Daily Archives: November 3, 2021

by: Farrell SweeneyNov 2, 2021

Nicky Romero channels a new kind of energy with not so foreign origins in his latest release Acid Is My DNA. Departing from the progressive house sound that popularized him as a household name, Romero forays into sonic territory that harkens to his 2012 style, notably in Generation 303.

Although in recent times, Romeros music has historically leaned on a combination of vocals and upbeat progressive drops that give his tracks the adaptability of both radio play and live performances, Acid Is My DNA has an entirely different appealdriven by its ominous build, vintage synth usage, and hectic energy.

It remains to be seen whether Acid Is My DNA is indicative of a new direction for Romero, or simply a one-off release.

Acid Is My DNA is out now via Romeros own Protocol Recordings. Stream below.

Featured image: Kevin Anthony Canales

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Nicky Romero renews origins with unexpected single, 'Acid Is My DNA' - Dancing Astronaut - Dancing Astronaut

Yi Li, professor of plant science in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources is working on a new $500,000 Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grant (BRAG) from the USDA/NIFA to study a genetic editing technique in tomato plants.

Genetically engineered organisms are becoming increasingly popular given their potential applications to improve the food supply. Gene editing allows scientists to manipulate an organisms DNA, leading to produce that stays fresher longer, resists pests and viruses, or has higher nutritional content.

One common method of gene editing is manipulating DNA methylation. DNA methylation is the process by which methyl groups are added to a DNA molecule. This changes the activity of that DNA segment without changing the DNA itself. Methylation can suppress or promote the expression of certain genes and the proteins they code for.

This promising gene editing technique could improve crops on a large scale. However, the potential unintended side effects of this process are not well-studied, hindering its potential agricultural applications.

Tomatoes are one of the most popular forms of produce, making them an excellent candidate for potential gene editing enhancements. Furthermore, tomato quality and attributes are highly influenced by DNA methylation events.

Li will specifically look at CRISPR/dCas-mediated DNA methylation in tomatoes. Research on this technique has shown there are some off-target effects, or methylation changes to parts of the genome scientists were not intentionally changing. But no one has yet characterized what these effects are, creating a significant knowledge gap Li is now looking to fill.

Li will compare this methylation technique to genetic transformation, another gene editing technique. Genetic transformation differs from DNA methylation because it involves introducing foreign DNA into the plants genome, rather than working on changing the expression of its own. Li will compare these two gene editing techniques to more conventional growing techniques without gene editing.

Li will examine the DNA methylation, RNA sequences, fruit quality, and other observable characteristics for each method. This work will directly address the BRAG Programs priority to gain information about the types and frequencies of nucleic acid changes various genetic engineering techniques introduce into important crops, like tomatoes.

This work will also support the BRAG program goal of providing regulatory agencies with knowledge to make scientifically informed decisions regarding genetically engineered organisms to protect consumers and the environment. This aspect of the project will be largely carried out by co-principal investigator, Stacey Stearns. Stearns is a communications specialist in UConn Extension.

The knowledge generated from this study will aid plant breeders practicing DNA methylation editing in crops and facilitate the policy- and decision-making process at federal regulatory agencies, Li says.

Lis project includes a public education component. Li and his team will create and share articles, websites, videos, and presentations with the general public.

This outreach will help the public better understand gene editing technology and its applications for agriculture. Education about genetic engineering can help dispel misinformation and misunderstandings about gene editing.

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Plant Science Professor Studying Unintended Effects of Gene Editing in Tomatoes - UConn Today - UConn Today

Genetic detective work has uncovered an obscure ancestor of modern bread wheat, in a finding similar to uncovering a famous long-lost relative through DNA analysis in humans.

In a study which appears in Nature Biotechnology researchers sequenced the DNA from 242 unique accessions of Aegilops tauschii gathered over decades from across its native range from Turkey to Central Asia.

Population genome analysis led by Dr. Kumar Gaurav from the John Innes Centre revealed the existence of a distinct lineage of Aegilops tauschii restricted to present-day Georgia, in the Caucuses region some 500 kilometers from the Fertile Crescent where wheat was first cultivated an area stretching across modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.

First author of the study in Nature Biotechnology, Dr. Kumar Gaurav said, The discovery of this previously unknown contribution to the bread wheat genome is akin to discovering the introgression of Neanderthal DNA into the out of Africa human genome.

Researchers on a wild wheat relatives foraging trip in the central Zagros mountains in western Iran. Credit: Ali Mehrabi

It is most likely to have occurred through a hybridization outside the Fertile Crescent. This group of Georgian accessions form a distinct lineage that contributed to the wheat genome by leaving a footprint in the DNA.

The discovery comes via a major international collaboration to improve crops by exploring useful genetic diversity in Aegilops tauschii, a wild relative of bread wheat. The Open Wild Wheat Consortium brought together 38 research groups and researchers from 17 countries.

Further research by Dr. Jesse Polands group at Kansas State University was published in a companion paper in Communications Biology and shows that the ancestral Aegilops tauschii DNA found in modern bread wheat includes the gene that gives superior strength and elasticity to dough.

Dr. Poland said, We were amazed to discover that this lineage has provided the best-known gene for superior dough quality.

The researchers speculate that the newly discovered lineage may have been more geographically widespread in the past, and that it may have become separated as a refugium population during the last ice-age.

Reflecting on all that has come together to make this work possible, Dr Brande Wulff, corresponding author of the study, remarked, Fifty or sixty years ago at a time when we barely understood DNA, my scientific forebears were traversing the Zagros mountains in the middle east and Syria and Iraq. They were collecting seeds, perhaps having an inkling that one day these could be used for improving wheat. Now we are so close to unlocking that potential, and for me that is extraordinarily exciting.

Modern hexaploid wheat, is a complex genetic combination of different grasses with a huge genetic code, split into A, B and D sub-genomes. Hexaploid wheat accounts for 95 percent of all cultivated wheat. Hexaploid means that the DNA contains six sets of chromosomes three pairs of each.

Through a combination of natural hybridizations and human cultivation, Aegilops tauschii provided the D-genome to modern wheat. The D-genome added the properties for making dough, and enabled bread wheat to flourish in different climates and soils.

The origin of modern hexaploid bread wheat has long been the subject of intense scrutiny with archeological and genetic evidence suggesting that the first wheat was cultivated 10,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent.

Domestication, while increasing yield and increasing agronomic performance, came at the cost of a pronounced genetic bottleneck eroding genetic diversity for protective traits to be found in Aegilops tauschii such as disease resistance and heat tolerance.

Analysis performed by Dr. Gaurav and the research team revealed that just 25% of the genetic diversity present in Aegilops tauschii made it into hexaploid wheat. To explore this diversity in the wild gene pool, they used a technique called association mapping to discover new candidate genes for disease and pest resistance, yield and environmental resilience.

Dr. Sanu Arora, who had earlier led a study to clone disease resistance genes from Aegilops tauschii said, Previously we were restricted to exploring a very small subset of the genome for disease resistance, but in the current study, we have generated data and techniques to undertake an unbiased exploration of the species diversity.

Further experiments demonstrated the transfer of candidate genes for a subset of these traits into wheat using genetic transformation and conventional crossing facilitated by a library of synthetic wheats specially bred material which incorporates Aegilops tauschii genomes.

This publicly available library of synthetic wheats captures 70 percent of the diversity present across all three known Aegilops tauschii lineages, enabling researchers to assess traits rapidly in a background of hexaploid wheats.

Our study provides an end-to-end pipeline for rapid and systematic exploration of the Aegilops tauschii gene pool for improving modern bread wheat, says Dr. Wulff.

High molecular weight glutenin gene diversity in Aegilops tauschii demonstrates unique origin of superior wheat quality, appears in Communications Biology.

Reference: Population genomic analysis of Aegilops tauschii identifies targets for bread wheat improvement by Kumar Gaurav, Sanu Arora, Paula Silva, Javier Snchez-Martn, Richard Horsnell, Liangliang Gao, Gurcharn S. Brar, Victoria Widrig, W. John Raupp, Narinder Singh, Shuangye Wu, Sandip M. Kale, Catherine Chinoy, Paul Nicholson, Jess Quiroz-Chvez, James Simmonds, Sadiye Hayta, Mark A. Smedley, Wendy Harwood, Suzannah Pearce, David Gilbert, Ngonidzashe Kangara, Catherine Gardener, Macarena Forner-Martnez, Jiaqian Liu, Guotai Yu, Scott A. Boden, Attilio Pascucci, Sreya Ghosh, Amber N. Hafeez, Tom OHara, Joshua Waites, Jitender Cheema, Burkhard Steuernagel, Mehran Patpour, Annemarie Fejer Justesen, Shuyu Liu, Jackie C. Rudd, Raz Avni, Amir Sharon, Barbara Steiner, Rizky Pasthika Kirana, Hermann Buerstmayr, Ali A. Mehrabi, Firuza Y. Nasyrova, Noam Chayut, Oadi Matny, Brian J. Steffenson, Nitika Sandhu, Parveen Chhuneja, Evans Lagudah, Ahmed F. Elkot, Simon Tyrrell, Xingdong Bian, Robert P. Davey, Martin Simonsen, Leif Schauser, Vijay K. Tiwari, H. Randy Kutcher, Pierre Hucl, Aili Li, Deng-Cai Liu, Long Mao, Steven Xu, Gina Brown-Guedira, Justin Faris, Jan Dvorak, Ming-Cheng Luo, Ksenia Krasileva, Thomas Lux, Susanne Artmeier, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Cristobal Uauy, Martin Mascher, Alison R. Bentley, Beat Keller, Jesse Poland and Brande B. H. Wulff, 1 November 2021, Nature Biotechnology.DOI: 10.1038/s41587-021-01058-4

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How Bread Wheat Got Its Gluten: DNA Detective Work Uncovered an Obscure Ancestor of Modern Bread Wheat - SciTechDaily

The rules of inheritance are supposedly easy. Dads DNA mixes with moms to generate a new combination. Over time, random mutations will give some individuals better adaptability to the environment. The mutations are selected through generations, and the species becomes stronger.

But what if that central dogma is only part of the picture?

A new study in Nature Immunology is ruffling feathers in that it re-contextualizes evolution. Mice infected with a non-lethal dose of bacteria, once recovered, can pass on a turbo-boosted immune system to their kids and grandkidsall without changing any DNA sequences. The trick seems to be epigenetic changesthat is, how genes are turned on or offin their sperm. In other words, compared to millennia of evolution, theres a faster route for a species to thrive. For any individual, its possible to gain survivability and adaptability in a single lifetime, and those changes can be passed on to offspring.

We wanted to test if we could observe the inheritance of some traits to subsequent generations, lets say independent of natural selection, said study author Dr. Jorge Dominguez-Andres at Radboud University Nijmegen Centre.

The existence of epigenetic heredity is of paramount biological relevance, but the extent to which it happens in mammals remains largely unknown, said Drs. Paola de Candia at the IRCCS MultiMedica, Milan, and Giuseppe Matarese at the Treg Cell Lab, Dipartimento di Medicina Molecolare e Biotecnologie Mediche at the Universit degli Studi di Napoli in Naples, who were not involved in the study. Their work is a big conceptual leap.

The paper is controversial because it builds upon Darwins original theory of evolution.

You know this example: giraffes dont have long necks because they had to stretch their necks to reach higher leaves. Rather, random mutations in the DNA that codes for long necks was eventually selected, mostly because those giraffes were the ones that survived and procreated.

Yet recent studies have thrown a wrench into the long-standing dogma around how species adapt. At their root is epigenetics, a mechanism above DNA to regulate how our genes are expressed. Its helpful to think of DNA as base, low-level codeASCII in computers. To execute the code, it needs to be translated into a higher language: proteins.

Similar to a programming language, its possible to silence DNA with additional bits of code. Its how our cells develop into vastly different organs and body partslike the heart, kidneys, and braineven though they have the same DNA. This level of control is dubbed epigenetics, or above genetics. One of the most common ways to silence DNA is to add a chemical group to a gene so that, like a wheel lock, the gene gets stuck as its trying make a protein. This silences the genetic code without damaging the gene itself.

These chemical markers are dotted along our genes, and represent a powerful way to control our basic biologyanything from stress to cancer to autoimmune diseases or psychiatric struggles. But unlike DNA, the chemical tags are thought to be completely wiped out in the embryo, resulting in a blank slate for the next generation to start anew.

Not so much. A now famous study showed that a famine during the winters of 1944 and 1945 altered the metabolism of kids who, at the time, were growing fetuses. The consequence was that those kids were more susceptible to obesity and diabetes, even though their genes remained unchanged. Similar studies in mice showed that fear and trauma in parents can be passed onto pupsand grandkidsmaking them more susceptible, whereas some types of drug abuse increased the pups resilience against addiction.

Long story short? DNA inheritance isnt the only game in town.

The new study plays on a similar idea: that an individuals experiences in life can change the epigenetic makeup of his or her offspring. Here, the authors focused on trained immunitythe part of the immune system that we have at birth, but is capable of learning and remembering previous infections to better fight off the next round.

The team first exposed adult mice to infectious elements like fungi or yeast particles to simulate an infection. Once recovered, the mice were mated with healthy mice, resulting in normal-looking baby pups.

But they all had a superpower. When challenged with potential pathogenssay, the bacteria E. Colithey showed a much stronger immune reaction compared to mice with non-infected parents. The pups bodies were able to better recruit immune cells to infection sites, and they also triggered a more ferocious immune response against bacterial attackerseven though it was their first encounter with these pathogens.

Even more impressive, this superimmunity continued for the next generation. The grandkids of mice originally infected also had lower bacteria levels in their system after rummaging around a bacteria-rich environment. However, the protection tapered in the third generationthe great-grandkidssuggesting that whatever was passed on had an expiry date.

How can trained immunity be passed on to offspring?

The first head-scratcher was that on the surface, white blood cells and other attackers didnt seem any different between disease-resistant mice and normal ones. But when the team looked to the source of immune cellsthe bone marrowtheir epigenetic landscape painted a vastly changed picture.

Mice born from previously infected parents or grandparents had a more open epigenetic landscape. That is, several of their genes that help immune cells develop and activate were more easily accessible, allowing them to rapidly turn on in times of need. One type of immune soldier was especially primed for action in these mice, with a boosted metabolism and responsiveness to threats.

But how can these changes be passed along to the next generation when the parents never directly experienced an infection?

One answer seems to be altered sperm. Looking at the epigenetic landscape, the team found a fingerprint that better primed white blood cells to protect the pups from any bacteria. Fortified sperm isnt the only answer; mice born from previously infected moms also had turbo-boosted immunity, but how that works remains a mystery. How changes in immune cell epigenetics are telegraphed to reproductive cells is also anyones guess, although drifting biomolecules called small interfering RNA may be the messenger.

Bottom line? Epigenetic soft inheritance is more widespread than we thought. While the work is in mice, a previous study showed that children of parents who were given the BCG vaccine had substantially higher early-life survival. Like mice, we may also inherit our parents immunity and pass it on to our kids.

But its not all unicorns and rainbows. Strong inflammatory responses, while efficient at fighting off bacterial invaders, can also trigger atherosclerosis, heart and blood vessel diseases, and even accelerated aging. The question the team next seeks to answer is, does inherited superimmunity come with unexpected downsides?

For now, the results build upon previous observations that DNA isnt the end-all when it comes to inheritance. Im really curious to see how the scientific community sees this paper. Im sure therell be some criticism, said Dominguez-Andres.

Image Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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How Mice Transmitted Turbocharged Immune Systems to Their Offspring Through Sperm - Singularity Hub

Even as the world is busy providing the first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to its citizens, countries like the United States and some other European countries have started giving a third dose of the vaccine called the booster shot to fight against the deadly coronavirus.

New data suggests that while the current plasmid DNA and mRNA vaccines have so far proven effective against COVID-19, the protection they offer may fade after a while.COVID-19 is a completely new virus that continues to evolve and mutate throwingthe biggest challenge for experts.

The decision is also taken due to the fact that the Delta variant of the COVID-19 which is more infectious and spreads easily is driving a new surge of cases, including a rising number of breakthrough cases for fully vaccinated people. This is also responsible for why the attention has turned to the need for another COVID-19 vaccine dose.

New research suggests that the protection the main two mRNA vaccines - Pfizer and Moderna give against COVID-19 might fade after several months.

The study was conducted on vaccinated people in Israel who mostly got the Pfizer shot. Israel beganvaccination in December 2020 ahead of most countries.

The study indicates that as the Delta variant spread there was a correlation between receiving the vaccine at an earlier date and contracting a breakthrough case.

The study pointed out that patients vaccinated in January 2021 were 2.26 times more likely to contract a breakthrough infection than those vaccinated in April 2021.

It shows that more people are being exposed to the Delta variant andmore vaccinated people are getting breakthrough infections than the initial data suggested.

The study conducted inIsrael shows that the protection starts to fade around six months for some people from the time they become fully vaccinated.

There is an initial surge in the number of immune cells churning out antibodies and other molecules after vaccination, which then slowly drops.

This leaves behind a small pool of long-lasting 'memory' B and T cells that patrol the body for future infections by that pathogen.

A booster dose causes antibody-making B cells to multiply, elevating the levels of antibodies against the pathogen once again like after vaccination.

In time, the number ofantibodies will decrease but the pool of memory B cells left behind will be larger than before, leading to a faster, stronger response.

Boosters also promote a process called affinity maturation, in which 'engaged' B cells,triggered by the vaccine travel to the lymph nodes.

Here, they gain mutations making the antibodies they produce bind to pathogens more strongly, potentially enhancing their potency.

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DNA Explainer: What is the science behind COVID-19 vaccine booster shot - DNA India

A new discovery was extracted right from the biological structure of vertebrate genomes. The material, known as the microchromosomes, was found to have a more significant role in the life of mammals than first thought. The tiny specks of chromosomes that are exclusively present in the genes of every bird and reptile also bear the same function in mammals.

(Photo: Jennifer et al.)

The latest research conducted a comprehensive effort to identify and categorize the DNA information contained in various groups of species. The results format the readings present the prevalence of DNA molecules in many avian and scaled animals throughout the million years in evolutionary history. In a surprising analysis, the experts identified several fragments of the genetic codes in the birds and reptiles as part of the larger chromosomes composed in many placental and marsupial mammalian species. The findings suggest that contrary to the belief, the genetics in humans are not entirely unique since they are considered mammals, too.

La Trobe University genetics expert and author of the study Jenny Graves said in a New Atlasreport that their team was able to compare the sequences extracted from a wide array of vertebrate species, including snakes, platypus, birds, lizards, and even humans. The expert said that the microchromosomes are relatively similar between the bird and reptiles species based on the investigation's result. Surprisingly, the microchromosome identified from both groups was also discovered in a tiny fish-like creature with an anatomical structure with an absent backbone.

Known as Amphioxus, the species was determined to have a shared lineage with the vertebrates that existed 684 million years ago. When the genetic data was traced back to the ancient Amphioxus, it was found that the genetic links are still present to its collective descendants. The speck of the genome was deemed an essential part of the vertebrates and not as useless as it was first discovered.

ALSO READ: Honeybee Social Distance in Colony to Combat Parasitic Attack; Study on Ectoparasite Varroa Destructor Exposure Shows Anti-Transmission Behavior

The mammals have members that, through evolving in millions of years, were able to pass, mix, and even absorb several microchromosomes with each other. The spectacular cross-overs of the genes in the mammalian species developed the 'normal' sequence today. Moreover, similar microchromosomes in mammals are charted in the same parts of their cells.

University of New South Wales biology expert and co-author of the study Paul Waters said in a Science Alertreport that the microchromosomes, along with being the same in each species, are also found to form a cluster in the central region of the nucleus. The tiny specks are known to have a way of relaying signals with each other, meaning that they indeed have a protein characteristic known as functional coherence. Graves added that normal chromosomes in both the mammal and human species are indeed a product of development between the numerous junk DNA accumulated over time. The study was published in the journal PNAS, titled "Microchromosomes are building blocks of bird, reptile, and mammal chromosomes."

RELATED ARTICLE: Isolated Tiger Snake Populations More Prone to Inbreeding Due to Urbanization; May Lose Ability to Adapt

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Microchromosomes Identified as Building Blocks of Every Vertebrate Animal; Junk DNA Specks More Essential than First Thought - Science Times

Professor Kelly Elkins, TU Human Remains Identification Lab provide answers, experience

In early October, it was announced that an independent group of cold-case investigatorsclaimed to have found the identity of the Zodiac Killer, one of America's most notoriousserial killers and a case that has gone unsolved for more than 50 years.

The volunteer team, called the Case Breakers, consists of more than 40 former FBIofficials, law enforcement officers, prosecutors and forensic scientists.

And Kelly Elkins, an associate professor in Towson University's Department of Chemistry.

Elkins was initially approached by Case Breaker and University of Maryland lecturerTom Mauriello because of her specialty in DNA recovery.

"I publish the research I'm doing with my students," Elkins says. "We've had severalprojects involving DNA recovery, and the Case Breakers were interested in adding DNAexpertise."

For the past 10 years, Elkins has been sharing that experience as part of TU's forensicchemistry program. One of her biggest goals was to give students hands-on, on-campusexperience in DNA testing. In 2018, through two Fisher College Endowment grants andnew building funds, she established the Towson University Human Remains Identification Lab (THRIL).

It supports student learning in next-generation sequencing methods and enables high-qualitystudent and faculty research and community collaboration.

Along with THRIL, TU has a cutting-edge forensic chemistry teaching lab.According to Elkins,it isthe only forensic next generation sequencing (NGS) lab in the country that provideshands-on forensic coursework and research for students that is not aprivate testing lab.

"We saw a need for hands-on learning, and we wanted to meet that need for our studentsas they get ready to go into the workplace," Elkins says. "Our students are gettinginterviews for jobs based on taking classes here."

Two students working with Elkins at THRIL are senior Alexis Garloff and junior JordanBrooks, both forensic chemistry majors.

When THRIL started at TU, the program just had a small lab in Smith Hall. Now theyhave a state-of-the-art lab in the new Science Complex, which Garloff says felt likehome when she first walked through the doors.

"This lab is giving us the experience that's really focused on our concentration inDNA analysis," Garloff says. "It's crazy we're getting these opportunities becauseonce you get into the professional forensics world, this all they do, all day.

"Every day is DNA extraction, DNA purification, DNA quantification; there is a standardoperating procedure within the forensic biology labs. To get that experience, hereand now before getting out into the real world, into that field, is unmatched."

Brooks just joined the THRIL team this term, and it's her first time working withforensics. One of her favorite parts is that it's a welcoming atmosphere.

"You can drop in any time," Brooks says. "This experience has been really rewarding,and it makes me excited to continue to do research with Dr. Elkins. One of my biggestfears about doing research was having to do it alone or with someone who was not willingto help.

"Dr. Elkins, Alexis and the graduate students involved with THRIL have made me feellike I'm part of the team."

For Elkins, she just enjoys working with students. She says the energy they bringto the class and to research projects is what not only keeps her young, but also helpsmake her a better scientist.

"I just feel fortunate to get to be part of their lives," Elkins says. "We get thisdiverse mix of students who want to be here. And I love the fact that I get to notonly teach them, but also I get to mentor them. I want to be able to help get theminternships, get them jobs and get them experiences that help them have a successfuland happy life."

This press release was produced by Towson University. The views expressed here are the author's own.

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Towson University: Checking Out What Is In TU's DNA - Patch.com

Dorothy took a DNA genetic assay as a joke, looking for distant relatives, only to be told she hada daughter, even though she had never been pregnant.

Dorothy Weaver had never considered herself a lonely woman until she lost her husband at 57. Dorothy and her husband Thomas had both been human rights attorneys and their passion for their cause had been all-absorbing.

They met in college at a student protest and had fallen in love at first sight. Over the next thirty-five years, they had occasionally thought about having children, but then another cause would appear, and the baby project would be set aside another year.

The decades followed each other faster than Dorathy had thought possible, and one day having a baby was no longer possible -- but they could still adopt. Tom and Dorothy had started the adoption process when he died.

Dorothy had been in the office, going over a last-ditch maneuver to save a teen on death row when the phone rang. She picked it up, irritated at the interruption. "This had better be good!" she'd snapped.

"Mrs. Weaver?" the quiet voice on the line raised the hairs on the back of her neck. "It's about your husband, Mr. Thomas Weaver..."

Dorothy let the phone slip from her nerveless fingers, drowning out the sympathetic voice and all the futile explanations. Tom was gone. That big, brave heart had failed. "I'm alone," Dorothy whispered, "I'm all alone."

While Tom had been raised by loving parents, Dorothy had been shuffled from one foster home to another until she aged out of the system, but her brilliant mind and tenacity had gotten her to college, and then law school.

Now when she got home, there was no more Tom to share a glass of wine with over takeout pasta, no one to argue heatedly over the issues they were defending, no one to reach for in that cold empty bed.

The terrible feeling of being sundered, less than a whole person that she'd felt all her life had vanished when she met Tom -- but now that terrible loneliness was consuming her life.

Dorothy increased her office hours, poured herself into more cases until one day she simply collapsed in the middle of an impassioned closing, arguing in defense of a young homeless mother who had killed the social workerwho had tried to take her baby.Dorothy, the woman of steel was no more.

After a long convalescence, she finallytook stock of her life. She was now just 60, too young to retire but also not strong enough to practice law like she used to.

What could she do? Teach? Shecontacted the prestigious law school she and Tom had attended and cadged an offer to lecture a few hours a week. That was something! She'd be active, useful, and surrounded by bright young minds!

Teaching helped, but at the end of the day, she was alone, sitting up in bed watching late-night TV -- bad late-night TV! Later she would attribute what happened next to that late-night talk show and its ditzy guests.

It was 2 am and a big black woman in a massive wig was interviewing a thin white one with almost no hair. Their mouths were opening and closing soundlessly, and at last, Dorothy relented and turned up the volume.

"...my mother," said the thin white woman wiping at her rabbit-pink eyes. "I asked her, but the truth is she didn't know..."

The black hostess turned incredulous eyes towards the camerabefore looking back at her guest."Honey, your mama didn't know who her baby-daddy was?"

The thin woman blushed, or rather, she broke out in ugly red blotches. "My mother had some godless years, Mavis, but she's walking with the Lord now!"

"Amen!" cried Mavis enthusiastically, then she asked,"But how did she not know?"

"It was those Woodstock days, Mavis," said the woman."People were sinning and following the ways of the devil and indulging their flesh..."

"But you found your father," Mavis interrupted before the thin woman started preaching. "How did that come about?"

"Well, my son sent in my DNA and my husband's as a Christmas present. And I can tell you, Mavis, I was mad...Some mysteries belong to the Lord..."

"Yes, yes," said Mavis impatiently."We all know that, but how did you find your daddy?"

"They sent us this report, Mavis, and there it was as bold as brass: Sturgis Lee Kersey. And seven more names of siblings -- brothers and sisters, you know?You could have knocked me over with a feather..."

At that moment, Mavis gestured and a Dorothy saw a smartly dressed girl usherin eight scrawny people -- obviously the thin woman's long-lost relatives. "This is where I get off!" cried Dorothy, and she switched off the TV.

But the blotchy face of the thin woman kept rising in front of her eyes, and those purple cracked lips said,"I wanted to know where I come from, and how come he didn't love me."

Dorothy got up and went to her bathroom, turned on the lights, and looked in the mirror. She whispered,"I wantto know where I come from, and how come she didn't love me." The next day, she decided to search learn more about her own roots.

After doing a considerable amount of research, Dorothysettled on a company that seemed to be the most reliable. She ordered the DNA test, took the cheek swab, and sent it off.

A month later she received the results. One part was a bewildering flood of information about her ethnic heritage but in another section of the report, she saw the words '49.96% match' with the photo of a red-head young woman whom the company identified as Michelle Simpson, 33, her daughter.

"My daughter?" she whispered."I don't have a daughter. I don't have any children whatsoever!"Dorothy sent off a blistering email, accusing the company of incompetence and threatening all kinds of legal mayhem.

The company replied to her through the telephone a few days later. "Mrs. Weaver," the smooth-voiced man on the other side said."We've consulted our technical team, and faced with your assertion that you have never been pregnant or given birth, they offer the possibility of you having an identical twin."

"An identical twin?" gasped Dorothy, flabbergasted."But...Oh my God! I was raised in the foster system...I had no idea..."

So Dorothy sent Michelle Simpson a personal message through the heritage website and received an excited reply which included a phone number and a suggestion they meet up.

Dorothy agreed and two days later she walked into a restaurant towards a table where a slim red-head was sitting. The woman, Michelle, tried to get up but sank back down in her chair, white as a ghost.

"You..." she whispered."You look just like mom. Exactly, that hairstyle, the type of clothes...you even walk like her!"

"Michelle?" asked Dorothy hesitantly."Your mom, she was in foster care too?"

Michelle shook her red curls. "No! Mom was adopted when she was two. She had no memories of her mother, but she had a hard time adapting. So later on, my grandparents didn't encourage her to find her biological family."

"Your mother..." Dorothy said."She's my twin. Have you told her? Does she know?"

Michelle nodded. "Yes, she knows. She's scared though. She didn't want me to do this. She didn't want to know why her mother had abandoned her."

"Abandoned us," said Dorothy."She abandoned us, and she let us be separated." Michelle lifted her cell phone and took a snap of Dorothy. She typed out a quick message and sent it.

"Sit!" said Michelle."Tell me about yourself!"

"I'm a lawyer," Dorothy said."And a widow. I have no children, I have no one which is why I sent in my DNA..." But Michelle was gazing over Dorothy's shoulder and her face broke into a wide smile.

"Mom," she cried."Come and meet Dorothy."

Dorothy got up on trembling legs and turned around to face herself!

"Dorothy?" her other self whispered, "I'm Susan."

Dorothy didn't even think. She just stretched out her arms and threw them around Susan. She discovered that she was crying, but it was okay, because Susan was crying too, and so was Michelle.

"I always felt there was something wrong with me, a part of me missing," cried Susan sobbing.

"Me too!" said Dorothy."As if only half my heart was working..."

"Now we are together!" said Susan. They turned radiant faces towardsMichelle and smiled identical smiles. Even their hair was cut the same way, and they were both wearing similar outfits.

Susan -- who practiced family law -- explained that she had been married to Michelle's father for over 15 years before the relationship fell apart. Sheand the teenaged Michelle had left Florida and decided to start life over in Denver Colorado -- which happened to be where Dorothy was living!

Michelle hadmarried and had four children. "So you are a grandmother!" cried Dorothy enviously. "Tom and I kept putting off having children, we thought we had forever...And then it was too late and now I'm alone."

"No you are not!" said Susan fiercely. "You have me and Michelle, and her husband and her kids... You will never be alone again!"

So Dorothy ended up with a big family and lots of grand-nieces and nephews who looked just like her. As the two sisters got to know each other better they discovered that they had eery parallels in their lives and identical tastes.

Since they were both alone, the sisters ended up moving in together, and Dorothy spoils Susan's grandchildren shamelessly.

What can we learn from this story?

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story,you might likethis oneabout a woman who was arrested for kidnapping after she saved a little girl from her abusive father.

This account is inspired by our readers story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someones life. If you would like to share your story, please send it toinfo@amomama.com

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Old Lady Who Never Had Kids Takes DNA Test Which Reveals She Has a Daughter Story of the Day - AmoMama

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. & VANCOUVER, British Columbia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Lab Genomics, a personalized medicine company providing state of the art molecular genetic testing in Southern California and other US locations, today announced in partnership with Canexia Health that MolDX has finalized coverage determination under the policy Plasma-Based Genomic Profiling in Solid Tumors'' for Follow It, a circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assay. The coverage decision provides Medicare reimbursement for Follow It for use in breast, lung, and colorectal cancers.

Follow It, which requires only a simple blood draw from patients, analyzes ctDNA in plasma to evaluate somatic mutations in 337 hotspots and 26 exons in 38 cancer associated genes. This information can be used to guide targeted treatment selection, which has been shown to improve patient outcomes up to threefold.

Medicare coverage for liquid biopsy is a critical step in helping cancer patients gain access to targeted therapies, said Leena Dalal, Founder of Lab Genomics. We commend MolDX for this decision that supports our focus on delivering individualized medical care.

Reimbursement for Follow It greatly expands access to a minimally-invasive test for cancer treatment selection for some of the most prevalent forms of solid tumor cancer, said Michael Ball, CEO of Canexia Health. This MolDX decision marks a significant milestone in our mission to transform cancer care.

About Canexia HealthCanexia Health makes high-quality cancer genomic information accessible and affordable with our clinically-validated assays, informatics, and support. Our suite of genomics-based cancer tests is clinically actionable and cost-effective, designed to improve cancer treatment and monitoring. With our extensive scientific experience, specialized genomics-based tests, and support from pharmaceutical and diagnostic partners, we are leading the shift towards precision oncology.

About Lab GenomicsLab Genomics, LLC was cultivated with the ideal in mind of providing state of the art molecular genetic testing with the end goal of the best quality of life possible for the patient. Lab Genomics is focused on delivering individualized medical care through its robust molecular and genetics diagnostics. The Lab Genomics team are highly qualified experts in the medical and genetics fields.

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Lab Genomics Announces MolDX Coverage for Follow It Circulating Tumor DNA Assay in Partnership with Canexia Health - Business Wire

Whether you are looking for a unique gift this holiday season or just want to know more about your pup, dog DNA kits from Embark may be the answer.

One of the highest rated DNA tests on the market for dogs right now, Embark is not just about determining your dogs exact breed. These tests can also give you insight into possible genetic health risks and physical traits associated with your pup.

The fact that they offer more than one test to choose from, also means that you can pick the kit that is right for you.

So what are the dog DNA kits that Embark has to offer? And what do they cost (just in case you are thinking of making these a gift to a new dog owner this year)?

Embark Dog DNA Test. Image courtesy Embark

There are three kits available on the Embark website:

What makes Embark DNA kits for dogs so interesting, and why we are thinking of snagging one for ourselves (and yes they are available on Amazon), is the fact that these kits,

Test for over 350 breeds and more than 200 genetic health risks, delivering 2x more information than any other dog DNA test on the market.

And that is not the only thing we can appreciate from these kits. Another thing that makes them stand out from the crowd when it comes to other dog DNA kits on the market is the fact that they have their own unique feature in that,

Unique to Embark, the Dogs Like Mine feature allows users to figure out which dogs in the database have a similar breed mix. Embarks DNA Relative Finder also connects dog owners with other Embark dogs that are related to their dog based on the percentage of DNA they share.

When it comes to doing a dog DNA test, we never really thought that this was something we would be spending the money on. But, thanks to the fact that this particular brand also offers information that can be vital to our dogs health, we might just have to change our minds and get one to see just what our staff pup really is.

Have you ever used a dog DNA kit? Would you test your dogs DNA to learn more about their breed and health history based on genetics? We want to know your thoughts on these tests.

Read more from the original source:
Embark dog DNA kits tell us everything we need to know about our pups - Dog of the Day