Category Archives: DNA

Microsoft has taken quite an interest in the potential of DNA in computing over the years. Last year Microsoft researchers set a record for DNA data storage.(Itsrecord was beaten this year).

Now Microsoft is turning its attention to the other half of DNA computing, the processor. Researchers at Microsoft have teamed up with scientists at the University of Washington to find a way toward creating super fast computations using DNA molecules.

In research described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, the scientists have developed a method for spatially organizing DNA molecules in regular intervals on a DNA origami surface. That surface is essentially a bunch of DNA strands that have been folded in ways similiar to the techniques of the Japanese art of paper folding. The results offer a new approach to creating DNA logic gates and and the interconnects that link them.

These nanoscale computational circuits are made from synthetic DNA, dubbbed DNA dominocircuits. These are made from several different strands of synthetic DNA. For example a transmission line consists of hairpin loops of DNA strands with one end afixed to the origami surface. When inputand fuel DNA strands are poured on, they break the loops in the transmission line strands and force them to bend over and link up with their neighbor strandone after another like dominoes fallinguntil they form a line of DNA on the substrate.

They used these transmission lines and other structures to make elementary AND and OR gates with two inputs. The researchers were able to to make more complex circuits by linking these elementary gates together.

The molecular components of the device are spatially positioned in close proximity to one another, explained Andrew Phillips, the head of biological computation group at Microsoft, in an e-mail interview with IEEE Spectrum. In our case, the molecular components are DNA strands, and they are fixed in place by attaching them to a DNA origami wafer, which acts as a sort of molecular breadboard.

In the past, most computational DNA devices consisted mainly of freely-diffusing DNA strands in a chemical soup. Since all of the strands are freely diffusing, they can bump into each other at random and interfere with each other.

In our case, the components of the devices are positioned closeto each other and held in place by a molecular breadboard, such that they are much more likely to interact with their immediate neighbors, and much less likely to interact with other components that are further away, which substantially reduces interference, said Phillips.

Our devices do still rely on the presence of a diffusible fuel molecule, so they are not fully-localized, but since most of the components are localized the computation is still significantly faster than a system in which all of the components are feely diffusing, said Phillips.

All of this close positioning leads to molecular scale computation that is much faster than the relatively slow process of random diffusionminutes instead of hours. In the research, the scientists measured these devices computing a logical AND using three molecular inputs in seven minutes, compared to four hours for an equivalent DNA circuit with diffusible components.

The production of these devices could be fairly scalable, because they leverage self-assembly, in which the molecules organize themselves. The devices are designed to be integrated within a DNA breadboard and we rely on the self-assembly of the breadboard to precisely position the interacting DNA components, said Phillips.

The next step for the researchers will be to investigate how to build larger circuitsby increasing the size of the DNA breadboard. This will require advances in DNA origami techniques.

Phillips added: In addition, we plan to interface these devices with disease biomarkers such as RNA, so that computational logic can be used to accurately diagnose the presence of certain viruses or cancers, initially in blood samples and, ultimately, inside a living cell.

IEEE Spectrums nanotechnology blog, featuring news and analysis about the development, applications, and future of science and technology at the nanoscale.

10 million strands of synthetic DNA will encode mystery data in test 27Apr2016

Researchers program DNA to respond at different temperature ranges 29Apr2016

The trend of using DNA origami for decreasing feature sizes of chips continues, in the masking and etching of silicon3Aug2011

Exotic new "semimetal" ushers in age of quantum-inspired materials that skirt some classical limitations of physics 19Jul

Entire optical chip size has been reduced to a submicron size 19Jul

New technique promises chip-scale spin-wave devices for spin-wave computers 13Jul

A 3D stack of silicon logic, resistive RAM, nanotube circuits, and sensors uses new architecture and devices to save energy 6Jul

A humble timer chip that became the Swiss Army knife of countless circuits 30Jun

Deep Blues logic chip powered the first major victory of an AI over a human 30Jun

This solid-state, high-power amp brought big sound to inexpensive devices 30Jun

Hardware that can transform itself on command has proven incredibly useful 30Jun

The stories of the greatest and most influential microchips in historyand the people who built them 30Jun

Intersils somewhat cranky chip brought complex sound generation to consumer electronics 30Jun

This chip became the de facto standard for analog amplifier ICs. Still in production, its available everywhere there are electronics 30Jun

Nanotubes offer a path towards meeting an ITRS benchmark a decade from now 29Jun

IBM says their stacked nanosheet transistors will give circuit designers more flexibility 5Jun

A thin film of a topological insulator could make sci-fi technology a reality 19May

Commercial ventures in artificial photosynthesis have struggled, but the science is marching on 17May

Engineers are working on a circuit that will help chip designers avoid vulnerabilities to common radiation-induced errors 16May

Scott Borg, director of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, says hardware design engineers hold the future of cybersecurity in their hands 15May

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DNA Logic Gets Much Faster - IEEE Spectrum

Scientists have known for some time that abnormal DNA repetitions in the C9orf72 gene contribute to neuron death in ALS and frontotemporal dementia.

Now they have learned how it happens: The anomalies leave DNA susceptible to damage, prompting a cell repair mechanism to become over-active. That hyperactivity cause neuron deaths.

The study,C9orf72 expansion disrupts ATM-mediated chromosomal break repair, waspublished in the Nature Neuroscience.

Too many DNA repetitions in theC9orf72 gene are the most common genetic cause for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia, the researchers wrote. Growing evidence suggests that C9orf72 repeat expansions also contribute to a wide spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers, Huntingtons, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons disease and cerebellar ataxias.

The team wanted to learn how the DNA expansions in the C9orf72 gene trigger neuron death in ALS and frontotemporal dementia. Studying neurons in human tissue and rats, theydiscovered that the expansions interact with RNA molecules to form what are called R-loops.

R-loops make DNA more susceptible to breaking. This susceptibility triggers the excessive activation of a cell repair mechanism called autophagy.

Autophagy is useful to cells that need to eliminate and recycle old or faulty molecules or components. But if it is too active, cells end up eating themselves, leading to neuron death.

The researchers were able to prevent neuron damage by fine-tuning the activity of DNA repair mechanisms.

We were able to shut down the out-of-control degradation process, which runs down the cells ability to fix genomic breaks, Sherif El-Khamisy, the studys co-senior author, said in a news release written by Clara Rodrguez Fernndez. Even though the DNA was still damaged, the cells were able to cope and did not die.

By learning how DNA repetitions cause neuron death, the team believes it has helped thescientific community take a step toward understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of movement neuron diseases such as ALS.

More research needs to be done, but its possible that this newly discovered mechanism contributes to the death of nerve cells in people suffering from diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons and during the aging process, El-Khamisy said. Im really excited [that], if we modulate this degradation process, we can preserve our DNA repair toolkit and take away the pathology, the cell death.

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Scientists Learn How Abnormal DNA Repetitions in a Gene Cause Neuron Death In ALS - ALS News Today

DNA testing is not new to consumers, but its a one-shot deal. You send in your sample, then you get to see ancestry and health data provided by the company you chose to use for testing. Some new insights might be added over time, but theres not much else you can do with that genetic data. A startup called Helix is counting on people being curious enough to drop cash in its DNA app store on a regular basis. The initial testing costs $80, and after that you can buy the applications you want.

Helix uses a type of genetic testing called DNA sequencing. Other companies like 23andme are using the far simpler genotyping; Helix is actually finding the pattern of nucleic acids (using flow cells like the one above) in your DNA for around 20,000 different genes, known as the exome. A genotyping test only tells you which variant you have of specific genes, so a full sequence generates about 100 times as much data. Helix is taking this approach because the company is not deciding what sort of data to show users. Instead, thats all up to third-parties that decide to sell DNA apps to people in the Helix store, and the full sequence includes more precision.

For consumers, the testing process is much the same as other services. You spit in a tube, send it off, and your results are available in a few weeks. The kit itself is only $80, whereas many other services cost around $200 for a testing kit. However, Helix expects people will buy at least a few DNA apps. It appears right now the only way to buy the testing kit is in combination with at least one app.

The apps come in various categories like family, fitness, and entertainment. These apps will be a bit more expensive than the ones for your phone, though. A company called Institome will tell you about your Neanderthal DNA and what that means for your health with its $30 app. Meanwhile, National Geographic had a population genetics app. This app is one of the more expensive at $70. You can also get a personalized scarf based on your genetic code for the low, low price of $150. It only costs a little less ($125) to find out what your genetic code says about your cholesterol levels.

Thats just a samplingHelix is launching with about 30 DNA apps for your perusal. Although, buying even a few of them will probably end up costing you quite a bit more than the genetic tests you can get from other providers. Still, Helix hopes youll come back over time and buy more DNA apps and form a long-term relationship with your genetic code. That would be a profitable relationship for Helix.

Now read: How DNA sequencing works

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The First App Store For Your DNA Is Here - ExtremeTech

The Sun

What is mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome and how rare is Charlie Gard's condition? The Sun CHARLIE Gard's legal battle has come to an end as it was devastatingly revealed "time has run out" for the terminally ill tot. The tot's fight for life has touched the world as he suffered with mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome but what it is the ... and more »

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What is mitochondrial DNA depletion syndrome and how rare is Charlie Gard's condition? - The Sun

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Monday, July 24, 2017, 4:00 AM

This story was reported by The Trace, a news site that covers guns in America, in partnership with WNYC Radio.

Two NYPD officers watched from their patrol car one August night as Avree Lamar, a 19-year-old with an open arrest warrant, climbed into a cab near a Red Hook housing project.

The officers followed the taxi, pulled it over, and arrested Lamar. In the back of his waistband, they found a loaded 9-mm. handgun, according to court records. He was charged with criminal possession of a loaded weapon, a felony.

It seemed like a straightforward case. But for all New Yorks success in reducing violent crime, only about half of the people arrested for carrying a loaded gun in the city get convicted, according to the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.

DNA tests prove waiter spit in customer's drink at Chili's

Juries like hard evidence, and often mistrust cases that hinge on police testimony. Prosecutors say cases like Lamar's are not always easy wins.

The city hopes to change the odds with an ambitious and expensive plan to collect and test DNA from every gun recovered by cops.

The goal: To boost the number of successful prosecutions, and discourage criminals from carrying illegal weapons in the five boroughs.

The Trace and WNYC contacted eight other major police departments, and none are attempting DNA collection and testing on this scale.

State Senate okays bill to expand DNA database

Several said such an undertaking would be extremely difficult without adding staff, lab space, and expensive equipment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, only deploy DNA tests for select gun cases often shootings and murders.

Yet the New York program, launched in summer 2015, continues to expand. Last year, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed DNA tests for 1,682 gun cases, nearly quadruple the number from 2014.

Just this month, the city gave the office an additional $8 million to pay for 55 new employees to process gun swabs, plus training and equipment. That money amounts to about 10% of the office's total annual budget.

Police officials and the medical examiner's office said they could not estimate the total cost of the swabbing and testing program since it would include staff time for police, prosecutors, and scientists, as well as equipment and training in several different departments and agencies.

Lamar's gun was swabbed at a police station and sent to the medical examiner's office.

Scientists in the office then compared a DNA sample from Lamar to the genetic mixture found on the pistol's trigger guard. Their conclusion: the DNA retrieved from the weapon was 6.8 trillion times more likely to belong to Lamar than someone else.

Lamar pleaded guilty and a judge sentenced him to three years in prison a lengthy sentence for a first offense, prosecutors and defense lawyers said.

"That is the goal, to make it radioactive to even pick up a gun," said Richard Aborn, president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City, a nonprofit group that helped the city develop its strategy for using DNA in gun cases.

Some legal and forensic experts said that DNA testing, while more sophisticated than ever, is not foolproof.

The science used to test small DNA samples isn't perfect, and critics note the results are not infallible.

"What we've seen in the last few years are real efforts to push the boundaries of DNA evidence," said Clinton Hughes, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of New York's DNA unit. "DNA does not necessarily mean that there's going to be a just result, or an accurate result in a particular case."

Some civil liberty groups have also raised concerns about the expansion of DNA collection by local law enforcement agencies.

DNA that is deemed "abandoned" left on the rim of a soda can or the end of a cigarette, for example can legally be picked up by police and entered into a local database. People whose genetic information is stored in the database are almost never aware of it, legal experts said.

Expanded DNA testing on guns is part of a larger effort New York is making to crack down on illegal firearms and gun violence. In January 2016, police formed a 200-officer gun-violence suppression division to focus on illegal firearms, shootings, and gangs. In Brooklyn, there are two courtrooms dedicated to expediting gun cases. Other boroughs are expected to follow suit.

The theory behind the push to make more successful gun cases is that certainty of punishment is more important in deterring crime than the severity of punishment. If would-be criminals believe police will get their DNA and there'll be no way to avoid conviction, they'll be less likely to break the law, Aborn said.

NYPD Deputy Chief Emanuel Katranakis said DNA evidence from firearms often helps police investigate suspects they might otherwise overlook. Last year, police linked genetic material from a gun to a person in an existing DNA database 309 times, he said. New York has made remarkable strides in reducing gun crime. Last year, the NYPD recorded 998 shootings the fewest in recorded history.

But there are still neighborhoods where violent crime is common, and people are frequently shot. In a one-month span this summer in the Bronx, a 5-year-old boy was shot in the head; a police officer was fatally shot while sitting in her mobile command unit, and a man was caught on surveillance video shooting three men on a city street.

Some other large cities have struggled to control rising levels of gun crime, the violence that spurred President Trump to speak of "American carnage" in his inaugural address. Chicago, which has a third of New York's population, reported 4,431 shootings last year.

Benjamin Meda is a detective who heads the Los Angeles Police Department's gun unit for gangs and narcotics. Los Angeles saw shootings rise slightly last year, and Meda said police can use all the investigative tools they can get.

"We are extremely interested in what New York is doing," he said. "We want to see what their success is what the return on their DNA hits are, what they're doing that we aren't doing."

******

It's been almost 25 years since a drop of blood on the pavement at O.J. Simpson's ex-wife's house brought DNA evidence into the public consciousness. Back then, scientists needed a sample of blood or other bodily fluid the size of a quarter to test for DNA.

As the science became more sophisticated, the medical examiners office developed a method that it used to make DNA matches from a tiny amount of recovered genetic material. It also developed an algorithm that helped scientists identify a possible match even when someone's DNA was mixed up with that of other people.

Both these technologies are key when it comes to testing firearms. Guns especially crime guns are often passed among several people before they are confiscated by police.

Many judges allowed DNA evidence that was obtained using those testing methods to be admitted in criminal cases. But in 2015, a Brooklyn judge tossed DNA evidence obtained using those protocols in two cases, saying it was not scientifically reliable.

Last year, the medical examiner's office turned to a widely used computer model called STRMix, which as of this spring was being used by 17 American crime laboratories and the FBI, to test mixed DNA samples.

In a chilly, sterile DNA lab on Manhattan's East Side, scientists cut the cotton off the swabs mailed to them by police and drop them in test tubes. They clean and measure those samples, running them through a giant whirring machine that looks like a high-tech microwave.

The lab needs 37.5 picograms as little as six cells of genetic material to test a sample against a suspect in a case. Police swab handguns in three places: The grip area, the trigger area, and, the slide area, which on a pistol needs to be pulled back before firing.

If enough DNA is recovered, scientists go on to do more tests. They add chemicals, some of which contain fluorescent tags, to each sample. They put the samples into what is essentially a DNA "Xerox machine." The machine copies the DNA millions of times at the locations that the scientists are testing.

The samples are then run through another instrument which picks up the fluorescent tags and uses them to produce a color chart. This gives scientists a visual representation of the DNA found on the gun that they can compare with a suspect's.

If a gun swab shows that a mixture of DNA from several people is on the gun, a scientist can enter information about the mixture into a computer, together with the suspect's DNA profile. The computer produces a ratio showing how likely it is that the suspect's DNA is part of the genetic mixture recovered from the firearm.

******

A gun swab does not always produce a usable sample. Rachel Singer, chief of forensic science at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, said that in about half of all cases, there is either too little DNA on a swab or there's genetic material from too many people to produce a result that can be tested against a suspect's DNA.

The medical examiner can determine whether someone's DNA is part of a mix of as many as three biological samples, but if a fourth person's DNA is detected on a weapon, the office will not make a determination.

Prosecutors say they are aware of the limitations of DNA evidence, but that they are using it responsibly to get more plea deals and longer sentences.

"We have found that when we do have DNA on a criminal possession of a weapons case, we either are able to negotiate a plea, or the defendant ultimately gets convicted," Singer said.

Prosecutors said there is almost always other evidence in gun-possessions cases like video footage or police testimony to prevent wrongful convictions. In Lamar's case, for example, DNA evidence was used to support the testimony of a police officer who said he pulled a gun out of the defendant's waistband.

It can take weeks for the lab to come back with the results of a DNA test. Defense lawyers say that in the lag time, prosecutors often try to use the possibility of a DNA match to convince their clients to agree to a deal.

"When I'm having a conversation with a prosecutor, oftentimes DNA is used as a threat to exact a guilty plea," said Scott Hechinger, a senior staff attorney at Brooklyn Defender Services, a public defense law firm.

Hechinger said a prosecutor might offer his client a one-time deal before DNA results come back from the lab. If they come back and there's a match, the deal is off.

Hechinger said New York's initiative to increase DNA testing is part of a broader move toward a zero-tolerance, one-size-fits-all approach to guns where prosecutors seek the stiffest sentences for everyone, even defendants with no prior record.

Still, there is room to challenge DNA evidence. Brooklyn attorney Douglas Rankin said that if his client's DNA is not found on a gun, or the test is inconclusive, he can make a strong case for reasonable doubt. Even when there is DNA evidence, Rankin said he has sometimes had luck arguing that it can't be relied upon. He recalled one case in which a man was charged with illegally possessing a loaded gun after police found it under a couch he was sleeping on in a friend's apartment. At trial, Rankin argued that because of his client's proximity to the weapon, it would have been easy for a tiny quantity of his client's DNA to end up on it. The man was acquitted.

While it is impossible to tie conviction rates to any one factor, there is some evidence that the city's push to swab all recovered guns for DNA is translating to more pleas and longer sentences.

In the first half of this year, about 56% of all gun-possession arrests ended in convictions. That's higher than in any year in the last decade, according to data provided by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

People who possess loaded guns illegally have also been slightly more likely to serve time for their offenses since DNA swabs became more commonplace. In the first half of 2017, almost 25% of people who were arrested on charges of possessing a loaded gun were sent to prison a higher percentage than in any full year since 2007.

STRMix has yet to be put to the test in a New York City court. But it was successfully challenged in one upstate murder trial last year, when a St. Lawrence County judge ruled that the state laboratory that collected the DNA samples was not approved to collect samples for the new STRMix analysis.

Now lawyers and scientists are waiting for a challenge to STRMix in a New York City gun case, likely to come within the next few months.

"I expect, as we have a very strong and robust defense community, that they will do their job and challenge us appropriately," Timothy Kupferschmid, chief of laboratories for the New York Medical Examiner's Office. "I look forward to those challenges and to showing them what we're doing."

Ann Givens, of The Trace, writes about the nation's law enforcement agencies, from the ATF to local police departments, and the effectiveness of their efforts to curb gun violence.

Robert Lewis covers criminal justice for WNYC.

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NYC expands controversial DNA testing on seized guns to help charges stick - New York Daily News

Could your sweat (or saliva) be a clue to a successful weight loss regime?

The weight-loss app Lose It and Silicon Valley DNA analytics start-up Helix on Monday released embodyDNA, a service that analyzes 16 different traits as they relate to weight loss, nutrition, fitness and sensitivities to certain foods. It measures everything from body mass index and the metabolism of nutrients to muscle mass and gluten tolerance to give people insights into their genetic makeup, says Kevin McCoy, senior vice president of business development at the Boston-based Lose It.

It costs $180 for a new customer or $110 if you are previous Helix customer. 23AndMe provides ancestry information, but there several other companies provide DNA analysis and nutrition programs to help with weight loss, including DNAFit, Fitness Genes and Nutrigenomix. They can cost as much as $289, depending on the plan. (Privacy policies vary for each service, but Lose It users must opt into their data being aggregated anonymously for future research.)

There are over 100 locations across the genome that play roles in various obesity traits, according to this 2015 study of more than 500,000 genetic samples published in the journal Nature by researchers at the University of Michigan. The large number of genes makes it less likely that one solution to beat obesity will work for everyone and opens the door to possible ways we could use genetic clues to help defeat obesity, senior study author Elizabeth Speliotes said.

But other more recent studies put less emphasis on the link between obesity and DNA. While genotype plays a role in obesity, another 2016 study in the British Medical Journal found that individuals carrying a gene that might give them a propensity for obesity respond equally well to a change in diet, physical activity and/or drug-based weight loss treatments. A genetic predisposition to obesity can be at least partly counteracted through such interventions, it concluded.

Dont miss: Would you post your DNA on Facebook?

Some fitness experts are also sanguine about the usefulness of these DNA analytic services for dieting. Anne Machalinski, a writer for Self magazine and marathon runner, tried Fitness Genes service and was told she had an increased obesity risk and had muscles that recovered quickly from exercise. These recommendations are essentially common sense of the eat less and move more variety, she wrote for Self, plus a push for resistance, strength and high intensity interval training.

Still, as this 2016 study in the British Medical Journal concluded, DNA analysis can motivate people to lose weight. It can be a life or death decision: Weight gain in early and middle adulthood will increase health risks later in life, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said last week. People who gained 5 to 22 pounds before the age of 55 increased their risk of premature death, chronic diseases and decreased the likelihood of achieving healthy aging, it found.

On the plus side, theres also plenty of other common sense data to help people stay fit and healthy. Americans log nearly 6% more calories on Saturdays than any other day of the week, and an extra 3% calories than normal on Fridays, according to separate analysis of millions of calorie counters from Lose It. Breakfast and dinners on weekends when people are either with friends or kicking back are also a time for a spike in calories over other mornings (by between 6.5% and 7%).

And Americans who are keeping tabs on their weight might also do well to watch the clock. Snacks that are better for you such as nuts, vegetable slices or fruits peak at around noon, followed by a slightly smaller rise in savory and sweet snacks at that, according to market research company The NPD Group, but sweet snacks such as candy, chocolate and ice-cream peak in the evening just after 8 p.m. A third of snack and/or appetizers are consumed during lunch or dinner.

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This app will analyze your DNA to help you lose weight - MarketWatch

From VHS to DVD to Blu-ray to skin cells?

The holding device of motion pictures has evolved to machinery less and less cumbersome, and last week, researchers from Harvard Medical School revealed a new method of video transfer: DNA encoding.

The scientists embedded a film clip of a galloping horse within the DNA of a living bacterial cell and, upon extraction, replayed the image with only slight damages. According to their report published in Nature, the image proliferates as the host cell divides and multiplies.

The breakthrough heralds great opportunity in the realm of virtual reality.

Doug Clinton, managing partner at Loup Ventures, theorizes that DNA technology could eventually be used to record emotions and experiences, which could then be screened outside the cell or between individuals through an implant or other external storage device.

The concept opens the door for augmented reality and the experiential learning that comes with it. It might also inform empathy instruction.

One thing that could be interesting is if in some way you could use the digital DNA to track a humans life, and then, if you apply that to VR, you can almost relive a persons life and their experiences as they might have felt them, Clinton said. So it might be an interesting mechanism to track neurology behind human stimulation and then transfer that to other people and sort of recreate sensations.

Notably, the technology enabling DNA encoding isnt necessarily positioned to revolutionize the video streaming industry. People wont likely be storing or viewing Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) clips in their macular cells.

I think its possible, [but] I dont know that this is the technology to do it, Clinton said.

For now, commercial application of the technology is distant beyond the immediate preoccupations and capabilities of industry leaders.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ: FB) have made initial investments in AR, VR and brain control interfaces, but theyre still in the early stages.

[The research] feels more academic at this point than it is sort of a business opportunity, Clinton said. I imagine theyll keep an eye on it, and then maybe its a couple years down the line where people start to use it for very specific research applications. Then well start to see what a real business process could be behind it that they could adapt and sort of apply to how theyre seeing the future in VR and AR.

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2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Scientists Store Film Clip In DNA, Pave The Way For AR Experience Sharing - Benzinga

Barbara Ellen using a home DNA-testing kit. Photograph: Sonja Horsman for the Observer New Review for the Observer

There may come a time in everyones life when they find themselves sitting at the kitchen table on an otherwise unexceptional weekday morning, drooling saliva into a test tube in the spirit of scientific inquiry.

The spit is for one of the home genetic-testing kits Im sampling. A growing number of these kits (brands such as 23andMe, DNAFit, Thriva, MyHeritage DNA, and Orig3n) promise to unlock the mystery of your genomes, variously explaining everything from ancestry, residual Neanderthal variants, bioinformatics for fitness, weight loss and skincare, to more random genetic predispositions, denoting, say, the dimensions of your earlobes or the consistency of yourearwax.

More controversially, some of these kits profess to tell you your biological (as opposed to actual age) by measuring the length of your telomeres (in basic terms, the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect chromosomes, like plastic tips at the end of shoelaces). Other tests, such as 23andMe, predict higher risks of developing serious conditions, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers and Parkinsons, including the test for BRCA1/BRCA2 (breast and ovarian cancer) that Angelina Jolie famously underwent, going on to have a preventative double mastectomy and surgery to remove her ovaries.

Its easy to do these tests; its usually just a case of collecting your own samples at home, filling in short, basic questionnaires, posting the packages, and then logging on to interactive websites for confidential results (all the kits I tested used outside laboratories). With an array of price ranges and options, from one-off DNA-blitzes to targeting specific health areas, to fitness/wellness tracking, its no surprise that these kits are proving to be very big business and the field is primed to get even bigger, with a global market estimated to be worth around 7.7bn by 2022.

Saying that, whats it all for? Some individuals, such as Jolie, have the kind of family histories that give them good reason to be concerned about their health, though, as becomes clear, those people might be better off consulting doctors in the normal way.

Otherwise, the home-testing kits could be said to fit in with our increasingly health-conscious and, if you wish to be cynical, narcissistic times. What says youre special more than finding out everything about yourself, right down to the nitty-gritty of genetics? In this way, these kits could be viewed as the latest plaything of the worried well. You could see how the scientific approach would appeal to the health-obsessed of all sexes and ages, your marathon runners and serious gym-goers, who take their fitness extremely seriously.

Another key customer type could be people like myself, hurtling through middle age, perhaps just starting to feel the cold bony hand of mortality clamp down on their shoulder. People, who, in the past, may not have exactly prioritised their health, who are starting to wonder what may be in store for them and who are in the (Hypochondriacs R Us) market for some hard-core insight andadvice.

Which is all very well, but do these kits work and deliver the service they promise and what about the wider ethics and implications of home genetic testing? Is it always wise for generally under-informed, under-prepared consumers to meddle in the highly complex, nuanced arena of genetics, risking confusion, complacency or even outright panic and anxiety when confronted with ostensible bad news (which may not even be true)?

The first kit I try is Thrivas baseline test (49), which, like all its products, checks your blood. The box arrives promptly enough (containing spring-loaded needles, a little collection tube, antiseptic wipes, plasters, etc), but theres a problem. The idea is to prick your finger and massage blood into the tube, but I just end up making my fingers sore and what I get out barely smears the top of the phial. Maybe its just me, but it turns into a right faff. In the end, I take advantage of Thrivas service to send someone out to take a sample of blood from my arm.

When we speak, co-founder Hamish Grierson describes Thriva as a lifestyle brand with medical-grade testing at the back end, an opportunity for people to see themselves as consumers rather than patients. Grierson gives examples of people who have benefited from Thriva testing, sometimes picking up early on serious issues. As for alarming people, Grierson says that Thriva has on-site facilities to discuss results and is intended to be complementary to the NHS rather than replacing it: If there are questions we cant answer, were very clear that people should pick it up with their GP.

When my results appear, they show nothing bad. If anything, its anticlimactic: cholesterol, vitamins, liver proteins and the like are all in the normal range, with only ferritin (iron stores) slightly high, with a recommendation to go easy on any iron supplements. My problem with the baseline test is that, unlike Thrivas other products, clients are supposed to have one every three months to keep track, but would I really want (or indeed need) to do such a test soregularly?

According to Margaret McCartney, GP, and author of The Patient Paradox, theres a fundamental problem with home genetic-testing kits per se.

My concern is that more and more of these tests are being put out, and people are being persuaded to have these tests done, and they get results back that are very often of very low value and dubious helpfulness, she says. And often people are told to go to see their GP and that then places a direct stress on the NHS, at no cost to the company. The companies make their profits and walk away, letting the NHS sort out all the fallout, the push-back, from the test results, in a way I find absurd. Why should the NHS have to prop up the problems that these companies create?

In McCartneys view, enough testing is already done in this country (sometimes too much) and there are issues of regulation and informed consent. People are given very dramatic reasons to have these tests it could help save your life, it could help improve the quality of your life but where is the actual controlled evidence that these tests have ever done that? Theres no evidence that says doing these tests makes people becomehealthier.

McCartney says that anxious people often contact her, saying they wished they hadnt done the tests. These companies often say that its worth it for the helpful advice. But I can give you really good advice right now without seeing a single test result: be active, have lots of social networks, do work you enjoy, try not to smoke or drink too much, dont be overweight or underweight, eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Nobody needs to get tests done to get that kind of basic lifestyleadvice.

Nor does McCartney care for the worried well narrative. I dont really like the worried well thing because it moves the blame on to the people themselves. I think people are being made anxious by manipulative advertising. People are generally good. They dont want to be worried or unwell just for fun.

Some concerns about the ultimate efficacy of certain home tests seem to emanate from the industry itself. I did a telomere-measuring test (a mouth swab) by Titanovo, based in north Colorado, which came back saying that my telomeres were too short, putting me at 10 biological years older than I am. However, when I contacted Titanovo, it explained that it had stopped telomere measuring and was now concentrating exclusively on its DNA-utilising bioinformatics health, fitness and wellbeing website (analysing client data from other genetic testing sites).

Titanovo explained that it found telomere measuring too inconsistent, with too many super-fit people presenting with short telomeres and unfit people presenting with long ones and, ultimately, everyone receiving pretty much the same advice: start exercising and eating healthily or continue exercising and eating healthily.

Bill Newman, professor of translational genomic medicine in the Manchester centre for genomic medicine at the University of Manchester, and chair of the British Society of Genetic Medicine, says that such tests in this context simply dont make sense and that, usually, telomere testing would only be used in in-depth studies of ageing and diseases associated with ageing. Theres some really brilliant work going on, by some of the best biologists in the world, says Newman, citing Elizabeth Blackburn, who won the 2009 Nobel prize for medicine for her work on telomeres. But theres no evidence whatsoever that measuring a persons telomeres gives any indication about their health or beauty, intelligence, or anything else that might be listed on these sites.

In Newmans view, the genie is out of the bottle with home genetic-testing kits. He says that while the kits could potentially provide data in the future, right now, they lack clinical utility they look at genetic variants that, individually, have a very low chance of predicting specific health risks, as there are too many variables: Its like the Opportunity Knocks clap-o-meter, with some people further along the scale, and therefore more likely to get the condition and then people at the other end of the scale, who are unlikely to get it.

Newman says that theres a basic lack of literacy and understanding about genetic testing, among the public and even other health professionals. People are given false reassurances or made to panic (just because you have certain genetic variants, it doesnt mean that you will develop a particular condition). Newman also makes the point that, in his field, counselling happens before and after testing and, while people with cancer or heart issues nearly always opt to have the test (as they can then take action to varying degrees), often people with conditions such as Huntingtons disease in their family decide not to go ahead because a diagnosis would change nothing for them. In any event, Newman says that, with genetic testing, while there are different levels, intensive counselling is always absolutely key.

All this comes into sharp focus with the comprehensive kits such as the one provided by 23andMe: the one I drool into a tube for (incidentally, 23andMe doesnt test for Huntingtons disease). Most people, like myself, have a low understanding of genetic variants, what phrases such as higher risk or probability actually mean or how to interpret our results correctly. Is it right that ordinary members of the public must navigate potentially frightening and/or misleading results alone?

As it happens, most of the data on 23andMe seems harmless and fun. There are the Neanderthal variants (I have fewer of them than 58% of 23andMe customers, thank you very much), the bizarre earwax/earlobes-type data and, apparently, I have the muscle composition generally found in elite athletes (fancy). On the downside, my lineage isnt as exotic as Id hoped: 99.1% north-western Europe, of which 71% is British/Irish, with just 0.01% Ashkenazi Jewish to offset the genetic monotony. At 149, the 23andMe kit isnt cheap and Im quite tempted to demand a recount.

Then comes the section about serious genetic variants. So far as counselling goes, previously, Id waved away concern for my psychological welfare from the Observers science editor (Im a former goth, I said. My default setting is doomed), but it turns out to be quite daunting. It doesnt help that I initially mistake the full list of potential conditions for my own results, hence (thankfully briefly) thinking that I have higher risk factors for everything going. It makes me wonder how many other people are going to do that?

In fairness to 23andME, it leaves it up to the customer to unlock the more serious results or not. When I unlock mine, I discover that, while Im not genetically predisposed to such things as the BRAC1 or BRAC2 variant, Parkinsons or MS, I have one of the variants for late-onset (mid-80s) Alzheimers. However, I dont have any other markers for Alzheimers or family history or conditions associated with it or anything else listed in the rather lengthy disclaimer, which also stresses that its not a diagnostic result and to seek further advice from your GP if you are concerned.

This is another feature of these genetic-testing sites they are littered with caveats and disclaimers, forever emphasising that theyre not actual diagnostic tests and, if you are really concerned by your results, to seek further advice from your GP or another health professional. As has been pointed out by McCartney, when anything looks serious, ultimately its back to the very GP and exact NHS infrastructure that these kits profess to smoothly bypass.

As a postscript, I eventually end up having an interesting chat with Titanovo about my bioinformatics (distilled from my 23andMe data). One of the first things Im told is that my eyes are green (theyre brown). However, the bioinformatics got my skin type and frame/weight generally right and had interesting (albeit occasionally generic) things to say about exercise, diet, goals, steering clear of too much sugar and so on.

Who knows how much of it made solid scientific sense? However, I have to confess that I rather enjoyed it on the level of an indulgent genome-oriented pampering session, just as I had a hoot with the ancestry/Neanderthal/earlobe data on 23andMe. Where Thriva is concerned, I also noted that it did advanced thyroid tests. Although such tests are available from the NHS, Im hypothyroid myself and I know that sometimes it can be difficult and time-consuming getting tests repeated and it could be useful to be privately tested in this way.

It could be that, in the main, genetic-testing kits such as these could, if promoted and used responsibly, end up zoned completely away from legitimate science and medicine and placed where perhaps they belong, firmly in the lifestyle-extra zone, if and when people think theyre worth it. Though, somewhat tellingly, when I ask Newman if he thinks that any of the genetic testing kits are worth buying, he instantly says: No. Id say, go to the cinema, watch some sport. Spend the money on something nice, something life-enhancing.

What is the project? The 100,000 Genomes Project is an NHS initiative, run by Genomics England, and is the largest national genome sequencing project in the world. On entering, patients have their entire genome, of more than 3bn base pairs, sequenced. This is different from commercially available genetic testing kits, such as those from 23andMe, which only look at very small stretches of DNA in a process called genotyping. The hope of the NHS is that having so much genetic information, from so many different people, will allow groundbreaking discoveries about how diseases work, who could be susceptible to them, how we can treat them, and what treatments might work.

Whose genomes are being sequenced? The only patients having their genome sequenced are those with certain cancers or rare diseases. In some cases, family members may also be asked to participate. To take part, a patient must first be referred by a consultant, before being taken through an extensive consent process to ensure they know what participation in the project means. As well as the genome sequence, Genomics England asks for access to a patients lifetime medical records so that links can be made between their genetics and their individual disease. The NHS has made it very clear that, for many participants, taking part in this project wont help them treat their disease. But it is hoped that the information they provide will go on to help treat others in the future.

Where does the data go? Each patients genome sequence and their medical records are kept in an NHS data centre in pseudonymised form. Researchers from commercial and not-for-profit organisations can get access to the data at the centre if they can prove that they are using it for studies that will further medical science.

What information do the patients get back? Although the project states that most participants wont receive any useful information, patients will be told if something is found in their genome that is relevant to the treatment, explanation or diagnosis of their condition. They can also choose to learn if they have a genetic risk factor for another disease, such as the BRCA1 gene mutation that can cause breast cancer. Genomics England will only look for risk factors that are linked to a disease that can be treated or prevented. Untreatable conditions, such as Alzheimers, are not looked for.

Why 100,000 genomes? The NHS believes that sequencing 100,000 genomes will provide enough information on these diseases while also being cost-effective. In the future, as the price of whole genome sequencing goes down, it hopes to involve more patients and even more diseases.

Agnes Donnelly

More here:
What I learned from home DNA testing - The Guardian

FLATWOODS, Ky. Tracing ones family tree has evolved considerably since the days when Alex Haley, author of the novel Roots, used family accounts and detailed research to trace his ancestry back to Africa. Now people interested in genealogy can turn to DNA as a way to find their familys history.

Oscar Meadows of Flatwoods, Ky. started his genealogy research sometime in 1980. He had what he described as a fair understanding of his maternal ancestry because his neighborhood was well populated by his mothers side of the family, but that link did not provide all of the clues he needed for a complete picture of his familys past.

This is a little bit misleading since Mom and Dad were second cousins, Meadows told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. What we really didnt know was my Meadows or Dads pedigree. Dad really had no idea who his grandfather Meadows was or where he came from. He did know his dad was Henry Franklin Meadows and Dad was age 6 when his father Henry died. Dad could only remember his Dad Henry as an old man; at age 6 almost every adult alive would qualify.

Meadows said that he and his sister quizzed a few cousins, uncles and aunts in the neighborhood and came up with Watt Meadows as being the father of Henry Franklin Meadows. Henry had four full siblings and five half siblings; all lived in or near Greenup County, Ky.

After more research, Watt Meadows was discovered to be George Washington Meadows born, who was about 1836 in Greenup County, Ky. and died about 1899 in Fayette County, Ky. He first married Elizabeth Morris of Carter County, Ky. and then later had a second wife, Elizabeth Johnson of Greenup, Ky., Meadows said.

The trail later led Meadows to southern West Virginia.

George Washington Watt Meadows (GW) was the son of Abraham Abram and Sarah Batman Meadows. Abraham was born Nov. 15, 1808 in present day Summers County, W.Va. and died March 5,1869 in Greenup County, Ky. We know GW had at least six siblings all lived and died in Greenup County, he said. Almost from the beginning of our search we came across material indicating that Abraham was likely the son of Francis and Frances Bush Meadows. The Bushes had moved to Greenup County, Ky. around 1815 from then Monroe County.

The material available years ago and still widely circulated today indicated Francis Meadows was a Revolutionary War soldier and was a brother to Rev. Josiah Meador husband of Judith Lilly of the Bluestone River present day Mercer County, W.Va., Meadows said. Francis and Frances lived on or near Powley Creek in present day Summers County, W.Va.

Meadows is now turning to DNA testing to further his research. He said that he is sure more of his ancestors still live in southern West Virginia.

Oh, definitely, he said. Theres no doubt about it. The Meadows are well populated from Giles County and Pearisburg all the way to Mason County and the Ohio River, and then they go all the way up (Interstate) 77 all the way to Akron and Cleveland.

Y-DNA from known male descendants of the Rockingham County, Va. Meadows line and the Meador line of Virginia/West Virginia show the two families are not biologically related through the early male heritage, he said.

I have no documentation for Francis Meadows, JR about 1754 to 1836 beyond Orange/Rockingham County, Va., Meadows stated. It has now has been several years since Y-DNA testing began but we have been unable to find a known male descendant of the Rev. Josiah Meador to submit a cheek swab for comparison of the 2 families; (it) must be an unbroken male chain.

Meadows said he can be contacted at 606-836-5733 and at ovmeadows@gmail.com.

ContactGreg Jordan atgjordan@bdtonline.com

Excerpt from:
Genealogy research spurs Kentucky man to seek DNA in W.Va. - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

To honor the 100th Anniversary of the countrys independence, Visit Finland has launched an exciting new campaign: The Symphony of Extremes Born from Finnish DNA. As Finland is a nation of vast extremes, not only in its weather and seasons, but in its peoples adventurous lifestyles and taste for both headbanging metal and classical music as well, Visit Finland will delve into the nations distinct character by examining its heritage and culture and turning the Finnish genotype into music.

The Symphony of the Extremes Born from Finnish DNA delves deep into the Finnish psyche to introduce Finlandscultural core, by tracking the composition of a new piece by heavy metal band Apocalyptica, who use Finnish DNA samples as raw material for a genre-crossing track which will premiere later this year along with an visually-engaging music video to showcase the work of art globally. The campaign trailer is now available on its official website: http://www.visitfinland.com/symphonyofextremes/.

The campaign closely follows the creative process and highlights a group of noteworthy people behind the genes, each of whom exhibit some extreme and distinctively Finnish trait, such as sisu, their unique grit, or a strong bond with the Arctic.

A number of professionals at the apex of their fields will also be brought together, including Jonathan Middleton, visiting professor at the University of Tampere who has developed a program that can create sounds from the base pairs found in DNA; and Eicca Toppinen, a member of the Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica formed in 1993, who will then compose a new piece of music based on DNA samples gathered around Finland by geneticists. The campaign starts with the collection of the genes, culminating in the works publication by late 2017.

The Symphony of Extremes will also focus on extreme freediver Johanna Nordblad; Tinja Myllykangas who lives with dozens of dogs in the wilderness of Lapland; and a group of children living in the extreme conditions of outer Finnish Archipelago. Their unique and personal stories will inspire international audiences and also draw attention to the mysterious wonders of Finland, drawing in tourism and visitors around the globe.

This cooperation involves extensive research, product development, and expertise from a number of key academic influencers including Paivi Onkamo, lecturer of genetics in The University of Helsinki; Jonathan Middleton, a composer based in Spokane where he teaches composition at Eastern Washington University; and Janna Saarela, research director of Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland.

Finland appeals to travelers searching for unique and extreme experiences in their destinations. For example, there are 500,000 summer cottages throughout the country, 188,000 lakes, over 3,000,000 saunas (more than the number of cars), 179,000 islands and over 70% of the land covered by forest. Its spectacular nature wonders has attracted travelers and lovers of the outdoors to visit Finland from all over the world.

Besides its stunning landscape wonders, Finlands seasons present extreme conditions that test the strength of its people, with freezing temperatures reaching -51C in the winter when the sun doesnt rise above the horizon for 52 days in Lapland, and 70 days of midnight sun in the summer; and these intense conditions seem to have given birth to an impressive 3,400 Finnish metal bands that rock the country with sound waves.

Over the year, Visit Finland will orchestrate this grand campaign of audio-visual stimulation to showcase the unique and authentic Finland in all its extreme adventure and glory, and to enhance the destinations brand awareness to markets across the globe. Audiences can expect a very real, firsthand look into the nations core DNA, from its peoples ancestry, love of extreme sports, to its rural communities passion for environmental sustainability.

Finland has also been named one of the top countries in the world for travelers, receiving the accolade in Lonely Planets Best in Travel 2017, the highly anticipated collection of the worlds hottest trends, destinations, and experiences for the year ahead

Excerpt from:
Finland Tourism: The Symphony of Extremes: Born from Finnish DNA - eTurboNews