Category Archives: Transhuman News

SMACK / URLTV PRESENTS DNA VS K-SHINE [FULL BATTLE]
SMACK/ URL does it again with another dope match up between DNA (Queens, NY) K-Shine (Harlem, NY) . This took place on March 9th which is the anniversary o...

By: theUrltv

See the original post here:
SMACK / URLTV PRESENTS DNA VS K-SHINE [FULL BATTLE] - Video

HOUSTON, March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Gene By Gene, Ltd., the Houston-based genomics and genetics testing company, announced that a unique DNA sample submitted via National Geographic's Genographic Project to its genetic genealogy subsidiary, Family Tree DNA, led to the discovery that the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree is potentially as old as 338,000 years. This new information indicates that the last common ancestor of all modern Y chromosomes is 70 percent older than previously thought.

The surprising findings were published in the report "An African American Paternal Lineage Adds an Extremely Ancient Root to the Human Y Chromosome Phylogenetic Tree" in The American Journal of Human Genetics earlier this month. The study was conducted by a team of top research scientists, including lead scientist Dr. Michael F. Hammer of the University of Arizona, who currently serves on Gene By Gene's advisory board, and two of the company's staff scientists, Drs. Thomas and Astrid-Maria Krahn.

The DNA sample had originally been submitted to National Geographic's Genographic Project, the world's largest "citizen science" genetic research effort with more than 500,000 public participants to date, and was later transferred to Family Tree DNA's database for genealogical research. Once in Family Tree DNA's database, long-time project administrator Bonnie Schrack noticed that the sample was very unique and advocated for further testing to be done.

"This whole discovery began, really, with a citizen scientist someone very similar to our many customers who are interested in learning more about their family roots using one of our genealogy products," said Gene By Gene President Bennett Greenspan. "While reviewing samples in our database, she recognized that this specific sample was unique and brought it to the attention of our scientists to do further testing. The results were astounding and show the value of individuals undergoing DNA testing so that we can continue to grow our databases and discover additional critical information about human origins and evolution."

The discovery took place at Family Tree DNA's Genomic Research Center, a CLIA registered lab in Houston which has processed more than 5 million discrete DNA tests from more than 700,000 individuals and organizations, including participants in the Genographic Project. Drs. Thomas and Astrid-Maria Krahn of Family Tree DNA conducted the company's Walk-Through-Y test on the sample and during the scoring process, quickly realized the unique nature of the sample, given the vast number of mutations. Following their initial findings, Dr. Hammer and others joined to conduct a formal study, sequencing ~240 kb of the chromosome sample to identify private, derived mutations on this lineage, which has been named A00.

"Our findings indicate that the last common Y chromosome ancestor may have lived long before the first anatomically modern humans appeared in Africa about 195,000 years ago," said Dr. Michael Hammer. "Furthermore, the sample, which came from an African American man living in South Carolina, matched Y chromosome DNA of males from a very small area in western Cameroon, indicating that the lineage is extremely rare in Africa today, and its presence in the US is likely due to the Atlantic slave trade. This is a huge discovery for our field and shows the critical role direct-to-consumer DNA testing companies can play in science; this might not have been known otherwise."

Family Tree DNA recently dramatically reduced the price of its basic Y-DNA test by approximately 50%. By offering the lowest-cost DNA test available on the market today, Gene By Gene and Family Tree DNA are working to eliminate cost as a barrier to individuals introducing themselves to personal genetic and genomic research. They hope that expanding the pool of DNA samples in their database will lead to future important scientific discoveries.

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 Contacts:Kate Croft for Family Tree DNA and Gene By Gene, Ltd. Casteel Schoenborn 888-609-8351 croft@csirfirm.com

Follow this link:
Family Tree DNA 's Genomics Research Center Facilitates Discovery of Extremely Ancient Root to the Human Y Chromosome ...

Device Review: Droid DNA from a Consumer #39;s Perspective
To watch the other part of this video, the developer-oriented material, make sure to head over to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq43Xk5iyN8. If you liked th...

By: twildottv

Follow this link:
Device Review: Droid DNA from a Consumer's Perspective - Video

Mar. 29, 2013 A chromosome is rarely found in the shape we are used to seeing in biology books, that is to say the typical double rod shape (the X pattern, to put it simply). It is usually "diluted" in the nucleus and creates a bundle that under the microscope appears as a messy tangle. In the last few years such chaos, however, has been "measured" and scientists have unveiled their secret: the genes in the tangle are actually arranged in regions that may perform a functional role.

A research coordinated by the scientists at SISSA of Trieste has now developed and studied a numeric model of the chromosome that supports the experimental data and provides a hypothesis on the bundle's function.

A chromosome spends most of its life "diluted" in the nuclear cytoplasm. To the untrained eye it may look like a randomly entangled thread, yet biologists claim the opposite: although a chaotic component does exist in the bundle, experimental measurements have identified regions that tend to contain specific genes. Thanks to such measurements, researchers have obtained maps of the chromosome in its diluted form, the one in which the DNA transcription processes occur.

Cristian Micheletti, a physicist of SISSA, the International School for Advanced Studies of Trieste, has coordinated an international research team -- in which Marco Di Stefano and Angelo Rosa stand out -- that has devised an ingenious method which, on one hand, has allowed to verify the already known experimental measures and, on the other, to find data in support of a theory which explains why the DNA bundle is arranged in regions. "Employing the vast amount of publicly available data on gene expression, we have identified families of genes co-regulated within a chromosome" explains Micheletti. The co-regulated genes codify "in accord," but how such synchronization occurs is a mystery, since often the genes are located very far from one another on the DNA filament. "Two main hypotheses may be considered: either 'messengers' exist that travel back and forth from one gene to the other and coordinate the activity, or the DNA filament folding up inside the tangle brings the genes belonging to the same family physically close."

On the basis of the second assumption Micheletti and his colleagues have used the computer to induce the DNA numeric model to bring the co-regulated genes closer. "The outcome of the simulation has provided a map of chromosome arrangement that is very close to the one obtained through experimentation," explains Micheletti. "Besides, the model has successfully brought closer the genes belonging to the same family, as we had asked for, in 80% of cases, that is without too much effort, which corroborates the validity of the hypothesis and the effectiveness of the simulation."

The article was chosen by PLoS Computational Biology journal as the cover story for the March issue.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

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

Read the rest here:
DNA : How to unravel the tangle

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A DNA match leads Austin police to arrest the man they believe sexually assaulted a woman near the Huston-Tillotson University campus two weeks ago.

According to police, Michael Broughton, 28, sexually assaulted the victim, who was riding her bicycle in the 1900 block of College Row around 1 a.m. on March 16 .

According to an affidavit, the victim was on College Row when four-door white truck drove past her and parked. She said she turned her bike around and started peddling away but a man from the truck jumped out and grabbed her and pushed her into the truck. While grabbing her, the victim said she heard Broughton say to his friend, "Should we get the gun?"

The victim said the suspect told her that he would not hurt her if she did what he demanded. When the suspect finished with the assault, the victim was allowed to sit up in the vehicle. At that time, she noticed there were emergency lights in the distance -- she was able to open the door and get out of the vehicle.

Victim said she ran away as fast as possible as the truck fled the scene. Victim was able to flag down an officer at 12th Street and IH-35.

On March 27, the Austin Police Department was notified of a DNA match in the Combined DNA Identification System (CODIS). The DNA was linked to Broughton, who is currently living in Killeen.

Police said when they interviewed Broughton, he admitted to kidnapping and sexually assaulting the victim.

Another person was identified and interviewed as a person of interest, detectives believe he is the second suspect in the truck. His involvement is still being investigated and he has not been charged.

Broughton is currently in the Bell County jail and has been charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual assault.

See original here:
DNA match leads to sex assault suspect