Category Archives: Genome

LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers have used DNA sequencing for the first time to identify, analyze and put a halt to an infectious disease outbreak in a hospital.

The success of the technique, which used fast genome sequencing technology to control an outbreak of the MRSA superbug on a baby ward, suggests it could be used to control hospital bugs, salmonella and E.coli infections and diseases like tuberculosis, scientists said.

"What we have glimpsed through this pioneering study is a future in which new sequencing methods will help us to identify, manage and stop hospital outbreaks," said Nick Brown, an infection control doctor at Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge, who co-led the study and presented the findings at a briefing.

MRSA, or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, is a drug-resistant bacterial infection, or superbug, and a serious public health problem. When outbreaks occur in hospitals it can lead to the closure of whole wards with many people infected.

The bug kills an estimated 19,000 people in the United States per year. Although rates of MRSA infection have come down significantly in Britain in recent years, it still presents a major threat with several hundred deaths a year and high hospital costs involved in managing infected patients.

Julian Parkhill from Britain's Sanger Institute, who also worked on the study, said there is a "real health and cost burden from hospital outbreaks" which could be significantly reduced or eliminated if they were contained swiftly.

In the study, staff at Addenbrooke's hospital using routine screening over a six month period found 12 patients carrying MRSA. Because they were only using standard tests, which provide limited information, the infection control team was not able to tell if the 12 were part of an outbreak, or were unconnected cases that did not present a threat.

MRSA is a bug present in around one percent of the population at any time, and does not always cause infection.

Parkhill and Brown's team analyzed MRSA samples from the 12 patients with DNA sequencing technology and found that all the MRSA bacteria were closely related, confirming an outbreak.

By tracing relatives and other people who had recent links to the hospital, they also found the outbreak was more extensive than previously thought, with twice as many people carrying or infected with the MRSA strain.

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Scientists use genome sequencing to halt superbug outbreak

November 14, 2012

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

A massive team of international researchers has announced the successful sequencing of the first female domestic pigs genome.

There have already been may similarities established between pigs and humans and the new genomic analysis reveals some new twists and a few distinctions to that relationship, according to reports on the work published in the journals Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

It is exciting that the genomic sequence of the domestic pig now is in the public domain and available to enable more powerful approaches to domestic swine and pork improvement, said Ronnie Green, from University of Nebraska and an early supporter of the pig genome sequencing project at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). It will also aid efforts to use the pig as a model for biomedical research and the improvement of human health.

Besides having utilitarian implications, the project also told the story of the pig by comparing it to the known genetic code of wild boars that originated in Southeast Asia about 4 million years ago. The genetic analysis showed that domestication of these animals started nearly 10,000 years ago, across various parts of Europe and Asia.

Wild boars bred with pigs throughout their domestication, but the two groups of pigs have maintained many distinct features. Domesticated pigs have a considerably longer back, and therefore more vertebrae. Researchers from Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) that were involved in the project identified three gene regions that form the genetic basis for this difference. They also found that two of the regions correspond to genes that influence variation in body length in humans.

The researchers also compared the genome to the genetic codes of other mammals and found that the immune response genes are rapidly evolving. They also found several places where pig genes resembled human genes that are associated with disease, such as diabetes or Alzheimers. These discoveries extend the potential of pigs to shed light on both viral and genetic diseases.

One pig genome that was sequenced, the Wuzhishan pig, could provide additional advantages for medical science. Due to its small size and long history of inbreeding, these pigs are easy to handle and have a population composed of mostly genetically identical individuals.

Because the Wuzhishan pig shares several diseases with humans, its genome will provide a wealth of genetic information that will allow a detailed analysis on how the animal reacts to human drug target genes.

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Pig Genome Sequenced: Offers Significant Implications Abroad

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have mapped the genome of the domestic pig in a project that could enhance the animal's use in the testing of drugs for human disease.

A study, published in science journal Nature, identified genes that could be linked with illnesses suffered by farmed pigs, providing a reference tool for selective breeding to increase their resistance to disease.

"This new analysis helps us understand the genetic mechanisms that enable high-quality pork production, feed efficiency and resistance to disease," said Sonny Ramaswany, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

"This knowledge can ultimately help producers breed high-quality swine, lower production costs and improve sustainability."

Alan Archibald at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in Scotland, who worked on the project with collaborators in the Netherlands and the United States, said the new genome sequence was the first good draft.

Archibald said while making sense of the analysis would take time, the benefits of genome sequencing flow through more quickly in agriculture than, for instance, human medicine, "because we can use selective breeding".

Identifying genes responsible for diseases that are also seen in people could see pigs used more extensively for drug testing.

For instance, the inherited illness known as porcine stress syndrome, which can cause sudden death in pigs, has similarities to the human condition malignant hyperthermia which causes a fast and dangerous rise in body temperature in some people under general anaesthetic.

Some of the genetic faults that pigs share with humans can be linked with conditions as varied as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, dyslexia, obesity and Parkinson's disease, the researchers said.

"In total, we found 112 positions where the porcine protein has the same amino acid that is implicated in a disease in humans," they said. (Editing by Dan Lalor)

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Scientists map domestic pig's genome

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists have mapped the genome of the domestic pig in a project that could enhance the animal's use for meat production and the testing of drugs for human disease.

A study published in science journal Nature identified genes that could be linked with illnesses suffered by farmed pigs, providing a reference tool for selective breeding to increase their resistance to disease.

"This new analysis helps us understand the genetic mechanisms that enable high-quality pork production, feed efficiency and resistance to disease," said Sonny Ramaswany, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

"This knowledge can ultimately help producers breed high-quality swine, lower production costs and improve sustainability."

Alan Archibald at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute in Scotland, who worked on the project with collaborators in the Netherlands and the United States, said the new genome sequence was the first good draft.

Archibald said while making sense of the analysis would take time, the benefits of genome sequencing flow through more quickly in agriculture than, for instance, human medicine, "because we can use selective breeding".

Identifying genes responsible for diseases that are also seen in people could see pigs used more extensively for drug testing.

For instance, the inherited illness known as porcine stress syndrome, which can cause sudden death in pigs, has similarities to the human condition malignant hyperthermia which causes a fast and dangerous rise in body temperature in some people under general anesthetic.

Some of the genetic faults that pigs share with humans can be linked with conditions as varied as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, dyslexia, obesity and Parkinson's disease, the researchers said.

"In total, we found 112 positions where the porcine protein has the same amino acid that is implicated in a disease in humans," they said.

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Scientists go the whole hog in genome mapping

The Dance of DNA
On 5 September, 2012, the Science Museum in London hosted an event to mark the publication in Nature of a major landmark in human genomics. ENCODE, the Encyclopaedia Of DNA Elements, aims to characterize all of the functional elements in our genome. In this film, dancers recreate the intricate activity of DNA. To read the research papers and more, visit http://www.nature.com/ENCODEFrom:NatureVideoChannelViews:3 2ratingsTime:02:41More inScience Technology

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The Dance of DNA - Video

Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome full movie online free part 1
tinyurl.com - Watch full Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome part 1, watch Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome part 1 full online, watch Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome for free, watch Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome full free, watch Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome full movie part 1, watch Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome part 1 full movie onlineFrom:William WhiteViews:0 0ratingsTime:09:49More inEntertainment

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Horizon Miracle Cure A Decade of the Human Genome full movie online free part 1 - Video

Documentary On Dogs Part 2
Documentary On Dogs Part 2, welcome to Documentary On Dogs Part 2. We have an extraordinary relationship with dogs -- closer than with any other animal on the planet. But what makes the bond between us so special? Research into dogs is gaining momentum, and scientists are investigating them like never before. From the latest fossil evidence, to the sequencing of the canine genome, to cognitive experiments, dogs are fast turning into the new chimps as a window into understanding ourselves. Where does this relationship come from? In Siberia, a unique breeding experiment reveals the astonishing secret of how dogs evolved from wolves. Swedish scientists demonstrate how the human/dog bond is controlled by a powerful hormone also responsible for bonding mothers to their babies. Why are dogs so good at reading our emotions?From:MrReversePhonenumberViews:0 0ratingsTime:08:31More inPets Animals

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Documentary On Dogs Part 2 - Video

Joy Genome Week 3
From:EchoNormanViews:0 0ratingsTime:36:32More inPeople Blogs

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Joy Genome Week 3 - Video

Shing02 - Genome of Life
Couldn #39;t find it on youtube or the .mp3 itself on google, so I decided to upload it myself!From:iHateEmoPeopleszViews:3 0ratingsTime:03:45More inEntertainment

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Shing02 - Genome of Life - Video

Personal Genome Project at 2012 Open Science Summit
Madeleine Ball discusses the Personal Genome Project at the 2012 Open Science Summit.From:Madeleine BallViews:8 2ratingsTime:15:56More inScience Technology

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Personal Genome Project at 2012 Open Science Summit - Video