Category Archives: DNA

By Andre Hudson and Christa Wadsworth

The Conversation

How do scientists detect new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19? The answer is a process called DNA sequencing.

Researchers sequence DNA to determine the order of the four chemical building blocks, or nucleotides, that make it up: adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine. The millions to billions of these building blocks paired up together collectively make up a genome that contains all the genetic information an organism needs to survive.

When an organism replicates, it makes a copy of its entire genome to pass on to its offspring. Sometimes errors in the copying process can lead to mutations in which one or more building blocks are swapped, deleted or inserted. This may alter genes, the instruction sheets for the proteins that allow an organism to function, and can ultimately affect the physical characteristics of that organism. In humans, for example, eye and hair color are the result of genetic variations that can arise from mutations. In the case of the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, mutations can change its ability to spread, cause infection or even evade the immune system.

We are both biochemists and microbiologists who teach about and study the genomes of bacteria. We both use DNA sequencing in our research to understand how mutations affect antibiotic resistance. The tools we use to sequence DNA in our work are the same ones scientists are using right now to study the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

One of the earliest methods scientists used in the 1970s and 1980s was Sanger sequencing, which involves cutting up DNA into short fragments and adding radioactive or fluorescent tags to identify each nucleotide. The fragments are then put through an electric sieve that sorts them by size. Compared with newer methods, Sanger sequencing is slow and can process only relatively short stretches of DNA. Despite these limitations, it provides highly accurate data, and some researchers are still actively using this method to sequence SARS-CoV-2 samples.

Since the late 1990s, next-generation sequencing has revolutionized how researchers collect data on and understand genomes. Known as NGS, these technologies are able to process much higher volumes of DNA at the same time, significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to sequence a genome.

There are two main types of NGS platforms: second-generation and third-generation sequencers.

Second-generation technologies are able to read DNA directly. After DNA is cut up into fragments, short stretches of genetic material called adapters are added to give each nucleotide a different color. For example, adenine is colored blue and cytosine is colored red. Finally, these DNA fragments are fed into a computer and reassembled into the entire genomic sequence.

Third-generation technologies like the Nanopore MinIon directly sequence DNA by passing the entire DNA molecule through an electrical pore in the sequencer. Because each pair of nucleotides disrupts the electrical current in a particular way, the sequencer can read these changes and upload them directly to a computer. This allows clinicians to sequence samples at point-of-care clinical and treatment facilities. However, Nanopore sequences smaller volumes of DNA compared with other NGS platforms.

Though each class of sequencer processes DNA in a different way, they can all report the millions or billions of building blocks that make up genomes in a short time from a few hours to a few days. For example, the Illumina NovaSeq can sequence roughly 150 billion nucleotides, the equivalent of 48 human genomes, in just three days.

So why is genomic sequencing such an important tool in combating the spread of SARS-CoV-2?

Rapid public health responses to SARS-CoV-2 require intimate knowledge of how the virus is changing over time. Scientists have been using genome sequencing to track SARS-CoV-2 almost in real time since the start of the pandemic. Millions of individual SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced and housed in various public repositories like the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data and the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Genomic surveillance has guided public health decisions as each new variant has emerged. For example, sequencing the genome of the omicron variant allowed researchers to detect over 30 mutations in the spike protein that allows the virus to bind to cells in the human body. This makes omicron a variant of concern, as these mutations are known to contribute to the viruss ability to spread. Researchers are still learning about how these mutations might affect the severity of the infections omicron causes, and how well its able to evade current vaccines.

Sequencing also has helped researchers identify variants that spread to new regions. Upon receiving a SARS-CoV-2 sample collected from a traveler who returned from South Africa on Nov. 22, 2021, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, were able to detect omicrons presence in five hours and had nearly the entire genome sequenced in eight. Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been monitoring omicrons spread and advising the government on ways to prevent widespread community transmission.

The rapid detection of omicron worldwide emphasizes the power of robust genomic surveillance and the value of sharing genomic data across the globe. Understanding the genetic makeup of the virus and its variants gives researchers and public health officials insights into how to best update public health guidelines and maximize resource allocation for vaccine and drug development. By providing essential information on how to curb the spread of new variants, genomic sequencing has saved and will continue to save countless lives over the course of the pandemic.

This article is republished from The Conversation, under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here.

Andre Hudson is Professor and Head of the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Crista Wadsworth is the Assistant Professor in the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences, also at Rochester Institute of Technology

Republish This Story

Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.

X

by The Conversation, North Carolina Health News December 29, 2021

This article first appeared on North Carolina Health News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

See more here:
Genomic sequencing: Heres how researchers identify Omicron and other COVID-19 variants - North Carolina Health News

Dublin, Dec. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "DTC (Direct to Consumer) DNA Test Kits Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021-2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global DTC DNA Test Kits Market is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of nearly 24% during the forecast period.

The major factors attributing to the growth of this market are increasing demand for paternity testing, rising prevalence of hereditary diseases, and rise in interest of consumers & physicians in DTC kits & consequent rise in sales of DNA test kits.

Furthermore, the growing number of laboratories researching the DNA kits for gynecological purposes is also a major factor that drives the market growth. For instance, the National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service has stated that around 3 to 6% of babies worldwide are born with a congenital anomaly every year, this increases the need for the prenatal testing for anomalies. The difficulty in understanding the results of the kits and very less information about the companies selling the kits are restraining the growth of the market.

Furthermore the market is largely penetrating towards new research fields of medicine and healthcare as such the innovation of probes for preimplantation, prenatal, and postnatal genetic testing research drives the overall market growth.

Demand for Ancestry Testing Expected to Increase

The increasing number of people who are interested in knowing their ancestors and family tree increases the demand for DTC DNA test kits, especially in developing countries.

The increasing number of companies such as 23andMe are found to offer various DNA kits that are helpful in ancestry testing. Developed countries are also witnessing the high demand for such products as awareness about such technologies is higher.

North America Dominates the Market

North America is expected to dominate the overall DTC DNA test kits market, throughout the forecast period. The growth is due to factors such as the growing prevalence of congenital anomalies and increasing government initiatives for genetic diagnosis. In the North America region, the United States holds the largest market share due to factors such as high disposable income, and easy acceptance of such kits in the country is expected to increase the demand in this region.

However, Asia Pacific is anticipated to be the fastest-growing market due to the increasing awareness programs and developments undertaken by government bodies to accelerate genetic research in Asian countries. The Asia Pacific will proliferate at a speedy rate due to rapid technological updates in the healthcare sector.

Competitive Landscape

The market studied is moderately competitive and consists of few major players. Growing biotech industry is augmenting the rise in new entrants in this market. It is believed that there will be penetration of the few small to mid sized companies in this market.

Key Topics Covered

1 INTRODUCTION1.1 Study Deliverables1.2 Study Assumptions1.3 Scope of the Study

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET DYNAMICS4.1 Market Overview4.2 Market Drivers4.2.1 Increasing Demand for Paternity Testing4.2.2 Increasing Number of Hereditary Diseases4.2.3 Rise in Interest of Consumers & Physicians in DTC Kits & Consequent Rise in Sales of DNA Test Kits4.3 Market Restraints4.3.1 Lack of Awareness and Proper Genetic Counselling4.3.2 Regulatory Challenges Pertaining to the Use of DTC Genetic Tests4.4 Porter's Five Force Analysis

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION5.1 By Sample Type5.1.1 Saliva5.1.2 Cheek Swab5.2 By Application5.2.1 Genetic Relatedness5.2.2 Health & Fitness5.2.3 Ancestry Testing5.2.4 Other Applications5.3 Geography5.3.1 North America5.3.2 Europe5.3.3 Asia-Pacific5.3.4 Middle East and Africa5.3.5 South America

6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE6.1 Company Profiles6.1.1 Ancestry.com LLC6.1.2 23andMe6.1.3 MyHeritage Ltd.6.1.4 Gene by Gene6.1.5 Living DNA Ltd.6.1.6 Helix OpCo, LLC6.1.7 Veritas Genetics6.1.8 Futura Genetics6.1.9 MapMyGenome

7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/awgt0i

More:
Global DTC DNA Test Kits Industry Forecast to 2026 - Increasing Number of Hereditary Diseases, Increasing - Benzinga

Do you have questions about your health? Your DNA may hold the answers. Your bodys genetic code that makes you unique also tells an important story about where you come from and where youre going. Consider it your own internal crystal ball, holding the clues to how youll develop.

Your DNA truly tells a story. It can show you what part of the world your ancestors came from, connecting you to communities across the world. It can help you understand why your hair is curly or straight, or why your eyes are brown or blue. It can reveal fun facts like whether you have an affinity for cilantro or whats unique about your ear wax. And, perhaps most critical, it can contain clues to why certain health conditions might run in your family.

With all of these exciting possibilities, its no wonder that DNA testing especially at-home DNA kits to learn about ancestry has been so popular in recent years. In fact, a 2019 study found that more than 26 million people had taken an at-home, mail-in DNA ancestry test offered by a handful of companies that swiftly came on the market. But did you know theres also an opportunity to test your DNA, uncover answers about your ancestry, reveal fun facts about your tastes and unique attributes, learn about your potential health risks, and help researchers uncover patterns about health that may transform the future of personalized medicine all at no cost to you?

That opportunity is available to anyone age 18 and older in the United States, simply by participating in The All of Us Research Program. A historic initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to engage one million or more people from communities across the country in medical research that aims to change the face of health care as we know it. All of Us is building one of the largest, most diverse databases to inform thousands of studies on a variety of health conditions. By involving participants from all demographics, including many who have historically been underrepresented in medical research, All of Us aims to change health care from the one-size-fits-all approach it often is today to a more individualized approach for tomorrow.

How? One way is through DNA. In addition to answering a wide range of surveys with questions about your health, your family history, the environment you live in participants also have the benefit of sharing biosamples, such as blood, urine and saliva, to help researchers uncover the answers only your DNA can provide. Doing so not only provides you the participant with valuable information about your own personal health and family history, but it also creates infinitely valuable opportunities for medical researchers to know the risk factors for certain diseases and figure out which treatments work best for people of different backgrounds.

But All of Us can only achieve this mission if it involves, you guessed it, All of Us. If you have questions about your health and your familys ancestral history, the next step to find the answers may be by joining the hundreds of thousands of people across the United States already aiding All of Us researchers in their mission to revolutionize precision medicine. A healthier future for all of us begins by taking an in-depth look at your ancestral past; your DNA may hold the key. Unlock the door to a healthy future today. Learn more at the All of Us website.

All of Us is a service mark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2021

WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Read the rest here:
Find Answers in Your DNA (Sponsored) - WebMD

The DNA Doe Project is a group of dozens of volunteers using DNA and family trees to identify the unidentifiable.

PHOENIX There are an estimated 40,000 unidentified human remains in the United States.

That's 40,000 people who have no names and no closure for families missing their loved ones.

They had a life, they had a story," said Carrien Binder, a genetic genealogist with the DNA Doe Project. They deserve to have their name back.

The project began in 2017. It's made up of 40 to 60 unpaid volunteers trying to figure out who these people are.

Our goal is to identify Jane and John Doe's using genetic genealogy, Binder said.

The idea is to get a DNA sample from the "Doe" and then compare it with publicly sourced DNA databases like GenBank. The project then looks for relatives and begins forming a family tree.

We can use really distance matches like fifth cousins, third cousins, and fourth cousins to build up family trees and make an identification, Binder said.

The project works in groups trying to puzzle together a tree. Sometimes identifications come together quickly. There is a DNA hit that is a close relative. Other times the puzzle can take years, looking for that missing branch to help identify a John or Jane Doe.

"This is my main hobby. I dont watch a lot of Netflix. I dont have a lot of time for other things. But it is really fulfilling and satisfying and it scratches that mystery-solving itch." Binder said.

In the last few months, The DNA Doe Project identified two previously unidentified people: A woman found in downtown Phoenix in 2017 and a murder victim found on baseline road in 1983.

A lot of people assume if someone is a John or Jane Doe, no one is looking for them. And I have found that is never true.

In four years, the project has identified more than 70John and Jane Doe's. Binder said at least a third of those identifications happened in the last year.

"They deserve to be recognized as a whole person, with a family with hobbies," Binder said, "I think we can give them a part of that when we restore their name"

If you want to help the program you can always donate.

Also if you do have DNA results from at-home DNA tests like 23andMe and ancestry type groups, you can share them with a publicly sourced site to give them more potential matches.

Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.

Read this article:
There are thousands of unidentified remains. Meet the volunteer organization trying to identify them - 12news.com KPNX

Woolly mammoths may have survived in North America thousands of years longer than scientists previously thought, vials of Alaskan permafrost reveal.

The hairy beasts might have persisted in what is now the Yukon, in Canada, until around 5,000 years ago 5,000 years longer than experts previously estimated, a new study suggests. That conclusion comes from snippets of mammoth DNA that were found in vials of frozen dirt that had been stored and forgotten in a laboratory freezer for a decade.

Related: Mammoth resurrection: 11 hurdles to bringing back an ice age beast

"Organisms are constantly shedding cells throughout their life," said study lead author Tyler Murchie, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Anthropology at McMaster University in Ontario. For instance, He explained thata person sheds roughly 40,000 skin cells per hour, on average, meaning we are constantly ejecting bits of our DNA into our surroundings.

That's also true of other life-forms; nonhuman animals, plants, fungi, and microbes are constantly leaving microscopic breadcrumb trails everywhere. Most of this genetic detritus doesn't linger in the environment, though. Soon after being discarded, the vast majority of the DNA bits are consumed by microbes, Murchie said. The fraction of the shed DNA that does remain might bind to a small bit of mineral sediment and be preserved. Though only a tiny proportion of what was initially shed remains centuries later, it can nevertheless provide a window into a vanished world teeming with strange creatures.

"In a tiny fleck of dirt," Murchie told Live Science, "is DNA from full ecosystems."

Murchie analyzed soil samples taken from permafrost in the central Yukon. Many of the samples dated to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (14,000-11,000 years ago), a period marked by rapidly changingclimatic conditions in which many large mammals such as saber-toothedicats, mammoths and mastodons vanished from the fossil record.

The DNA fragments in Murchie's samples were small often no larger than 50 letters, or base pairs. However, on average, he was able to isolate roughly 2 million DNA fragments per sample. By analyzing DNA from soil samples of known ages, he indirectly observed the evolution of ancient ecosystems over this turbulent period.

The main advantage to studying ancient DNA is that researchers can observe organisms that tended not to fossilize well. "An animal has only one body," said Murchie, and the odds of it fossilizing are not that great. On top of that, you have to find it. But that same animal constantly ejected innumerable amounts of DNA into the environment throughout its lifetime.

The soil samples which span a period of time from 30,000 years ago to 5,000 years ago revealed that mammoths and horses likely persisted in this Arctic environment much longer than previously thought. Mammoths and horses were in steep decline by the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, the DNA data suggest, but they didn't disappear all at once due to changes in climate or overhunting.

An earlier study, published in October in the journal Nature, suggested that some mammoths survived on isolated islands away from human contact until 4,000 years ago. However, the new study is the first to determine that small populations of mammoths coexisted with humans on the mainland of North America well into the Holocene, as recently as 5,000 years ago.

. Megafauna extinctions from this era have largely been blamed on one of two explanations: human paleo-hunters or climate catastrophe, said lead author Hendrik Poinar, an evolutionary geneticist and director of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre.

However, the new study "changes the focus away from this two-pitted debate that has plagued [paleontology] for so long," Poinar said.

The team's research provides evidence that the extinction of North American megafauna is much more nuanced, he said. There's no doubt that the animals were under pressure from both human hunters and a rapidly changing climate. The question is, "how much were they hunted and whether or not that was truly the tipping point," Poinar told Live Science.

Analyzing ancient DNA from dirt has the potential to tell us a lot about ancient life; Poinar and Murchie said Arctic permafrost is ideal for these types of ancient DNA studies because freezing preserves ancient DNA very well. But that might not be possible forever: As ice in the Arctic melts due to rapid increases in temperature, "we're going to lose a lot of that life history data," Murchie said. "It's just going to fall away before anyone gets a chance to study it."

This study was published Dec. 8 in the journal Nature Communications.

Originally published on Live Science.

More:
Woolly mammoths and humans coexisted in North America much longer than experts thought - Livescience.com

Mens Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices can change. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Questions? Reach us at shop@mensjournal.com.

The ultimate gift is the gift of healthfor you and for your friends and family. But your body is a complex machine, and fine-tuning your health is not as straightforward as, say, fine-tuning your car. It can be pretty overwhelming. Luckily, optimizing your health isnt an independent journey. And personalized guidance on understanding whats best for your body can come with a dedicated support system. Enter InsideTracker.

Founded in 2009 by top scientists at MIT, Harvard, and Tufts in the fields of aging, genetics, and biology, InsideTracker is a truly personalized nutrition and performance system. You can choose from several, customizable plans that analyze data from your blood, DNA, wearable fitness devices (like Garmin and FitBit, and lifestyle to deliver a science-backed Action Plan to help guide you toward optimal health.

By taking a deeper look inside, you can see objective metrics that tell the story of your health and uncover advanced physiological analysis into how your body is performing. Most people are accustomed to occasional, generic blood work that may come at the request of your doctor, but for seeking a more comprehensive view of your health, InsideTracker provides personalized plans that go well beyond a traditional blood test.

Several InsideTracker plans include a blood draw. InsideTracker makes this process simple and streamlined. Most customers book an appointment at one of the 2,000 Quest Diagnostics testing sites across the US. Or you can also get tested right from your home by scheduling an appointment with a certified phlebotomist (just click include mobile blood draw at checkout). Additionally, you can upload your blood data from a previous test for even more convenience.

After your blood is tested, youll be prompted to complete a questionnaire asking about your lifestyle habits. Be as specific as possible, because InsideTracker takes all those factors into consideration when providing you with recommendations.

Lastly, you will select the health goal that matters most to youlike heart health, endurance, strength & power, or immunity to name a few.Based on the analysis of your test results and questionnaire, InsideTrackers proprietary algorithm creates a highly personalized Action Planprioritizing food, supplement, and exercise recommendations that align most with your selected goal. Youll gain access to the science behind why these are the best actions for your personal well-being.

With InsideTracker, your path to optimal health becomes measurable, trackable, and manageable. Once you have your test results, the InsideTracker app will become your central place to access your data, see your analysis, and actively track your progress. And with routine testing (recommended every 3-6 months) you can see exactly how the changes youve made are impacting your internal biomarkers.

There are several plans to choose from, depending on the level of analysis you are looking to receive. Check out the options below to find one that fits with your health and wellness goals. . And right now, you can save 25% on your order when you use code INSIDETWENTYFIVE at checkout!

With InsideTracker, youll have everything you need to add years to your lifeand life to your years.

For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube!

View post:
Gift Someone The Ability to Unlock Their DNA This Holiday With InsideTracker - Men's Journal

Due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 in most cities of India, you will neither be able to celebrate Christmas with your friends nor will you be able to have a New Year party. Christmas and New Year's party has been banned in many big cities of the country including Delhi. Even in weddings, you can no longer invite more than 200 guests. But if you are holding a political rally, you can also invite 2 lakh people to that. In many places, you cannot go to a mall or a government office without taking both doses of the vaccine. But if you go to a political rally, neither you will be asked about the mask nor will you be asked for information about vaccination. If you have a big party or you want to invite thousands of people to the wedding, then declare yourself a politician and your program as an election rally. By doing this, you can invite as many people as you want.

In the last two years, COVID-19 has changed our lives. People working in offices are doing work from home, online hearings are being held in courts. Online classes are going on in schools. The customs after birth and death are also happening online. Sports like IPL and Olympics are being organized without spectators. And movies are being released on OTT instead of theatre. But there is one area where COVID-19 has not made any difference at all and that is politics. Even now, elections are being held as before, voting is also happening in the same way and the attitude of the politicians is also the same.

In the last two years, neither the elections have changed, nor the process of elections has changed nor the manner in which the politicians' rallies have changed. At present, massive campaigning is going on for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections. And all the parties are holding rallies by mobilizing thousands of people. But there is no restriction on these rallies. More than 40 state-level elections have been held in India in the last two years and next year's calendar is also full from the election dates.

In the year 2022, elections to the Legislative Assembly are to be held in seven states of Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and Manipur. During this time, even if the cases of coronavirus increase in these states, perhaps, the process of elections and elections will not change at all.

Unfortunately, no more than 200 guests can come in a wedding ceremony today, but in election rallies, 20,000 people can easily gather at one place. You can't party in a restaurant or pub with more than 50 people, but you can go to a crowd of thousands at an election rally. You cannot go to a shopping mall or shop without a mask and vaccination. But you can easily go to the rallies of leaders, where no one will ask you for a mask or ask for vaccination.

That is, the situation has become such that today if someone is getting married in your house and you call people in that marriage saying that they are organizing an election rally then probably the administration and governments will not take any action against you. But if you have invited more than 200 guests to the wedding or party with 50 people on Christmas then you can also be arrested under criminal sections and can also be fined up to a maximum of Rs 2 lakh.

However, we are not saying this thing only for India. Politics is the only area in the whole world that has not changed.

In the last two years, since the pandemic arrived, elections have been held in 146 countries of the world. Out of these, there are 124 countries where national and state-level elections have been held. That is, elections were held for the post of President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Governor and in these elections, the leaders held rallies among the crowd, Due to this, the cases of coronavirus also increased in these countries. For example, Presidential elections were held in America last year and due to these elections, there was a tremendous explosion of COVID-19. But despite this, the politics there did not change.

Elections were also held in South Korea, Mongolia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Croatia despite increasing cases of infection. And when people died from this disease, these leaders did not even take moral responsibility for it. Rather, these leaders became silent when it came to taking responsibility.

That is, the world has told you that in COVID-19, markets can be closed for common people, marriage can also stop, jobs can also be done from home, customs of birth and death can also be changed and movies can also be released online instead of cinema halls. That is, everything can be changed and stopped for you. But nothing can stop for politics and politicians. Whether coronavirus remains or not, politics will remain the same as it was before.

Read the rest here:
DNA Special: COVID-19 changed everything but politics - DNA India

A hapless burglar who targeted two locations an hour apart was snared after CCTV filmed him pressing his face against a porthole window to peer inside.

Liam Lingham, 26, of Laburnum Grove, Runcorn, and an unknown accomplice first struck at The Food Group on Dalton Court in Astmoor Industrial Estate at 10.50pm on Thursday, March 11.

Kate Morley, prosecuting at Chester Crown Court today, said CCTV showed the pair approach and this defendant could be seen with his face up at a porthole window.

Forensic tests were later able to match DNA retrieved from the glass to Lingham.

READ MORE: Man stabbed to death was 'loving dad of two married to childhood sweetheart'

After searching inside a van without finding anything, the burglars forced entry to an office and made an untidy search and swiped between seven and 10 Euros from on top of a desk.

At 9am the next morning, it was discovered that the same two intruders had entered a dock office at Bridgewater Motor Club on Victoria Road at about 12.10am

The building, described as a shipping container, wasnt secured as access but the burglars forced an internal door and dragged a cabinet out of place to force it open, revealing two cash tins inside, from which they stole about 200-250 and left.

Repair costs for the club were estimated at about 200 plus labour.

After his arrest by Cheshire Police on September 20, Lingham was also charged in connection with a burglary at Halton Play Council resource centre on Mersey Road, Runcorn, on June 27 but in light of the two guilty pleas on October 19 to the other burglaries, prosecutors decided not to seek a trial in respect of the Mersey Road allegation.

Ms Morley told the court Lingham, who brought a large packed bag with him to court and whose female supporter sat weeping in the public gallery for much of the hearing, had 22 convictions for 49 offences.

These spanned dwelling burglaries, handling stolen goods offences, theft from a vehicle, taking a vehicle without consent, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, aggravated vehicle taking, and theft.

The most recent of those was in 2018.

Judge Simon Berkson sought details of the tag Lingham has been on since September 21 as part of his deliberations.

Paul Wood, defending, said his client deserved credit for his guilty pleas and had complied with his curfew conditions.

He cited a positive pre-sentence report but acknowledged Linghams negative antecedent history.

Sign up for an Echo Runcorn and Widnes newsletter

Mr Wood said Lingham was a father with children and has developed a positive attitude, particularly following the recent birth of a baby.

He said the public interest could be best served by a suspended sentence with conditions, and urged the court to give his client a last chance.

Judge Berkson concurred and although he accepted Lingham was a "prolific" offender, sentenced him to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work plus curfew.

He told Lingham he had a terrible record but offered him a chance to mend his ways.

Judge Berson said: Since committing that offence and being arrested you havent committed any other crime and have complied with a stringent curfew and come before the court with a positive pre-sentence report and a suggestion you can stay out of trouble.

Lingham lit a cigarette and beamed with joy after leaving court.

Continue reading here:
Burglar left DNA on porthole window he was filmed peering through - Liverpool Echo

Twenty-five years after JonBent Ramsey was killed, police say DNA hasnt been ruled out to help solve the case.

The six-year-old was found dead in the basement of her familys Boulder, Colorado, home on 26 December 1996, bludgeoned and strangled, several hours after her mother called 911 to say her daughter was missing and a ransom note had been left behind. Her death was ruled a homicide, but nobody was ever charged in the case.

Boulder police have been working closely with state investigators on future DNA advancements, the department said in a statement Monday addressing the anniversary of JonBents death.

As the department continues to use new technology to enhance the investigation, it is actively reviewing genetic DNA testing processes to see if those can be applied to this case moving forward, it said.

In recent years, investigators have identified suspects in unsolved cases by comparing DNA profiles from crime scenes and to DNA testing results shared online by people researching their family trees, including the Golden State Killer in California.

In Oregon earlier this year, a man was accused of killing two people who disappeared 20 years apart after forensic genealogy linked him to the 1999 disappearance and presumed death of one of them. Christopher Lovrien has pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

Its unclear if this is the method investigators plan to apply to the JonBent case. A police spokesperson, Dionne Waugh, said she could not comment further because the investigation is still active and ongoing.

Investigators have analyzed nearly 1,000 DNA samples during the course of the Ramsey investigation, police said in the statement, along with receiving, reviewing or investigating more than 21,016 tips, letters and emails. Detectives have traveled to 19 states to interview or speak with more than 1,000 people in connection with the case, the department said.

Tests in 2008 on newly discovered DNA on JonBents clothing pointed to the involvement of an unexplained third party in her slaying, and not her parents, John and Patsy Ramsey, or their son, Burke. That led former district attorney Mary Lacy to clear the Ramseys of any involvement, two years after Patsy Ramsey died of cancer, calling the couple victims of this crime.

The police department was criticized for its initial handling of the investigation into the death of JonBent, who had competed in beauty pageants.

The details of the crime and video footage of JonBent from the pageants propelled the case into one of the highest-profile mysteries in the United States, unleashing a series of true-crime books and TV specials.

Go here to see the original:
JonBent Ramsey: DNA testing could be used to solve case, police say - The Guardian

Sometimes cells can forget what type of cell they are and stop functioning correctly. This commonly happens in cancer, in which mature cells lose aspects of their identity and become more susceptible to begin dividing uncontrollably.

Heart conditions like cardiomyopathy, a disease that makes it harder to pump blood, affect the shape and function of affected heart cells. These changes can also occur in the nucleus of the cell, which houses genetic material that tells a cell how to function.

Because certain changes to nuclear structure can be early warning signals for heart problems, monitoring for such changes could help clinicians diagnose and treat disease before it gets worse. Researchers know that certain changes in the physical forces exerted on heart cells, including from their own contraction, can lead the cells to lose their heart cell identity and function poorly. But exactly how these physical forces work to change heart cell identity was unclear.

In a new study my colleagues and I published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, we found that mechanical forces can reorganize the genetic material inside the nucleus of heart cells and affect how they develop and function. Better understanding of how cells claim and maintain their identities may help advance treatments to repair heart damage from cardiovascular disease and create new prosthetic tissues.

Early in human development, the external pressures surrounding immature cells influence what type of cell they eventually become when they differentiate, or fully mature. These external forces also help maintain tissue health as people age.

During differentiation, cells move around and restructure a mixture of proteins and DNA called chromatin thats located in their nuclei. Cells use chromatin as a way to package and organize their genetic code. Knowing that external physical pressures can affect how cells mature, my research lab and I wanted to explore how mechanical forces can reorganize chromatin and what that might tell us about how heart cells develop and sometimes stop working.

To do this, we looked at adult heart cells as they contracted under a microscope to see how their nuclei change shape. We then compared these images with the nuclei of embryonic heart cells as they normally change during early development. We found that areas in the nucleus with high tension tended to organize chromatin into specific shapes known to influence cell behavior. When we changed the tension in those areas of the nucleus, we were able to prevent cells from developing into normal heart cells. This meant that tension may play a key role in guiding heart cells on how to develop.

We then examined how mechanical stress changed the chromatin structure of heart cells from patients with cardiovascular disease and mice with reduced heart performance. Compared with healthy cells, heart cells from both patients and mice lost their chromatin organization and identity as heart cells. This meant that mechanical tension could influence how well mature cells function and their likelihood of developing into cardiovascular disease.

While our study explores the role that chromatic reorganization plays in early development, additional research is needed to understand exactly what triggers cells to develop into specific cell types. Further insight into how the mechanical environment surrounding a cell affects how it matures will help researchers better understand the process of human development.

[Over 140,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletters to understand the world. Sign up today.]

Understanding what triggers a collection of cells to transition to a fully functional organ may also help researchers learn how to mimic these developmental processes and create new prosthetic devices. For example, accounting for the mechanical forces that affect how well tissue grafts for failing hearts and muscles work may help biomedical engineers design even more effective artificial implants. It may also set the stage for more organ-on-chip models that can be used instead of animals to screen potential drugs.

Continue reading here:
Mechanical forces in a beating heart affect its cells' DNA, with implications for development and disease - The Conversation AU