Category Archives: DNA

The enormousness of the global sea has, over ages of exploration, made the appraisals of prime inhabitants more like rough sketches than detailed portraits.

Now, scientists have devised a precise way of detecting one of the oceans more exotic creatures. Estimates of its global abundance, they say, will likely soar.

The organisms are known as ctenophores. While looking superficially like jellyfish, they have no stingers and none of the usual body pulsations and rhythms that power jellyfish. Instead, what moves them through seawater are pulsating rows of feathery cilia. The tiny hairlike bundles resemble the teeth of a comb, giving the creatures their other name: comb jellies.

Undulations of the cilia let the creatures glide forward to sweep up prey and particulate matter. Adults range in size from a few inches to a few feet. Ctenophores live throughout the worlds oceans, from the abyss to the sunlit zone. Some 200 species have been identified. Most are bioluminescent. Typically, the colors of their lights are bluish or greenish, often shimmering or iridescent.

Four scientists have introduced a new way of identifying ctenophores in a paper that was published online last month and is soon to appear in Molecular Ecology Resources, a monthly journal. Steven H.D. Haddock, a co-author at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California, said the team worked on the problem for about five years and drew on a wide array of specimens gathered over decades. He said the advance will give much-needed precision for biologists seeking to learn the true dimensions of oceanic life.

If used widely, Dr. Haddock said, the method could result in the number of known species of ctenophores rising from 200 to around 600 and possibly as high as 800.

Its like fingerprinting, Dr. Haddock said of the technique in an interview. Its one of the next big things in assessing who lives in the ocean.

The new method applies a powerful new means of animal identification to the world of ctenophore research. Its known as environmental DNA sampling. Instead of directly observing or testing an organism, it collects and analyzes snippets of DNA that all creatures shed in their environment. From such castaways as hair, skin and mucus, scientists compare the environmental samples of genetic code to DNA libraries, seeking matches and identifications.

The procedure has already been used for other identifications. For instance, it has helped disclose the hidden presence of critically endangered organisms, including an aquatic insect known as the scarce yellow sally stonefly. Researchers also used it to demonstrate that Scotlands famous Loch Ness was filled with eel DNA more than anything monstrous.

But before these analytic tools could be applied to ctenophores, advances were required. Dr. Haddocks team designed a battery of new molecular probes that made it possible to perform deeper DNA interrogations.

Its like being able to read a new language, he said.

In a series of tests, the results let them identify 72 ctenophore species via their genetic signatures some five times more than had been reported in earlier databases and GenBank, a library of genetic codes from thousands of organisms that the National Institutes of Health maintain.

The precise tools, the scientists say, will let researchers look with new precision on the DNA sequences they recover from the wilds and better understand the true diversity of marine life. And that, in turn, will aid global conservation, fishery management and the assessment of such things as the impact of climate change on ocean biodiversity.

Ctenophores are largely overlooked in diversity studies because most are too fragile to sample with trawl nets, Dr. Haddock said. With this study, were trying to overcome that and give people a chance to appreciate just how special and diverse these creatures are.

Original post:
Taking the Pulse of the Oceans Comb Jellies - The New York Times

MASS. - A forensic anthropologist, a senator, and a missing child advocate: three women from very different backgrounds, but all equally fighting for passage of a familial DNA bill that is making its way through the state legislature.

If passed, Bill S.1595 would add cutting edge technology to the crime solving arsenal of state law enforcement.

When DNA is discovered at a crime scene today, it is run through the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) in order to find a match. The system is comprised of DNA samples from four different sources or indices: convicted offenders, past crime scene samples, unidentified human remains, and DNA from missing persons directly from the person or through a family member in order to locate the missing individual.

In instances when no direct match to the criminal is made through CODIS, the proposed bill would allow law enforcement to run another CODIS search, one that looks for relatives of the perpetrator. The search would only look at relatives already in CODIS meaning that they fit one of the four criteria. By looking at the familial DNA of parents and siblings in CODIS, detectives would be able to have another investigative tool in which they could identify and catch murders, rapists, and other violent offenders.

Heather Bish wrote the familial DNA bill in hopes of using the technology to solve her sisters murder case as well as hundreds of others. Her teenage sister, Molly Bish, disappeared from her lifeguard post at Comins Pond in Warren in 2000 and was later found murdered. An unidentified man with a mustache and driving a white car was last seen at the crime scene and always a suspect in the case.

I have been working on this familial DNA bill for about two years now and it was with the intent that it would lead us to this person in the white car, Bish said.

Familial DNA is currently being used in 14 other states and the accuracy of the technology has yielded impressive results.

Its never convicted anyone wrongfully and, in fact, the Innocence Project in Michigan uses it to exonerate people, Bish said.

While Massachusetts is known for being the forerunner of technological innovation, Bish says that state labs have policies that have not been updated to allow the use of these new technologies.

So, I am proposing this little, sort of safeguards and guidelines in order to do this testing, Bish said. That really is all the bill is. It is the how, and the who does what, and the safeguard to keep those privacy concerns safe.

From TikTok videos focused on bringing public attention to the bill, to making phone calls and meeting with legislators throughout Massachusetts, Bish is determined to pass the law in order to provide law enforcement with a vital investigative tool. She encourages the public to call their local legislators and advocate that they help pass Bill S. 1595 in the legislature.

It just really gets the bad guy. It hasnt been thrown out in court, and it hasnt been wrong," Bish said. It is what I think are called one of those no-brainer legislations.

After years of working with the Bish family and supporting their missing children advocacy, Senator Anne Gobi became involved with Bill S. 1595 when Heather Bish reached out to her.

Originally, the bill was filed late in the previous legislative session, but the pandemic struck which stopped the bill in its tracks. As a result, the bill was refined and strengthened by the Forensic Science Oversight Board and was refiled in late March. The bill is currently in the Public Safety Committee with a hearing date expected sometime in the fall.

This is a proven science, Sen. Gobi said. Were saying use this proven science. Lets give [the victims families] resolution and get the bad guys off the street.

Dr. Ann Marie Mires, director of the Molly Bish Center and Forensic Criminology at Anna Maria College, was appointed by Gov. Charlie Baker to the Forensic Science Oversight Board which reviewed the familial DNA bill.

This bill opens up another avenue in these old, unresolved crimes where no leads or databases have established a suspect, Dr. Mires said.

Presently, forensic labs cannot run familial DNA because it is not in the state statute. The bill would open this pathway for testing.

While this testing capability could provide meaningful answers for law enforcement and victims families, Dr. Mires described the importance of this system being highly regulated which is also outlined in the bill.

Dr. Mires said that running familial DNA would only be used as a last resort for violent, unresolved crimes only after searches for direct DNA matches had already been run through the four indices in CODIS.

Once familial DNA narrows down a suspect, prosecutors must still establish probable cause through means, motive, and opportunity in order to use the name and seek an indictment, she explained.

Dr. Mires said, Thats the beauty of what we are trying to do: A) educate the public B) bring in this robust technology under very prescribed conditions C) protect public safety.

Read more:
Familial DNA Bill Aims to Find Answers to Unsolved Cases - This Week In Worcester

(AP)

It is arguably the most valuable thing a sex offender has to offer their DNA. Thats why those required to register as sex offenders are also required to submit a DNA sample.

But, as Washington State Attorney General Bob Fergusons office found out, hundreds of registered sex offenders in the state are skipping out on those orders, potentially leaving the public at risk.

This has been a long standing effort in my office to collect this DNA from serious criminal offenders throughout our state. And remarkably, there are many hundreds, if not thousands of individuals who have not provided that DNA, which is so critical, of course, for capturing bad guys, solving crimes, and getting accountability for victims all across our state, explained Ferguson, referencing his lawfully owed DNA project.

Washington AGs new website shines in massive rape kit backlog effort

Ferguson, whose office has played a pivotal role in rape kit reforms in our state, received a $2.5 million grant in 2019 from the Justice Department to fund the project.

We were very involved in recent years in solving the backlog of untested rape kits, so were using grant funds for that purpose, Ferguson explained.

Right now, in Washington state, what we discovered was more than 600 registered sex offenders did not provide that DNA that is legally required, Ferguson said. And these are individuals, out of all the individuals out there in our state, who most certainly you want to have their DNA in the system.

The team was able to first identify the 635 sex offenders who failed to provide samples. Then, as law enforcement that partnered with the AGs office did the boots on the ground work, they determined DNA for roughly 250 of the people on the list could not be collected because they had either died, or had moved out of the area and their whereabouts were unknown.

At the same time, Ferguson says they were able to collect 345 DNA samples from these offenders and get them into the national database, Combined DNA Index System (CODIS).

Its a database of DNA. And so if, for example, they go to that database and see if they get a match with the DNA from the crime scene, explained Ferguson, calling it a vital tool to solving murders, rapes, and other serious crimes. But it does more than that.

That CODIS database is only as good as the information you put into it, he explained. And so we discovered we had more than 600 registered sex offenders in our state, whose DNA had never gone into that database, which is truly outrageous. But it is critically important to solve crimes and to get accountability. And, frankly, to assist victims of crimes so the perpetrators are held accountable.

And, really, this cuts both ways having a good database because DNA [can] be input that can actually help solve crimes where someone is accused of a crime they didnt commit, Ferguson explained. And having a good database means that person maybe escaped the penalty. They shouldnt suffer because theyre actually innocent. So it cuts both ways in solving crimes, but also making sure innocent people dont get convicted.

A handful of jurisdictions still need to collect the DNA on their respective lists, with Snohomish County having the most outstanding (45). The county collected just half of the total 100 DNA samples it needed to collect from offenders.

KIRO Radios request for an ETA on completion or details on any challenges in collecting those DNA samples was unanswered.

What we need are two things, one, to finish this project to collect the DNA of all these registered sex offenders, Ferguson said. And number two, to create a system moving forward so we dont create this backlog. We dont want to create a system that allows research centers to ignore their legal obligation to provide DNA.

See more here:
Washington AGs office IDs hundreds of sex offenders who failed to give up DNA - MyNorthwest.com

When the Taliban took control of the final fort held by the Afghan forces, there wasmayhem everywhere in Kabul. The roads were blocked with numerous cars and vehicles, all trying to flee the capital city. The scenes from the Kabul airport were even more heart-wrenching.

People could be seen running on the tarmac, climbing walls to enter the airport. Many were even clinging to the airplanes that were to take off with foreign nationals. And what shook the conscience of the entire world was the video where people were seen falling off the airplane, who in their bid to escape the Taliban had climbed on the wings of the flights.

We also saw how around 650 people packed inside a US cargo flight that took off from Kabul. These people chose such desperate paths fearing that staying back would mean dying at the hands of the Taliban. But what makes the Taliban sodreadful? The answer lies in the cause and effects of the oppressive first Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Taliban, which belongs to the majority Pashtun ethnic group of Afghanistan are followers of the Sunni form of Islam. They implement the Sharia law when in power. It is their historical interpretation of these age-old laws during the first regime in 1996 to 2001 that stems fear of oppression in people's minds.

Sharia is not a written code of rules but it is associated with theIslamic law mostly derived from the holy Koranand the Sunnah. Sunnah represents Prophet Mohammed's life, teachings, and practices. The documentary form of Sunnah is known as the Hadith.

Sharia law covers everything from how to practice religion, rules of conduct, dressing, and even legal matters. Since there is no strict legal code, the implementation of Sharia is largely left up to the interpretation of Islamic scholars.

There are ultra-orthodox schools like the Hanbali, which are followed in Saudi Arabia and by the Taliban, as perCouncil on Foreign Relations (CFR). On the other hand, liberal schools like the Hanafi are dominant among Sunnis in Central Asia, Egypt, Pakistan, India, China, Turkey, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. There are other schools like Maliki (North Africa), Shafi'i (Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, etc) while Shia Iran follows the Ja'fari school.

In the late 1909s, when the Taliban ruled over Afghanistan they handed out some of the harshest punishments for not abiding with their rules. From whipping to amputating limbs, public executions, and women being subjected to the harshest of punishments, the Taliban has done it all during its previous rule.

Most forms of art and entertainment were banned including movies, music,photography, filming, and display of women's pictures.Men could be beaten up for sporting too short a beard and listening to music or watching movies.

From public humiliation to beatings, women were subjected to a range of punishments for not following diktats on everything from their dressing to behaviour. Girls were stopped from going to schools and higher education of women was banned in the country. Women's movements were restricted. They could not go out alone in public and had to be accompanied by a male relative. The strict Taliban dress code required women in Afghanistan to be covered head-to-toe in the traditional burqa.

Stoning was prescribed for adultery while theft or looting could be punished with the chopping off of arms.

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DNA Explainer: What is the Sharia law and why Afghanistan's future depends on how Taliban interprets it - DNA India

In the last couple of days, the world has witnessed the fear of the Taliban militants on the innocent people of Afghanistan. There ismayhem everywhere and people are fleeing the country in a bid to escape the atrocities of the militant group which has taken over Afghanistan by force.

However, amid all this turmoil, a small place in Afghanistan draws our attention because unlike the rest of the country here there is nochaos, no one is fleeing, no one is forced to hide or be afraid of knocking at the door.This place is called the Panjshir Valley, the bastion of the Northern Alliance.

The importance along with curiosity around this place emerges from the fact that it is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan which is not occupied by the Taliban and has never been under their control. The mightySoviet Union also could not capture this place by force. During the 70s and 80s,the Soviets triedbut could not cross Panjshir Valley.

Every attempt to capture Panjshir has been unsuccessful. Even when America was bombing Afghanistan, Panjshir remained untouched by it. How much the people of Panjshir are passionate to save their land can very well be depicted from a New York Times report that quoted a local resident saying, "We will fight, not surrender. We will never kneel. The people of Panjshir will never surrender to terrorists. We will embrace death before that happens."

As the name suggests, Panjshir Valley also called 'Panjsher' means 'Valley of five lions'. Located 150 km north of Kabul, the Panjshir River flows through this valley. It is also close to theHindukush mountains.Here we try to analysefrom where Panjshir gets the power to take on the Taliban and what makes thePanjshir Valleysuch difficult terrain.

Among the very few who dared to stand up against the Talibanis Amrullah Saleh, the former Vice President till Taliban took over, and Ahmad Massoud theson of 'Sher of Panjshir' Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Despite the Taliban's capture of Kabul, now the formerVice President of AfghanistanAmrullah Salehdid not leave the country like former President Ashraf Ghani. He has made a base in Panjshir Valley.

It was Ahmad Shah Massoud also known as the'Sher of Panjshir'who laid the foundation of the Northern Alliance. During his lifetime,Masood had very close relations with Western countries.

The Taliban was so threatened byAhmad Shah Massoudthat a few days before the 9/11 attacks on the United States, an al-Qaeda fighter posing as a TV journalist killed him.

When America attacked Afghanistan after 9/11, it took the help of the Northern Alliance.When the Taliban were ousted, the Northern Alliance disbanded and the parties supported the interim administration.

At present, the responsibility of protecting Panjshir rests with Ahmad Shah Massoud's sonAhmad Massoud. Panjshir Valley is the only place from where any movement against the Taliban can begin.

Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic groupthe Tajiks mostly live inPanjshir Valley. The Tajiks are actually the second-largest ethnic group in Afghanistan, accounting for 25-30% of the country's population.

People of the Hazara community believed to be the descendants of Genghis Khan also live here.People fromNuristani, Pashaicommunitiesalso live here.

The biggest concern is that the Taliban will put up guards around Panjshir and stop the supply of food and essentials, henceinternational community help is needed.

However, as per an official report, Panjshir Valley has enough food and medical supplies to last till the next winter season.

In the report, the officials did not specify the total number of fighters in Panjshir, but according to an estimate, there are about 6000 fighters there.

The Tajik fighters need bigger weapons to fight the Taliban militants which the Ashraf Ghani administration never provided them.

This Valley can be transformed into a big hub for emerald mining. In the medieval period, Panjshir was famous for silver mining.

Till 1985, crystals up to 190 carats have been found there. It is said that the quality of the crystals found here is like the best crystals found in the Muzo mines of Colombia.

Under the soil of Panjshir, there is a huge stock of emeralds that has not been touched yet. If mining infrastructure is ready here, then the area will develop very fast.

Due to the efforts of America in Afghanistan, there have been some development works here like modern roads have been built.

A new radio tower has been installed so that the people of the valley can listen to the radio channels operating from Kabul. However, there is a dearth of basic facilities here.

Since there was no bloody conflict, no disaster in this valley, for this reason, it could not even get help under American humanitarian programs.

Even today 512 villages of the seven-districted province do not have electricity and water supply in Panjshir Valley.People run the generator for a few hours every day.

Link:
DNA Explainer: 'Valley of five lions' where even the Taliban dread to enter - DNA India

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question youd like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.

Would it really be possible to get the DNA of dinosaurs and then recreate them? Lucie R., age 5, Atlanta, Georgia

As a paleontologist thats a scientist who studies ancient life Im asked this question all the time. After all, the scientists in Jurassic Park (and later, Jurassic World) used DNA to recreate dozens of dinosaurs: Triceratops, Velociraptor and T. rex.

And if you saw any of those movies, you had to wonder: Could real scientists do that today?

DNA which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid is something in every cell of every organism that ever lived on Earth including dinosaurs.

Think of DNA as molecules that carry the genetic code, a set of instructions that helps bodies and minds grow and thrive.

Your DNA is different from everyone elses. It determines many of the characteristics that define you, like the color of your eyes or whether your hair is straight or curly.

DNA is much easier to find in the soft parts of an animal their organs, blood vessels, nerves, muscle and fat.

But a dinosaurs soft parts are long gone. They either decomposed or were eaten by another dinosaur.

Dinosaur fossils are all thats left of those prehistoric animals.

Immersed for tens of millions of years in ancient mud, minerals and water, the fossils come from the dinosaurs so-called hard parts its bones, teeth and skull.

We find dinosaur fossils in the ground, in riverbeds and lakes, and on the sides of cliffs and mountains. Every now and then, someone finds one in their backyard.

Often, theyre quite near the surface, and usually, theyre embedded in sedimentary rock.

With enough fossils, scientists can build a dinosaur skeleton what you see when you go to the museum.

But scientists have a big problem when trying to find DNA in dinosaur fossils.

DNA molecules eventually decay. Recent studies show DNA deteriorates and ultimately disintegrates after about 7 million years.

That sounds like a long time, but the last dinosaur died at the end of the Cretaceous Period. Thats more than 65 million years ago.

Dig up a fossil today, and any dino-DNA within would have long since fallen apart.

That means, as far as scientists know, and even using the best technology available today, its not possible to make a dinosaur from its DNA.

Although its too late to find dino-DNA, scientists recently found something almost as intriguing.

They discovered DNA fragments in the fossils of Neanderthals and other ancient mammals, such as woolly mammoths.

Now that makes sense; those fragments are less than 2 million years old, well before all of the DNA would decay.

Just for fun, lets imagine that somehow, sometime in the future, researchers came up with fragments of dinosaur DNA.

With only fragments, scientists still could not make a complete dinosaur.

Instead, they would have to combine the fragments with the DNA of a modern-day animal to create a living organism.

That creature, however, could not be called an actual dinosaur. Rather, it would be a hybrid, a blend of dinosaur and, most likely, a bird or reptile.

Think thats a good idea? After all, the scientists in the Jurassic movies tried that. And you know what happened there.

Hello, curious kids! Do you have a question youd like an expert to answer? Ask an adult to send your question to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com. Please tell us your name, age and the city where you live.

And since curiosity has no age limit adults, let us know what youre wondering, too. We wont be able to answer every question, but we will do our best.

The rest is here:
Is it possible to recreate dinosaurs from their DNA? - The Conversation US

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) Human remains found in the Arizona desert in 2016 have been identified through a DNA investigation, according to the Mohave County (Arizona) Sheriffs Office.

The body was identified as 18-year-old Kimberly Rena Jones in July of 2021, nearly five years after her death.

Now the sheriffs office is encouraging anyone with information about Jones to contact the Special Investigations Unit at 928-753-0753 ext. 4408 or call toll free at 1-800-522-4312.

The investigation is ongoing.

The remains were found on Sept. 28, 2016, in a ravine in the White Hills area east of Highway 93, between Kingman and Las Vegas.

The 5-year-old cold case initially got no response from the public when a composite sketch of the victim was released. A missing persons report in San Bernardino, California, was not filed until sometime in 2017, according to investigators. Mohave County was not notified of Jones disappearance.

The investigation was assigned to the Mohave County Sheriffs Office Special Investigations Unit in February of last year.

We would like extend our sincerest gratitude to the community that came together to pay for and attend her funeral services in Kingman in January of 2020, according to a statement from the sheriffs office.

Read more:
Arizona authorities seek information after body IDd through DNA investigation - KLAS - 8 News Now

Researchers have known from several lines of evidence that the ancient hominins known as the Denisovans interbred with modern humans in the distant past. Now researchers reporting in the journalCurrent Biology on August 12, 2021, have discovered that the Philippine Negrito ethnic group known as the Ayta Magbukon have the highest level of Denisovan ancestry in the world. In fact, they carry considerably more Denisovan DNA than the Papuan Highlanders, who were previously known as the present-day population with the highest level of Denisovan ancestry.

We made this observation despite the fact that Philippine Negritos were recently admixed with East Asian-related groupswho carry little Denisovan ancestry, and which consequently diluted their levels of Denisovan ancestry, said Maximilian Larena of Uppsala University. If we account for and masked away the East Asian-related ancestry in Philippine Negritos, their Denisovan ancestry can be up to 46 percent greater than that of Australians and Papuans.

In the new study, Larena and colleagues, including Mattias Jakobsson, aimed to establish the demographic history of the Philippines. Through a partnership between Uppsala University of Sweden and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines (NCCA), aided by collaboration with indigenous cultural communities, local universities, local government units, non-governmental organizations, and/or regional offices of the National Commission for Indigenous Peoples, they analyzed about 2.3 million genotypes from 118 ethnic groups of the Philippines including diverse self-identified Negrito populations. The sample also included high-coverage genomes of AustraloPapuans and Ayta Magbukon Negritos.

The study shows that Ayta Magbukon possess the highest level of Denisovan ancestry in the world, consistent with an independent admixture event into Negritos from Denisovans. Together with the recent discovery of a small-bodied hominin, calledHomo luzonensis, the data suggest that there were multiple archaic species that inhabited the Philippines prior to the arrival of modern humans, and that these archaic groups may have been genetically related.

Altogether, the researchers say that the findings unveil a complex intertwined history of modern and archaic humans in the Asia-Pacific region, where distinct Islander Denisovan populations differentially admixed with incoming Australasians across multiple locations and at various points in time.

This admixture led to variable levels of Denisovan ancestry in the genomes of Philippine Negritos and Papuans, Jakobsson said. In Island Southeast Asia, Philippine Negritos later admixed with East Asian migrants who possess little Denisovan ancestry, which subsequently diluted their archaic ancestry. Some groups, though, such as the Ayta Magbukon, minimally admixed with the more recent incoming migrants. For this reason, the Ayta Magbukon retained most of their inherited archaic tracts and were left with the highest level of Denisovan ancestry in the world.

By sequencing more genomes in the future, we will have better resolution in addressing multiple questions, including how the inherited archaic tracts influenced our biology and how it contributed to our adaptation as a species, Larena said.

Reference: Philippine Ayta possess the highest level of Denisovan ancestry in the world by Maximilian Larena, James McKenna, Federico Sanchez-Quinto, Carolina Bernhardsson, Carlo Ebeo, Rebecca Reyes, Ophelia Casel, Jin-Yuan Huang, Kim Pullupul Hagada, Dennis Guilay, Jennelyn Reyes, Fatima Pir Allian, Virgilio Mori, Lahaina Sue Azarcon, Alma Manera, Celito Terando, Lucio Jamero Jr., Gauden Sireg, Renefe Manginsay-Tremedal, Maria Shiela Labos, Richard Dian Vilar, Acram Latiph, Rodelio Linsahay Saway, Erwin Marte, Pablito Magbanua, Amor Morales, Ismael Java, Rudy Reveche, Becky Barrios, Erlinda Burton, Jesus Christopher Salon, Ma. Junaliah Tuazon Kels, Adrian Albano, Rose Beatrix Cruz-Angeles, Edison Molanida, Lena Granehll, Mrio Vicente, Hanna Edlund, Jun-Hun Loo, Jean Trejaut, Simon Y.W. Ho, Lawrence Reid, Kurt Lambeck, Helena Malmstrm, Carina Schlebusch, Phillip Endicott and Mattias Jakobsson, 12 August 2021, Current Biology.DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.07.022

This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation.

Original post:
Philippine Negrito People Have the Highest Level of Ancient Denisovan DNA in the World - SciTechDaily

By TOM LATEK, Kentucky Today

DRY RIDGE, Ky. (KT) The Kentucky State Police are using the DNA Doe Project, an initiative that uses genetic genealogy to identify John and Jane Does, to identify the victim and solve a 30-year-old cold case in northern Kentucky.

The KSP and the DNA Doe Project are currently working on a case from 1989, in which human remains of a large male were found in a tobacco barn off KY State Highway 22 about 7.5 miles west of Dry Ridge near Williamstown, Ky. The victim was shot twice in the back of his head with a .22 caliber weapon, and he was stripped of his clothing. In addition, his hands were severed from his arms.

Forensic scientists have determined the victim to be a white male from 25 to 35 years of age, 65 tall and weighing approximately 220 pounds. He wore his medium brown hair in a crew cut with short sideburns. They say the victim died approximately two weeks prior to being found.

The KSP says volunteer investigative genetic genealogists with the DNA Doe Project have so far determined that the man likely has roots in Eastern Europe. He may also have ancestry from the Middle East and England. So far, the DNA matches are at the distant cousin level.

If you have any information about this case, please contact KSP Post 6, Dry Ridge, at 859-428-1212 or call anonymously at 1-800-222-5555. You can also go to http://www.dnadoeproject.orgto learn more about the DNA Doe Project.

This is not the first time Kentucky State Police have made use of the DNA Doe Project to solve a cold case. Recently, this technology was used to solve a 2001 cold case in Bowling Green to identify the remains of 45-year-old Dawn Clare Plonsky Wilkerson of Nashville.

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DNA project being used on northern Kentucky cold case from 1989 - myq104.com

By Damien Tampling, Xeros Chief Strategy Officer

Few cross-organisational projects in human history have been as successful as the Human Genome Project. Many years, hundreds of scientists and researchers across 20+ global institutions devoted their time, effort, funding and ingenuity to create the first-ever complete map of human DNA. It was a feat not just of science, but of human collaboration and what is possible when organisations collaborate on a goal bigger than what they can achieve alone.

The same could be said of whats happening in platforms today. The totality of business data is a little like the double-helix structure of DNA: each strand of information in the accounting ledger, CRM, inventory database or marketing funnel is a nucleotide (the base elements of DNA) that tells an isolated story. Tied together, through an API or another means, each piece of data enriches another, telling a fuller story than the sum of its parts.

The best software platforms today are those that treat both their own and their ecosystems data as crucial to the overall story. They are bringing together partners across apps from various niches to create a tapestry of information that is far richer and more cohesive. In effect, they are building their own Genome Project for businesses.

Access to that tapestry of information is seemingly one reason Salesforce acquired Slack last month. Its plan to integrate a powerful collaboration platform like Slack into its Customer 360 platform along with data from thousands of other third-party apps already available on the Slack platform means each piece of data is richer than it was before, and its customers can do more with their data as a whole piece.

Yet that opportunity doesnt just have to come through acquisition partnerships are just as crucial, done well, also bringing together complementary and critical workflows that give customers a more holistic picture or greater insight.

The Xero ecosystem couldnt be a better example today more than 70,000 users connect to the Xero API and more than 1000 certified apps are integrated that read and write to the single accounting ledger, adding more colour around how businesses deal with their customers, inventory, manage their compliance and payments.

Creating those connections doesnt just reduce the time it takes to share information; our own data has shown that connecting Xero with third-party apps has made for more resilient, healthier and faster-growing businesses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If those involved in the Human Genome Project had failed to agree on their end goal, where they wanted to focus their efforts on filling gaps and challenging themselves to seize opportunities with partners vs alone, its unlikely we would have a blueprint that is critical to so much medical research and therapeutic development today.

Thats why the most successful partnerships are built on a common goal first the why before looking at the how of connecting data sources or creating contracts. Agreeing on a shared sense of purpose first ensures any conflict that arises in future is less likely to jeopardise the partnership itself.

Stripes recent partnership with Shopify to create Shopify Balance has powerful potential because of that alignment. By agreeing on the end goal and working tightly together, these two companies have enabled potentially billions of dollars in additional economic value by helping small businesses more easily access capital, using the combination of complementary data. Neither of these major platforms would likely have accomplished this by themselves.

With our acquisition of Waddle, and other investments we are making, we are able to do the same with financial and fintech partners around the world; helping them provide smarter, more timely lending options to small businesses to manage their cash flow and support their growth.

That doesnt just happen on Xero that lending capability enables other platforms to leverage accounting data to offer better, more competitive products to customers in need.

Thats why whenever we begin talking to a potential partner about working deeply together, we ensure were aligned on why anchored in understanding each others vision and a common passion for solving a customers most important problems. For us, the why is simple: just one in five small businesses today use the cloud to manage their finances, with even fewer tapping into the potential of connecting apps together to help run their business.

By bringing the single accounting ledger into the cloud so its accessible anywhere, and integrating additional data through a suite of apps like those available on the Xero App Store, small businesses can access real-time business insights. Those insights lead to businesses that are more profitable and ultimately grow faster, providing the potential to radically transform global economies through greater small business productivity and growth.

This kind of live view of your business and the tools that sit around it were previously only available to big business and typically expensive software by democratising access to these tools and the data on which small businesses sit, we give that access to the worlds largest class of business: small business.

As my friend and the late Clayton Christensen did a good job explaining in his research and many acclaimed books, disruption tends to be linked to making something more affordable or more accessible to a segment. In my mind, the fundamentals of the journey we are on supporting small businesses around the world to grow and thrive is much bigger than you might think at first glance.

Finding partners that are aligned with this opportunity and the impact it can have on communities around the world, and enabling this potential together, is the first step in a long, prosperous and healthy partnership. Agreeing on that why upfront is critical and ensures partners can collaborate on a unified purpose; like delivering a view of the whole DNA sequence of the human genome, for the benefit of their shared customer.

The Human Genome Project was only possible because of deep collaboration between disparate parties, unified by a common goal to transform the way we look at what makes us human. Truly empowering small businesses to innovate faster, make better decisions, realise their full potential but also find better life-balance, is no different it will continue to require the same level of collaboration and symbiotic relationships. Never more so than in a world moving faster than many can keep up with.

Todays platforms, and the partners they work with, have the opportunity to create a symbiotic ecosystem for businesses and enable greater economic value for decades to come.

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