Category Archives: DNA

Mind-body interventions (MBIs), such as meditation, yoga and tai chi, dont just relax us. According to a new study, they can reverse the molecular reactions in our DNA that cause ill health and depression.

The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology, reviews over a decade of studies analyzing how the behavior of our genes is affected by different MBIs, including mindfulness and yoga.

Researchers at Coventry University in the U.K. and Radboud University in the Netherlands conclude that, when examined together, the 18 studies featuring 846 participants over 11 years reveal a pattern in the molecular changes that happen to the body as a result of MBIs, and how those changes benefit our mental and physical health.

The researchers focused on how gene expression is affected in other words, the way that genes activate to produce proteins that influence the biological makeup of the body, the brain, and the immune system.

When a person is exposed to a stressful event, their sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the fight-or-flight response, is triggered, which increases production of a molecule called nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB), which regulates how our genes are expressed, the researchers explained.

NF-kB translates stress by activating genes to produce proteins called cytokines that cause inflammation at a cellular level, a reaction that is useful as a short-lived fight-or-flight reaction, but if persistent leads to a higher risk of cancer, accelerated aging, and psychiatric disorders like depression, the researchers noted.

However, people who practice MBIs exhibit the opposite effect a decrease in the production of NF-kB and cytokines, leading to a reversal of the pro-inflammatory gene expression pattern and a reduction in the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions, according to the studys findings.

The inflammatory effect of the fight-or-flight response, which also serves to temporarily bolster the immune system, would have played an important role in mankinds hunter-gatherer prehistory, when there was a higher risk of infection from wounds, the researchers said.

Today, however, where stress is increasingly psychological and often longer-term, pro-inflammatory gene expression can be persistent and more likely to cause psychiatric and medical problems, they noted.

Millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what they perhaps dont realize is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business, said lead investigator Ivana Buric from the Brain, Belief and Behavior Lab in Coventry Universitys Centre for Psychology, Behavior and Achievement.

These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, MBIs cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our well-being.

She added that more needs to be done to understand these effects in greater depth,for example how they compare with other healthy interventions like exercise or nutrition.

But this is an important foundation to build on to help future researchers explore the benefits of increasingly popular mind-body activities, she concluded.

Source: Coventry University

APA Reference Wood, J. (2017). Meditation, Yoga Can Reverse DNA Stress Reactions. Psych Central. Retrieved on June 18, 2017, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/06/18/meditation-yoga-can-reverse-dna-stress-reactions/122064.html

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Meditation, Yoga Can Reverse DNA Stress Reactions - PsychCentral.com

Fifty-eight people who were in Grenfell Tower are still missing and are presumed to be dead, London police announced Saturday, raising the death toll in the horrific inferno that turned the public housing block into a charred hulk.

Public anger is mounting as residents and neighbors demand answers for how the blaze early Wednesday spread so quickly and trapped so many of the tower's 600-odd residents. British media have reported that contractors installed a cheaper, less flame-resistant type of exterior paneling on the 24-story tower in a renovation that was completed just last year.

Police Commander Stuart Cundy said the number of 58, which was based on reports from the public, may rise and includes the 30 deaths that have already been confirmed. He says it will take weeks or longer to recover and identify all the dead at the charred building.

"Sadly, at this time there are 58 people who we have been told were in the Grenfell Tower on the night that are missing, and therefore sadly, I have to assume that they are dead," he said.

Cundy said there may have been other people in the tower that police are not aware of, which would add to the final death toll. He asked anyone who was in the tower and survived to contact police immediately.

Police say the harrowing search for remains had been paused Friday because of safety concerns at the blacked tower but has resumed. Cundy said emergency workers have now reached the top of the tower.

Cundy said police will investigate the tower's refurbishment project, which experts believe may have left the building more vulnerable to a catastrophic blaze.

British Prime Minister Theresa May, facing criticism for the government's handling of the disaster, met Saturday with a small group of fire survivors invited to her official residence at 10 Downing Street. The meeting is unlikely to quell complaints that May has been slow to reach out to victims, despite her announcement of a $6.4 million emergency fund to help the displaced families.

The identification of the victims is proving very difficult which experts attribute to the extreme heat of the fire. British health authorities say that 19 fire survivors are still being treated at London hospitals, and 10 of them remain in critical condition.

A solemn Queen Elizabeth II marked a minute of silence for victims of the London high-rise inferno at the start of a procession Saturday to mark her official birthday. She said Britain remains "resolute in the face of adversity" after the horrendous fire and recent extremist attacks in London and Manchester.

The 91-year-old monarch said it is "difficult to escape a very somber mood" on what is normally a day of celebration.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, stood silently on the steps of Buckingham Palace before the start of the Trooping the Color ceremony that each year marks the queen's official birthday, which is traditionally celebrated in June when the weather is warm.

There is simmering anger in the multi-ethnic north Kensington area hit by the blaze, and public fury has been directed at senior government figures, including May, who was jeered Friday after she visited the fire community. Hundreds have been left homeless by the blaze, putting more pressure on officials in a city plagued by a chronic housing shortage.

Scuffles broke out near the Kensington and Chelsea town hall offices Friday as demonstrators chanting "We want justice!" surged toward the doors.

The government has promised a full public inquiry, but that has done little to a sense of frustration at the lack of information about how the fire moved so quickly to engulf the building.

Engineering experts and fire safety specialists believe the building's exterior cladding may have quickly fueled the blaze, overwhelming fire protection devices. British officials have ordered a review of other buildings that have had similar renovations.

The tragedy has provoked a huge response from nearby communities. More than 3 million pounds ($3.8 million) have been raised for the victims. Many of the displaced are living in churches and community centers. There is ample food and water, but very little privacy or proper bedding, and with the tower destroyed, no one knows where they will be relocated or for how long.

Two nearby Underground lines were partially shut down Saturday in the fire area to make sure that debris did not land on the tracks.

Some Grenfell residents had warned months ago fire safety issues at the tower meant that it was at risk of a "catastrophic" event. They say their complaints were ignored and fear it was because the tower was full of poor people in a hugely wealthy neighborhood.

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London tower inferno may have destroyed DNA needed to ID 70 missing victims - Chicago Tribune

For generations, cross-referencing tombstones at the cemetery and vital records was required to unlock your lineage.

But now, you can easily uncover some of the mystery of your family tree with DNA.

Consumers like Larry Guernsey are giving the service as gifts.

"I thought it would be a good Christmas present," Guernsey said.

The $99 DNA test uses a saliva sample to trace family history.

Here's how one company that provides the service, Ancestry, says it works:

"A simple test can reveal an estimate of your ethnic mix like if you're Irish or Scandinavian, or both."

For Guernsey his curiosity twisted to suspicion once he read the fine print. To proceed, he'd have to give ancestry a "perpetual, royalty-free worldwide transferable license" to use his DNA.

"That entire phrase: 'perpetual royalty-free worldwide transferable,' it sounds like they have left it open to do anything they want with it," Guernsey said.

He was concerned the "transferable license" could put his family's DNA in the hands of an insurance company that could later deny coverage.

"That's not a crazy worry," said Stanford University law professor Hank Greely.

Greely teaches and writes books about the intersection of bio-tech and the law. Greely says medical researchers and pharmaceutical companies routinely need DNA data to develop new products, and companies that have big DNA databases, like Ancestry, sell it to them.

"Some of them get a fair amount of their revenue by selling the analysis of your DNA," Greely said.

NBC 5 Responds asked Ancestry for an interview, but it declined.

In a statement the company said:

"The decisions we make are guided by the basic belief that our customers' data belongs to them."

They went on to say, "We provide every customer options to choose how we may use their DNA data when they sign up .. .We will not share DNA data with third party marketers, employers or insurance companies."

Ancestry's website currently tells users they have a choice to later "delete your DNA test results" or "destroy your physical DNA saliva sample."

Ancestry also says it stores your "DNA sample without your name."

Those statements are posted to its privacy page.

However, they're not in the contract you sign.

"If it bothers you, if it offends, if you're worried about what might be in there, then you shouldn't sign this contract," Greeley said.

Guernsey didn't, and he canceled his order.

So now, the steps to tracing the Guernsey family tree might include an old-fashioned graveyard walk.

Greely noted that DNA tests for genealogy are fairly cheap, perhaps, for a reason the fact that the data is really being sold again down the line.

Published at 10:02 PM CDT on Jun 16, 2017 | Updated at 10:59 PM CDT on Jun 16, 2017

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Privacy Concerns Over DNA Tests That Help Discover Your Roots ... - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

NEW YORK (AP) New York is becoming the latest U.S. state to let police hunt for suspects by identifying their relatives through DNA, after officials voted Friday to allow a practice that authorities call a crime-solver but civil libertarians consider a DNA dragnet.

The technique, known as familial DNA searching, is now expected to be available this fall in New York. The state Commission on Forensic Science voted 9-2 to allow it in murder, rape and some other cases, including times when it could help exonerate someone already convicted.

Spokeswoman Janine Kava says the new policy will provide law enforcement with a proven scientific tool to help investigate and solve serious crimes.

Authorities have for decades found suspects by matching crime scene evidence to convicted offenders DNA. Familial DNA testing comes into play when theres no match. It looks instead for people similar enough to be closely related to whoever left the crime scene DNA. From there, investigators can look for family members who fit as suspects and, if they find one, pursue enough other evidence to bring charges.

At least 10 other states and some other countries use familial searching. It has borne fruit in such high-profile cases as Los Angeles Grim Sleeper serial killings and the 1976 killing of the ex-wife of Righteous Brothers singer Bill Medley, also in Los Angeles.

Proponents see familial searching as a potent source of leads that can be done precisely and fairly.

The process also helps exclude the innocent, and safeguards are in place so that the searching is done prudently and the information is used discreetly, said state district attorneys association president Thomas Zugibe, whos the DA in suburban Rockland County. Under New Yorks new policy, the state criminal justice services commissioner would review every familial DNA searching request, and investigators couldnt see the results without training on how to evaluate them.

While authorities praise the technique, defense lawyers and civil liberties advocates decry it for entangling law-abiding people in investigations because of their family ties. At least two jurisdictions, Maryland and Washington, D.C., have prohibited the practice, and the Legal Aid Society said Friday it was considering legal action or a legislative campaign to stop it in New York.

Civil rights and privacy lost with todays vote, said Tina Luongo, an attorney with the society.

The commission began considering the issue last fall, when prosecutors wanted to use familial DNA searching in the case of Karina Vetrano, a 30-year-old killed while out running in New York City last August. Ultimately, police zeroed in on suspect Chanel Lewis through other means and then got a DNA sample from him that matched material under Vetranos nails and at the crime scene, they said. Lewis has pleaded not guilty to charges including murder.

Although familial searching didnt factor in Vetranos case, her father applauded Fridays vote.

Many families will benefit, and many criminals will suffer, Phil Vetrano wrote on an online reward-fund page. We will always be grateful to Karina for this.

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New York OK's family-DNA searches for suspects, amid debate - The Seattle Times

June 16, 2017 by James Devitt A team of scientists has developed a method to create structures whose building blocks are a millionth of a meter in size by encoding DNA with assembly instructions. In a series of experiments, the researchers mixed four "flavors" of droplets (yellow, orange, green, and blue), each coated with different DNA, but which do not bind. They then added a new droplet (red), which specifically binds to the orange droplet and activates it for the next step in the assembly. This process spurs the creation of a droplet chain in a pre-determined order (red-orange-yellow-green-blue). Credit: Yin Zhang

A team of scientists has developed a method to create structures whose building blocks are a millionth of a meter in size by encoding DNA with assembly instructions.

The work, described in the journal Nature Communications, manipulates the sequencing of DNA to offer an intricate and innovative approach to synthesize materials at the most fundamental level.

"Sequential programmability is a powerful addition to the self-assembly toolbox that will prove useful in creating the tiniest of materials," explains Yin Zhang, the paper's lead author and a graduate student at New York University's Center for Soft Matter Research. "It brings some of the advantages of the biological use of controlled sequential assembly using molecules, nucleic acids, and proteins to a new design scale."

NYU physics professors Paul Chaikin and Jasna Brujic as well as Nadrian Seeman, an NYU professor of chemistry, co-directed the research.

Both natural and human-made structures are built sequentiallyfrom cells to skyscrapers. Like Russian nesting dolls, assembly takes place on the inside before commencing on the outside.

However, when making materials on a micrometer scale, or about one hundredth of the width of a strand of human hair, scientists face challenges unfamiliar to engineers and manufacturers.

While many methods have been adopted to manipulate such tiny particles, these approaches all have notable shortcomings in assembling structures.

The NYU team sought to overcome these hurdles with a new approach: encode the instructions of assembly within the building blocks and let these building blocks self-organize into a prescribed structure in a pre-determined sequence.

To do so, it deployed different strands of DNA, each coated on a droplet of oil in water, where they then "talked" to each other through DNA-mediated interactions. Specifically, the scientists placed four "flavors" of dropletslabeled B, C, D, and Einto water. They then added an "initiator" droplet, A, which began the sequencing process. Here, the DNA strand on A initiates a chain of events in which it displaces one of the paired strands on B, whose released strand moves to activate C, the next droplet in the sequence, and so on. The process results in a droplet chain, ABCDE.

Explore further: Chemists color world of 3-D crystals with advances in self-assembly

The wide reach of corrosion, a multitrillion-dollar global problem, may someday be narrowed considerably thanks to a new, better approach to predict how metals react with water.

A team of scientists has developed a method to create structures whose building blocks are a millionth of a meter in size by encoding DNA with assembly instructions.

A team of researchers at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea has developed a type of adhesive patch that works under a variety of conditions including underwater. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the team ...

Javier Vela, scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, believes improvements in computer processors, TV displays and solar cells will come from scientific advancements in the synthesis of low-dimensional ...

A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania is gaining new insight into the smart materials used in ultrasound technology. While forming the most thorough model to date of how these materials work, they have found ...

Researchers have developed a solar paint that can absorb water vapour and split it to generate hydrogen - the cleanest source of energy.

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Researchers send DNA on sequential building mission - Phys.org - Phys.Org

FLORENCE A Tennessee man has been arrested on burglary charges after his DNA was found at a business that was broken into last year.

James Bullock, an investigator with the Lauderdale County Sheriffs Office, said Marcus Orlandus Brown, 31, Covington, Tennessee, is charged with third-degree burglary, first-degree theft of property, first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree receiving stolen property.

Bullock said Brown is charged in connection with the Jan. 25, 2016, burglary of Haddocks Quick Start on Alabama 20 in the Central Heights community.

Bullock said Brown was arrested in Memphis and transported back to Florence.

He said DNA, left at the scene, was recovered along with other evidence during the course of the investigation.

The DNA sample was sent to the Alabama Department of Forensics to be analyzed and it got a positive hit.

And they determined the DNA at the business belonged to Marcus Brown, Bullock said.

Brown is out of jail on bail of $11,000.

Bullock said the case remains under investigation as authorities search for two other suspects.

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DNA leads to burglary arrest - Times Daily

The devastating fire that struck a high-rise tower in London may have been so powerful that it destroyed much of the DNA evidence needed to identify its victims.

As firefighters keep searching the charred ruins of the Grenfell Tower public housing complex with sniffer dogs and drones, Metropolitan Police commander Stuart Cundy said there was "a risk that, sadly, we may not be able to identify everybody."

Experts said the intensity of Wednesday's fire at the 24-story building will make naming victims extremely difficult, drawing comparisons to the 2001 World Trade Center terror attacks in New York, where 40 percent of the victims were never identified.

"When you have a fire that takes hold like that, that is literally an inferno. You get a lot of fragmentation of bodies, charring of bones and sometimes all that's left is ash," said Peter Vanezis, a professor of forensic medical sciences at Queen Mary University in London.

He said the temperature of the blaze at Grenfell Tower was comparable to a cremation.

"The longer a fire burns, the less chance you have that there will be enough DNA left to test," Vanezis said. Still, he said if people were protected by any surrounding furniture or debris, it's possible there might be some viable DNA.

Vanezis said the best chance to identify victims may be if officials find any remaining bits of teeth or bone, which are usually the last parts of the body to be destroyed. He said sophisticated techniques could be used to amplify the DNA, but noted such tests can only identify a person's family, not the individual.

Vanezis added that medical devices like a pacemaker or any artificial implants could be used to identify people by finding their registration details.

Another complicating factor is that much of the DNA material that would normally be used to help pinpoint victims like toothbrushes or combs were probably also incinerated in the blaze.

"Even if we get some DNA, the question will be, do we have anything to compare it to?" said Denise Syndercombe Court, a forensic science expert at King's College London.

In those cases, Syndercombe Court said experts would need a DNA sample from other family members or need to see if there are any reference samples available elsewhere, like a hospital blood or tissue test.

Syndercombe Court said even tiny fragments of teeth or bone could help, explaining that DNA tests can be run on as few as 10 to 20 cells. She said many identifications would probably be done via dental records, predicting that such samples would be more likely found from people who died of smoke inhalation, rather than those killed by the fire itself.

Syndercombe Court said the testing process would likely take months, as officials scour through remains, search for things like comparison DNA and go through a lengthy verification process.

"People won't want to give up easily," she said, adding that officials would likely also encounter other obstacles, like trying to find people who weren't expected to be at the tower or differentiating between siblings where little DNA remains.

The timing of the fire after the recent deadly attacks in Manchester and London also doesn't help.

"The capacity of labs to do this kind of testing is limited," Syndercombe Court said. "They're already working on forensic evidence from Manchester and London. This just adds to the backlog."

As of Friday, London police said 30 people have died in the Grenfell blaze. Britain's Press Association has reported that some 70 people are still missing after the fire, based on a compilation of verified reports.

This version corrects the style to World Trade Center.

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London fire may have destroyed DNA needed to ID victims - ABC News

Jun.16.2017 / 10:12 AM ET

Mindfulness has become a trendy buzzword among the wellness community. Yoga studios and meditation centers continue to pop up as people seek refuge from being constantly on the go (and feeling the draining effects).

But it turns out these practices are doing more than simply providing us a much-needed time out from our jam-packed schedules. In fact, according to a new study, they may actually be changing our DNA.

New research published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology looked at over a decade of studies, analyzing how our genes are affected by different mind-body interventions including mindfulness, yoga, meditation and Tai Chi. What they found is that these activities dont simply relax us they may actually have the ability to reverse molecular reactions to stress in our DNA that can lead to poor health and depression.

When we encounter a stressful situation (or prolonged periods of stress) our sympathetic nervous system is triggered. In reaction, our genes produce proteins called cytokines that cause inflammation at a cellular level which, over time, increases our risk of health issues like cancer, accelerated aging and psychiatric disorders like depression.

But there is some good news for those of us who find ourselves wrapped up in the chronic cycle of stress and anxiety: Researchers found that people who engage in mind-body interventions actually exhibit the opposite effect. That means that doing yoga or meditating may lead to a decrease in cyctokine production, and a reversal of the inflammatory gene, which ultimately lowers the risk of inflammation-related diseases and conditions.

"Millions of people around the world already enjoy the health benefits of mind-body interventions like yoga or meditation, but what they perhaps don't realize is that these benefits begin at a molecular level and can change the way our genetic code goes about its business, says Ivana Buric, Lead investigator from the Brain, Belief and Behaviour Lab in Coventry University's Centre for Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement. These activities are leaving what we call a molecular signature in our cells, which reverses the effect that stress or anxiety would have on the body by changing how our genes are expressed. Put simply, mind-body interventions cause the brain to steer our DNA processes along a path which improves our wellbeing.

Finally convinced you need to drop onto the mat? Here are three yoga moves to help combat those sky-high stress levels: Upward-Facing Dog in Yoga, Downward Facing Dog, Pigeon Pose.

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Meditation and Yoga May Actually Change Our DNA, Study Finds - NBCNews.com

Newsday

New York Panel Backs Familial DNA Searches in Bid to Solve Crimes Wall Street Journal (subscription) A state panel voted Friday to allow New York's DNA database to be searched for family members of suspects, potentially ushering in the first use of the technique in the state. The Commission on Forensic Science, a panel of medical examiners, district ... State commission approves familial DNA search methodNewsday State forensics panel approves use of family DNA to solve crimes after slain jogger's family pushed for the techniqueNew York Daily News Slain jogger Karina Vetrano's parents applaud passage of new DNA policy in NY: 'It's all because of her'New York's PIX11 / WPIX-TV all 4 news articles »

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New York Panel Backs Familial DNA Searches in Bid to Solve Crimes - Wall Street Journal (subscription)

Investigators collected items that could contain the DNA of Karen Leclair, whose husband is accused of killing her. DNA would be used to identify her body, whenever it is recovered.

Investigators want to be ready if they need to identify the body of a woman who disappeared in Lake Erie this past weekend and has yet to be found.

To find possible DNA samples for 51-year-old Karen Leclair, state police gathered several of her personal items in a search of the Albion-area house she shared with her husband, who is charged in her death, according to a search warrant returned Thursday.

Investigators collected items such as toothbrushes and hairbrushes during a search of the Elk Creek Township residence at9670 Route 6N.

The items were sought "to assist in the identification of (Karen) Leclair when her body is recovered," according to the affidavit filed with the search warrant.

The U.S. Coast Guard declared Karen Leclair deceased Monday after a nearly 30-hour search of Lake Erie. Her husband, Christopher S. Leclair, 48, claimed she fell overboard from their commercial fishing boat.

Investigators have seized a GPS system from the Leclairs' boat in hopes of narrowing down the areas where Christopher Leclair took the boat. Police have said he has not cooperated in locating his wife's body.

"Its a waiting game," said Trooper Cindy Owens, public information officer for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township."They're going to make the grid and try to narrow that area down. Once they narrow that area down, then they can send people in to search the water."

Also as part of the homicide investigation, state police are searching the Leclairs' house for financial documentation concerning life insurance policies and bank statements, according to another warrant filed for the house. That warrant had not yet been returned Friday morning.

Christopher Leclair was charged Tuesday with homicide. He reported his wife missing Sunday afternoon from their 52-foot commercial fishing boat, the Doris-M, police said.

Police said surveillance footage showed the Leclairs had boarded the boat together at the East Basin docks, near Dobbins Landing, in Erie, on Saturday afternoon and that, later that day, the boat returned to the East Basin and that Christopher Leclair exited the boat alone.

Police said the footage also showed Christopher Leclair returning to the boat alone Sunday and departing the East Basin.

Leclair is in the Erie County Prison with no bond set because he is charged with homicide. His preliminary hearing has been tentatively scheduled for June 26 before Erie 1st Ward District Judge Sue Mack.

Madeleine O'Neill can be reached at 870-1728 or by email. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNoneill.

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Police seek wife's DNA in Lake Erie homicide investigation - GoErie.com