Category Archives: DNA

Before European settlers set foot on Australian shores, Gould's mouse scurried about thecontinent.

Butland clearing and the introduction of predatorsdecimated native rodent populations, and the little mouse was declared extinct more than a century ago until now.

A team of researchers, led by Emily Roycroft of the Australian National University, looked at genomes of Australia's extinct and living rodents.

Their analysis showsa small population ofGould's mouse (Pseudomys gouldii) lives on an islandoff the coast ofWestern Australia.

But thislittle animal with shaggy fur and large black eyes is knownby another name.

Gould's mouse isactually the samespecies as the Shark Bay mouse (Pseudomys fieldi), they reporttoday in the journalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"I was quite surprised," Dr Roycroft said.

"Extinction doesn't usually offer second chances."

Australia is home to some of the world's most unique wildlife, with 86per cent of its mammals notfound anywhere else.

But it hasalso lost more mammals over the past 200 years than any other country, with 34 land species being declared extinct since Europeans set foot on the continent in 1788.

Native rodents make up nearly half of these extinctions.

Wikimedia Commons: John Gould

Their rapid decline was likely due to a mix of human impacts.

Along with land clearing and introducing predators such as cats and foxes, early settlers were also keen bounty hunters.

"Basically, the government paid people to bring in dead animals," she said.

And while Gould's mouse was once widespread, it was one of the hardest hit speciesduring European colonisation and hasn't been seen on the mainland since 1895.

But what hasn't been clear is whether Australia's rodents were already struggling before the first settlers arrived.

Dr Roycroft and her colleagues wanted to look at this group's genetic diversitybefore its numbers took a nosedive nearly 200 years ago.

Conservationists often use a population's genetic diversity as a measure of resilience against stressors such as disease and environmental change.

Having a large mix genes gives a species a better chance of adapting to its changing environment.

To assess the genetic diversity of Australia's rodents prior to European settlement, the researchers extracted DNA fromeight extinct rodent species and 42 of their living relatives from museum specimens.

The specimens had been collected between 120 and 184 years ago.

Supplied: C.Ching, Courtesy of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

In the Museums VictoriaAncient DNA Laboratory, the researchers sequenced the specimens' genomes to look at how they're related and how their genetic makeup had changed over time.

They found that the rodents' genomes were diverse before European settlement, indicating that their once-thriving populations were more likely wiped out by human impacts than genetic weakness, such as inbreeding.

The rodents' healthy genomes suggested they declined rapidly, unlike other extinct mammals such as the Tasmanian tiger.

The team also found that larger species were more likely to become extinct.

This is because larger rodents tend to be more attractive to predators and produce fewer young than their smaller relatives.

But there was one extinct species that stood out.

When the researchers analysed the genome of the Gould's mouse specimen, they found that it matched up with a species currently living on the islandsoff Shark Bay in Western Australia.

This means the mousenever completely died out to begin with.

This came as a surprise, as Gould's mouse specimens were originally collected in New South Wales and Victoria over 4,000 kilometres away from Shark Bay.

"That's a really big distance,so I was surprised that those things were essentially the same species," Dr Roycroft said.

"But this has revealed that it was in fact a once very widespread single species that had collapsed down into this single off-shore population."

But how did these mice get there in the first place?

Dr Roycroft said they likely made their way over when the islands were still connected to the mainland thousands of years ago.

"Slowly as the sea level rose, a little pocket of the population may have got trapped there," she said.

Euan Ritchie, a wildlife ecologist at Deakin University, said that it's "fantastic news" that Gould's mouse is aliveon an island in Shark Bay.

But becausethe species is listed as endangered, it's important to make it a conservation priority, said Dr Ritchie, who was not involved in the study.

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"Given this species occurs in such an isolated and single location, establishing captive breeding colonies and additional wild populations should be a priority," he said.

Dr Ritchie also said the study highlightedthe need for more investment in surveying, cataloguing and describing Australia's wildlife.

"We risk being unaware of the true diversity of Australia's species, and hence unable to care for and conserve it properly," he said.

"We essentially risk losing what we don't even know exists."

The next step for Dr Roycroft and her teamis to analyse the genomes of other native animals to look at how they were also impacted by European settlers.

"I hope this study can be an inspiration to looking at other species and seeing what we can learn about Australia's biodiversity that we've lost," Dr Roycroft said.

Get all the latest science stories from across the ABC.

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Gould's mouse was declared extinct, but DNA shows it still lives on an island in Shark Bay, Western Australia - ABC News

As we inch closer to the Tokyo Olympics, sportswear brands are celebrating with a slew of footwear releases that reference the international event. adidas, for instance, will be following up the success 2016s pack of medal-inspired adidas UltraBOOSTs by recruiting the relatively new adidas UltraBOOST 4.0 DNA.

This new Medal pack consists of three colorways that take after the gold, silver, and bronze medals presented at the Olympics. Each pair consists of a Primeknit upper comprised of a single wash of colorCloud White, Core Black, and Ice Purplewith the TPU lace cages and inside in a matching hue. By adding a touch of award-reminiscent metallics to just the heel counter, the style maintains a versatile, lifestyle-friendly look that still commemorates the worlds largest sporting event. As usual, a BOOST foam midsole and black Continental rubber underfoot rounds out the medalworthy pack.

Take a closer look the UltraBOOST 4.0 DNA Medal pack below, in which the gold and silver pairs are confirmed to drop on adidas.com on July 1st at a price of $180. While details regarding a stateside release for the bronze style have yet to arise, the pair is likely to alongside the two aforementioned pairs with the same price.

For more by the Three Stripes, check out BAITs One-Punch Man-themed adidas Montral 76.

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adidas Gears Up For The Olympics With The UltraBOOST 4.0 Medal Pack - Sneaker News

Biologists at the Universities of Bath and Vienna have discovered 71 new imprinted genes in the mouse genome, a finding that takes them a step closer to unraveling some of the mysteries of epigenetics an area of science that describes how genes are switched on (and off) in different cells at different stages in development and adulthood.

To understand the importance of imprinted genes to inheritance, we need to step back and ask how inheritance works in general. Most of the thirty trillion cells in a persons body contain genes that come from both their mother and father, with each parent contributing one version of each gene. The unique combination of genes goes part of the way to making an individual unique. Usually, each gene in a pair is equally active or inactive in a given cell. This is not the case for imprinted genes. These genes which make up less than one percent of the total of 20,000+ genes tend to be more active (sometimes much more active) in one parental version than the other.

Until now, researchers were aware of around 130 well-documented imprinted genes in the mouse genome the new additions take this number to over 200. Professor Tony Perry, who led the research from the Department of Biology & Biochemistry at Bath, said: Imprinting affects an important family of genes, with different implications for health and disease, so the seventy-plus new ones add an important piece of the jigsaw.

Close examination of the newly identified genes has allowed Professor Perry and his colleagues to make a second important discovery: the switching on and off of imprinted genes is not always related to DNA methylation, where methyl groups are added to genomic DNA (a process that is known to repress gene activity, switching them off). DNA methylation was the first known type of imprint, and was discovered around thirty years ago. From the results of the new work, it seems that a greater contribution to imprinting is made by histones structures that are wrapped up with genomic DNA in chromosomes.

A normal 4-day-old mouse embryo (L) and an embryo of the same age that has been manipulated to contain maternal chromosomes only (parthenogenote). At this stage, the embryos (blastocysts) appear similar, but the parthenogenote will soon die, underscoring the importance of inheriting imprinted genes from both parents. Different cell types are stained green or red. Credit: Dr. Maki Asami, University of Bath

Although scientists have known for some time that histones act as dimmer switches for genes, fading them off (or back on), until now it was thought that DNA methylation provided the major switch for imprinted gene activity. The findings from the new study cast doubt on this assumption: many of the newly identified genes were found to be associated with changes to the histone 3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3), and only a minority with DNA methylation.

Scientists have yet to work out how one parental version of a given gene can be switched (or faded) on or off and maintained that way while the other is in the opposite state. It is known that much of the on/off switching occurs during the formation of gametes (sperm and egg), but the precise mechanisms remain unclear. This new study points to the intriguing possibility that some imprinted genes may not be marked in gametes, but become active later in development, or even in adulthood.

Although it only involves a small proportion of genes, imprinting is important in later life. If it goes wrong, and the imprinted gene copy from one parent is switched on when it should be off (or vice versa), disease or death occur. Faulty imprinted genes are associated with many diseases, including neurological and metabolic disorders, and cancer.

We may underestimate how important the relationship between imprinting and disease is, as well as the relationship of imprinting to the inheritance of parentally-acquired disease, such as obesity, said Professor Perry. Hopefully, this improved picture of imprinting will increase our understanding of disease.

Reference: Genomic imprinting in mouse blastocysts is predominantly associated with H3K27me3 by Laura Santini, Florian Halbritter, Fabian Titz-Teixeira, Toru Suzuki, Maki Asami, Xiaoyan Ma, Julia Ramesmayer, Andreas Lackner, Nick Warr, Florian Pauler, Simon Hippenmeyer, Ernest Laue, Matthias Farlik, Christoph Bock, Andreas Beyer, Anthony C. F. Perry and Martin Leeb, 21 June 2021, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23510-4

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Mysteries of Epigenetics: There's More to Genes Than DNA - SciTechDaily

Have you put off getting a DNA test because it is too expensive or too limited?

If your DNA test is for medical purposes, it could be covered by your HSA/FSA, or maybe even your regular health insurance. True DNA Story is all about health. Other DNA tests focus on many genetic factors (ethnicity, physical characteristics, etc.) with some health-related factors. Your True DNA Story test covers many major conditions and could be freeas in no out-of-pocket expenses other than your HSA/FSA money. See your benefits administrator and/or tax advisor about IRS Pub 969. For a copy, see the True DNA Story website (TrueDNAStory.com/products)

With a simple cheek swab test, you can now discover your genetic predisposition for more than140 clinical conditions such as 28+ different cancers, heart and lung conditions, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Diabetes Type I and II, auto-immune disorders, psychological issues, allergiesand your HSA/FSA may cover the cost.

Some health insurance plans may cover the cost of DNA testing if you get a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) from a medical provider. Most DNA tests ordered by doctors are very focused, which is why having another option can really help you take control of your health. They can also be quite expensive when ordered through your doctor.

Some direct-to-consumer tests, such as True DNA Story, can cover multiple conditions and may give your doctor more information for better treatment options. For more information check out True DNA Story.

As DNA science has evolved, it has become a valuable tool for targeted treatment and precision medicine. Joel C. Eissenberg's published article in Missouri Medicine recommends DNA testing for individuals. He says, "Direct-to-consumer marketing of personal DNA sequence information uncouples the generation of personal health-related data from the physician-patient relationship."

Thorough DNA testing has proven to be a key means for preventive treatment and precision medicine. And since your core DNA never really changes, you only need this once over your lifetime.

An increasing number of recognized medical and scientific experts recommend DNA testing for everyone. Among them are Bekim Sadikovic PhD, MD, Program Head, London Health Sciences; and Alex Iarkov, PhD, Research Scientist, Universidad San Sebastian, Santiago, Chile.

Carol Isaacson, CEO of American Wellness and Rehabilitation Clinic in Murray, Utah said, "We like to look at the True DNA Story reports so we know what specific preventative measures to recommend. Standard preventative measures that work for one patient, may not be effective for the next patient because all of us have unique DNA."

These, and many other, scientific and medical experts recommend True DNA Story DNA testing and clinical quality reports.

At True DNA Story, the newest information available is posted regularly so you can access all the cutting-edge developments.

True DNA Story says they challenge anyone to compare the level and depth of their tests to any other. They claim to cover more conditions (140+), analyzing every gene and every genetic variant (difference) for each of these conditions, up to 30 million variants. Yes, 30,000,000. Their goal is to give you your complete story.

The special promotional price will continue until the end of June 2021. On the 1st of July the normal retail price returns.

DNA science is constantly evolving and new discoveries are made all the time. Because they analyze and store every variant, for them it is a simple report re-run instead of having to do full lab work and run through the entire process all over again to find something new.

True DNA Story promises to re-run all reports, at no cost, as improvements indicate new information may be available for you. This keeps you updated with the most current information available.

The unknown always causes fear. So does the information that you can't use. True DNA Story's goal is to help you beat fear with hope with complete, usable, and easy-to-understand DNA reports, at an incredible price. The promotional price of $299.95 for ALL of the reports offered is set to expire at the end of June 2021.

Use the coupon code KSL20 for an additional $20 off the already low promotional price until July 1st. After that the discount will be off the regular price.

Now is the best time to order and save at TrueDNAStory.com.

All of the documents referenced in this article are available on the TrueDNAStory website.

Link:
A comprehensive DNA test may be free for you, and the information in your test could save your life - KSL.com

The next date Wayne Williams will be considered for parole is November 2027.

ATLANTA The Atlanta Police Department said it now has the approved funding to begin retesting DNA evidence in the Atlanta Child Murders case. Monday marked 40 years since the longtime suspected killer, Wayne Williamswas arrested in two adults' unrelated deaths.

The Atlanta Child Murders case returned to national headlines in 2019, when police reopened the haunting case nearly 40 years after the tragic killing spree began.

Williams,considered the prime suspect in the Atlanta Child Murders case, has been behind bars since June 21, 1981. He was convicted in 1982 for the murder of two adult men unrelated to the child murders. But he was never charged in the killing spree that would become one of the most notorious cases in U.S. history, even though Williams is the only suspect investigators have ever made known publicly.

Forty years ago, investigators were limited by technology.

When the case reopened two years ago, the city made a promise to test all possible DNA evidence in the child murders.

APD released a statement Monday saying the following:

As part of the reopened Missing and Murdered Children investigation, Atlanta Police Homicide Investigators have compiled evidence to be submitted for DNA testing. The funding needed to move forward with the testing was approved today, June 21, 2021, and we are in the process of coordinating with the vendor to submit the evidence and make payment for the testing. At this time, the investigation remains open.

The Fulton County District Attorney's Office also previously announced it was launching a conviction integrity unit as a way to re-examine prior convictions including Williams case.

The D.A,s office said on Monday that Shelia Ross, a specially sworn Assistant District Attorney and veteran homicide prosecutor, has been brought in to lead the review and work with our law enforcement partners on those cases.

Investigators have believed Williams is the key suspect in the Atlanta child murders, even as Williams has insisted hes innocent. Over the years, other theories have been floated. But to this day, no one has stood trial in the childrens murders dating back to the late 70s and early 80s.

Williams was up for parole consideration back in 2019, and the board denied the parole request. The next date he will be considered for parole is November 2027.

View original post here:
On the 40th anniversary of Wayne Williams arrest, Atlanta police receive funding for DNA testing - 11Alive.com WXIA

Increasingly, civilizations information is stored digitally, and that storage is abundant and growing. We dont bother deleting those seven high-definition videos of the ceiling or 20 blurry photos of a table corner taken by our kid. Theres plenty of room on a smartphone or in the cloud, and we count on both increasing every year.

As we fluidly copy information from device to device, this situation seems durable. But thats not necessarily true.

The amount of data we create is increasing rapidly. And if we (apocalyptically) lost the ability to produce digital storage deviceshard drives or magnetic tape, for exampleour civilizations collective digital record would begin to sprout holes within years. In decades, itd become all but unreadable. Digital storage isnt like books or stone tablets. It has a shorter expiration date. And, although we take storage for granted, its still expensive and energy hungry.

Which is why researchers are looking for new ways to archive information. And DNA, lifes very own hard drive, may be one solution. DNA offers incredibly dense data storage, and under the right conditions, it can keep information intact for millennia.

In recent years, scientists have advanced DNA data storage. Theyve shown how we can encode individual books, photographs, and even GIFs in DNA and then retrieve them. But there hasnt been a scalable way to organize and retrieve large collections of DNA files. Until now, that is.

In a new Nature Materials paper, a team from MIT and Harvards Broad Institute describe a DNA-based storage system that allows them to search for and pull individual filesin this case images encoded in DNA. Its a bit like thumbing through your file cabinet, reading the paper tabs to identify a folder, and then pulling the deed to your car from it. Only, obviously, the details are bit more complicated.

We need new solutions for storing these massive amounts of data that the world is accumulating, especially the archival data, said Mark Bathe, an MIT professor of biological engineering and senior author of the paper. DNA is a thousandfold denser than even flash memory, and another property thats interesting is that once you make the DNA polymer, it doesnt consume any energy. You can write the DNA and then store it forever.

How does one encode an image in a strand of DNA, anyway? Its a fairly simple matter of translation.

Each pixel of a digital image is encoded in bits. These bits are represented by 1s and 0s. To convert it into DNA, scientists assign each of these bits to the DNAs four base molecules, or nucleotides, adenine, cytosine, guanine, and thymineusually referred to in shorthand by the letters A, C, G, and T. The DNA bases A and G, for example, could represent 1, and C and T could represent 0.

Next, researchers string together (or synthesize) a chain of DNA bases representing each and every bit of information in the original file. To retrieve the image, researchers reverse the process, reading the sequence of DNA bases (or sequencing it) and translating the data back into bits.

The standard retrieval process has a few drawbacks, however.

Researchers use a technique called a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to pull files. Each strand of DNA includes an identifying sequence that matches a short sequence of nucleotides called a PCR primer. When the primer is added to the DNA solution, it bonds with matching DNA strandsthe ones we want to readand only those sequences are amplified (that is, copied for sequencing). The problem? Primers can interact with off-target sequences. Worse, the process uses enzymes that chew up all the DNA.

Youre kind of burning the haystack to find the needle, because all the other DNA is not getting amplified and youre basically throwing it away, said Bathe.

To get around this, the Broad Institute team encapsulated the DNA strands in microscopic (6-micron) glass beads. They affixed short, single-stranded DNA labels to the surface of each bead. Like file names, the labels describe the beads contents. A tiger image might be labeled orange, cat, wild. A house cat might be labeled orange, cat, domestic. With just four labels per bead, you could uniquely label 1020 DNA files.

The team can retrieve specific files by adding complementary nucleotide sequences, or primers, corresponding to an individual files label. The primers contain fluorescent molecules, and when they link up with a complementary strandthat is, the searched-for labelthey form a double helix and glow. Machines separate out the glowing beads, which are opened and the DNA inside sequenced. The rest of the DNA files remain untouched, left in peace to guard their information.

The best part of the method is its scalability. You could, in theory, have a huge DNA library stored in a test tubeBathe notes a coffee mug of DNA could store all the worlds databut without an easy way to search and retrieve the exact file youre looking for, its worthless. With this method, everything can be retrieved.

George Church, a Harvard professor of genetics and well-known figure in the field of synthetic biology, called it a giant leap for the field.

The rapid progress in writing, copying, reading, and low-energy archival data storage in DNA form has left poorly explored opportunities for precise retrieval of data files from hugedatabases, he said. The new study spectacularly addresses this using a completely independent outer layer of DNA and leveraging different properties of DNA (hybridization rather than sequencing), and moreover, using existing instruments and chemistries.

To be clear, all DNA data storage, including the work outlined in this study, remains firmly in the research phase. Dont expect DNA hard drives for your laptop anytime soon.

Synthesizing DNA is still extremely expensive. Itd cost something like $1 trillion dollars to write a petabyte of data in DNA. To match magnetic tape, a common method of archival data storage, Bathe estimates synthesis costs would have to fall six orders of magnitude. Also, this isnt the speediest technique(to put it mildly).

The cost of DNA synthesis will fallthe technology is being advanced in other areas as welland with more work, the speed will improve. But the latter may be beside the point. That is, if were mainly concerned with backing up essential data for the long term with minimal energy requirements and no need to regularly access it, then speed is less important than fidelity, data density, and durability.

DNA already stores the living worlds information, now, it seems, it can do the same for all things digital too.

Image Credit: Courtesy of the researchers (via MIT News).

Originally posted here:
Each of These Microscopic Glass Beads Stores an Image Encoded on a Strand of DNA - Singularity Hub

A father and daughter separated by 53 years and 2,000 miles recently met for the first time thanks to an unexpected DNA match.Deb Scales told KFSN-TV that she initially was interested in researching her nationality."I wanted to know was I mostly Irish or Scottish or English? Or whatnot. The man I thought was my father passed last year, and I was no longer able to give any information from him," Scales told the TV station. "So when I got the results, I reached out and found out that actually that wasn't my dad and Tim Herrick is."Scales initially had an Ancestry DNA match with Herrick's sister.Herrick, who is 78 years old, has been married for 51 years and has three children and a stepson, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.And now his family has grown even bigger.Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

A father and daughter separated by 53 years and 2,000 miles recently met for the first time thanks to an unexpected DNA match.

Deb Scales told KFSN-TV that she initially was interested in researching her nationality.

"I wanted to know was I mostly Irish or Scottish or English? Or whatnot. The man I thought was my father passed last year, and I was no longer able to give any information from him," Scales told the TV station. "So when I got the results, I reached out and found out that actually that wasn't my dad and Tim Herrick is."

Scales initially had an Ancestry DNA match with Herrick's sister.

Herrick, who is 78 years old, has been married for 51 years and has three children and a stepson, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

And now his family has grown even bigger.

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.

Continue reading here:
Dad and daughter meet for first time in 53 years through DNA testing just in time for Father's Day - WGAL Lancaster

DUBLIN, May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Recombinant DNA Technology - Global Market Trajectory & Analytics" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Recombinant DNA Technology estimated at US$609.8 Million in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of US$841.3 Million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 4.7% over the period 2020-2027.

Medical, one of the segments analyzed in the report, is projected to record 5.2% CAGR and reach US$631.4 Million by the end of the analysis period. After an early analysis of the business implications of the pandemic and its induced economic crisis, growth in the Non-Medical segment is readjusted to a revised 3.4% CAGR for the next 7-year period.

The U.S. Market is Estimated at $179.7 Million, While China is Forecast to Grow at 4.4% CAGR

The Recombinant DNA Technology market in the U.S. is estimated at US$179.7 Million in the year 2020. China, the world`s second largest economy, is forecast to reach a projected market size of US$148.5 Million by the year 2027 trailing a CAGR of 4.4% over the analysis period 2020 to 2027. Among the other noteworthy geographic markets are Japan and Canada, each forecast to grow at 4.5% and 3.7% respectively over the 2020-2027 period. Within Europe, Germany is forecast to grow at approximately 3.9% CAGR.

Select Competitors (Total 32 Featured):

Key Topics Covered:

I. METHODOLOGY

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. MARKET OVERVIEW

2. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

3. MARKET TRENDS & DRIVERS

4. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

III. MARKET ANALYSIS

IV. COMPETITION

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

Media Contact:

Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [emailprotected]

For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

http://www.researchandmarkets.com

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Insights on the Recombinant DNA Technology Global Market to 2027 - Featuring Amgen, Bamboo Therapeutics and Biocon Among Others - PRNewswire

Spanish graduate student Andrea del Saz Lara has received afour-year grant from the International Olive Council (IOC) for her Ph.D. studies and research for her thesis: Epigenomic consequences of hydroxytyrosol consumption in cardiometabolic diseases.

One of the conditions for being awarded the grant was that you had to research olive oil, del Saz told Olive Oil Times. Honestly, Iwas not aware of all the properties and benefits worthy of the study of this food. We all know that olive oil is good for our health, but we usually dont know why.

Del Sazs research focuses on epigenomics. Epigenomes are chemical compounds and proteins which modify DNA functions. Epigenomic compounds do not alter the underlying DNA sequence but change the way cells respond to the DNAs instructions.

With the scholarship, del Saz will continue her research on epigenomes at the Madrid-based IMDEA Food Institute.

The work they do seems very interesting to me, she said. The field of epigenetics, and more specifically that of microRNAs, is still little researched and offers many possible biomedical applications.

In addition, the area of nutrigenomics and personalized nutrition is currently booming and Ithink that the possibility of preventing certain diseases thanks to some bioactive foods such as olive oil is wonderful and very worthy of further study, she added.

Researchers are currently seeking new ways to promote beneficial epigenomes and suppress harmful ones. Many are looking at one of the worlds oldest health foods: olive oil. Decades of research have demonstrated that the physically obtained fruit juice has arange of health benefits.

At the molecular level, it is amazing how many changes olive oil is capable of inducing, del Saz said. It contains compounds called polyphenols, which are attributed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

One of olive oils most beneficial polyphenols is hydroxytyrosol, which gives olive oil its distinctive flavor and aroma and has demonstrated protective qualities against cardiovascular diseases, cancer and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Cardiometabolic diseases include hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and adiposity (belly fat). In the United States, about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year one in every four U.S. deaths. People with cardiometabolic diseases are twice as likely to die from coronary heart disease and three times more likely to have aheart attack or stroke.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small pieces of RNA that target genes and interfere with biological processes, play arole in obesity, inflammation, and belly fat development. MiRNAs are involved in fat production and are associated with cell-signaling proteins linked to diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Hydroxytyrosol reduces the production of several harmful miRNAs and lowers concentrations of inflammatory enzymes. Hydroxytyrosol also increases the production of eNOS, an enzyme that regulates blood vessel constriction and clotting and is essential for cardiovascular health.

Del Sazs research will evaluate the biological effects of hydroxytyrosol consumption in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through clinical trials which measure liver function, oxidative stress biomarkers and inflammatory enzymes. She will also assess the impact hydroxytyrosol has on miRNAs and other epigenomic functions.

The most important thing Ihave learned is that we are what we eat and that we must take care of our diet if we want to maintain our health, she said. Until now, Ihad not been aware of how the nutrients we ingest modify the way our genes are regulated and how this can induce the appearance of some diseases.

Del Saz is agraduate of the University of Castille-La Mancha and received aMasters degree in experimental biomedicine in 2020. With the help of the IOC grant, she will continue conducting her research at the IMDEA Food Institute.

I wanted to continue with my predoctoral studies, but without funding, it was very complicated, del Saz said. I will always remember the day they confirmed that Ihad been awarded the scholarship as one of the happiest days of my life. For me, research is adream.

More here:
Grant Recipient to Study Impacts of Polyphenols on DNA Function - Olive Oil Times

TipRanks

Investing is all about profits, and part of generating profits is knowing when to start the game. The old adage says to buy low and sell high, and while its tempting just to discount cliches like that, theyve passed into common currency because they embody a fundamental truth. Buying low is always a good start in building a portfolio. The trick, however, is recognizing the right stocks to buy low. Prices fall for a reason, and sometimes that reason is fundamental unsoundness. Fortunately, Wall Streets analysts are busy separating the wheat from the chaff among the markets low-priced stocks, and some top stock experts have tagged several equities for big gains. Weve used the TipRanks database to pull up the data and reviews on three stocks that are priced low now, but may be primed for gains. Theyve been getting positive reviews, and despite their share depreciation, they hold Buy ratings and show upwards of 80% upside potential. Vapotherm, Inc. (VAPO) First up, Vapotherm, is a medical device manufacturer, specializing in heated, humidified, high-flow nasal cannulas. These are therapeutic breath aids, designed to deliver oxygenated air directly to the patients nose. Heating and humidifying the air reduces the discomfort of delivering dry oxygen. As can be expected, during a pandemic of a respiratory illness, Vapotherm saw high sales in recent months but the share price has pulled back since early February. Paradoxically, the two events are related. First, on the positive side, Vapotherms 1Q21 financial results were solid. The companys revenue, at $32.3 million, was up 69% year-over-year, and worldwide, installations of the Precision Flow base unit was up 73% over the same period. The companys net loss in the quarter, $5.2 million, was an improvement from the $10.2 million loss in the year-ago quarter. On the negative side, VAPO shares are down from their early-February peak. The drop is substantial; the stock has fallen 50% from its peak, and is down 34% year-to-date. The fall in share value reflects concerns that the companys flagship product is oversold, that customers, fearful of COVID-related respiratory emergencies, bought more units that would be needed in ordinary times. This is the case made by Piper Sandler analyst Jason Bednar. Shares have meaningfully underperformed since early February as many investors have questioned utilization dynamics for the bolus of Precision Flow systems that were sold into hospitals last year We understand the logic here, particularly for those investors with a shorter time horizon, but with much of that concern seemingly already reflected in the stock at current levels we do believe the upside opportunity meaningfully outweighs the risk of further downside, Bednar noted. The analyst added, "Its also our view that investors who wait for utilization trends to bottom out will ultimately miss an initial move higher that could come as HVT 2.0 begins to contribute with a rollout later this year and as market expanding opportunities for HVT 2.0 in 2022 begin to take on a more defined shape (particularly EMS and home-based care)." To this end, Bednar rates VAPO an Overweight (i.e. Buy), and his $32 price target implies a robust upside of 81% in the year ahead. (To watch Bednars track record, click here) Overall, the unanimous Strong Buy consensus rating on this stock, supported by 4 recent analyst reviews, makes it clear that Bednar is not alone in his bullish view. The average price target here, $39, is even more optimistic, suggesting an upside of ~122% from the current trading price of $17.65. (See VAPO stock analysis on TipRanks) Emergent Biosolutions (EBS) The next stock were looking at, Emergent, is a biopharmaceutical company. The company has multiple products on the market, including a NARCAN nasal spray for use on opioid overdose patients, and vaccines against smallpox, anthrax, and other diseases. Emergents development pipeline includes a pediatric cholera vaccine, Vaxchora, currently in a Phase III trial. Several programs, including an anthrax vaccine candidate, a Chikungunya vaccine, and a seasonal flu shot, have all completed Phase II and are in preparation for Phase III. One of Emergents most important programs is in its Contract Development and Manufacturing service, a service extended to other pharmaceutical companies to manufacture vaccines which they have developed. Under a CDMO plan, Emergent is part of Johnson & Johnsons manufacturing chain for a COVID-19 vaccine. That last is a key point. The J&J vaccine has been linked at least in some reports to serious adverse events, particularly blood clots in otherwise healthy recipients. That has caused a hold in manufacturing of the vaccine, and consequently a delay in receiving payments from J&J. Which, in turn, impacted the companys 1Q21 financials, resulting in lower revenues and earnings than expected. Investors are concerned, and the stock has fallen 33% year-to-date. Despite the setback, Benchmark analyst Robert Wasserman keeps a Buy rating on EBS shares, along with a $120 price target. If correct, the analysts objective could deliver one-year returns of 101%. (To watch Wassermans track record, click here) "EBS remains solidly profitable, and even with the lowered expectations for J&N and AZ vaccine contracts, is expected to show solid revenue growth for this year. These shares remain a bargain in our CDMO/bioprocessing group and could offer significant upside for value-oriented investors if circumstances turn around or new business can be garnered in the near-term," Wasserman opined. Overall, the Street currently has a cautiously optimistic outlook for the stock. The analyst consensus rates EBS a Moderate Buy based on 3 Buys and 2 Holds. Shares are priced at $59.59, and the average price target of $89.67 suggests an upside potential of ~50% for the next 12 months. (See EBS stock analysis at TipRanks) Haemonetics Corporation (HAE) For the last stock on our list, well stick with the medical industry. Haemonetics produces a range of products for blood and plasma collection and separation, as well as software to run the machines and service agreements for maintenance. In short, Haemonetics is a one-stop shop for blood donation centers and hospital blood banks. Blood products is a $10.5 billion market in the US alone, with plasma accounting for 80% of that, and Haemonetics has made itself an integral part of that business. Haemonetics had been recovering steadily from a revenue dip at the height of the corona crisis, and its 3Q fiscal 2021 earnings showed a solid results: top line revenue of $240 million and EPS of 62 cents. While the revenue was down 7.3% yoy, EPS was up 6.8%. Even with that, however, the stock dropped sharply between April 15 and April 20, losing 42% of its value in that short time. The reason was simple. One of Haemonetics largest customers, CSL Pharma, announced that it does not plan to renew its contract with HAE. That contract, for supply, use, and maintenance of Haemonetics PCS2 plasma collection system, was worth $117 million and made up approximately 12% of the companys top line. The cancellation comes with a one-time charge of $32 million in other related losses. Fortunately for HAE, the CSL contract does not expire until June of 2022, giving the company time to plan and prepare. Covering the stock for JMP Securities, analyst David Turkaly noted: The advance notice gives HAE some time (~15 months) to prepare for the expiration, and we note that management has consistently strengthened its financial position using levers such as complexity reduction and product optimization to derive significant cost savings, and more of these will likely be employed ahead to help offset the customer loss. The analyst continued, "While this disappointing decision could impact HAE's plasma positioning with other fractionators, we continue to believe that giving customers the ability to collect more plasma in less time is a very compelling value proposition - and HAE still has contracts and maintains significant market share with many of the most relevant plasma players." Accordingly, Turkaly rates HAE an Outperform (i.e. Buy), and sets a $110 price target. This figure implies an upside of 86% from current levels. (To watch Turkalys track record, click here) All in all, HAE has a Moderate Buy consensus rating, based on 7 reviews that break down 5 to 2 in favor the Buys over the Holds. The stock is trading for $59.02 and carries an average price target of $108.67, which suggests ~84% one-year upside. (See HAE stock analysis at TipRanks) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.

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