Category Archives: DNA

DNA party

By: Gavin Sherlock

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DNA party - Video

Police have connected the DNA of a homeless man with the Staten Island mom who was brutally slain in Istanbul after she went missing last month, according to a Turkish media report.

Investigators made the match after plucking a hair sample of a man named Ziya T. and comparing it with the blood recovered from Sarai Sierras T-shirt and fingernails after she was killed, Turkeys Dogan News Agency reported.

Turkish authorities had considered Ziya to be a leading suspect in the case.

Police discovered the hair strand on a pillow at Ziyas brother-in-laws house, the same place the vagrant stayed for the three days after Sierra went missing, the report said.

The 33-year-old mother of two was found dead from a blow to the head behind Istanbuls ancient walls on Feb. 2.

The Turkish paper Hrriyet Daily News also cites two people who say they witnessed the suspect in the neighborhood where Sierras body was found.

One man told police that Ziya was covered with scars and scrapes that may have come from a scuffle.

Sierra went missing on Jan. 21. She was buried on Staten Island last week.

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DNA links Turk vagrant to slain SI ma

Turkish authorities have reportedly matched DNA found on a murdered American woman with a homeless man suspected of killing her while she was visiting Istanbul on a solo vacation.

Blood and skin found on 33-year-old Sarai Sierra, of Staten Island, N.Y., has been linked to a homeless man who is believed to be making his way toward the Syrian border, according to the Dogan News Agency in Turkey.

Authorities in Turkey are now hunting for the man, identified only as "Ziya T." Blood found on Sierra's T-shirt as well as skin taken from under her fingernails matches DNA from a pillow found at the home of the man's family, according to the news agency.

Sierra, a freelance photographer, traveled to Istanbul alone on Jan. 7 and failed to return on a flight Jan. 21. Her body was found Feb. 2 near remnants of Istanbul's ancient walls. Authorities said she died from a single blow to the head, though she had multiple injuries to her face and head. While there was no visible sign of a sexual assault, Sierra was found in only a shirt and underwear, according to reports. Her tablet computer and cellphone were missing.

The 46-year-old homeless suspect was known to frequent the area near where Sierra was found. According to the Turkish newspaper Vatan, the man was seen covered with soil and mud on Jan. 21, the day Sierra disappeared. When asked by a witness about what had happened, he replied, "I fell off the wall," the newspaper reported.

Authorities have said it's possible the man tried to first rob Sierra and then rape her, killing her when she resisted.

FoxNews.com's Cristina Corbin contributed to this report.

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DNA links Turkish homeless man to murdered NY mom

HOUSTON, Feb. 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --FamilyTreeDNA.com, the genetic genealogy arm of Gene By Gene, Ltd., is dramatically lowering the price of one of its basic Y-DNA tests to $39, making it the lowest-cost DNA test available on the market, in order to take a major step toward universal access by individuals to their personal genetic data.

By dropping the price of its basic Y-DNA test by 60 percent to $39, Family Tree DNA -- the world's largest processor of Y-DNA and full mitochondrial sequences -- is working to eliminate cost as a barrier to individuals introducing themselves to the insights and knowledge to be gained from personal genetic and genomic research.

Family Tree DNA pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago, and has processed more than 5 million discrete tests for more than 700,000 individuals and organizations since it introduced its Y-DNA test in 2000.

The test investigates specific Y-DNA locations for males that provide individuals with their haplogroup, or the deep ancestral origin of the paternal line. In addition, it can indicate if different individuals are likely to share a common male line.

Gene By Gene is also working to lower the cost of Family Tree DNA's comparable mtDNA test, which would be applicable to both females and males and provides data on the direct maternal line. The company expects to unveil new pricing for this test in spring 2013.

As the sponsor DNA Workshop of "Who Do You Think You Are - Live" in London this February, Family Tree DNA expects that the reduced price test will add a great number of individuals to its already large database the largest of its kind in the world.

"We believe the first step to unearthing your personal and family history is to better understand your DNA," Gene By Gene President Bennett Greenspan said. "That's why we are continuously investing in new technology and experienced scientists at our Genomics Research Center, enabling us to conduct tests more accurately, efficiently and at lower prices. Our $39 Y-DNA test is just the latest example of how we are working to help individuals gain access to their genetic data."

Customer InquiriesIndividuals interested in Family Tree DNA's $39 Y-DNA test, or any of its ancestral testing products, can visit http://www.familytreedna.com for more information.

About Gene By Gene, Ltd. Founded in 2000, Gene By Gene, Ltd. provides reliable DNA testing to a wide range of consumer and institutional customers through its four divisions focusing on ancestry, health, research and paternity. Gene By Gene provides DNA tests through its Family Tree DNA division, which pioneered the concept of direct-to-consumer testing in the field of genetic genealogy more than a decade ago. Gene by Gene is CLIA registered and through its clinical-health division DNA Traits offers regulated diagnostic tests. DNA DTC is the Research Use Only (RUO) division serving both direct-to-consumer and institutional clients worldwide. Gene By Gene offers AABB certified relationship tests through its paternity testing division, DNA Findings. The privately held company is headquartered in Houston, which is also home to its state-of-the-art Genomics Research Center.

Media Contact:Kate Croft for Gene By Gene, Ltd. Casteel Schoenborn 888-609-8351 croft@csirfirm.com

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Family Tree DNA Unveils $39 DNA Test in Major Step Toward Universal Access by Individuals to their Own Genetic Data

Feb. 20, 2013 DNA, just like hair, has a tendency to become knotted, thus it may be useful to disentangle it. Unfortunately, it is not possible to "actively" choose at random (or better, in one solution) the filaments with the desired features, and this is why scientists adopt "passive" solutions like, for instance, having the DNA pass through nano-pores or nano-channels.

"Channels and filaments have physical features we may exploit to selectively let a type of molecule pass through" explains Micheletti. "You can have more or less entangled filaments and featuring knots of different types. In our study we have considered a specific DNA filament model and examined its behavior within a nano-channel. We have observed that by varying the channel's width it is possible to drastically change the quantity and complexity of the knots formed by the DNA."

The nano-channels may therefore be a tool with a double function: on one side they are used to understand the "knotting pattern" of a DNA fragment, on the other they may be used to select entangled filaments in the desired manner. The sectors employing DNA, mainly in sequencing, require an increasing number of new techniques to select the DNA filaments according to their characteristics, such as length, shape as well as entanglement.

"Experimental physicists will be, in the first instance, interested is such technique to obtain knot-free DNA," explains Micheletti referring to the usefulness of the methodology (that for now has been studied through simulation). "We should not forget that such method may also help us better understand, for instance, the functioning of topoisomerases, enzymes that have a very important role in cell metabolism." Such enzymes play a key role in an organism: they maintain the DNA stretched out when the cell is not undergoing the cell division process.

"We are used to envisage chromosomes in their typical rod shaped appearance, the one preceding mitosis, that is to say cell reproduction," adds Micheletti. "However, usually the DNA is a sort of indistinct bundle that fills up the cell's nucleus. The topoisomerases maintain the disentangled filaments with the lowest possible rate of knotting, and do so by snipping and reattaching the little pieces of genetic material." Only on the "disentangled" filament all those transcription processes which are fundamental to the survival of an organism can actually function. "The functioning of such enzymes may be better grasped if, before having them perform, we already know to what extent the molecule was entangled in the first place, and our methodology may be useful to this purpose." concludes Micheletti.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Sissa Medialab, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Nano-channel disentangles knotted DNA

An assault took place in Maryland in 2009. Alonzo Jay King was identified by photographs and fingerprints at the scene, and as a result he was arrested and charged with the crime.

While he was being booked for his arrest for assault, under a Maryland statute that allowed the police to take DNA from all people arrested for violent crimes, Kings cheek was swabbed to take a DNA sample even though the police had enough evidence to charge him with the assault.

When the DNA sample was entered in Marylands DNA database, it matched the DNA taken from an unsolved rape that happened back in 2003.

King was convicted of second-degree assault for the case for which he was originally arrested; he was also convicted of the 2003 rape based on the DNA evidence and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

King appealed the rape conviction because he says that taking the DNA sample was a search and seizure for which the state should have obtained a warrant. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Because the state didnt get the warrant, King argues, it violated his Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The Maryland law that requires the taking of a DNA sample at arrest is, according to King, unconstitutional, and so his rape conviction should be thrown out.

The Maryland Court of Appeals, which heard the case, balanced Kings expectation of privacy from warrantless, suspicionless searches against the states right to collect evidence of violent crimes.

But since, according to the court, the authorities investigating the case for which King was arrestedthe assaulthad enough photographic and fingerprint evidence of the crime, they sided with King, stating: Although we have recognized (and no one can reasonably deny) that solving cold cases is a legitimate government interest, a warrantless, suspicionless search can not be upheld by a generalized interest in solving crimes. As a result, the court threw out Kings conviction.

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Do police need a warrant to get your DNA?

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today launched the Genomic DNA ScreenTape, a prepackaged consumables device that works with the companys 2200 TapeStation instrument to determine the quantity, size and quality of genomic DNA in less than two minutes per sample, using only one microliter of material.

The automated 2200 TapeStation and new Agilent Genomic DNA ScreenTape address an important bottleneck and revolutionize the currently subjective quality assessment of genomic DNA, said Dr. Donna McDade Walker, product manager for microfluidics at Agilent. Within minutes of testing their genomic DNA samples, researchers can be confident that their starting materials are of the highest quality. This introduction demonstrates our commitment to expanding the range of automated sample QC tools for next-generation sequencing and workflows for array comparative genome hybridization.

The quality of genomic data depends on the quality of the starting material. Therefore, it is imperative to determine whether samples contain a sufficient quantity of intact, high-quality genomic DNA before committing time, money and resources to a genomics experiment. The standard, manual method for assessing the quality of genomic DNA samples is laborious, can take several hours to complete and is prone to mistakes.

For more information about the new Agilent Genomic DNA ScreenTape, visit http://www.agilent.com/genomics/QCgDNA.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) is the worlds premier measurement company and a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics and communications. The companys 20,500 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries. Agilent had revenues of $6.9 billion in fiscal 2012. Information about Agilent is available at http://www.agilent.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive news is available at http://www.agilent.com/go/news.

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TRADE NEWS: Agilent Technologies Launches Genomic DNA ScreenTape

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) Live Asian carp don't necessarily have to be present for their DNA to turn up in the environment, according to a government study released Wednesday that could intensify the debate over how to prevent the aggressive, hungry invaders from reaching the Great Lakes and other vulnerable waters.

DNA is found in excrement, slime and scales from live fish. But the report by three federal agencies identifies six other possible means through which genetic fingerprints from bighead and silver carp could find their way into locations such as the Chicago waterway system and western Lake Erie, where it has been detected in dozens of samples taken in recent years.

Those potential pathways include storm sewers, fisheries sampling gear, fish-eating birds, dead fish carcasses, barges and sediments, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said in a statement accompanying the report. It said carp DNA attached to any of those sources could remain for days before disintegrating.

Scientists with the corps, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey are conducting a three-year study designed to answer questions raised by the repeated discovery of Asian carp DNA in rivers and canals in the Chicago area including locations beyond an electric barrier intended to block the carp's northward march toward Lake Michigan. Their DNA also has been found in the Mississippi River beyond Minneapolis.

"The purpose ... is to improve the understanding and interpretation of Asian carp environmental DNA results, so we can refine and make this relatively young monitoring tool the most effective to detect live Asian carp presence," said Kelly Baerwaldt, an Army corps fisheries biologist and Asian carp program manager. Additional reports are planned as the study continues.

Bighead and silver carp escaped into the Mississippi River from sewage treatment ponds and fish farms in the Deep South decades ago and have migrated northward, invading numerous tributary rivers. The filter feeders gobble massive volumes of plankton microscopic plants and animals crucial to aquatic food webs.

Scientists say if allowed to infest the Great Lakes, the carp eventually could crowd out native species, endangering the region's $7 billion fishing industry. Silver carp, which spring from the water when startled and have collided jarringly with boaters, pose a threat to tourism.

Some state and local officials in the Great Lakes region want structures placed in the Chicago waterways to seal off Lake Michigan from the Mississippi watershed. Business and government leaders in Chicago say that would devastate shipping in the area, and some have questioned whether the DNA findings are sufficient evidence that the carp have evaded the electric barrier.

Just one live carp has been found beyond the barrier network, which is in a canal 37 miles southwest of the city.

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Study: Asian carp DNA may not signal live fish

Image Studio Software - DNA Gel Analysis Ribbon
This video tutorial demonstrates the DNA Gel Analysis Ribbon, which provides tools to analyze a DNA gel. These tools include quantification and molecular weight determination. Other Image Studio Analysis Ribbon Tutorials: ** Western Analysis Key - bit.ly ** MPX Western Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** Plate Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** Plate Array Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** Grid Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** Grid Array Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** In-Cell Western Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly ** Small Animal Imaging Analysis Ribbon - bit.ly For more information on Image Studio Software plus support documents, go to bit.ly Want to try Image Studio Software to see just how easy it is to use? Download Image Studio Lite FREE today (bit.ly With Image Studio Lite software, you can: ** Import images from numerous sources ** Adjust brightness/contrast ** Define bands using shapes tools ** Obtain relative fluorescent units for shapes ** Export images and data ** Create lab notebooks Please note: Image Studio Lite is used for basic Western blot analysis, but does not operate your LI-COR instrument.

By: licorbio

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Image Studio Software - DNA Gel Analysis Ribbon - Video

Little mix dna tour , we are who we are
18/2/13 Perrie waved at us wooooo!!!

By: jessica gore

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Little mix dna tour , we are who we are - Video