.

Read this article:
Industry-Standard Covaris DNA Shearing Performance for Every Laboratory - Large or Small

STONY BROOK, NY--(Marketwire -02/14/12)- A botanical DNA ink "CustoMerQ" developed by Nissha Printing Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Nissha) in conjunction with Applied DNA Sciences (OTC.BB: APDN.OB - News), has been adopted by the Saganoseki Branch of the Oita Fisheries Co-operative Association. It will be used at hygienically controlled facilities beginning in April 2012. These facilities will have an integrated processing line from unloading to shipping for products including "Sekiaji" horse mackerel and "Sekisaba" common mackerel. CustoMerQ DNA ink will be used to print the shipping date and shipping number on the brand label that is attached to the product.

CustoMerQ DNA Ink will help prevent counterfeiting of the label and will preserve the brand name for the marine products caught in the Saganoseki area. It will also be possible to match the shipping number that has been printed with information on a website, so that the end consumer can check the shipping information for the product online.

DNA as the Ironclad Anti-Counterfeiting Solution

Nissha identified Applied DNA technology as the most ironclad product authentication solution, stating its determination that DNA, as a trusted forensic form of authentication in courts around the world, provides the highest security for high value food and other products.

The new CustoMerQ DNA Ink system, developed by Nissha in conjunction with APDN, can be used in a wide variety of products such as food packaging, with its forgery-proof, high security layer. The anti-counterfeiting CustoMerQ DNA ink on food labels can be instantly verified as genuine in the field, using a special handheld detector to identify the anti-counterfeiting ink. This could happen at the point of sale, or at any point along the supply chain. As is typical of APDN botanical DNA markers, a second, forensic level of authentication is also available by sending the suspect product to a secure, product authentication lab.

Branded foods from particular and often well-known waters off Japan, and sometimes preserved with traditional, labor-intensive methods, are becoming popular, profitable, and necessary in Asia. For example, sushi bars have become ever-more discriminating, while ocean contamination and other issues beset the fishing industry. Counterfeiters and diverters have moved in with force, selling common foods as the high-value brand, destroying markets and reputation of the real item.

Nissha, listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Company Code: 7915), has a market capitalization of ¥40 billion (or approximately $500 million US dollars). Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Nissha is a globally networked company with over 4,000 employees (consolidated), 11 locations in Japan and 27 bases located throughout Asia, North America and Europe.

About APDN

APDN sells patented DNA security solutions to protect products, brands and intellectual property from counterfeiting and diversion. SigNature DNA is a botanical mark used to authenticate products in a unique manner that essentially cannot be copied. Our mark provides a forensic chain of evidence that can be used to prosecute perpetrators. To learn more, go to http://www.adnas.com where APDN routinely posts all press releases.

The statements made by APDN may be forward-looking in nature. Forward-looking statements describe APDN's future plans, projections, strategies and expectations, and are based on assumptions and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of APDN. Actual results could differ materially from those projected due to our short operating history, limited financial resources, limited market acceptance, market competition and various other factors detailed from time to time in APDN's SEC reports and filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed on December 8, 2011 and our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. APDN undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

View original post here:
CustoMerQ Botanical DNA Ink to Protect Sekiaji and Sekisaba Fish in Japan

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

DNAnexus, a DNA data management and analysis platform, today announced agreements with leading institutions – Geisinger Health System (GHS) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) – to develop clinically relevant workflows to provide new insights into the use of DNA sequencing in medicine.

As part of these relationships, key laboratories within GHS and UCSF will leverage DNAnexus’ cloud-based software platform to upload, store and analyze DNA sequencing data. In conjunction with the Geisinger Clinical Program for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), GHS will have access to DNAnexus’ genomic data management capabilities including visualization, analysis and storage. The healthcare organization, in turn, will provide strategic counsel around the use of WGS data in clinical settings, and the extension of DNAnexus’ capabilities to further support such use.

“At Geisinger, providing the best personalized healthcare has always been our mission, and key to that is the ability to collect and manage valuable medical information like electronic health records, blood samples and DNA sequencing data,” said Dr. David Ledbetter, chief scientific officer, Geisinger Health System. “As whole genome sequencing becomes more affordable and accessible, we are eager to work with DNAnexus to find ways to manage this critical data asset and better leverage it within the clinical workflow.”

“In the past few years, the pace of development in DNA sequencing technology has been astounding, doubling in capacity even faster than the classic Moore’s law of computing,” said David J. Erle, MD, UCSF professor of medicine and director of the Functional Genomics Core Facility in the UCSF Sandler Center for Basic Research in Asthma. “That has a huge impact on our ability to understand both health and disease, but it also poses a formidable challenge. In many cases, scientists are now limited more by their ability to store and analyze the data than they are by their ability to generate it.”

These new strategic agreements further DNAnexus’ goal of delivering the definitive big data system for DNA to both the commercial and academic communities. A cloud-based solution, DNAnexus provides instant online genomics data centers for sequencing operations, research organizations, and clinical applications of virtually any size without any required hardware investment on the part of the customer. Founded in 2009, DNAnexus is supported by leading investors including Google Ventures and TPG Biotech.

“We are at the beginning of a genomics-driven revolution in healthcare, and DNAnexus is focused on providing a unified technology platform that makes managing, storing, and analyzing sequencing data easier for everyone,” said Andreas Sundquist, PhD co-founder and CEO of DNAnexus. “By partnering with highly respected healthcare and research institutions like Geisinger and UCSF, we will be able to learn from clinical experts and build an even more innovative solution that will enable research, medical and biotech communities to unlock the full potential of DNA data.”

About DNAnexus

DNAnexus is powering the genomics revolution. The company’s mission is to unlock the potential of DNA-based medicine and biotechnology with a scalable and collaborative data technology platform. DNAnexus’ cloud-based platform is an instant online genomics data center that provides secure and efficient management, storage, and analysis of DNA data. For more information please visit https://dnanexus.com.

About Geisinger Health Care System

Geisinger is an integrated health services organization widely recognized for its innovative use of the electronic health record, and the development and implementation of innovative care models including ProvenHealth Navigator, an advanced medical home model, and ProvenCare program. The system serves more than 2.6 million residents throughout 44 counties in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit http://geisinger.org. Follow the latest Geisinger news and more at Twitter and Facebook.

About University of California, San Francisco

UCSF is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.

UC Disclaimer

The information stated above was prepared by DNAnexus and reflects solely the opinion of the corporation. Nothing in this statement shall be construed to imply any support or endorsement of DNAnexus, or any of its products, by The Regents of the University of California, its officers, agents and employees.

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DNAnexus Announces Strategic Alliances to Drive the Advancement of DNA-Based Medicine