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Category Archives: Transhuman News

NASA develops inflatable greenhouse to grow crops on the moon and Mars – Pulse Headlines

Posted: April 27, 2017 at 1:38 am

NASA scientists designed an inflatable cylinder greenhouse that could help astronautsgrow food when arriving at other planets. Astronauts have successfully grown vegetables and plants aboard the International Space Station, but with the newest project, NASA expects to develop long-term methods to help sustain astronauts working in deep space.

The project is being developed by NASA scientists at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and researchers from the University of Arizona.

The Prototype Lunar/Mars Greenhouse aims to sustain vegetarian diets for astronauts on locations such as the moon or Mars.

The Prototype Lunar/Mars Greenhouse project will support current research in space to cultivate and grow vegetables for food, as well as growing plants to sustain life support systems.

Were working with a team of scientists, engineers and small businesses at the University of Arizona to develop a closed-loop system, said Dr. Ray Wheeler, lead scientists at Kennedy Advanced Life Support Research, according to NASA. The approach uses plants to scrub carbon dioxide, while providing food and oxygen.

The prototype consists of an inflatable, deployable greenhouse designed to support plant and crop production. Such production will support astronauts nutrition and will help with the air revitalization, waste recycling, and water recycling. The process is known as a bioregenerative life support system.

Wheeler explained that astronauts exhale carbon dioxide, which is introduced into the inflatable greenhouse, thus allowing the plants to generate oxygen through photosynthesis. The water cycle will start with water that is brought along to the landing site or found at the lunar or Martian terrain. The water is then oxygenated, packed with nutrient salts, and then it will continuously flow across the roots of the plants and returned to the storage system.

Tests conducted by the University of Arizona in Tucson have been assessing which plants or seeds should be taken along to make the Prototype Lunar Greenhouse work on either the moon or Mars. These tests are crucial, as it is important to learn which resources will be needed to take along on the mission and which resources can be found on location. Such practice is called in-situ resource utilization, and NASA conducts to better prepare for long distance missions.

NASA engineers and scientists are currently developing systems to harness resources like water, which should be available in some regions of the Martian or lunar surface, to support long-lasting missions.

Were mimicking what the plants would have if they were on Earth and make use of these processes for life support, explained Dr. Gene Giacomelli, director of the Controlled Environment Agriculture Center at the University of Arizona. The entire system of the lunar greenhouse does represent, in a small way, the biological systems that are here on Earth.

Giacomelli, whos also a professor in the University of Arizonas Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department, noted that the next step of the project is to use additional lunar greenhouse units designed for testing to make sure the system being developed will be able to support a crew of astronauts working on lunar or Martian surfaces. Giacomelli added that they will also develop computer models to simulate the work theyre doing, to automatically control the environment and provide a stable level of oxygen.

According to a statement from the University of Arizona, the Prototype Lunar Greenhouse (LGH) is hoped to help fulfill the late Ralph Stecklers dream of space colonization. They note that the LGH aims to deliver more than sustained human presence in space, as the LGH also aspires to bring efficient commercial-ready technology to Earth.

Dr. Roberto Furfaro is the lead investigator from the University of Arizona for the current phase of the project. Furfaro is a professor in the Systems and Industrial Engineering Department within the College of Engineering. The prototypes of the lunar greenhouse currently being developed are cylindrical, measuring 18 feet long and more than 8 feet in diameter. The prototypes were built by Sadler Machine Company, one of the project partners.

To guard the greenhouse against space radiation, the units would likely be buried under surface soil or regolith, which is why theyd require specialized lighting.

Weve been successful in using electric LED (light emitting diode) lighting to grow plants, noted Wheeler. We also have tested hybrids using both natural and artificial lighting.

Scientists believe solar light could be captured with light concentrators that are designed to track the sun and then convey the light to the chamber employing fiber optic bundles. Although studies in working on the surface of other planets are being carried on Earth, astronauts aboard the space station have been gaining experience growing crops in space. The first project of this kind was NASAs Veggie Plant Growth System.

Wheeler notes that its interesting to consider that astronauts would be taking our terrestrial companions with them into space, using the greenhouse. He explains that although there are already ways to engineer around the problem in terms of stowage and resupply, it wouldnt be as sustainable and the greenhouse provides an autonomous approach to long-term exploration in the moon or Mars.

Source: NASA

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Researcher: GMO worries overblown – messenger-inquirer

Posted: at 1:38 am

A professor of plant pathology from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture told a small audience Wednesday while there are some risks that come with the practice of genetically modifying crops, there's no evidence that genetically engineered foods are unsafe to eat.

After studying the issue of genetic engineering of food, "I just don't have any concern about my family eating genetically engineered crops," said Paul Vincelli, a UK extension profession and provost with the Sustainable Agriculture and Education Program.

Vincelli spoke about "food myths and misconceptions" at noon Wednesday at Owensboro Community & Technical College. Vincelli said genetic modification occurs in nature and has been done in agriculture for as long as people have been cross-breeding plants.

Genetic engineering, however, is more precise than cross breeding, because only a single gene is inserted into an engineered plant, while cross-bred plants receive the all the genes from both plants, Vincelli said.

"Genetic engineering is more precise than conventional breeding," Vincelli said. "It also causes less disruption on the plant."

Genetic engineering has been used to cure crop disease across the world, including those that pose dangers to humans, Vincelli said. Genetic engineering has also been used to grow corn that is not affected by glyphosate, the primary chemical in the weed herbicide Roundup, which benefits crop production for farmers, Vincelli said.

While there is some dispute whether glyphosate is a carcinogen -- with the EPA and other agencies saying "no" while a faction of the World Health Organization says "yes" -- there is no danger caused by the genetic modification of "Roundup Ready" corn, Vincelli said.

If glyphosate is shown to be carcinogenic, "the problem is not the genetic engineering," Vincelli said. "The problem is the glyphosate."

There is controversy about the safety of genetically engineered food, but the fear of "Frankenfood" is not supported by the scientific research, Vincelli said.

"The idea of 'Frankenfood' is really effective, but it does not represent scientific findings," Vincelli said. "... The food safety issue is not a significant risk."

Scientific academies in both the United States and Europe have agreed there is no evidence that genetically engineered food is not safe. The European public remains skeptical of genetically engineered food because of food scares they've experienced, such as outbreaks of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or "mad cow disease," Vincelli said.

There are risks to creating genetically engineered food, namely that genetically modified seed can be spread far beyond its intended area, such as the case in Oregon, where a genetically modified form of grass has spread, raising concerns that it will spread into commercial grass seed, damaging seed producers' markets. There is also a risk to "cultural identity," such as the fear that genetically modified corn could affect "heritage corn" in South America, he said.

The idea of "global ruin," of genetically modified plants essentially infecting all other plants "does not have merit," Vincelli said.

There are already natural barriers in place to prevent "jumping genes," Vincelli said. If there were not, there would only be one type of plant, as opposed to the numerous varieties found in nature, he said. Vincelli said, in his mind, the biggest threat caused by genetic engineering is bioterrorism.

In supermarkets, labels proclaiming a product is free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are misleading, because most products are already free of GMO items, said Mary Higginbotham, Daviess County's extension agent for family and consumer sciences. Vincelli said genetically modified products can be found in items containing high-fructose corn syrup, because that is made with corn.

Non-GMO labels in stores are "marketing," Higginbotham said. "This is companies wanting to put a non-GMO label on it ... It's very misleading to the consumer."

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Leaked Documents Reveal the NSA Spying on Scientists to Find … – Gizmodo

Posted: at 1:38 am

A new document made public this week via Edward Snowdens leak of NSA documents reveals a fascinating aim of signals intelligence program: The agency, it turns out, monitored international scientific developments in hopes of detecting nefarious genetic engineering projects more than a decade ago.

SIGINT is intelligence collected by monitoring electronic and communications signals. In 2013, documents leaked by NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the agencys reliance on this kind of intelligence to provide insight into the capabilities and intentions of foreign entities, as well as domestic targets. In the years since, documents have continued to trickle out of the Snowden leak that shed additional light on those efforts.

One such document made public by The Intercept this week describes a use of NSA signals intelligence not previously known to the public. In 2004, an NSA cryptanalyst intern described looking for information about genetic sequencing in the signals intelligence collected by the agency.

The ultimate goals of this project are to gain general knowledge about genetic engineering research activity by foreign entities, she wrote, and to identify laboratories and/or individuals who may be involved in nefarious use of genetic research.

Working for the Office of Tradecraft for Analysis, her job was developing algorithms to answer specific questions from metadata, looking for genetic sequences in signals and then presumably trying to figure out what kind of research activity those sequences indicated. This shouldnt be altogether surprisingafter all, senior intelligence officials have gone on record calling genetic engineering a weapon of mass destruction.

Given the broad distribution, low cost, and accelerated pace of development of this dual-use [genetic engineering] technology, its deliberate or unintentional misuse might lead to far-reaching economic and national security implications, an annual worldwide threat assessment report from the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and half a dozen other U.S. spy and fact-gathering operations said last year. Also last year, genome editing was added to the list of national security threats for the first time.

Last years report noted that new discoveries move easily in the globalized economy, as do personnel with the scientific expertise to design and use them, and pointed out the possibility of using the cutting-edge gene-editing technique CRISPR to edit the DNA of human embryos.

The leaked NSA documents, though, are dated long before CRISPR came on the scene. More than a decade ago, the government was concerned that foreign entities might be using genetic engineering for evil, be it creating brutal bioweapons or engineered super soldiers.

The single document gives no indication as to whether the program has continued. But elsewhere, there are signs that the intelligence community has only ramped up its efforts to keep tabs on potentially threatening scientific developments. The FBI, the Pentagon, and the United Nations bioweapons office all have efforts aimed at monitoring and studying potentially destructive uses of CRISPR. As technology advances, its safe to assume those efforts arent going to go away.

[The Intercept]

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Leaked Documents Reveal the NSA Spying on Scientists to Find ... - Gizmodo

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Science and Scientists on the Vineyard: – Martha’s Vineyard Times

Posted: at 1:38 am

Paul Levine, a resident of West Tisbury who was a professor at Harvard and visiting professor at Stanford University, will contribute this occasional column devoted to scientific research taking place today, along with profiles of the Islands scientists and their work and facts of scientific note on the Island. This week, he discusses the genetics research that has led to CRISPR, which stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. If youre wondering what that is, read on.

Science and Scientists on the Vineyard returns this month with a two-part column on the subject that also goes by such names as genetic engineering, gene therapy, genetic modification, and recently gene editing. Regardless of its name, the technology has from its outset been lauded but also seen as controversial. CRISPR is in the news almost weekly because of questions of the ethics of its application and its potential to do both good and bad.

Over the past two years CRISPR has garnered a great deal of public notice through articles in scientific journals such as Science and Nature, major newspapers such as the New York Times, and in magazines like Time and the New Yorker. It has also been the subject on the radio of WCAIs Living Lab and NPRs Science Friday.

Last summer, The MV Times reported on the CRISPR technique being used to produce Borrelia-resistant white-footed mice to control Lyme disease both here and on Nantucket (July 20, Scientist proposes genetic attack on Marthas Vineyard ticks).

The impact that CRISPR will have on the future of genetic engineering and gene therapy is at once scientifically, ethically, politically, and economically immense. Lets go back to the early days of plant and animal breeding, and from there to the era of the production of genetically modified foods, and finally to the early efforts of human gene therapy, to put the subject into a historical context that I hope will provide for a rational discussion of the effects that CRISPR might have on human society.

First, put aside whatever opinions you may have for or against genetically modified organisms (including humans), and look at the history behind the genetic manipulation of plants and animals that has brought us to where we are today. Domestication and breeding of plants and animals may go back at least 11,000 years, with practices of selective breeding that led to improved survival, yield, and quality of domesticated plants, and overcame the deleterious effects of inbreeding.

After the 1905 rediscovery of Mendels Laws of Inheritance, a scientific approach to the development of methods of plant and animal breeding followed rapidly. In 1908, the plant geneticist George Shull at the Cold Spring Laboratory on Long Island showed that when he crossed inbred lines of corn that had deteriorated (showing lower yields, vigor, and disease resistance), the hybrids, sharing the genes of the inbred parents, completely recovered. Their yields were much greater than the inbred lines from which they were derived. A year later, Shull published the procedures for hybridization that became standard for corn and other organisms.

Hybridization of inbred lines of plants and animals means mingling the genes of the parents. But what if the desire is to focus on one specific gene? For example, what if one were to insert one of the flavor genes of an heirloom tomato into the DNA of a commercial variety, or to engineer human stem cells with normal genes to cure genetic disorders such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, and Tay-Sachs disease?

In 1972, Stanford biochemist Paul Berg showed how a foreign gene could be isolated and inserted into the genome of E. coli, the common human gut bacterium, to produce a RecDNA (recombinant DNA) organism. In 1974, Stanley Cohn at Stanford University and Herbert Boyer of the University of California, San Francisco, and their colleagues introduced genes from the toad Xenopus laevis into E. coli bacteria.

Even before Mr. Berg published his seminal paper on recDNA, he became aware that there was the question of a possible health threat of combining genes from different organisms in the common E. coli. Was it possible that some virulent strain would emerge because of its recombinant genome?

Mr. Bergs recognition of this possibility, and the concerns of some of his colleagues, led them in 1974 to write a letter to others engaged in recDNA research to urge them to impose a moratorium on certain types of experiments that might be hazardous. There followed a conference of scientists in 1975 at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, Calif., to address the risks of the research. This meeting led to others, not only of concerned scientists but of ethicists, politicians, and members of the public.

In 1975 the National Institutes of Health produced a set of guidelines for recombinant DNA research. In a number of instances, concern over the possible hazards of recombinant DNA research and the need to carefully monitor that research became a local and state issue. In June 1976, the Cambridge City Council met to take up the question of Harvard Universitys plan to build and operate a special laboratory for the research. The city council discussed the possibility of the research becoming a health hazard to inhabitants of their city. After a contentious debate between members of the council and Harvard scientists, the council appointed a Cambridge Experimental Review Board, and ultimately a Cambridge Biohazards Committee, out of which came recommendations for oversight of the research. Similar concerns were expressed by the New York State Environmental Protection Division, and by the city of San Diego in California. The history of the controversy is excellently set forth in the book The Recombinant DNA Debate by David A. Jackson and Stephen P. Stich.

Thus began the era of recombinant DNA genetic engineering that saw the insertion of genes into bacteria and yeast for the production of insulin, some growth hormones, blood clotting factors, and vaccines.

Recombinant DNA technology also began to be applied to the production of genetically modified plants and animals, and thus the availability of genetically modified foods.

Since those days, products produced by genetic manipulation by the pharmaceutical, agricultural, and food industries have grown immensely. So have the number of questions regarding their safety, questions for which there is no universal answer, and so discussions both pro and con continue to this day. A study of both positions can be found on the Web in articles here: bit.ly/GenFoods.

Today, with the advent of CRISPR, we find scientists and the public in positions not unlike those of the early days of recombinant DNA research, but with far greater intensity: The power of CRISPR for genetic engineering far exceeds that of the recombinant DNA technique. The next time I write on the subject, I will undertake to describe CRISPR gene editing, the larger-than-life characters at the center of the research, some of the current applications of CRISPR, and some research projects that focus on human gene editing, along with the ethical questions that have arisen as a consequence.

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Science and Scientists on the Vineyard: - Martha's Vineyard Times

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Human Genetics Industry Analysis and Global Forecast to 2024 – MENAFN.COM

Posted: at 1:38 am

(MENAFN Editorial) Human genetic market, by instruments (Accessories, Device), by end-user (Hospital, Clinic, Research center), by method (Prenatal, Molecular, cytogenetic, presymptomatic), by application (Forensic science institute) - Global Forecast 2024

Genetics is the study of genes, their functions and their effects. Among the various types of genetics such as molecular genetics, developmental genetics, population genetics and quantitative genetics, human genetics is the study that deals with the inheritance occurs in human beings. It encompasses a variety of overlapping fields such as classical genetics, cytogenetic, molecular genetics, genomics and many more.

Get a sample copy of this report at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/714 .

The study of human heredity occupies a central position in genetics. Much of this interest stems from a basic desire to know who humans are and why they are as they are. It can be useful as it can answer questions about human nature, understand the diseases and development of effective disease treatment, and understand genetics of human life. At a more practical level, an understanding of human heredity is of critical importance in the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases that have a genetic component.

The study of the human genes and its functions is conducted with the help of various devices such as DNA machines or USB attached sensing devices. The study of Human genetics is also engaged with advanced research, teaching and training in areas which lie at the interface of modern genetics and medicine. It also provides comprehensive clinical services, including genetic counseling for a range of genetic disorders and inborn errors of metabolism.

The growth driver includes: advancement of genetics testing technologies, rising genetic diseases, and rising awareness in terms of increasing knowledge about the potential benefits in genetic testing. Furthermore, aging population and increasing incidence of cancer cases are the other factors propelling growth of human genetics market.

The market for screening the newborns, diagnosing rare and fatal disorders, and predicting the probability of occurrence of abnormalities & diseases are likely to expand. Particularly, genetic tests to screen the newborns are expected to expand immensely over the coming years. Furthermore, the genetic disorders caused by microorganisms such Zika virus is one of the major concern behind of microcephaly. Microcephaly is a birth defect that is associated with a small head and incomplete brain development in newborns that transferred from mother to her child. Such, diseases are expected raise the application of the human genetic studies there by driving by the market. However, the high costing instruments and lack of experienced professionals are the major restraints for the growth of Human genetics market.

Complete Report of Human Genetics Industry Available at https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/human-genetics-market .

Human Genetics Market Segmentation:

The Human genetics market can be segmented into by methods, by product, by applications and by end-users.

Major Human genetics market by methods: cytogenetic, molecular, presymptomatic and prenatal.

Human genetics market by product: Consumables, devices and accessories

Human genetics market by applications: research, diagnostic and forensic science and others.

Human genetics market by end-users: hospitals, clinics, research centers and forensic departments.

Human Genetics Market Regional Analysis:

The regional analysis includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and rest of the world.

The global human genetic testing market expected to grow with a CAGR of more tn 10% in the upcoming years. The rise of growth rate is due to increase in technological advancement and various measures taken by US government to expand the national DNA databases.

North America:

North America is dominating the Human genetic marketdue toincreasing prevalence of diseases by genetic disorders and high technological advancement in the region followed by Europe. The rapid increase in viral infections such as Swine flues, cancer disease and various chronicle disease has increased the need of study of human genetic engineering in North America.

Asia:

The Asian region is showing good opportunities in Human genetic market because of support provided by foreign countries for enhancing forensics and DNA profiling services. Apart from this, factors such as occurrence of large number of natural disasters and awareness through forensics and DNA profiling related conferences are expected to provide required impetus for the growth of this market.

Key Players of Human Genetics Market:

Latest Trends:

The reports also covers brief analysis of Geographical Region includes:

Americas

Europe

Asia Pacific

The report onHuman Genetics Marketcomprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance.

This report will provide the clear picture of current market scenario of Human genetic market globally as well as the country level markets. The report also provides the information about human genetic market by various methods which are used to perform the testing, by products and by applications. It also provides the detailed information about the study and research which are being performed by the forensic and diagnostic institutes and departments which will benefit the end users and global test device manufacturers and suppliers.

#Media Contact Company Name: Market Research Future Contact Person: Akash Anand Email: Phone: 1 646 845 9312 Address:Magarpatta Road, Hadapsar, Pune - 411028 Maharashtra, #India City: Pune State: Maharashtra Country: #India Website: https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/human-genetics-market

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Human Genetics Industry Analysis and Global Forecast to 2024 - MENAFN.COM

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FDA OKs Marketing of 10 DTC Genetic Health Risk Tests – AAFP News

Posted: at 1:38 am

"Welcome to you."

That message greets visitors to the website of 23andMe,(www.23andme.com) the company that now can market its genetic health risk (GHR) tests for 10 medical conditions directly to consumers, thanks to a recent decision by the FDA.(www.accessdata.fda.gov) The tests, part of the company's Health + Ancestry Service that costs $199, determine whether a person's genetic makeup increases the risk of such health conditions as late-onset Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, celiac disease and thrombophilia.

The FDA reviewed the 10 GHR tests through its de novo premarket review pathway,(www.fda.gov) a regulatory pathway for novel, low-to-moderate-risk devices that are not substantially equivalent to an already legally marketed device.

The agency intends to exempt additional 23andMe GHR tests from premarket review, and GHR tests from other makers also may be exempt after the maker submits its first premarket notification, said an April 6 FDA news release(www.fda.gov) announcing the decision. "A proposed exemption of this kind would allow other, similar tests to enter the market as quickly as possible and in the least burdensome way, after a one-time FDA review."

The FDA decision sets a precedent for making GHR tests for a wide variety of conditions available to consumers without a physician intermediary, said family physician and geneticist W. Gregory Feero, M.D., Ph.D., a faculty member at Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency.(www.mainedartmouth.org) He previously was chief of the Genomic Healthcare Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) and senior adviser for genomic medicine to former NHGRI Director Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D.(www.genome.gov)

In a broader context, the FDA's decision is a natural outgrowth of the movement toward making patient data more accessible and transparent to consumers -- toward "if it's about you, you should own it," said Feero. "We'll see over time if this brings net good or net harms."

Jennifer Frost, M.D., medical director of the AAFP Health of the Public and Science Division, acknowledged that genomics is a wave of the future concept that excites people, but she said she's concerned about consumers buying the GHR tests without previous genetic counseling and without a goal in mind.

The 23andMe website encourages but does not require consumers to get genetic counseling before buying the GHR tests, and it also encourages counseling if test results reveal an increased risk for a genetically moderated condition. Unfortunately, genetic counselors aren't readily available to everyone, especially in some rural areas, Frost said.

On its website, 23andMe explains that GHR tests aren't diagnostic and that a test result indicating increased risk doesn't mean the person will definitely get the disease. But some consumers may not fully grasp that information, Frost said.

The website also suggests sharing with a health professional any test results that show an increased risk for a particular condition and talking with a physician if other risk factors for the condition are present.

"The one positive is that if buying the GHR tests encourages the person to seek out their family doctor to discuss the test results, it gives the doctor the opportunity to talk about their overall health and encourage a healthy lifestyle," Frost said. "Otherwise, I'm not sure how helpful the testing is overall."

Feero said he is concerned about consumers overinterpreting the results of GHR tests, which are somewhat but not highly predictive of one's chances for developing a given condition.

"For the most part, 23andMe's tests are single nucleotide polymorphism testing, looking for signposts for a mutation somewhere else in the gene," said Feero. "The tests are accurate for measuring for the signposts, but the issue is, is that signpost in that individual signaling a true nearby mutation with health consequences?

"Some mutations may confer only a relatively small risk increase for conditions with multiple genetic components. Multiple genes, as well as behaviors and environment, also go into risk."

Granted, 23andMe has done a fairly good job of providing information about the other factors that elevate risk, Feero said. Nevertheless, consumers may look at their test results and interpret their own risk without taking into account those other risk factors, he said.

Knowing about increased risk for a health condition could be a double-edged sword, Feero said. "People may be empowered and act in ways to help their health, or they may behave fatalistically about the information in ways that are detrimental to their health."

Another concern is that knowing about genetic risks may affect a person's ability to obtain certain types of insurance. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA),(www.eeoc.gov) passed in 2008, prohibits discrimination by employers or insurance companies based on genetic information in most situations, but it does not confer protection from such discrimination by insurers providing life, long-term care or disability insurance.

To make matters worse, H.R. 1313, the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act,(www.congress.gov) introduced in the House in March, could erode the protections that GINA does offer. The American Society of Human Genetics has opposed the bill,(www.ashg.org) saying it would "fundamentally undermine the privacy provisions" of GINA and the Americans with Disabilities Act. In 2015, the AAFP signed onto a letter opposing a version of the bill introduced that year. That April 21 letter(5 page PDF) stated, "We strongly oppose any policy that would allow employers to inquire about employees' private genetic information or medical information unrelated to their ability to do their jobs, and penalize employees who choose to keep that information private."

"Even if sponsors of this bill and the bill itself are well intentioned, it could be used to potentially erode GINA protections," said Feero. "I do think constant vigilance for erosions is good."

As an increasing number of direct-to-consumer GHR tests are marketed, it's likely that more patients will bring test results to their doctors and ask for advice. Unfortunately, abundant literature indicates a relatively low level of genetic literacy among many types of health care professionals, including family physicians, said Feero.

Ann Karty, M.D., former medical director in the AAFP Division of Continuing Medical Education and currently the Academy's representative on NIH's Inter-Society Coordinating Committee for Practitioner Education in Genomics, which she co-chairs, offered suggestions to help FPs become better prepared for these discussions.

"As providers, we need to seek information if we don't know how to interpret these test results -- just as we would do with anything else we don't understand," said Karty. Look for educational opportunities that cover genomic topics, such as those available from the AAFP (see sidebar above), she suggested.

It's also important to figure out how to integrate the new knowledge into practice, Karty noted. When a patient wants to discuss a genetic report, for example, the office staff may want to chat with you about how to handle the situation, she said. "Do you want to see the report first and then call or meet with the patient to discuss?"

Another caveat: Make sure the appointment is long enough to deal with such a complex topic. "Ten minutes just isn't long enough," said Karty.

She advised family physicians to have a list of genetic counselors available so they can refer patients to them when needed. And whenever patients talk about direct-to-consumer products or services that pop up, find the website they reference to see what they are talking about.

Both Karty and Feero agreed on the importance of a good family history, which can help identify genetic risks. "Family history is a great place to start, and I think we do an inadequate job of asking questions in enough depth," said Feero.

Nowadays, patients self-identify items on a form when they come in, and the doctor looks at it or doesn't, Karty said. "I treasure the days when we looked at and touched the patient and did the entire history, because that helped the relationship with the patient."

She said her teaching experience with medical students and residents showed her that "the more we get behind the computer, the more we lose the touch component."

The capability to record family history information in electronic health record (EHR) systems is very limited, Karty said, with templates that don't allow you to go back further than mom and dad -- yet genetic mutations sometimes jump generations.

Feero agreed that current EHR systems are lacking in this regard. "When I arrived at the National Human Genome Research Institute in 2007, I began trying to get standardized family history across EHRs. We haven't gotten there yet."

Related AAFP News Coverage Fresh Perspectives Blog: President's Focus on Precision Medicine Could Be Catalyst for Change (2/10/2015)

USPSTF Recommends BRCA Mutation Screening for High-risk Women Only Task Force Identifies Appropriate Screening Tools FPs Can Use (4/3/2013)

GAO Report Critical of Genetic Tests Marketed to Consumers FDA Working to Regulate Products (8/11/2010)

Additional Resource Genetics/Genomics Competency Center (G2C2)(genomicseducation.net)

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Discovering a new mechanism of epigenetic inheritance – Phys.Org

Posted: at 1:38 am

April 26, 2017 Three drosophila epilines are shown. All share the same DNA sequence, but each has a unique eye color caused by transient perturbation of their epigenetic state. This perturbation alters levels of Polycomb-mediated repression of the eye color gene. Credit: Filippo Ciabrelli

Giacomo Cavalli's team at the Institute of Human Genetics (University of Montpellier / CNRS), in collaboration with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), has demonstrated the existence of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) among Drosophila fruit flies. By temporarily modifying the function of Polycomb Group (PcG) proteinswhich play an essential role in developmentthe researchers obtained fruit fly lines having the same DNA sequence but different eye colors. An example of epigenetic inheritance, this color diversity reflects varying degrees of heritable, but reversible, gene repression by PcG proteins. It is observed in both transgenic and wild-type lines and can be modified by environmental conditions such as ambient temperature. The scientists' work is published in Nature Genetics.

Same DNA, different color. Researchers have obtained drosophila epilinesthat is, genetically identical lineages with distinct epigenetic characteristicswith white, yellow, and red eyes respectively. They achieved this by transiently disturbing interactions between target genes and PcG proteins, which are complexes involved in the repression of several genes governing development. Cavalli and his team at the Institute of Human Genetics (University of Montpellier / CNRS) are the first to show that regulation of gene position can lead to transgenerational inheritance.

DNA is not the only medium for communicating information necessary for cell function. Cell processes are also determined by the chemical labeling (or marks) and specific spatial organization of our genomes, which are epigenetic characteristicsthat is, nongenetic but nonetheless inheritable traits. Epigenetic marks include modifications of histones, the proteins around which DNA is wound. PcG proteins, on the other hand, play a regulatory role by affecting 3-D chromosomal configuration, which establishes certain interactions between genes in the cell nucleus. The position of a gene at any given moment determines whether it is active or repressed.

Through temporary disruption of these interactions, the scientists were able to produce Drosophila epilines characterized by different levels of PcG-dependent gene repression or activation. They verified that these epilines were indeed isogenic, or genetically identical, by sequencing the genome of each. Despite their identical DNA, the integrity of epilinesand the unique phenotypic characteristics they programcan be maintained across generations. But this phenomenon is reversible. Crosses between drosophilas with over- or underexpressed genes and others having no such modifications to gene activity "reset" eye color without altering the DNA sequence, thus demonstrating the epigenetic nature of this inheritance.

The researchers then showed that new environmental conditions, such as a different ambient temperature, can affect the expression of epigenetic information over several generations, but they do not erase this information. Such transient effects of environmental factors to which earlier generations were exposed on the expression of characteristics in their progeny illustrate the unique, pliable nature of this epigenetic mechanism. By conducting "microcosm" experiments that recreated natural environmental conditions, the researchersworking with INRAconfirmed that epigenetic inheritance in Drosophila can be maintained in the wild.

Giacomo Cavalli's crew has therefore proven the existence of Polycomb-mediated stable transgenerational epigenetic inheritance dependent on 3-D chromosomal structure. Their findings offer new horizons for biomedical science. They suggest that epigenetics could partly solve the mystery of "missing heritability"that is, the absence of any apparent link between genetic makeup and certain normal hereditary traits and diseases.

Explore further: Biological mechanism passes on long-term epigenetic 'memories'

More information: Filippo Ciabrelli et al. Stable Polycomb-dependent transgenerational inheritance of chromatin states in Drosophila, Nature Genetics (2017). DOI: 10.1038/ng.3848

Journal reference: Nature Genetics

Provided by: CNRS

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Discovering a new mechanism of epigenetic inheritance - Phys.Org

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In Gujarat, three siblings emerge as seventh case of rare mental disorder worldwide – The Indian Express

Posted: at 1:38 am

inUth.com

In Gujarat, three siblings emerge as seventh case of rare mental disorder worldwide
The Indian Express
There could be similar cases in the country but they have not been registered or recorded yet, Dr Frenny Sheth, head of Cytogenetics department at the Institute of Human Genetics (IHG), Ahmedabad, said. Till date there have been six cases of this ...
Rare 'Mental Retardation 42' hits family thriceTimes of India
3 siblings in Gujarat become the 7th case in the world to have 'rare intellectual disability'inUth.com

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In Gujarat, three siblings emerge as seventh case of rare mental disorder worldwide - The Indian Express

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What Fruit Flies Can Tell Us About Human Sleep and Circadian Disorders – Huffington Post

Posted: at 1:38 am

By Paula Haynes, PhD, University of Pennsylvania and Amita Sehgal, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, SWHR Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep Member

Patients visit sleep clinics seeking both treatment and the solace of understanding that accompanies a clinical diagnosis: knowing that their sleep problems are not their fault, but are due to physiology and genetics. When people are unable to fall asleep or wake up at normal times, they may have a circadian rhythm disorder caused by a disruption in the bodys internal clock [1, 2]. Surprisingly, much of the basic biology of the bodys internal clock has been discovered by working on the tiny kitchen pest, the fruit fly. The fruit fly, known to researchers as Drosophila melanogaster, is oddly enough a perfect model for scientists to study the genetic basis of seemingly complex behaviors.

Some people may wake up spontaneously in the morning, but those who do not get quite enough sleep might be awoken at exactly the same time every day by an alarm, the voices of young children, or a hungry pet. In fact, people and most animals possess an internal time-keeping mechanism that tells us when it is time to wake up and when it is time to go to sleep, keeping us synchronized to the day/night cycle. This internal time-keeping mechanism is called our circadian clock, derived from the Latin circa [about] dian [a day], and, just like a wall clock, runs on a daily cycle of 24 hours.

Just like people, fruit flies also have an internal circadian clock. In the 1960s, Ron Konopka, a student working with the famous Drosophila geneticist, Seymour Benzer began genetic studies of circadian rhythms in flies. Although Benzer was skeptical that specific genes would underlie daily behavioral rhythms, Konopka devised a way to identify mutant flies with disrupted circadian rhythms. Knowing that flies tend to emerge from their pupal cases at dawn, Konopka collected and bred the flies that emerged at inappropriate times. Konopkas mutant flies were found to have a mutation in a single gene, which was named period [3,4].

Years later, other genes affecting circadian rhythms, such as timeless [5,6], Clock [7], cycle [8], Doubletime [9] and Jetlag [10], were discovered in flies, with many of these genes functioning similarly in mice and humans. Indeed, scientists also studied these genes in families that exhibit unusual sleep-timing patterns, such as one in which many members fall asleep between 6 to 8pm and wake up between 1 to 3am. Thanks to work on flies, scientists considered the period genes in humans as possible culprits and sure enough, traced the earliness to a mutation in the Period2 gene [11].

Following the successful use of fruit flies in understanding circadian rhythms, researchers now use flies to figure out what makes us sleepy [12,13]. Just as with circadian timing, the genes that drive sleep in fruit flies and humans are likely to be similar as well. In fact, caffeine keeps flies awake, just as it does people [14]. We have also discovered other genes, named sleepless [15] and redeye [16], which are needed to maintain sleep in flies, and others have found similar genes in mammals [17,18, 19]. Moving forward, scientists hope to use the humble fruit fly to uncover even greater mysteries, including understanding why we sleep at all.

The Society for Womens Health Research Interdisciplinary Network on Sleep is committed to promoting awareness of sex and gender differences in sleep and circadian rhythms across the lifespan, and the impact they have on health and well-being. Learn more about the Sleep Network here.

1. Sehgal, A. & Mignot, E. Genetics of sleep and sleep disorders. Cell 146, 194207 (2011).

2. Jones, C. R., Huang, A. L., Ptek, L. J. & Fu, Y.-H. Genetic basis of human circadian rhythm disorders. Exp. Neurol. 243, 2833 (2013).

3. Bargiello, T. A., Jackson, F. R. & Young, M. W. Restoration of circadian behavioural rhythms by gene transfer in Drosophila. Nature 312, 752754 (1984).

4. Zehring, W. A. et al. P-element transformation with period locus DNA restores rhythmicity to mutant, arrhythmic Drosophila melanogaster. Cell 39, 36976 (1984).

5. Sehgal, A. et al. Rhythmic expression of timeless: a basis for promoting circadian cycles in period gene autoregulation. Science 270, 80810 (1995).

6. Sehgal, A., Price, J. L., Man, B. & Young, M. W. Loss of circadian behavioral rhythms and per RNA oscillations in the Drosophila mutant timeless. Science 263, 16036 (1994).

7. Allada, R., White, N. E., So, W. V, Hall, J. C. & Rosbash, M. A mutant Drosophila homolog of mammalian Clock disrupts circadian rhythms and transcription of period and timeless. Cell 93, 791804 (1998).

8. Rutila, J. E. et al. CYCLE is a second bHLH-PAS clock protein essential for circadian rhythmicity and transcription of Drosophila period and timeless. Cell 93, 80514 (1998).

9. Kloss, B. et al. The Drosophila clock gene double-time encodes a protein closely related to human casein kinase Iepsilon. Cell 94, 97107 (1998).

10. Koh, K., Zheng, X. & Sehgal, A. JETLAG resets the Drosophila circadian clock by promoting light-induced degradation of TIMELESS. Science 312, 180912 (2006).

11. Toh, K. L. et al. An hPer2 phosphorylation site mutation in familial advanced sleep phase syndrome. Science 291, 10403 (2001).

12. Shaw, P. J., Cirelli, C., Greenspan, R. J. & Tononi, G. Correlates of sleep and waking in Drosophila melanogaster. Science 287, 18347 (2000).

13. Hendricks, J. C. et al. Rest in Drosophila is a sleep-like state. Neuron 25, 12938 (2000).

14. Nall, A. H. et al. Caffeine promotes wakefulness via dopamine signaling in Drosophila. Sci. Rep. 6, 20938 (2016).

15. Koh, K. et al. Identification of SLEEPLESS, a sleep-promoting factor. Science 321, 3726 (2008).

16. Shi, M., Yue, Z., Kuryatov, A., Lindstrom, J. M. & Sehgal, A. Identification of Redeye, a new sleep-regulating protein whose expression is modulated by sleep amount. Elife 3, e01473 (2014).

17. Ni, K.-M. et al. Selectively driving cholinergic fibers optically in the thalamic reticular nucleus promotes sleep. Elife 5, 745752 (2016).

18. Puddifoot, C. A., Wu, M., Sung, R.-J. & Joiner, W. J. Ly6h Regulates Trafficking of Alpha7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and Nicotine-Induced Potentiation of Glutamatergic Signaling. J. Neurosci. 35, (2015).

19. Wu, M., Puddifoot, C. A., Taylor, P. & Joiner, W. J. Mechanisms of inhibition and potentiation of 42 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors by members of the Ly6 protein family. J. Biol. Chem. 290, 2450918 (2015).

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DNA-based test can spot cancer recurrence a year before conventional scans – The Guardian

Posted: at 1:37 am

Eileen Rapley, who joined the trial after being diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago. She hopes the new test might lead to the kinds of improvements that screening techniques like mammograms have brought about for breast cancer. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

A revolutionary blood test has been shown to diagnose the recurrence of cancer up to a year in advance of conventional scans in a major lung cancer trial.

The test, known as a liquid biopsy, could buy crucial time for doctors by indicating that cancer is growing in the body when tumours are not yet detectable on CT scans and long before the patient becomes aware of physical symptoms.

It works by detecting free-floating mutated DNA, released into the bloodstream by dying cancer cells. In the trial of 100 lung cancer patients, scientists saw precipitous rises in tumour DNA in the blood of patients who would go on to relapse months, or even a year, later.

The findings add to building anticipation that the technology, which is already in widespread use in non-invasive prenatal tests for Downs syndrome, will have a major impact in cancer medicine.

Nitzan Rosenfeld of the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, who was not involved in the latest trial, predicts that most if not all cancer patients will be given the DNA-based tests in future.

Even if only a fraction of cancers that are currently detected at a lethal stage will in future be detected at an early curable stage this will represent a great benefit in lives saved, he said.

In the latest trial, reported in the journal Nature, 100 patients with non-small cell lung cancer were followed from diagnosis through surgery and chemotherapy, having blood tests every six to eight weeks.

By analysing the patchwork of genetic faults in cells across each tumour, scientists created personalised genomic templates for each patient. This was then compared to the DNA floating in their blood, to assess whether a fraction of it matched that seen in their tumour.

Prof Charlie Swanton, a cancer geneticist at the Francis Crick Institute who led the work, described how circulating tumour DNA tracked the patients disease status with remarkable precision. Of patients who would remain in remission, he said that Within 48 hours of surgery, the DNA drops down to undetectable.

By contrast, rising tumour DNA levels were seen in patients whose disease would later recur, indicating that cancer remained in the lungs or had migrated to other organs, where it was lying dormant.

When the tests of 24 patients were analysed in detail, the scientists could say with 92% accuracy who would relapse.

I think this is going to be very useful clinically, said Swanton. This allows us to identify high risk patients. We have predictive value of 92% that your cancer is going to recur within 350 days.

The tests even revealed an apparent outlier, a patient whose cancer had not yet resurfaced, but whose blood test showed high levels of circulating tumour DNA.

We said either theres something wrong with our assay or this patients got recurring disease, said Swanton. Almost a year later, cancer showed up on a CT scan.

The liquid biopsies also showed whether chemotherapy was working or if the disease had evolved resistance, as happens in the majority of stage 2 and 3 cancers. In future, this could allow doctors to switch to a more effective drug and spare patients gruelling but futile treatment.

Were giving all this toxic chemotherapy on the basis that only 1 in 20 patients will ever benefit, said Swanton. We could say this patient is not benefiting from chemotherapy so we should stop it. Or this patients disease is coming back but we cant see it on a CT scan so we should give more treatment.

This has got real, clear practical relevance now in lung cancer, he added.

Eileen Rapley, 74, a retired art teacher from London, entered the trial after being diagnosed with lung cancer a year ago. Since treatment, doctors discovered that Rapley had also developed a brain tumour, for which she has also been treated. Although the liquid biopsy did not guide her own care, she hopes the new test might lead to the kinds of improvements that screening techniques like mammograms have brought about for breast cancer.

That sort of research has helped so many, she said. Friends of mine with breast cancer, I cant think of any for years and years who have died, because there were early tests and early diagnosis.

The test used in the study relied on building a bespoke genetic template for each patient based on detailed analysis of tumour samples, with an estimated cost of over 1,300 per patient. However, Swanton predicts the same kind of profile could be built using computational methods from just an initial blood test, making the technology viable outside a purely research setting.

Were not a million miles away from that; it will probably happen in the next 2-3 years, he said.

Lung cancer causes more than one in five of all cancer deaths in the UK and, although incidence of the disease is falling, survival has only improved fractionally in the past 40 years.

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Category Archives: Transhuman News

NASA develops inflatable greenhouse to grow crops on the moon and Mars – Pulse Headlines

Researcher: GMO worries overblown – messenger-inquirer

Leaked Documents Reveal the NSA Spying on Scientists to Find … – Gizmodo

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Human Genetics Industry Analysis and Global Forecast to 2024 – MENAFN.COM

FDA OKs Marketing of 10 DTC Genetic Health Risk Tests – AAFP News

Discovering a new mechanism of epigenetic inheritance – Phys.Org

In Gujarat, three siblings emerge as seventh case of rare mental disorder worldwide – The Indian Express

What Fruit Flies Can Tell Us About Human Sleep and Circadian Disorders – Huffington Post

DNA-based test can spot cancer recurrence a year before conventional scans – The Guardian

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