Category Archives: DNA

Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis say it may someday be possible to perform a single test to screen for a wide range of cancer types.

Scientists led by Dr. Li Ding have analyzed the DNA of 3,281 tumors to find 127 repeatedly mutated genes that appear to drive the growth of a range of cancers.

Thanks to recent advances in genome sequencing that allow scientists to analyze DNA faster and more affordably than ever before, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis say they have found that many types of cancer are driven by the same genetic mutations.

The scientists have been able to analyze 3,281 tumors to find 127 genes that repeatedly mutate in such a way as to drive the development of tumors in the body.

Previous genome studies have tended to home in on specific tumor types, but the work out of St. Louis, which appears this week in the journal Nature, is among the first to look at a wide range of what are sometimes seemingly unrelated tumor types. In fact, the thousands of tumors they analyzed included 12 major cancers: of the breast, uterus, bladder, kidney, ovary, lung, brain, blood, head and neck, and colon and rectum.

"This is just the beginning," senior author Li Ding of the university's Genome Institute said in a school news release of her team's findings. "Many oncologists and scientists have wondered whether it's possible to come up with a complete list of cancer genes responsible for all human cancers. I think we're getting closer to that."

In fact, the researchers say they envision a future where it's possible to perform a single test to survey all 127 of these identified genetic errors as part of a standard diagnostic workup for most cancers. Such a test could, in turn, not only identify unique genetic signatures of tumors but open the door for highly personalized cancer treatments as well.

While the researchers found common links between genes in different cancers (for instance, one gene mutated in 25 percent of leukemia cases was also found in seven other tumor types), they also found mutations that are particular to one.

To add to the complexity, some of the 127 genetic errors occur frequently in certain cancers, while some appear rarely in others, but all are being considered an important part of the growth of the cancers. The researchers did find, however, that most tumors had only two to six genetic mutations. Ding said that because cells are constantly accumulating new mutations over time, the finding that only a couple of mutations are key to turning a healthy cell into a cancerous one could help explain why cancer is so common.

The DNA analysis also helped the researchers identify genes that correlate strongly with not only cancer types but actual prognosis. TP53, for instance, was found more than any other across the different tumor types -- in 42 percent of the samples -- and is particularly bad news in cancers of the kidney, head and neck, and acute myeloid leukemia. BAP1, too, was often linked with poor prognoses, especially in kidney and uterine cancers.

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DNA analysis uncovers genetic errors behind 12 major cancers

Oct. 16, 2013 Cell biologists and chemists from the University of Zurich reveal how viral DNA traffics in human cells. They have developed a new method to generate virus particles containing labeled viral DNA genomes. This allowed them to visualize, for the first time, single viral genomes in the cytoplasm and the nucleus by using fluorescence microscopy in regular or superresolution mode. The new findings enhance our understanding of how viral disease occurs, and how cells respond to infections.

The medical, humanitarian and economical impact of viral diseases is devastating to humans and livestock. There are no adequate therapies available against most viral diseases, largely because the mechanisms by which viruses infect cells are poorly known. An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of Zurich headed by cell biologist Prof. Urs Greber now presents a method that can be used to display viral DNA in host cells at single-molecule resolution. The method gives unexpected insights into the distribution of viral DNA in cells, and the reaction of cells to viral DNA.

Click chemistry detects viral DNA

For their studies, Greber and his team with PhD students I-Hsuan Wang, Vardan Andriasyan and senior research scientist Dr. Maarit Suomalainen used cell cultures and human adenoviruses causing respiratory disease and conjunctivitis, herpes viruses and vaccinia virus, the latter in collaboration with Dr. Jason Mercer and his PhD student Samuel Kilcher from the ETH Zurich. To label the DNA of an intact virus, the scientists turned to click chemistry -- widely applicable chemical reaction types. Prof. Nathan Luedtke from the Institute of Organic Chemistry at the University of Zurich, and PhD student Anne Neef developed a new class of "clickable" chemical molecules. "Our molecule is incorporated into viral DNA without affecting the biological functions of the DNA, and it can be used to label the DNA for fluorescence microscopy," says Luedtke.

Defense response of infected cells visible for the first time

Greber and his team infected human cells in culture with the chemically labeled viruses, and observed the behavior of the viral DNA during entry into cells. "Using this elegant method, we can reveal that not all the incoming viral DNA enters the cell nucleus as originally expected, but a significant fraction remains in the cytosol, the fluids of the cytoplasm," explains Greber. According to the scientists, this phenomenon may be part of the antiviral defense reaction. "For the first time, we can display the localization of incoming viral DNA, and link it to anti-viral defense or infection mechanisms," says Greber. The researchers show that cells of the same type take up different amounts of viral DNA into their nucleus. Greber suspects that the nucleus has antiviral defense reactions, akin to the cytosol, and these defense reactions are variable between cells. With the new method in hand, this is now subject to future studies. The scientists suggest that their procedure can be applied to other DNA viruses, or the HI virus (HIV).

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Tracking viral DNA in the cell

Mummified Head Did Not Belong To French King Henri IV, DNA Shows
LONDON -- LONDON (AP) — Three years ago, French researchers declared that a centuries-old mummified head was that of the beloved King Henri IV. But now a new...

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Mummified Head Did Not Belong To French King Henri IV, DNA Shows - Video

TAMIL/ENGLISH..BATU CAVES-MALAYSIA...ALPHA MIND REPROGRAMMING DNA MANIPULATION!
Plz watch the videos for detail. Our beloved Sri Prasanna guruji is explaining his experiences in an ordinary language,so as to understand clearly, in their ...

By: Prasanna Guruji

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TAMIL/ENGLISH..BATU CAVES-MALAYSIA...ALPHA MIND REPROGRAMMING DNA MANIPULATION! - Video

SH DNA 3D animation
DNA 3D animation.

By: Curiosidades

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SH DNA 3D animation - Video

SOUR SECRET - DNA Genetics - Voyagers Coffeeshop - Amsterdam Weed Review
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SOUR SECRET - DNA Genetics - Voyagers Coffeeshop - Amsterdam Weed Review - Video

From the forensic report, Saini cited the DNA tests report recovered from the Ballantine scotch bottle. The DNA of a male and a female were found on it. "The Ballantine scotch bottle, which had whisky, contained DNA of both the victims," said R K Saini. According to the CBI theory, Dr Rajesh Talwar had whisky after killing his daughter, Aarushi, and domestic help Hemraj, and that blood on his hands got transferred to the bottle.

Saini further told the court, on the basis of the testimony of Mahesh Kumar and Dataram Nanoria, that the crime scene had been dressed up by the accused. Doctors were of the view that Aarushi's body was also cleaned. CBI also told the court that Talwars also tried to influence the autopsy of Aarushi for omitting the reference to rape.

He further added that the internet router in the house was used throughout the night, indicating that the couple was not asleep as they had claimed.

CBI used the testimony of Data Ram Nanoria and Mahesh Kumar Mishra while telling the court about dressing up of the crime scene. He said, "Mishra had said there were some toys in Aarushi's bed but they had no bloodstains. Her body was covered with a bed sheet."

The witnesses had also mentioned the position of Aarushi's clothes when she was found murdered. Nanoria had also stated that articles in her room were properly placed," Saini said. Dr Rajesh and Nupur Talwar had denied all the allegations against them.

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DNA test results against Talwars: CBI

The backbone of investigative forensics in the 21st Century is the database. And of all information gathering techniques, genetic databanking has become the holy grail of prosecutions and the last resort for exonerations. It is both the cause of and solution to many problems in the administration of justice. Thus, DNA forensics highlights the longstanding tension between scientific understanding and legal reasoning.

While DNA's scientific reputation is very near to magic, its forensic applications are subject to the faults and limitations of every kind of evidence offered as proof in a court of law.

This article collects research on the law and science of genetic evidence at the pre-conviction stage. Thus, it focuses on the role of DNA in identification, investigation and prosecution of crime, social and privacy issues, and to some degree exculpation or evidence of third party culpability.

BOOKS

Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing (Elsevier 2012) (vol. 2) "Since the second edition of Forensic DNA Typing was written in 2004, a great deal has happened in the field of forensic DNA analysis. Hence, the need to update the information contained in the book in as comprehensive a manner as possible. In forensic science review articles published in 2005, 2007, and 2009 in the journal Analytical Chemistry, I [John M. Butler] briefly described topics from hundreds of articles published during the time frame of 20032008. In my own laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), we have published over 75 articles since 2004 on a variety of subjects including miniSTRs, Y-STRs, mtDNA, SNPs, validation, and DNA quantitation (see http://www.cstl.nist.gov/biotech/strbase/NISTpub.htm)."

Double Helix and the Law of Evidence (Harv. U. Press 2010) "In a history both scientifically sophisticated and comprehensible to the nonspecialist, David H. Kaye weaves together molecular biology, population genetics, the legal rules of evidence, and theories of statistical reasoning as he describes the struggles between prosecutors and defense counsel over the admissibility of genetic proof of identity. Combining scientific exposition with stories of criminal investigations, scientific and legal hubris, and distortions on all sides, Kaye shows how the adversary system exacerbated divisions among scientists, how lawyers and experts obfuscated some issues and clarified others, how probability and statistics were manipulated and misunderstood, and how the need to convince lay judges influenced the scientific research. Looking to the future, Kaye uses probability theory to clarify legal concepts of relevance and probative value, and describes alternatives to race-based DNA profile frequencies."

Forensic DNA Evidence Interpretation (CRC Press 2004) "Forensic DNA Evidence Interpretation is the most comprehensive resource for DNA casework available today. Written by leaders in the fields of biology and statistics, the book emphasizes the interpretation of test results and provides the necessary formulae in an easily accessible manner.

The book begins by reviewing all pertinent biology, and then provides information on every aspect of DNA analysis, including modern interpretation methods and issues, and contemporary population genetic models available for estimating DNA frequencies or likelihood ratios. Following a chapter on procedures for validating databases, the text presents overviews and performance assessments of both modern sampling uncertainty methods and current paternity testing techniques. Later chapters discuss the latest methods for mixture analysis, LCN (ultra trace) analysis, and non-autosomal (mito, X, and Y) DNA analysis. The text concludes with procedures for disaster victim identification and information on DNA intelligence databases. Supported by numerous tables and over 800 references, this authoritative book provides a link among the biological, forensic, and interpretative domains of the DNA profiling field. It is a valuable resource that allows forensic scientists and technicians, molecular biologists, and attorneys to use forensic DNA evidence to its greatest potential."

Fundamentals of Forensic DNA Typing (Elsevier 2010) (vol. 1) "This book will examine the science of current forensic DNA typing methods by focusing on the biology, technology, and genetic interpretation of short tandem repeat (STR) markers, which encompass the most common forensic DNA analysis methods used today. The materials in this book are intended primarily for two audiences: (1) students learning about forensic DNA analysis in an academic environment and (2) forensic science professionals and members of the law enforcement and legal communities who want to gain a better understanding of the fundamentals behind STR typing. Further information on each of the subjects presented here is available in the second volume, Advanced Topics in Forensic DNA Typing, 3rd Edition."

Genetic Justice: DNA Data Banks, Criminal Investigations, and Civil Liberties (Colum. U. Press 2010) "Two leading authors on medical ethics, science policy, and civil liberties take a hard look at how the United States has balanced the use of DNA technology, particularly the use of DNA databanks in criminal justice, with the privacy rights of its citizenry. [Sheldon] Krimsky and [Tania] Simoncelli analyze the constitutional, ethical, and sociopolitical implications of expanded DNA collection in the United States and compare these findings to trends in the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Germany, and Italy. They explore many controversial topics, including the legal precedent for taking DNA from juveniles, the search for possible family members of suspects in DNA databases, the launch of "DNA dragnets" among local populations, and the warrantless acquisition by police of so-called abandoned DNA in the search for suspects. Most intriguing, Krimsky and Simoncelli explode the myth that DNA profiling is infallible, which has profound implications for criminal justice."

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DNA Evidence: Brave New World, Same Old Problems

DNA DREAMS: Panel DNA ETHICS
DNA DREAMS: Panel DNA ETHICS.

By: Imagine Science Films

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DNA DREAMS: Panel DNA ETHICS - Video

LEBANON Jurors in the third murder trial of David Camm sat through another day of complex scientific testimony in a case that continues to pit forensic experts against each other.

On Tuesday, a private DNA analyst called by the prosecution as a rebuttal witness, said the defense teams touch DNA expert who testified last week was practicing bad science when he concluded he found evidence that pointed away from Camm as the prime suspect in the killings of Camms wife and children.

Norah Rudin, who specializes in DNA analysis, said she was shocked by the conclusions reached by defense expert Richard Eikelenboom because his methods were inherently unreliable.

Eikelenboom, a touch DNA expert from Holland, testified last week that he found partial DNA profiles of another man, Charles Boney, on clothing found at the crime scene, including on the underwear of Camms wife, Kimberly. Eikelenbooms testimony is seen by the defense as critical to proving their clients innocence.

Camm is on trial for the third time in the September 2000 murders of his wife and children, Brad, 7, and Jill, 5, who were found shot to death in the garage of their Floyd County home. Camms two previous convictions were overturned.

Prosecutors contend Camm shot his family while Boney a serial felon whod Camm met playing basketball before the murders stood nearby. The defense argues that Boney, in prison on a 225-year sentence for his role in the killings, acted alone.

Rudin was scornful of Eikelenbooms testing methods, at one point saying that Eikelenbooms previous experiences testifying as a forensic scientist in other cases didnt make him an expert. She said he failed to meet testing standards set by other forensic science authorities in the U.S.

Rudin was particularly critical of the small amount of trace DNA skin cells left behind by touch that Eikelenboom used in his tests. And she said the DNA probability statistics that Eikelenboom used to point to Boney as the perpetrator were faulty.

Among the issues that arose Tuesday were questions about how clothing found at the crime scene was later handled by court personnel. Its significant because several prosecution experts have raised the possibility that the clothing could have been inadvertently contaminated with Boneys DNA during or the after the initial investigation that lead to Camms arrest 13 years ago. On the stand Tuesday, Rudin said DNA was easily transferable from one item to another simply though a persons touch.

The prosecution called a Floyd County court reporter, Dianna Borden, to testify about how she handled the crime scene exhibits, including the clothing, during Camms first murder trial in 2002. She said followed court procedures at the time by wearing gloves when she removed the clothing from evidence bags to lay out on tables for the jury to review in private while it was deliberating a verdict.

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DNA analyst dispute’s testimony of Camm witness