Category Archives: DNA

SelectDNAs synthetic forensic technology was used to identify a criminal in a jewelry store heist in Albany, N.Y. Systems integrator Shepherd Communication & Security and SelectaDNA distributor CSI Protect said that this is the first successful use of synthetic forensic technology as a crime fighting tool in the Northeastern United States.

During the incident, a suspect made off with approximately $4,000 in merchandise. Unbeknownst to him, he was misted by a forensic criminal tagging system that had been installed at the store by Shepherd Communication & Security as part of a pilot crime suppression initiative.

The forensic marking, or synthetic DNA, is applied covertly using a water-based, non-toxic solution that is invisible and remains on a suspects skin or clothing for months after being misted, enabling authorities to scientifically and irrefutably identify them long after a crime is committed. In this case, after the alleged perpetrator was apprehended by Albany Police, forensic mist was detected on him using a special frequency UV light. That evidence is now available to prosecutors as the case proceeds through the legal system.

This pilot project was designed to demonstrate the value of forensic marking technology in combatting and deterring crime, and assisting with the apprehension of criminals, said Patrick Phelan, executive director, New York State Association of Chiefs of Police. Today, we can say definitively that it works. This case is testament to the power of cutting-edge technology, such as SelectaDNA, and the important role it is playing in preventing and fighting crime.

SelectaDNA forensic marking technology has been used in more than 30 countries over the past decade, but has only recently made its way to the United States. The system at Truman Jewelers is the first in the Northeast, but is expected to be joined in short order by entities ranging from retailers to financial institutions seeking to elevate their safety and security protocols.

Each unit of SelectaDNA contains a unique forensic code associated with a specific location, which can scientifically connect a criminal to a particular crime scene. The criminal tagging system can be activated in numerous ways, including a panic button, money clip, remote video monitoring, intrusion and access control systems, and sensors.

The crime at Truman Jewelers helps demonstrate the capabilities and effectiveness of SelectaDNA technology as we continue introducing this proven crime fighting tool to the United States, said Joe Maltese, executive vice president of CSI Protect, the exclusive distributor of SelectaDNA technology in North America. We are excited to provide businesses and law enforcement with enhanced abilities to prevent and reduce crime, as well as identify, apprehend and prosecute offenders when a crime is committed.

The primary focus of the technology is crime prevention, with a documented reduction in robbery, burglary, and theft by an average of 40 to 86 percent where its deployed, according to the company.

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Criminal Identified in Jewelry Store Theft Using Synthetic DNA - Loss Prevention Magazine

Nils M. was no rookie art thief. But prosecutors say he left behind DNA evidence on a broken picture frame at one museum and on a heavy-duty strap at another that helped Dutch investigators identify him as the man who stole paintings by van Gogh and Frans Hals in two daring heists.

A match in their database led them to the 59-year-old defendant who had previously served a five-year prison sentence for stealing a 17th century gilded silver monstrance, or church vessel, from a museum in Gouda in 2012.

During that theft, Nils M. who is being identified without his full surname because of Dutch privacy laws used explosives to blow open the museum door.

In the more recent thefts, prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of eight years for what they described as exceptional crimes that were committed with an as yet unidentified partner. The paintings the van Gogh had an insured value of 2.5 million euros, or about $2.9 million, and the Hals was valued at between 10 and 15 million euros, or between $11.7 million and $17.6 million have not been recovered.

A three-judge panel is expected to rule on the case on Friday.

Breaking into a museum and taking paintings by artists who are world famous, pieces that belong to our cultural heritage, that are irreplaceable, was totally unacceptable, the prosecutor in the case, Gabrille Hoppenbrouwers, said in court earlier this month, according to a copy of the indictment.

In the court hearing, in Lelystad, the defendant denied the charges. He said that he didnt steal those paintings and he had nothing to do with it, his lawyer, Renske van Zanden, said in an interview.

But public prosecutors for the Central Netherlands region said that the DNA evidence from the picture frame and the strap, which was likely used in the getaway, points to him.

The van Gogh painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring, from 1884, was part of a temporary exhibition at the Singer Laren Museum, on loan from the Groninger Museum in Groningen.

Security camera footage of the robbery last year showed a man using a sledgehammer to smash two glass doors to break into the museum. He left with the painting under his arm.

Prosecutors said the paintings frame was left behind in pieces in the parking lot. Some of those pieces bore traces of the suspects DNA, they said.

The Hals painting, Two Laughing Boys with a Mug of Beer, from the 17th century, was stolen five months later, in August 2020, from a tiny museum, Museum Hofje van Mevrouw van Aerden, in Leerdam. That robbery drew special notice because it was the third time that the painting had been stolen from the same small museum. (It was previously stolen in 2011 and 1988, but recovered both times.)

The back door had been broken open and police found an orange tension strap tied to a flagpole in the garden outside the museum that prosecutors believe was likely used to lower the Hals or the thief down a nearby 10-foot wall to a waiting scooter. A security camera showed two people driving away on the scooter. The passenger was carrying something square that looked like a small painting.

Also discovered two weeks before the robbery in Leerdam was an extendable ladder, submerged in a stretch of water near the base of the museums garden wall that prosecutors suspect could have been hidden there by the burglars to scale the wall. A passer-by, however, noticed the ladder and moved it, possibly thwarting part of their plan, investigators said.

Prosecutors emphasized the strength of the DNA evidence at each of the scenes. But they said there were other compelling reasons to suggest the two thefts were carried out by the same man. Both thefts occurred sometime shortly after 3 a.m., involved heavy force to break into the museums, and involved an accomplice who helped the thief get away on a scooter, they said. Investigators have not identified an accomplice.

The museum in Leerdam is part of an almshouse for unmarried women that also showcases the collection of its 18th-century founder. It is largely run by volunteers who maintain the Hofje and its garden. Prosecutors said a trampled zucchini plant had helped investigators work out where the thief had climbed over the wall into the garden.

The defendant, Nils M., was arrested in April at his home in Baarn, a small town close to Laren. A firearm and ammunition were found in a search of his home, as were more than 10,000 ecstasy pills, prosecutors said.

Answering the charges in court earlier this month, Nils M., who works in a garage where he fixes cars, said that he sometimes used the kind of strap found in Leerdam when he carried out repairs, which could explain the presence of his DNA on the strap. But he did not know how the strap got to Leerdam, his lawyer, Ms. van Zanden, said.

He said that he often uses straps, for instance when he picks up car parts, she elaborated in an email. He also said that the straps were sometimes left behind.

Ms. van Zanden maintained that the DNA evidence from Laren was inconclusive, partly because there were matches to other people on the picture frame. She said that her client is taller than the man shown on the Laren footage, and said that the way the thief handled the hammer on the video suggested he was left-handed, while her client is right-handed.

The theft of the artworks by the two major Dutch artists within the period of a few months spawned numerous theories about why they had been stolen. In court, Ms. Hoppenbrouwers said prosecutors believed that the defendant had sold or given the paintings away, and they were now in the criminal underworld.

In the indictment, she suggested some reasons famous artworks remain popular among thieves even though they cannot be easily sold or displayed publicly. Such masterworks can have currency in the underworld, investigators believe, because they can be used to demand ransoms from the insurance companies that insure them and, in some cases, can be used in negotiations to obtain reduced prison sentences.

The works might also be used as collateral in drug deals, she said.

Arthur Brand, a private art detective who has been following both cases, said that he believes there is demand in the Dutch underworld for artworks. People accused of drug crimes think that a stolen artwork could potentially be surrendered to the authorities in exchange for a lesser sentence, he said.

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A Broken Frame, and DNA Traces, Led to Arrest in van Gogh Theft - The New York Times

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. A new sensor can detect not only whether a virus is present, but whether its infectious an important distinction for containing viral spread.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and collaborators developed the sensor, which integrates specially designed DNA fragments and nanopore sensing, to target and detect infectious viruses in minutes without the need to pre-treat samples. They demonstrated the sensors power with two key viruses that cause infections worldwide: the human adenovirus and the virus that causes COVID-19.

Yi Lu, a professor emeritus of chemistry, and Benito Marinas, a professor of civil and environmental engineering, co-led the work with University of Illinois Chicago professor Lijun Rong; professor Omar Azzaroni, of the National University of La Plata in Argentina; and Mara Eugenia Toimil-Molares, of the GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research in Germany. They reported their findings in the journal Science Advances.

DNA aptamers bind selectively to infectious viruses. In addition to the nanopore sensor, they could be integrated into other platforms such as color-changing dipsticks.

Image courtesy of Ana Peinetti

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The infectivity status is very important information that can tell us if patients are contagious or if an environmental disinfection method works, said Ana Peinetti, the first author of the study, who performed the work while a postdoctoral researcher at Illinois. She now leads a research group at the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina. Our sensor combines two key components: highly specific DNA molecules and highly sensitive nanopore technology. We developed these highly specific DNA molecules, named aptamers, that not only recognize viruses but also can differentiate the infectivity status of the virus.

The gold standard of viral detection, PCR tests detect viral genetic material but cannot distinguish whether a sample is infectious or determine whether a person is contagious. This can make it more difficult to track and contain viral outbreaks, the researchers said.

With the virus that causes COVID-19, it has been shown that the level of viral RNA has minimal correlation with the viruss infectivity. In the early stage when a person is infected, the viral RNA is low and difficult to detect, but the person is highly contagious, Lu said. When a person is recovered and not infectious, the viral RNA level can be very high. Antigen tests follow a similar pattern, though even later than viral RNA. Therefore, viral RNA and antigen tests are both poor in informing whether a virus is infectious or not. It may result in delayed treatment or quarantine, or premature release of those who may still be contagious.

Tests that detect infectious viruses, called plaque assays, exist but require special preparation and days of incubation to render results. The new sensing method can yield results in 30 minutes to two hours, the researchers report, and since it requires no pre-treatment of the sample, it can be used on viruses that will not grow in the lab.

Being able to distinguish infectious from noninfectious viruses and to detect small amounts from untreated samples that may contain other contaminants is important not only for rapid diagnosis of patients who are in the early stage of infection or who are still contagious after treatment, but for environmental monitoring as well, Marinas said.

We chose human adenovirus to demonstrate our sensor because it is an emerging waterborne viral pathogen of concern in the United States and throughout the world, Marinas said. The capability to detect infectious adenovirus in the presence of viruses rendered noninfectious by water disinfectants, and other potentially interfering background substances in wastewaters and contaminated natural waters, provides an unprecedented novel approach. We see potential for such technology to provide more robust protection of environmental and public health.

The sensing technique could be applied to other viruses, the researchers say, by tweaking the DNA to target different pathogens. The DNA aptamers used in the sensor can be readily produced with widely available DNA synthesizers, similarly to the RNA probes produced for PCR tests. Nanopore sensors are also commercially available, making the sensing technique readily scalable, said Lu, now a professor at the University of Texas, Austin.

The researchers are working to further improve the sensors sensitivity and selectivity, and are integrating their DNA aptamers with other detection methods, such as color-changing dipsticks or sensors to work with smartphones, to eliminate the need for special equipment. With the ability to distinguish noninfectious from infectious viruses, the researchers said they hope their technology could also aid in understanding mechanisms of infection.

In addition, the aptamer technology could be further developed into multichannel platforms for detecting other emerging waterborne viral pathogens of public and environmental health concern, such as norovirus and enteroviruses, or for variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, Marinas said.

This work was supported by a RAPID grant from the National Science Foundation and a seed grant from the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment at Illinois and the Illinois-JITRI Institute. Peinetti was supported by the PEW Latin American Fellowship.

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DNA sensor quickly determines whether viruses are infectious - University of Illinois News

The established, proven bisulfite-treatment chemistry from Zymo Research has been highly successful with clinical samples due to its robust and efficient (C)ytosine to (U)rasil conversion chemistry that also minimizes DNA fragmentation and degradation during the process. Desulphonation and cleanup of "converted DNA" are performed using a unique spin technology, allowing ultra-low elution (10 l) volumes. The kit achieves the highest conversion efficiencies for the most accurate downstream methylation analysis. The EZ DNA Methylation-Lightning Kit features a ready-to-use conversion reagent, which streamlines the workflow for completion in a little over an hour. The kit is available in spin-column and high-throughput 96-well formats.

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For more information about the EZ DNA Methylation-Lightning Kit, visit Zymo Research's website.

About Zymo Research Corp.Zymo Research is a privately owned company that has been serving the scientific and diagnostics community with state-of-the-art molecular biology tools since 1994. The company's vision "The Beauty of Science is to Make Things Simple" is reflected in all of their products, from epigenetics to DNA/RNA purification technologies. Historically recognized as the leader in epigenetics, Zymo Research is breaking boundaries with novel solutions for sample collection, microbiomic measurements, diagnostic devices, and NGS technologies that are high quality and simple to use. Follow Zymo Research on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

SOURCE Zymo Research Corp.

http://www.zymoresearch.com

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Zymo Research Receives CE IVD Mark for its EZ DNA Methylation-Lightning Kit - PRNewswire

Concussions, ACL tears and Achilles ruptures are all debilitating injuries that can derail athletic careers. Stress fractures and plantar fasciitis can linger and recur. These ailments often seem like bad luck, suffered by happenstance, but what if new research suggests that some athletes were born more susceptible to these injuriesand that maybe they can be prevented?

The Palo Alto-based startup AxGen, led by a respected former Stanford University geneticist, is pioneering peer-reviewed DNA tests that indicate key genomic markers of specific injury risk. AxGen, named as shorthand for actionable genetics, offers tests for 13 sports injuries and counting, as well as 15 biomarkers that can prompt users to take action through preventative exercises or nutrition.

It's scientifically rigorous, and it addresses the idea that all athletes are not created equal, and some of them are going to be at more risk for a knee injury at birth and more at risk for shoulder injury, says Stuart Kim, a co-founder and the CEO of AxGen. We could know that, and we could alert an educated team.

Kim studied and trained at Dartmouth, CalTech and MIT before joining the faculty at Stanford, where he was a professor for 27 years, earning numerous awards for genetics research. Back in 2008, he had lunch with Jim Kovacha former San Francisco 49ers linebacker who later earned medical and law degrees and, at the time, was president of the Buck Institute for Age Researchwhen they ruminated on this idea of using genetics to test for injury risk.

The idea kept gnawing at Kim. When some significant advances in the field a few years ago made the prospect of implementing these tests realistic, he left his tenured position at the Farm. For me, it became such a compelling idea that I just had to do it, Kim says, who started the company with Andrew Roos, a sports genetics research scientist working in Kims lab. AxGens 11-member advisory board includes Kovach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and six Stanford professors in genetics and sports medicine.

It's scientifically rigorous, and it addresses the idea that all athletes are not created equal, and some of them are going to be at more risk for a knee injury at birth and more at risk for shoulder injury. We could know that, and we could alert an educated team.

One of the breakthroughs for researchers was the availability of two giant genomic databases: the UK Biobank and the Research Program On Genes, Environment and Health. Between them, that encompassed the genotypes of nearly 600,000 people and, crucially, their medical histories. Machine-learning algorithms are deployed to identify the genetic differences among those who suffered a specific injury and those who didnt --producing research with strong statistical significance.

Our rule is, we want something that's called genome-wide significant, which means that it's the strongest marker in the genome and its association is enough to raise it above the noise, Kim says. That's the filter we use. That filter is about basically 10 to the minus-8 [for p-value], and you get to think it's real. This test I wrote up yesterday, the p-values are 10 to the minus-90 in the genetic markers. So all of those genetic markers, I feel confident, are very likely to reproduce. But then there's another level of power where you dont use just one, you start to combine them into an algorithm.

Earlier attempts in this field focused on what were called candidate genes, pre-selected genes presumed to be involved in a certain condition. Kovach, who did early genetics work on the Human Genome Project while leading an entrepreneurship program at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, praises Kims rigor. "He's such a well-developed researcher, which is really what the field needs, someone just like Stuart to give credence to the statements that one would like to make about the product, says Kovach, who is now the executive director of translational entrepreneurship at the U.C. Davis School of Medicine.

The biggest hurdle is actually convincing teams of the reliability of the genetic tests, one, because there are a lot of snake oil companies out there selling genetics, who are essentially selling genetic markers based on studies that we don't think are very legitimate, says AxGen director of business development Madison Hayden. So there is that. There's also the fact that genetics are pretty new in the world of sports. And there's not a lot of, I would say, genetic literacy amongst athletic trainers and sports medicine doctors and the people that oversee sports medicine for professional teams. So we run into both of those problems.

The first major pro sports team client to sign on is Sheffield United FC, which is competing in the second-division Championship League of English soccer after spending the past two seasons in the Premier League. Sheffield United physiotherapist Ruth Titterton describes it as helpful additional input in designing fitness programs for the players. If we can use it as a tool along with everything else to help us provide more information...then I think that's where the money and the interest and the statistics can help, Titterton says.

The AxGen tests were compulsory for players at Sheffield United, with the team making clear that the results will only be used to design prehabilitation programs in hopes of staving off possible injuries. We make clear to them, it's not going to affect contracts, Titterton says, adding: It's really purely for the medical department to make sure that we're doing the best for you to go forward. So there wasn't really an issue there.

Collective bargaining agreements in several North American sports leagues explicitly prohibit genetic testing, and AxGen is beginning to reach U.S.-based athletes through private training facilities that are clients, such as the Chicago Sports Institute and Rehab-U. We are an athlete-centric company, and we want to do this for the benefit of athletes, says Hayden, who was an All-American and captain of Stanfords volleyball team before suffering a career-ending rotator cuff injury playing professionally in Europe.

Hayden adds that team deals are structured to explicitly bar management from accessing the results. But on top of that, we try to basically educate teams to not over interpret the data, he says. The case we make is that it's much better to use this as a training tool than to actually cut players because of their red flags. Because if you do preventative training for injuries players are at risk for, they're much more likely to be healthy.

AxGen really emphasizes the ability for users to take action. A strength and conditioning coach has been retained to provide a library of materials for AxGen users to target areas that are identified as being susceptible to injurystrengthening the muscular sheath around the Achilles tendon, for instance.

That's one of the big pillars of whether we choose to include a test or not on our platform is, are there actionable recommendations that we can get to the athlete? Hayden says. And if there's not, if theres nothing you can do about an injury, well, then, maybe the athletes better off not knowing that they are at risk for it.

The pace of genetic research remains rapid, and AxGens inventory of tests continues to evolve. A persons DNA is static, so new results will periodically populate the personal dashboards of existing usersmore information without any additional action. In addition to the genetic flags for injury, AxGen tests for an athletes susceptibility to such substances as ibuprofen or caffeine in order to provide guidance on how much and how often those should be used.

Of the 600,000 entries in the genetic databases, the majority of those people inherently are not elite athletes. Because some of the injuries tested for by AxGen require an active lifestylesomeone prone to an ACL rupture wont suffer one if they dont get off the couch muchso Kim speculates that the injury-risk in athletes is much higher than what those databases suggest. He is leading follow-up experiments to suss this out, including one with the Stanford and UCLA cross country teams.

Exactly what the increased risk isand how much AxGen can reduce or eliminate the injuriesremains an open question. When the teams ask this, here's what I tell them -- that I don't know, Kim says. With cross country, everybody's the same age, basically the same body shape, they all run the same 100 miles, and who breaks and who doesn't break during the season then, I think, it's much more due to inherent differences. So I wouldn't be surprised if these genetic differences play out larger in athletes, where they're all kind of similar.

But Kim also tells the coaches that the serious research hell need to conduct to find a definitive answer may take five years. Or else they can use AxGen and try to reduce their number of injuries in the interim. This excess [prehabilitation] training, it's going to work a little or a lot, Kim says. I think that's the only thing we don't really know.

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Major Sports Injuries Can Possibly Be Predicted and Avoided Through DNA Testing, According to AxGen Research - SportTechie

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Our beloved pups are like family members. But if you rescued your four-legged friend, there might be a lot you dont know about them.

Get to know the breed and genetic makeup of your fur baby with help from the DNA My Dog NextGen: Canine Breed Identification and Genetic Age Test, helping you make better decisions for their future. And right now this innovative test is available alongside seven dog training courses for just $77.

DNA My Dog NextGen gives you special insight into your pup like youve never had before. If you have a mystery mutt, youll find out all of the breeds in your dog through a very simple, at-home cheek swab that takes less than two minutes. Youll receive a report with all of the breeds found in your dogs DNA by percentage (which has 99.97% accuracy!) and even get a custom results certificate. This report provides not only the dominant breeds, but also sheds more light on your pups personality traits and possible health concerns.

The test goes one step further than most DNA tests, also providing the biological age of your dog. This can give you more information even on purebred pups, as their genetic or biological age is actually different from their chronological or actual age. Youll find out about your best buds predicted longevity from a cellular level.

Aside from learning more about your dogs history, you will also get access to seven online courses to help you train your pup. Top dog behavior expert, Sharon Bolt, who has worked with a number of celebrities, will walk you through courses like Dog Training Course: How to Stop Dog Attacks. It helps you tame your pups aggressiveness and ensure you can go on walks feeling calm and confident that you can rein the dog in. This 4.5-star-rated course is a hit with students, with former student Maggie raving, I love the step-by-step video demonstrations in this course. I didnt realize the different aspects that cause dogs to be aggressive but Sharon explains this very clearly and how to rectify it.

Learn more about your pup and how to train him with My Dog NextGen: Canine Breed Identification and Genetic Age Test + 7 Dog Training Courses, available now for just $77.

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Uncover your pups DNA and access training with this valuable bundle - New York Post

Art Industry News is a daily digest of the most consequential developments coming out of the art world and art market. Heres what you need to know on this Wednesday, September 22.

Sales of Latin American Cultural Heritage Draws Opposition Diplomatic cables have been abuzz with back-and-forths over disputed sales of Mexican and pre-Colombian artifacts. In Germany, one auction went ahead yesterday despite opposition from eight Latin American countries; almost half the works failed to sell. Meanwhile, the Mexican government successfully negotiated the cancellation of a smaller sale of what it called stolen cultural patrimony at Romes Casa Bertolami Fine Arts. (The Art Newspaper,Press release)

Protesters Storm MoMA With Palestinian Flags Protesters from the activist coalition Strike MoMA returned to the museum last Friday bearing Palestinian flags and banners that read Globalize the Intifada and This Is Class War. They marched to various locations around Manhattan including Columbus Circle, Rockefeller Center, the Ford Foundation, BlackRock, and the City University of New York, splashing red paint at some sites. Protesters carried spoons, a symbol of resistance, and a marching band followed closely behind. (Hyperallergic)

How Police Caught a Serial Art Thief Suspect How does an art thief get caught? According to Dutch police, a suspect by the name of Nils M. left behind DNA evidence on a broken picture frame and a heavy-duty strap that linked him to the brazen theft of paintings by Van Gogh and Frans Hals. Their DNA database led them to Nils M., who had previously served a five-year sentence for stealing a gilded silver church vessel. The paintings, estimated to be worth as much as a combined $20 million, have not been recovered. The suspect has denied the charges. (New York Times)

France Launches Islamic Art Shows to Combat Islamophobia The French government is organizing exhibitions devoted to Islamic art in 18 cities across the nation to combat Islamophobia. The Louvre is lending 60 works, which will be presented alongside objects from national and local museums in November.The idea is to show that Islam has been part of French cultural heritage since the Middle Ages, said Yannick Lintz, the head of the Louvres Islamic department.(The Art Newspaper)

Architects Withdraw From the Chicago Architecture Biennial Three Black female architects have withdrawn from the 2021 edition of the Chicago Architecture Biennial, citing a lack of honest investment and patterns of entitlement to Black womens labor on opening day of the events fourth edition. In an open letter titled Available to Who?, the signers, who are members of the group In Care of Black Women, condemn organizers for over-promising and under-delivering. (Hyperallergic)

Walker Art Center Names Board President Seena Hodges has been elected to serve as the next president of the board of trustees at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Hodges, who runs a DEI consulting firm called Woke Coach, is the first African American and the first person of color ever to fill the role.(ARTnews)

Colchester Gallery Firstsite Wins Museum of the Year The Essex art gallery has won the coveted award, which comes with a 100,000 ($136,360) purse from the Art Fund. Judges praised the 10-year-old museum for its community work, which has included distributing free meals to children and displaying art in public parks.(BBC)

TeamLab Is Coming to Germany Immersive art enthusiasts rejoice. The wildly popular exhibition teamLab: Borderless is coming to Hamburgs brand new Digital Art Museum in 2024 with more than 7,000 square meters of exhibition space under soaring 33-foot-high ceilings. The Tokyo-based immersive installation welcomed 2.3 million visitors in a single year, and was named one of TIMEs greatest places in the world to visit. (Press release)

teamLab, Borderless: Hamburg is coming to the city in 2024. Courtesy of teamLab.

teamLab, Borderless: Hamburg is coming to the city in 2024. Courtesy of teamLab.

teamLab, Borderless: Hamburg is coming to the city in 2024. Courtesy of teamLab.

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Art Industry News: DNA Evidence Leads Dutch Police to a 59-Year-Old Man Accused of Serial Art Thefts Worth $20 Million + Other Stories - artnet News

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the World Economic Forum uncovers the capabilities that C-Suite leaders need to build sustainable organizations that deliver lasting value and equitable impact for their people, customers and wider communities.

The report, Shaping the Sustainable Organization, finds that the responsible values and environmental, social and governance (ESG) intentions of companies are outrunning the ability of their organizations to deliver. To convert sustainability goals into reality, Accenture and the World Economic Forum decoded "Sustainability DNA," a set of 21 management practices, systems and processes that form the foundations of stakeholder-centricity.

The worlds environmental and social challenges are already disrupting business today, said Peter Lacy, chief responsibility officer and global Sustainability Services lead. But our research with the World Economic Forum found that those who root their organization and leadership DNA in stakeholder-centricity enjoy significantly better sustainability performance and value creation. These pioneers utilize new technologies and ESG data sets to create more sustainable and resilient supply chains, systematically harness the innovative power of diversity, and drive growth by putting stakeholder needs at the heart of products, services and new market opportunities. Those who ignore this moment to position for the future risk being left behind.

To assess the strength of Sustainability DNA in companies around the world, Accenture and the World Economic Forum created the Sustainable Organization Index (SOI), which scores nearly 4,000 companies based on market-facing evidence of ESG-supporting practices in 146 areas. Organizations in the top quartile of the SOI show significantly stronger performance compared to those with lower or less consistent scores. Specifically, companies with a stronger Sustainability DNA achieve on average a 21% increase in both EBITDA margin and environmental and societal impact.

According to the report, embedding Sustainability DNA drives behavioral changes throughout organizations in three ways by fostering human connections, boosting collective intelligence and driving accountability at all levels. Overall, companies tend to score higher on enablers that deepen human connections (average SOI score = 57), reflecting their ability to engage stakeholders, but are weaker on enablers that build collective intelligence (47), suggesting a struggle from leadership teams to build stakeholder-centricity.

Overall, the average score across all companies in the SOI was only 52/100, suggesting that most have significant room to strengthen their Sustainability DNA. The report advocates three steps organizations should take to create a cycle of change that generates value for all stakeholders:

The all-encompassing impact of COVID-19 made us understand that businesses need to address the needs of all stakeholders, said Professor Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum. By investing in organizational practices that stick, businesses will be better placed to achieve their financial goals while contributing to social welfare and the common good.

For more information on Shaping the Sustainable Organization, please visit http://www.accenture.com/sustainableorg.

About the Research

The Sustainability DNA model was developed through business leader, consumer and employee surveys and interviews. To validate the model, we worked with Arabesque S-Ray, an environmental, social, and governance (ESG) data provider, to build the Sustainable Organization Index (SOI) which grades nearly 4,000 companies according to market-facing evidence of ESG-supporting practices in 146 areas. We then used econometric analysis to test the relationship of SOI scores with financial and sustainability performance.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services all powered by the worlds largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 569,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at http://www.accenture.com.

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. It engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. It was established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests.

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Accenture and the World Economic Forum Decode the Sustainability DNA for Companies Seeking to Deliver Value and Impact for All Stakeholders - Business...

Recently, Titanfall made the waves across the gaming community after a statement from Community Coordinator Jason Garza. The statement was made during a live stream on September 20. Garza explained that Respawn Entertainment was working on "too many other games" at the moment. Thus, nothing was in the works in Titanfall.

However, Dexerto made emphasis on what was stated after said statement. When a user responded that it was time to give up on Titanfall being fixed, Garza explained, lol. Not what I meant. I was just talking about the future of TF. We are still working on the current situation, but as always, cant really telegraph those moves publicly.

Titanfall 2 Not Compromised Says Respawn Following Frightening Rumors

After Jason's statement made the rounds and other outlets started reporting on it, Respawn responded to this with a tweet that said the following:

There is quite a lot left unaddressed by the comment made by Respawn Entertainment. So, what's said in this tweet could be left up to interpretation. There are a few speculations that could be made regarding the response.

Titanfall's biggest issue at the moment is the hacking problems that have been affecting the game's community for quite a while. This problem extended to Apex Legends when the game suffered a massive hack that rendered the game unplayable, replacing server playlists with advertisements for SaveTitanfall.com. The tweet could be a response to the concerns from the Titanfall player base regarding an upcoming hacker fix.

Meanwhile, the rumors of a 3rd entry in the Titanfall series became much more prevalent after the leaked GeForce NOW list. The list included games such as Titanfall 3, Metal Gear Solid 2 HD, XCOM 3, and Final Fantasy IX Remake. The tweet could be a response to the rumors that spawned from the list. However, NVIDIA themselves have done that for them already.

We'll stay tuned for more updates regarding Titanfall and Respawn's future endeavors. Perhaps the meaning behind the tweet could come sooner than later.

More here:
Respawn Entertainment: Titanfall is the Very Core of our DNA - Wccftech

Anne Wojcicki is sitting on a treasure trove of genetic data. The co-founder and chief executive of 23andMe has led the genetic testing company through 14 years in which it has collected data from millions of customers through their at-home DNA spit test kits. In 2018, the company announced a collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline to use this anonymized, aggregated data to develop new pharmaceutical drugs and attracted a $300 million investment from the pharmaceutical giant. And in June, when Wojcicki took the company public, it was valued at $3.5 billion. In some ways, its a standard Silicon Valley play: Lure customers in with the promise of democratizing information before quickly moving to monetize that information. But what are the implications when the information at stake is your DNA?

[You can listen to this episode of Sway on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts.]

In this conversation, Kara presses Wojcicki on the ethical, privacy and security questions intertwined with the 23andMe business model. They discuss what the rise of genetic testing might mean for todays 2-year-olds and how the United States is faring in a genetic information race with China. And they dig into the ongoing Theranos trial specifically, whether the case against Elizabeth Holmes will rein in a Silicon Valley health tech sector that, in the past, has run a little wild.

(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Thoughts? Email us at sway@nytimes.com.

Sway is produced by Nayeema Raza, Blakeney Schick, Matt Kwong, Daphne Chen and Caitlin OKeefe, and edited by Nayeema Raza; fact-checking by Kate Sinclair; music and sound design by Isaac Jones; mixing by Carole Sabouraud and Sonia Herrero; audience strategy by Shannon Busta. Special thanks to Kristin Lin and Liriel Higa.

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Opinion | What Is 23andMe Doing With Your DNA? - The New York Times