DNA construction technology makes genetic engineering cheaper, faster

Sequencing, splicing and expressing DNA may seem to be the quintessence of cutting-edge scienceindeed DNA manipulation has revolutionized fields such as biofuels, chemicals and medicine. But in fact, the actual process can still be tedious and labor-intensive, something Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) scientist Nathan Hillson learned the hard way.

After struggling for two days to design a protocol to put together a genetic circuit with 10 pieces of DNAusing a spreadsheet as his primary toolhe was dismayed to discover that an outside company could have done the whole thing, including parts and labor, for lower cost than him ordering the oligonucleotides himself. "I learned two things: one, I never wanted to go through that process again, and two, it's extremely important to do the cost-effectiveness calculation," said Hillson, a biochemist who also directs the synthetic biology program at the Berkeley Lab-led Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). "So that was the genesis of the j5 software. This is the perfect thing to teach a computer to do."

The j5 software package, which has attracted users from more than 250 institutions worldwide since it was made available last year, is now the basis for the latest startup to emerge from JBEI, a Department of Energy research center established in 2007 to pursue breakthroughs in the production of cellulosic biofuels. By building on j5 and adding modules for commercial users, TeselaGen Biotechnology, founded by Hillson and two partners, says it will significantly reduce the time and cost involved with DNA synthesis and cloning, a multibillion-dollar market.

"It's like AutoCAD for biology," said TeselaGen co-founder and CEO Mike Fero. "Modern cloning is a computational problem. We are the missing informatic piece to making modern scarless DNA assembly methods a reality for the majority of biologists. Otherwise it's a small cadre of people who can do it."

Recombinant DNA assemblies are critical tools in a number of scientific pursuits: for understanding how cells are altered in diseases such as cancer, for building better antibiotics, for converting plant biomass to biofuels and for basic scientific understanding of cellular pathways. Standard cloning techniques have been in use for 40 years and are still the industry standard.

"Our biggest competition is traditional cloning, or inertia," said Fero, who was a particle physicist for 10 years before pursuing a career in biotech. "We have to make it so easy people will happily switch to the newer methods."

TeselaGen licensed j5 from Berkeley Lab, the lead institutional partner of JBEI, and currently has more than 100 scientists and engineers from large industrial and pharmaceutical companies in private beta.

"We are so pleased with the startup of TeselaGen, based on a deceptively simple idea but clearly providing a solution to a very difficult problem," said Cheryl Fragiadakis, director of technology transfer at Berkeley Lab. "It is a great example as well of a company coming out of our JBEI activities.The Lab's Tech Transfer encourages and supports entrepreneurial ventures, providing education and networking for our scientists, as a great way to get technologies out for the benefit of society."

The cloud-based software not only designs DNA construction protocols, it will compare methods to determine the one that is most cost-effective, weighing, for example, if it is cheaper to outsource a portion of the DNA construction.The more complex the task, the more time and money the program can save. The greatest savings are with combinatorial libraries, collections of hundreds to millions of related DNA assemblies, each with a different combination of genes or parts that perform similar functions in different organisms.

For example, simple construction of a metabolic pathway that takes two and a half weeks and costs $1,400 using traditional cloning can be cut down to two weeks and less than half the cost with j5. A more complex task of constructing a combinatorial protein library (with 243 constructs) would drop from $122,000 and 11 months with traditional cloning to under $30,000 and 1.5 months with j5. The same task using direct DNA synthesis would cost $538,000 and take 2.3 months.

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Posted in DNA

DNA on gun matches Thompson’s, expert testifies at trial

DNA found on the gun allegedly used to murder a Dartmouth taxi driver matches that of Chaze Lamar Thompson, a Halifax jury was told Tuesday.

Michelle Fisher, an expert in forensic DNA analysis, testified that theres a one-in-79-million chance that DNA swabbed from the grip of the gun belongs to a black Canadian other than Thompson.

The 22-year-old Thompson is on trial in Nova Scotia Supreme Court for first-degree murder in the death of Sergei Kostin, a driver for Bobs Taxi.

Thompson, of Dartmouth, is accused of shooting Kostin in the head from the back seat of his cab on Johnson Road in Cherry Brook on the afternoon of Jan. 17, 2009.

Kostins burned-out cab was discovered three days later, parked in woods at the end of Downey Road in North Preston.

His body was found that April 1 under the roots of a fallen tree along Upper Governor Street in North Preston.

Wayne McAvoy, Thompsons first cousin, led police to the body and was given immunity from prosecution after agreeing to testify for the Crown.

McAvoy said a gun found by police at Thompsons sisters apartment in Dartmouth in February 2009 was the murder weapon.

Part of the gun was in a couch and part was by a refrigerator.

Fisher testified Tuesday that of five swabs taken from the gun, only one was suitable for a meaningful comparison. The swab was from both sides of the guns grip.

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Polo Biology Completes Sale of its Operating Subsidiary; Listing to be moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture …

VANCOUVER , Oct. 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Polo Biology Global Group Corporation (the "Company") (PGG.V) announced today that it has completed the sale of its active business (see the Company's August 17 , July 24 , and June 6, 2012 news releases for further details), for gross proceeds of CDN$760,000.00. As the Company now has no active business, its listing is being moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). In continuing with its reorganization, management is proceeding with a 1:10 consolidation of capital and name change. The consolidation of capital and move to the NEX are subject to approval of the Exchange. Management members are also actively pursuing business opportunities with a view to making an acquisition that will qualify the Company, at a minimum, for listing on Tier 2 of the Exchange.

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the plans for completion of the disposition of all or substantially all of the Company's undertaking, future plans and objectives of the Company, estimation of profitability, the timing and content of upcoming business plans, capital expenditures, success of business operations, risks, and limitations on insurance coverage. In certain cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, delays in obtaining regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; delays in obtaining shareholder approval; risks related to international operations; actual results of planned expansion activities; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; future prices of supplies and market prices for products; exchange rates for Canadian, Chinese and any other currencies material to the Company's businesses; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the industries that the Company is currently operating in; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financings or in the completion of development activities; Chinese government policies impacting the Company's businesses; general economic, market or business conditions. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or information made in this news release, except as required under applicable securities legislation.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its "Regulation Services Provider", as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release.

SOURCE: Polo Biology Global Group Corporation

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Polo Biology Completes Sale of its Operating Subsidiary; Listing to be moved to the NEX Board of the TSX Venture ...

Simple reaction makes the building blocks of a nucleic acid

Origin-of-life researchers face a deceptively straightforward question: how did simple chemicals produce complex biochemistry? The complexity of this starts to come in when you consider the many complex biomolecules that would have been useful or essential to the first biochemical reactions. And it gets worse when you consider that there are lots of simple organic chemicals that plausibly could have been present on the early Earth. Figuring out which reactions to even start looking at can be a real challenge.

The extent of that challenge was highlighted a few years back, when a Cambridge lab suggested most earlier researchers had gone down a dead end. Previously, researchers tried to build up a sugar and a nucleic acid base separately, and then link to them from precursors of DNA and RNA. But the group from Cambridge showed it was possible to build relatively simple compounds into a three-ring chemical that could then be converted into cytosine, an RNA component. Now, they've revisited that work and shown that all of the precursors of that reaction can be made with little more than cyanide.

The reaction the group reported back in 2009 only required a set of two or three carbon precursors, but these molecules were already somewhat complex: cyanamide, cyanoacetylene, glycolaldehyde, and glyceraldehyde. We don't know that all of these chemicals would be common on a pre-biotic Earth, which leaves its relevance to the origin of life a somewhat open question.

In a new paper, the same lab tackles forming the simple, two- and three-atom sugars used in their earlier work (glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde). To get there, they started with nothing more complex than hydrogen cyanide, a simple molecule comprised of one atom each of hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen. Hydrogen cyanide forms readily under a variety of conditions, and has been found on several bodies in our Solar System, as well as in the interstellar medium.

The authors were intrigued by reports in the literature of a cycle that involves a set of six cyanide molecules, coordinated by two copper atoms. In a water solution, this complex can cycle, driven by ultraviolet light, through a set of reactions that alternately spit out cyanide, protons, and electrons. These electrons get temporarily attached to water molecules, and typically end up being taken up by a scavenger molecule, typically nitrate. However, some reports in the literature noted that, when nitrate isn't added to the reaction, some undefined larger molecules formed.

The authors went back and checked these reaction products, and found that they included both glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehydethe two chemicals that were key building blocks of the reaction that produced the RNA precursor. And all the reaction required was copper ions and some UV light.

If left to continue cycling, the products of the reaction also included some more complex, five-atom ringed structures that incorporate nitrogen and oxygen in the ring. But the authors suspect that with the right conditionsnamely the ones identified in the earlier paperthe products of this new cycle could be sent directly on to form cytosine. They also suggest the addition of other metals could shift the products to additional chemicals that may have biological relevance.

Hopefully, it's safe to assume the lab already has these projects in the works.

Nature Chemistry, 2012. DOI: 10.1038/NCHEM.1467 (About DOIs).

John Timmer / John became Ars Technica's science editor in 2007 after spending 15 years doing biology research at places like Berkeley and Cornell.

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Tellagence Launches Industry-First Technology to Predict Network Behavior

PORTLAND, OR and SANTA CLARA, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 2, 2012) - DEMO Fall 2012 - Tellagence today is launching a new technology able to predict how information moves across and within any network: social networks, enterprise networks, and eventually, closed networks like the government.The company's first product, Tellagence for Twitter, will be unveiled today at DEMO.

Tellagence is the first enterprise technology to successfully unite human behavioral science with big data computer modeling. By injecting context into the analysis of online connections and conversations, Tellagence can accurately determine the ideal online relationships and most relevant network equations that will motivate individuals to pass along, and ultimately lead people to act upon, your messages.

While many businesses use social media to communicate to their audiences, information delivery is typically based on two flawed practices: Intuition (or gut), which does not systematically analyze relationship context; or Influencers, which blindly targets individuals based on the number of followers they have in an assigned nexus.

Tellagence uniquely bases its solution on the science of human behavior, and is able to:

The result: Tellagence can accurately predict -- and thus identify -- the perfect combination of relationships and information for the most effective, and efficient, delivery of a message.

"Ironically, it is our understanding of the constant presence of change among online relationships that allows us to drive more accurate, effective message delivery," said Matt Hixson, CEO and co-founder of Tellagence. "We are able to effectively predict word of mouth behavior within the millions of big data transactions and help companies predict how to extend their messages and reach their most effective and natural advocates.

"It's like the weather. Just because it rained the last five days doesn't mean it will rain tomorrow.And just because someone talked about, say, the iPhone 5 last week doesn't mean they will talk about it next week.We can help predict the weather for communications, essentially.Many companies are trying, but to our knowledge we are the only company that has successfully taken data prediction to this level and scope."

Tellagence is currently in beta with several major enterprise companies as well as social and interactive agencies.

For a complete look at information on Tellagence, visit our online press page at: Tellagence.com/the-company

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Rwandan Ambassador to Address First Graduating Class at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Washington, D …

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Washington, D.C. campus of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) the largest nonprofit, private graduate school devoted exclusively to psychology and related behavioral science will hold its first commencement ceremony October 12 with keynote speaker The Honorable James Kimonyo, ambassador of Rwanda to the U.S. The graduates will be comprised of nearly all women and at least half minority, and will be earning master's degrees in counseling and forensic psychology.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100518/DC07134LOGO)

"The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is honored to have such a distinguished diplomat as Ambassador Kimonyo to provide instrumental guidance to our first graduating class," said Orlando Taylor, Ph.D., president of TCSPP Washington, D.C. campus. "Our students are walking away with not just degrees, but also a global perspective that gives them priceless opportunities to apply their knowledge in diverse communities anywhere in the world."

The institution's Washington campus serves approximately 300 students a little more than 40 percent are African American and nearly 80 percent women and the population is growing exponentially as more students from the local region and nationally enroll at the richly diverse campus.

"We are extremely proud of our first group of students to graduate at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology's Washington, D.C. campus," said Dr. Michele Nealon-Woods, TCSPP's national president. "They are now equipped with invaluable tools from both the classroom and thousands of hours of real-world experience to serve diverse communities and make a truly meaningful difference."

The campus is also preparing to launch its "Center for African Psychology" early next year, where students will have the opportunity to broaden their perspective by visiting African countries to study diverse cultures, and the campus, in turn, will host international students, faculty and partners. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology has a growing international student body with students attending the institution from more than 30 countries. The institution recently announced the winners of its first Global Impact Scholarship, which encourages students to share their journey from their home country, and explore how their experiences combined with their education can give them the tools to apply psychological principles to international settings.

About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (TCSPP) is the largest nonprofit, private graduate school devoted exclusively to psychology and related behavioral sciences. It serves more than 4,300 students across campuses in Chicago; Southern California (L.A., Irvine, Westwood); and Washington D.C. The institution is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and its Clinical Psychology doctoral program in Chicago is accredited by the American Psychological Association. A member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, TCSPP is recognized for its distinguished service and outstanding contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy. Its community service initiatives have also earned it recognition on the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for five consecutive years. With more than 20 graduate degree programs, thousands of hours of real-world training, and a wealth of international opportunities, TCSPP is a leader in professional psychology education. To learn more, visit http://www.thechicagoschool.edu.

Contact: Carol Soudah (213) 615-7292 csoudah@thechicagoschool.edu

SOURCE The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

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Anthony M. Payne named to the founding faculty of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

HAMDEN, Conn., Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Anthony M. Payne has been appointed to the founding faculty of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

In his new position, Payne will be responsible for teaching physiology, histology and gross anatomy at Connecticut's newest medical school, which is expected to open on Quinnipiac's North Haven Campus. Before coming to Quinnipiac, Payne was a lecturer in the Anatomy and Cell Biology Department at the University of Florida.

"This is a tremendous opportunity," Payne said. "It's rare to have one's educational pursuits be valued so highly."

Payne earned a doctorate in physiology from Wake Forest University. He also holds a master's degree in exercise physiology from the University of Florida and a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Winthrop University. He is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American Association of Anatomists.

"I am delighted that Anthony has joined the School of Medicine," said Dr. Bruce Koeppen, founding dean of the school. "He brings the school expertise in physiology, anatomy and histology, all of which are core disciplines in our curriculum."

The Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2013, pending preliminary accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education .

The medical school, which will train primary care physicians, is aiming to become a national model of interprofessional health professions education and improve the way health care is delivered. Medical students at Quinnipiac will be part of a learning environment where they will interact with students from Quinnipiac's School of Health Sciences and School of Nursing to learn to become effective members of a primary health care team.

Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 6,200 full-time undergraduate and 2,300 graduate students in 58 undergraduate and more than 20 graduate programs of study in its School of Business and Engineering, School of Communications, School of Education, School of Health Sciences, School of Law, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine, School of Nursing and College of Arts and Sciences.

SOURCE Quinnipiac University

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Anthony M. Payne named to the founding faculty of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

USCAP’s MyPath™ Announces Digital Partnership with the National Institute of Health’s PubMed

MyPath software empowers the global pathology community to quickly access scattered and ever changing information critical to diagnostic pathology. Today, our new collaboration with PubMed, which contains the National Health Institutes vast biomedical resources, continues MyPath and the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathologys (USCAP) commitment to being the resource for pathology practitioners, education and professional collaboration.

Augusta, GA (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

Today, MyPath becomes a stronger tool with the announcement of USCAPs partnership with the National Institute of Healths Pub Med library. This collaboration makes all of NIHs vast biomedical resources instantly available to MyPath and USCAP members. More importantly, content available through PubMed is also available to MyPath users to store in their own personal files, make comments, and read the comments of others including those from leading experts. This truly is a game changer for the global pathology community. It has never been easier to access the worlds premiere pathology and biomedical information, commented Jeffrey L. Myers, M.D., Chair of USCAPS Innovative Educational Products Committee.

My goal is to grow USCAPs leadership in pathology education, said USCAP Executive Vice President Bruce Smoller, We were pleased to recently announce receiving ACCMEs highest recognition for all of USCAPs educational courses. Now these courses are readily accessible through MyPath on iPad and computer, anytime, anywhere.

To connect with MyPath, log on to http://www.MyPath .uscap.org.

Company Information:

The United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology (USCAP) is the leader of pathology education excellence. Dedicated to creating and disseminating pathology research, education and collaboration, USCAP empowers doctors with the latest advances to improve their daily practices. The USCAP website: http://www.uscap.org.

jeff monks

706.733.7550 Email Information

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USCAP’s MyPath™ Announces Digital Partnership with the National Institute of Health’s PubMed

Choose Highly Definitive Antibodies for IHC with the new Leica Biosystems Novocastra HD Menu for Breast Pathology

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England, October 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Leica Biosystems announces the availability of the Novocastra HD menu for breast pathology, the first portfolio of independently qualified* antibodies from the new Novocastra HD range. Together with the FDA approval of the Leica BOND Oracle HER2 IHC System on April 18, 2012, this new menu affirms Leica Biosystems' position as a premier supplier of the most clinically important IHC systems and reagents for the diagnosis of breast cancer.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121001/564961 )

The Novocastra HD menu for breast pathology comprises 37 products, developed following extensive research with pathologists and laboratory staff from around the globe. Novocastra HD products have been independently evaluated* by NordiQC in comparison with leading equivalents. Staining performance in Ready-to-Use format has been optimized on BOND instrumentation, delivering the crucial diagnostic confidence that underpins every patient diagnosis. Pathologists and laboratories can confidently select any Novocastra HD product, knowing that it has been externally benchmarked against leading equivalents for staining quality and diagnostic performance.

'Leica Biosystems strives to achieve the utmost customer satisfaction and improvement in patient care through the pursuit of excellence in quality', says Arnd Kaldowski, President of Leica Biosystems. 'The new Novocastra HD menu for breast pathology was developed to meet our customers' need for clinically relevant antibodies that deliver high quality staining and results patients can depend on.'

The Novocastra HD breast pathology menu of IHC antibodies comprises twelve[#] clones in a range of formats and volumes. Many BOND Ready-to-Use antibodies come in two sizes: 7 mL and a new 30 mL size for higher usage requirements. Liquid concentrates are available in an expanded range of sizes from 0.1 mL to 2 mL.

The Novocastra HD menu for breast pathology will be available for sale in the USA and EU from September 2012. Availablility in other regions will follow.

Leica Biosystems offers histopathology laboratories the most extensive product range with appropriate products for each work step in histology and for a high level of productivity in the working processes of the entire laboratory.

The company is represented in over 100 countries with 12 manufacturing facilities in 7 countries, sales and service organizations in 19 countries and an international network of dealers. The company is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany.

http://www.LeicaBiosystems.com

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Choose Highly Definitive Antibodies for IHC with the new Leica Biosystems Novocastra HD Menu for Breast Pathology

Nutrition North program in full effect

The Nutrition North Canada program comes into full effect today.

The program was rolled out slowly to make for a smooth transition from the old food mail program.

As of today, many non-perishable items like canned soups, canned vegetables and dry rice and pasta are no longer subsidized.

Retailers have been preparing for today's deadline for months, so prices won't jump instantly.

The North West Company owns and operates many grocery stores in Nunavut and the N.W.T. It has already secured an extra two months' supply of those non-perishables by sealift to Nunavut.

Michael McMullen, the companys vice president of northern retail, said the company has also cut down on the number of brands it carries to make room for the larger sealift order instead of building a new warehouse.

We would rather be more efficient with the resources we have available than invest money needlessly and be in a position of having to pass on those costs of construction to the customer, said McMullen.

McMullen said if prices do increase, it wouldn't be until late spring or early summer.

"It's not October 1 so much that we worry about. It's more as the sealift supply dwindles, it's more did we gauge the customer demand correctly."

Shoppers will have to wait until mid-2013 to see any potential impact on prices.

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Intertek: Cargill Feed & Nutrition Indonesia achieves prestigious GlobalGAP certification

JAKARTA--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- Cargill Feed & Nutrition (CFN) is a market leader in providing feeding programs and on-farm solutions to Indonesias growing aquaculture industry.

Having recently completed a comprehensive assessment by Intertek, an independent accredited certification body, the Cargill plant in Medan, Indonesia is the first in the group to be awarded the GlobalGAP certification for Compound Feed Manufacturing.

The GlobalGAP Standard for Compound Feed Manufacturing Version 2.1 is a reference for Good Manufacturing Practice and covers all aspects of feed manufacturing from raw material sourcing to the finished feed products used on farm. Feed sourced from a GlobalGAP certified plant is a requirement for aquaculture production, and is a demonstration of Cargills commitment to provide safe and nutritional feed solutions to its customers as part of a responsible food supply chain.

Erwin Sanusi, Cargills Total Quality Management Manager, commented: Achieving the GlobalGAP standard is aligned with Cargills strategy to support our customers need in improve food safety and promoting sustainable sourcing practices. Our manufacturing processes are built upon best practices from the Cargill group for safety, security and traceability.

Beate Heidorn, Certification Manager, Intertek Food Services, stated that her team was impressed with the overall professionalism and clear understanding of food safety that the Cargill employees showed. Earning the GlobalGAP Standard for Compound Feed Manufacturing demonstrates the strengths of Cargills internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and its employees discipline in fully supporting these. This achievement shows the positive manner in which the entire business collaborates internally as well as externally with outside stakeholders.

About Cargill in Indonesia

Cargill began doing business in Indonesia in 1974 by establishing a feed mill in Bogor, West Java. Today, Cargill - which is headquartered in Jakarta - has over 10,000 employees and offices, manufacturing plants and facilities throughout the country. Business units comprise animal nutrition, cocoa, grain and oilseeds, palm oil, and sugar. Cargill is a responsible corporate citizen of Indonesia, and its local programs foster responsible and sustainable development, help protect the environment and nourish the people and possibilities that reside in local communities. For more information visit http://www.cargill.co.id

About Cargill Feed & Nutrition Indonesia

Cargill Feed Nutrition (CFN) is one of Cargill Business Unit in Indonesia. It is one of players in providing feeding programs and on-farm solutions to Indonesias livestock and aquaculture industries. CFN, Indonesia operates six modern feed mills producing high quality customized feed products. The companys portfolio includes poultry (layer and broiler), swine, dairy and aquaculture feeding programs and on-farm technical support.

About GlobalGAP

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Intertek: Cargill Feed & Nutrition Indonesia achieves prestigious GlobalGAP certification

Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act

The American Nutrition Association is hosting a panel discussion titled, "Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act." Panelists include: Joe Walsh, Congressman from the Illinois 8th District; Joseph Mercola, D.O., a renowned physician; Barbara Bellar, MD, JD, MA, an Illinois State Senate candidate; and Laura Minzer, executive director, Healthcare Council, Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

Palatine, IL (PRWEB) October 01, 2012

The esteemed forum panelists are:

The president of the ANA - Michael Stroka, JD, MBA, MS, CCN, CNS, will moderate.

The goal of the forum is to have a respectful discussion about aspects of the Affordable Care Act which relate to nutrition, prevention and integrative medicine, Stroka said. We want to educate both the public and our local and national representatives about this massively complex piece of legislation and just how it will influence preventative care, specifically nutritional counseling and integrative medicine. We will present facts, voice concerns and listen carefully to opinions from our panelists and answer questions from audience members.

Congressman Joe Walsh of the 8th District of Illinois has been invited to participate so that he may share his efforts on patient-centered reforms in health care and hear public concerns related to prevention within the Affordable Care Act.

Dr. Joseph Mercola is a world renowned physician based in Chicago. Dr. Mercola sits on the professional advisory board of the ANA and is an expert in nutrition and its role in disease prevention.

Barbara Bellar is both a medical doctor and lawyer and has comprehensive knowledge of the Affordable Care Act (sometimes referred to as Obamacare).

Laura Minzer, in her leadership role with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, spearheads collaborative response to state-level health reform (Affordable Care Act.)

Tammy Duckworth, Democratic candidate for U.S. Representative from the 8th District of Illinois, was invited to be a panelist, but she has another commitment.

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Nutrition, Prevention and the Affordable Care Act

Nutrition North Canada Subsidized Foods List Takes Effect Today

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - The Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, announced today the implementation of the Nutrition North Canada subsidized foods list.

"For years Northerners have asked for a better alternative to the old Food Mail Program. Nutrition North Canada focuses its highest subsidy on the most nutritious, perishable foods such as fresh fruit, frozen vegetables, milk and eggs," said Minister Duncan. "The subsidized foods list implemented today reflects input received from the Nutrition North Canada Advisory Board, Northerners, nutritionists at Health Canada and other sources."

The Government of Canada has implemented accountability measures for retailers and suppliers, and compliance audits confirm that they are complying with the program. Prices have dropped by as much as 37 percent on some products, such as two litre containers of milk, and on average, there has been an eight percent drop in the cost of the Northern food basket.

"Our Government is ensuring that Northerners have improved access to quality, nutritious food," added Minister Duncan. "We are seeing stronger partnerships between communities and local stores to promote healthy eating, more opportunities for communities to learn about healthy eating and gain cooking skills, and broadened outreach to youth."

Nutrition North Canada is also funding community based nutrition education activities to increase knowledge of healthy eating and develop skills for selecting and preparing healthy foods. Nutrition education activities are underway across the North that include cooking classes, knowledge sharing on country or traditional foods between elders and youth, and healthy food tastings in local stores.

Family-friendly staples such as cheese spreads, side bacon and ice-cream are also on the subsidized foods list. The foods list, data and pricing reports, frequently asked questions and more information can be found on the Nutrition North Canada website.

The Nutrition North Canada Program is delivered in isolated, northern communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Data Reports

This release is also available on the Internet at http://www.aandc.gc.ca.

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Nutrition North Canada Subsidized Foods List Takes Effect Today

Complete Nutrition Teams Up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation

OMAHA, Neb., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Complete Nutrition, a nutritional supplement retailer known for its consultative approach to health and fitness, is partnering with the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

As part of the "Empowered Pink Out" campaign, participating Complete Nutrition stores will collect donations from its customers on behalf of NBCF. As an incentive to donate, Complete Nutrition will reward customers with Complete Cash, a store credit equal to their donation amount up to $50. Customers who donate can apply the store credit to more than 200 Complete Nutrition-brand general health, weight-loss and sports nutrition products.

"This campaign will provide funding to support our mammogram and educational programs.We thank Complete Nutrition for their sponsorship and partnership," said Brent Hail, Senior VP of Development for NBCF.

Several stores will hold two-day "Pink Out" events to raise more money, offering customers store credit worth double their donation amount up to $50.

"This is a win-win partnership for everyone involved," said Amy Bailey, Complete Nutrition director of marketing. "Our customers can continue making positive life changes, only now they'll have the chance to directly support the National Breast Cancer Foundation."

For more information on Complete Nutrition, visit http://www.completenutrition.com. For more information on NBCF, visit: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org.

About Complete Nutrition

Complete Nutrition is a network of high quality nutritional supplement retail stores whose mission is to create a safe and effective weight management, sports nutrition, and healthy aging program to help customers look better, feel better, and perform better. Since 2005, Complete Nutrition has been helping people achieve their health and wellness goals by offering exclusive supplements at affordable prices. Staff members are athletes, certified personal trainers, nutritionists, and other people with experience in the health and fitness supplement retail industry. Founder Cory Wiedel and President Ryan Zink were named finalists of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2012 Central Midwest award. Complete Nutrition recently earned the following top honors from Entrepreneur Magazine in 2012: Franchise 500 award recipient, No. 2 Top New Franchise, No. 36 Fastest-Growing Franchise. Additionally, Complete Nutrition was named to the 2011 Allbusiness.com AllStar Franchises Top 300 list. For more information about Complete Nutrition, call 866-366-5766 or visit http://www.CompleteNutrition.com.

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Complete Nutrition Teams Up with the National Breast Cancer Foundation

Leading Microbiology Expert Joins BD Diagnostics in Maryland

SPARKS, Md., Oct. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --BD Diagnostics, a segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), announced today that Paul Bourbeau, Ph.D. has joined the Company as Director, North American Scientific Affairs, BD Diagnostics Diagnostic Systems.

Dr. Bourbeau brings experience from an impressive career in academics and clinical laboratory practice, most recently serving as Director of Microbiology, Geisinger Medical Laboratories, Danville, PA. In his new role, Dr. Bourbeau will leverage his clinical and scientific expertise to guide the molecular diagnostic and laboratory automation programs. He will be based in the Company's Sparks, MD office.

"We are very pleased to have a leading expert in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases, such as Dr. Bourbeau, joining our team," said Patrick Murray, Ph.D., Worldwide Director of Scientific Affairs, BD Diagnostics Diagnostic Systems. "His clinical perspective will be a great addition to BD as we launch our BD MAX System, BD Viper System, and BD Kiestra Microbiology Lab Automation platforms."

While at the Geisinger Medical Laboratories, Dr. Bourbeau oversaw the clinical and research programs in Microbiology, served on numerous local and national scientific committees and is currently Associate Editor, Journal of Clinical Microbiology. He received his Ph.D. degree in Microbiology at Temple University School of Medicine and completed postgraduate training in Clinical Microbiology at Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT.

About BDBD is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people's health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD's capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world's most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 29,000 associates in more than 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public. For more information, please visit http://www.bd.com.

Contact:Jamie Yacco Public Relations (201) 847-4796 Jamie_Yacco@bd.com

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Leading Microbiology Expert Joins BD Diagnostics in Maryland

The Center for Productive Longevity Announces Winners of the Nationwide Later-Life Story Contest

BOULDER, CO--(Marketwire - Oct 1, 2012) - The Center for Productive Longevity (CPL) is pleased to announce the winners of its Later-Life Story Contest, which was created to demonstrate that older people can continue to lead successful and inspirational lives. Barbara M. Traynor was chosen for the Inspirational Life Story category and Lynn Brooks for her Entrepreneurship Success Story. Both entries are available to read online at http://www.ctrpl.org/later-life-story-contest-winners. A panel of three independent judges selected the winners from many fascinating stories sent in by people 50 and older. Lynn and Barbara will each receive a prize of $1,000 and a specially designed display trophy.

In Lynn Brooks' winning essay, she wrote about beginning an organization in 1992 at age 59 called Big Apple Greeter in New York City. It is a non-profit that pairs visitors to NYC with volunteer greeters who explore the city together. This was the first "Welcome Visitor" program of its kind in the country. Today, the organization is extremely successful, but it was a challenging journey along the way. Lacking funding, support and computer skills, but holding onto a will to succeed, Lynn overcame many challenges.

Her story describes how far the organization has come. "Today we have more than 300 Greeters -- most are over 55, more than 50% work, many are multilingual, some are blind or use wheelchairs. They are ready, rain or shine, to spend two to four hours with visitors, showing them our people, culture and diversity."

Lynn also shared wonderful metrics. "In terms of success, our cup runneth over. We've had more than 120,000 visitors since we started. We've generated over two billion positive, world-wide media impressions about New York City. Ninety-five percent of our visitors give us 'extraordinary' evaluations. Our volunteer retention rate is incredibly high. We've been called the most cost-effective public relations arm in the city. We've been widely recognized, starting in our early years, with awards that run the gamut from corporations to city government, and in January we will receive the prestigious 2012 Hotel Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award." To read her story, visit: http://www.ctrpl.org/later-life-story-contest-winners.

Barbara M. Traynor's story begins with a situation that sounds familiar to many people. Yet she took some giant leaps of faith to change her life forever.

"Walking provides impetus to ponder. My 65th birthday was hovering. I was not feeling old, but sixty-five? That's major!Why I chose to walk the beach on a frigid winter afternoon is questionable, however with boots crunching on the frozen sand, gloved hands balled into my pockets, I reviewed my six-odd decades. Married at nineteen, three children by twenty-seven, moved eighteen times with a grass-is-greener spouse -- instant on-the-job-training in how to deal with transition -- and divorced after seventeen years.

"Working as an administrative assistant for over forty-five years, single mother raising three children, generated an abundant desire for freedom and travel but little savings and no pension. Life was crammed with drama and trauma. Income matched outgo. I would have to live on Social Security income alone. I screamed into the thundering surf, 'How can I afford to go anywhere? When is it my turn?' Surprise! Someone was listening.

"Arriving home, I checked my email. A message from Alaska cajoled: How about becoming a long-distance, long-term volunteer? Hmmmm -- it seemed that some organizations supplement their staff with volunteers, offering free room and board in exchange for workplace skills? WOW! That I could spend my over 65 'mystery' years this way inspired my imagination. My frozen fingers tingled. I began to rethink retirement."

At age 65, Barbara retired and drove to Alaska from Connecticut with a mission and copious notes about sites to visit along the way. The journey to be a volunteer exploded into becoming a journalist, author and speaker as well. Read her story, chock-full of adventure and inspiration at: http://www.ctrpl.org/later-life-story-contest-winners.

CPL will also select a variety of other inspirational and touching entries to post on its website.

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The Center for Productive Longevity Announces Winners of the Nationwide Later-Life Story Contest

New study highlights the role of testosterone in longevity

In the industrialized world, women live at least five years longer, on average, than men. Scientists have attributed that difference to everything from healthier habits to hardier cells. Now, a study that analyzes the longevity of eunuchs, or castrated men, suggests that testosterone may play a part in shortening mens lives.

The idea that testosterone, the male sex hormone, affects life span isnt new. Neutered dogs and other animals that have had their sources of testosterone removed often live longer than their intact counterparts. But studies on the connection between castration and longevity in humans are harder to come by, and the results have been inconclusive. A 1969 study of institutionalized patients in Kansas found that castrated men lived an average of 14 years longer than other men in the same facility, but a 1993 study of Italian castrati (singers castrated as boys to preserve their high voices) found nothing unusual about their longevity.

Almost five years ago, biologist Kyung-Jin Min of Inha University in Inchon, South Korea, found himself considering this lack of data while watching a TV drama about eunuchs. Min began to wonder if Koreas rich historical records could shed light on the link between castration and longevity in humans.

Until the late 19th century, Korean rulers employed eunuchs to serve the royal court. These eunuchs were allowed to marry and adopt castrated boys as their sons. The Yang-Se-Gye-Bo, a genealogical record of the eunuch families, has survived, and it documents the birth and death dates and other personal details of 385 eunuchs who lived between the mid-16th century and the mid-19th century.

Min and colleagues from the National Institute of Korean History and Korea University began to pore over the Yang-Se-Gye-Bo. After painstakingly comparing it with other historical records, the team was able to identify and verify life spans for 81 of the listed eunuchs. To rule out the effects of cushy conditions on longevity, they compared the eunuchs life spans to those of uncastrated men of similar social status living at the same time. The eunuchs outlived their uncastrated contemporaries by 14 to 19 years, the researchers report online in the journal Current Biology.

The eunuch group also boasted three centenarians among the 81 verified life spans, an unusual number considering that the current incidence of centenarians is just one in 3,500 in Japan and one in 4,400 in the United States.

I thought there were errors in our data and checked everything again, Min says. I was quite surprised by the big difference in longevity and the number of centenarians.

The study doesnt directly explain why the eunuchs lived so much longer, but it provides the strongest evidence yet that testosterone the key difference between the eunuchs and their peers in this study and a proxy for the difference between women and men plays a role, says Steven Austad, a biogerontologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, who was not involved in Mins study.

This is the most thorough, well-controlled study of its kind, Austad says. The sex difference in aging and longevity is an almost unexplored area, and this study highlights that testosterone is part of the issue.

Identifying all the factors that contribute to the difference in longevity between men and women may help researchers find ways to temper their effects, Austad says. That, in turn, could help men live longer without losing any body parts in the process.

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New study highlights the role of testosterone in longevity

Do You Want To Know Your DNA's Secrets?

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. A process that took squadrons of scientists several years and billions of dollars may soon be part of medical routine. Recent advances now make it possible to unravel a person's complete genetic code in a matter of weeks, for roughly about the cost of an MRI.

Doctors can use that genome sequence to help diagnose and treat patients with mysterious or hidden conditions. But these advantages come with questions, too, about ethics, about accuracy, about usefulness and about costs. So what do you want to know from your genetic code? Give us a call: 800-989-8255. Email us: talk@npr.org. You can also join the conversation on our website. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION.

Later in the program, President Bill Pullman, from "Independence Day" to "1600 Penn." But first, NPR's science correspondent Rob Stein joins us here in Studio 3A.

Nice to have you back on TALK OF THE NATION, Rob.

ROB STEIN, BYLINE: Oh, nice to be here, Neal.

CONAN: And what's driving this speed-up in the genetic code process?

STEIN: Yeah, it's really been kind of a revolution in the ability to decode the genetic code. It wasn't that long ago that, as you said, it took hundreds of scientists, and it cost something like $3 billion just to get a rough draft of the first genetic blueprint. And what's happened over the last 12 years or so is that technology's really gone kind of crazy, and it's a combination of computing power and new techniques for - in optics and some chemical processes that can really speed up the process unbelievably.

And now it can take, as you said, a matter of weeks, and there is even some talk that there's some new techniques that could bring it down to just a matter of days, or even hours, potentially.

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Do You Want To Know Your DNA's Secrets?

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IntegenX Announces U.S. Launch of the RapidHIT™ 200 System – Rapid DNA Technology That Will Revolutionize the Use of …

SAN DIEGO & PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

IntegenX Inc., a leading developer of rapid human DNA identification technology, today announced the commercial availability of its RapidHIT 200 Human DNA Identification System in the U.S. at the 2012 International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference and Exposition in San Diego, California. Representatives from IntegenX are on site at the meeting to demonstrate the self-contained desktop system, which is the first commercially available rapid DNA device.

Rapid DNA analysis is a transformative technology that promises to fundamentally change the way investigations are conducted by enabling law enforcement personnel to quickly and definitively link a suspects DNA to a crime scene, or eliminate suspicion, all while the suspect is still in police custody.

The RapidHIT 200 System provides actionable intelligence by automating and accelerating the process of producing standardized DNA profiles from cheek swabs in about 90 minutes. This is compared to a process that currently takes up to eight instruments and at least a day in a specialized lab, with results typically returned to police in weeks to months.

Stevan Jovanovich, President and Chief Executive Officer of IntegenX commented: The availability of this technology now will revolutionize the use of DNA in law enforcement. We see the implementation of rapid DNA as reinforcing the partnership between crime labs and police putting more power in their hands to get DNA results faster. Law enforcement agencies have been waiting a long time for this capability. We are proud to be the first to deliver it and to say Rapid DNA is here!

Numerous international law enforcement and security agencies use DNA-based human identification to make informed decisions regarding the arrest, detention or release of suspects, as well as to analyze crime scene evidence. By integrating what was until now a multi-step, multi-system process, rapid DNA technology has the potential to accelerate and expand the use of proven DNA technologies to help the efforts of law enforcement, homeland security, and defense to create safer communities and a safer world.

One of the first police departments to place an order for the RapidHIT 200 System is Palm Bay, Florida, an organization known for its progressive use of DNA to solve high volume crimes.

We are extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far using DNA, and expect the RapidHIT 200 System to greatly accelerate our efforts, said Doug Muldoon, Police Chief of Palm Bay. Based on our experience, the more we can use this ultimate identification tool in our work, the more our crime rates go down and our case closure rates go up. That is good news for creating safer communities for our citizens. Rapid DNA will enhance our methods for dealing with high volume crimes using our locally created database.

This is one of the best crime fighting tools we have seen in decades. It allows law enforcement to identify the bad guys and put them in jail. It also protects the innocent from going to jail for a crime they did not commit, added Chief Muldoon.

Dr. Jovanovich will speak along with Chief Muldoon and the Denver District Attorney, Mitch Morrissey, during a press conference today at the IACP meeting at 9:00 a.m. PT. For more information about IACP, please visit: http://www.theiacpconference.org.

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IntegenX Announces U.S. Launch of the RapidHIT™ 200 System – Rapid DNA Technology That Will Revolutionize the Use of ...

Posted in DNA