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DNA Testing is Constitutional, Rules U.S. Appeals Court

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

(REUTERS) - California law enforcement officers can continue collecting DNA samples from adults arrested for felonies, a federal appeals court ruled.

A divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that a 2004 California law requiring officials to collect the DNA samples does not violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches.

"DNA analysis is an extraordinarily effective tool for law enforcement to identify arrestees, solve past crimes, and exonerate innocent suspects," Judge Milan Smith wrote for the 2-1 majority. The government's interests in the genetic information outweigh any privacy concerns, the majority concluded.

The DNA samples, from a swab of an inmate's cheek, are analyzed for certain identifying markers and the information is then stored in a nationwide database. Someone who is tested and not convicted can ask to have the sample destroyed and their DNA profile removed from the database.

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Four California residents, who had been arrested for felonies but who were not convicted, filed a class action in 2009 against officials who run the state's DNA collection system. They asked the court to issue an order barring California from collecting DNA samples from people who were arrested but not convicted. The district court rejected that request, and the 9th Circuit upheld that decision.

The appeals court found that the arrestees' DNA profiles contained such minimal information that they were comparable to traditional fingerprints.

But Judge William Fletcher dissented. Fingerprints are taken to identify a person upon arrest, whereas DNA samples "are taken solely for an investigative purpose, without a warrant or reasonable suspicion," he wrote.

"The majority allows the government to treat arrestees, who are presumed innocent, as if they've been convicted of some sort of crime," said Michael Risher, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented the plaintiffs. He said his clients would seek review by the full 9th Circuit.

California Attorney General Kamala Harris praised the ruling as "a victory for public safety in California." She said in a statement that the collection of DNA from adult felony arrestees had helped solve thousands of crimes.

Many states, as well as the federal government, have passed laws requiring people who are arrested to provide their DNA. Last year, in United States v. Mitchell, the 3rd Circuit upheld DNA testing as "an accurate, unique, identifying marker - in other words, as fingerprints for the twenty-first century." Ruben Mitchell, who was charged with intent to distribute cocaine, has appealed that case to the Supreme Court.

(Editing by Eddie Evans and Eric Beech)

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DNA Testing is Constitutional, Rules U.S. Appeals Court

Appeals court upholds DNA testing of felony suspects

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

Law enforcement officers may take a DNA sample from anyone arrested on a felony charge without running afoul of the suspect's right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure, a divided federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

The challenge brought by a group of Californians arrested for alleged felonies but never convicted upheld a 2004 amendment to the state's laws governing DNA collection and use.

In a 2-1 ruling, a panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals compared taking an oral swab from a suspect with fingerprinting arrestees, a decades-old booking practice consistently upheld by the courts as a legitimate identification aid.

"We assess the constitutionality of the 2004 amendment by considering the 'totality of the circumstances,' balancing the arrestees' privacy interests against the government's need for the DNA samples," said the opinion written by Judge Milan D. Smith Jr.

"DNA analysis is an extraordinarily effective tool for law enforcement officials to identify arrestees, solve past crimes, and exonerate innocent suspects," wrote Smith, who was named to the court by President George W. Bush, in an opinion joined by a visiting Tennessee judge appointed by President Reagan. "After weighing these factors, we conclude that the government's compelling interests far outweigh arrestees' privacy concerns."

The sole Democratic appointee on the panel, Judge William A. Fletcher, dissented, calling the law authorizing DNA sampling for investigative purposes contrary to Supreme Court and 9th Circuit precedent.

Fletcher, an appointee of President Clinton, noted that three of the four lead plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit had been arrested during demonstrations in the Bay Area in 2009, including a UC Berkeley student protesting tuition hikes and faculty layoffs.

Elizabeth Haskell, another of the plaintiffs represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, was arrested during a peace demonstration in San Francisco three years ago. No charges were filed, but she was threatened with prosecution unless she submitted to the DNA collection. She told the court she considered the swabbing "an intimidation tactic" aimed at stifling her free speech rights.

Michael T. Risher, the ACLU lawyer who argued the case, said a petition for rehearing by the full 9th Circuit was likely and that he expected the judges to be inclined to reconsider the split panel ruling.

"This is clearly an issue where different reasonable judges have differing opinions, and we'll have to see how it ends up," Risher said.

About 300,000 people are arrested for alleged felonies each year in California, and a third are never convicted, Fletcher wrote. Many, including two of the plaintiffs, are never even charged, he added.

Once an arrestee's DNA sample is taken by swabbing the inside of the mouth, it is analyzed to produce a genetic profile of the individual and submitted to the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS, and available to law enforcement from all 50 states and the federal government. Genetic evidence from unsolved crime scenes also resides in the database and is scanned weekly for matches with arrestee profiles.

carol.williams@latimes.com

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Appeals court upholds DNA testing of felony suspects

Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

A federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Thursday that a California law requiring the taking of a DNA sample from every adult arrested for a felony does not violate the Constitution’s prohibition on unreasonable searches.

The panel of the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to uphold the law, which permits the collected samples to be stored in a nationwide database for potential use in future investigations.

Challengers had argued in a class-action lawsuit that the DNA law – passed in 2004 as Proposition 69 – would facilitate the use of their DNA samples in future investigations without the government first obtaining a warrant or reasonable suspicion. They said such actions violate Fourth Amendment privacy protections.

“We conclude that the government’s compelling interests far outweigh arrestees’ privacy concerns,” wrote Judge Milan Smith in a 33-page decision joined by Senior District Judge James Dale Todd.

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In a dissent, Judge William Fletcher said the DNA law ignores an important distinction that he said applies to the collection of fingerprints.

“Fingerprints may be taken from an arrestee in order to identify him – that is, to determine whether he is who he claims to be. But fingerprints may not be taken from an arrestee solely for an investigative purpose, absent a warrant or reasonable suspicion that the fingerprints would help solve the crime for which he was taken into custody,” Judge Fletcher wrote in his 27-page dissent.

“DNA samples are not taken from felony arrestees under Proposition 69 in order to identify them,” he said. “Rather, they are taken solely for an investigative purpose, without a warrant or reasonable suspicion.”

The taking and storage of such DNA samples, solely for future investigations, is invalid under existing legal precedents, Fletcher said.

Fletcher also noted that all four of the plaintiffs were arrested for felonies but none were convicted. Two were not even charged.

Judge Smith said Fletcher’s fingerprint and DNA analogy rested on an “unprecedented and misguided reading of the Fourth Amendment.”

“Were he correct, our entire criminal justice system would be upended,” Smith said. “For example, under our dissenting colleague’s theory, the police could never be allowed to match crime scene fingerprints to databases of prints collected from past arrestees.”

A key issue in the case was the difference between the privacy interests of an arrestee versus the privacy interests of a convicted felon.

Forty-seven states and the federal government authorize DNA collection from all convicted felons, while 22 states and the federal government allow DNA collection as well from at least some arrestees.

Plaintiffs had argued that not all arrestees will be convicted. A mere arrestee maintains a higher level of Fourth Amendment protection from government intrusions than convicted felons, they said.

“We have never allowed the compulsory taking of DNA samples from mere arrestees. We should not begin now,” Fletcher said.

The majority judges countered that the actual DNA collection was a “minor inconvenience” involving a cotton swab scraped along the inside of a subject’s cheek.

Such an intrusion is far less than others in a jail setting, like strip searches and monitored use of the toilet and showers.

Smith said the DNA testing and storage program fulfilled four important government interests. It helped to identify arrestees, solve past crimes, prevent future crimes, and exonerate the innocent.

The majority rejected concerns that DNA data might be misused or contribute to an all-knowing surveillance state. “Although plaintiffs use the phrase ‘DNA profile’ to evoke images of an oppressive ‘Big Brother’ cataloguing our most intimate traits, the reality is far less troubling,” Smith wrote.

California’s law and others include safeguards restricting the use of the data for law enforcement identification purposes only, he said, similar to the use of the fingerprint database.

The California law includes a mechanism for the expunging of DNA data in cases where charges were dropped or the arrestee was acquitted. But Fletcher noted that it is up to the arrestee to expend his or her own time and money to remove the data from the national database.

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Is taking DNA a reasonable search? US judges uphold California law

U.S. appeals court finds DNA testing constitutional

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

(Reuters) - California law enforcement officers can continue collecting DNA samples from adults arrested for felonies, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday.

A divided three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a 2004 California law requiring officials to collect the DNA samples does not violate the U.S. Constitution's ban on unreasonable searches.

The appeals court found that the arrestees' DNA profiles contained such minimal information that they were comparable to traditional fingerprints.

(Reporting by Terry Baynes; editing by Eddie Evans and Eric Beech)

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U.S. appeals court finds DNA testing constitutional

DNA samples of felony arrestees OK, court rules

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

California's voter-approved law requiring police to take DNA samples from anyone arrested on a felony charge is constitutional because it intrudes only minimally on privacy while enhancing the state's ability to solve crimes and clear the innocent, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

DNA sampling is no more invasive than fingerprinting and provides an "extraordinarily effective tool for law enforcement," the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco said in a 2-1 ruling.

Dissenting Judge William Fletcher, however, said fingerprints contain less information than DNA and are used for a different reason - to identify suspects. He said DNA shouldn't be collected from suspects who have already been identified through fingerprints, and haven't been convicted yet, merely to try to connect them to other crimes.

The law, part of a 2004 ballot measure that took effect in 2009, requires police to swab an inner cheek of all felony arrestees for DNA and enter the information in a national database. The previous law required DNA samples from convicted felons.

Those who are not convicted of the new charges within three years can ask a judge to remove their genetic data, but prosecutors can veto that request.

The California Supreme Court is reviewing a separate challenge to the law. Michael Risher, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer, said both cases are headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, along with a federal law allowing officers to take DNA samples from anyone arrested for any federal crime.

Thursday's ruling allows the government to "treat people who have not been convicted of anything, and are presumed innocent, as if they've been found guilty," said Risher, who argued against the DNA law. He said the state has no evidence that "taking (DNA) from people who are not convicted does anything to solve crime."

Attorney General Kamala Harris, whose office defended the law, called the ruling "a victory for public safety." She said DNA from felony arrestees "has assisted law enforcement in solving thousands of crimes."

In Thursday's ruling, Judge Milan Smith said DNA collection is "a minor inconvenience" that is "far less intrusive" than the police-supervised blood extraction from a suspected drunken driver that the Supreme Court approved in 1966.

He said opponents' "images of an oppressive Big Brother" were misplaced. A suspect's DNA profile contains only limited, essential information, the law makes it a crime to misuse the data and innocent suspects can get themselves removed from the database, the judge said.

Fletcher's dissent questioned the effectiveness of those safeguards and said DNA sampling "reveals information about familial relationships," which can be used to broaden police investigations of evidence found at crime scenes.

The ruling can be viewed at http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2012/02/23/10-15152.pdf.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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DNA samples of felony arrestees OK, court rules

Wiley-Blackwell launches 2 interdisciplinary review titles in developmental and membrane biology

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

Public release date: 24-Feb-2012
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Contact: Ben Norman
Lifesciencenews@wiley.com
44-124-377-0375
Wiley-Blackwell

Hoboken, NJ ? February 24, 2012; Wiley-Blackwell, the scientific, technical, medical and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., has launched two new interdisciplinary review publications: WIREs Developmental Biology and WIREs Membrane Transport and Signaling.

WIREs Developmental Biology will focus on how single cells and fertilized eggs produce a complex, fully patterned adult organism. Edited by John C. Gerhart (University of California, Berkeley), Gail R. Martin (University of California, San Francisco) and Eric F. Wieschaus (Princeton University), this new resource is published in partnership with the Society for Developmental Biology(SDB).

WIREs Membrane Transport and Signaling will explore the regulated transport of molecules through cell membranes and the transmission of extracellular signals by cellular receptors. Both are essential processes for cell survival and cell-cell communication. The publication is edited by Alexej Verkhratsky (The University of Manchester) and Maiken Nedergaard (Center for Translational Neuromedicine, University of Rochester).

Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews, known as WIREs, are unique hybrids of encyclopedias and journals which emphasise the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in research and education.

Each title provides authoritative, encyclopaedic coverage of diverse scientific fields with high-quality reviews commissioned from international expert contributors. Each review article is fully citable and qualifies for abstracting, indexing and ISI ranking.

The WIREs model is built around four article types:

Overviews provide broad, relatively non-technical treatment of a core issue. Advanced Reviews are aimed at researchers and advanced students, surveying the literature in a fashion similar to a standard review journal. Opinions express a particular view on a topic that is under current debate. Focus Articles are more technical in nature, homing in on specific examples and implementations of research.

"Developmental biology is intrinsically interdisciplinary, combining embryology, cell biology, genetics, physiology, evolutionary biology, and more. Our affiliation with WIREs will help advance the SDB mission to foster excellence in research and education through communication of key advances in the field," said Ida Chow, Executive Officer of the Society for Developmental Biology.

"We have had a very positive response to the WIREs publishing model from the scientific community," said Sean Pidgeon, Wiley-Blackwell Vice President and Publisher of Life Science Review and Reference Works. "The launch of these two new titles will powerfully reinforce the role of the WIREs in promoting interdisciplinary communication and collaboration."

###

Access to both WIREs titles is free for the first two years. Register here: http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-406102.html

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Wiley-Blackwell launches 2 interdisciplinary review titles in developmental and membrane biology

Saint Leo Students Pursuing Bachelors Degree in Biology Dive into Science with Hands-On Field Work

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

Marine biology class students kayak, snorkel and camp their way through Florida.

Saint Leo, FL (PRWEB) February 24, 2012

This summer, Saint Leo University students pursuing a degree in biology will dive to new learning depths. A nine-week intensive class introducing students to marine biology fieldwork will take learning out of the classroom and into the mangrove swamps, salt marshes and oyster reefs surrounding the Florida university's liberal arts campus.

With its central Florida location providing quick access to nearby waterways and beaches, Saint Leo University is ideally situated for field research in natural outdoor settings.

Now in its second year, this summer's "Field Problems in Marine Biology" class alternates between the field and the classroom, with students conducting research in a variety of natural habitats and then coming together in the classroom for reflection and analysis. To expand their knowledge of major marine environments, students will kayak, snorkel and camp in several locations, including Tampa Bay, Sapelo Island, Rookery Bay and the Florida Keys.

“We want to make the field the students’ sole focus,” says Dr. William Ellis, associate professor of biology, who teaches the innovative class. “Throughout the nine weeks, students eat, sleep and breathe biology.”

Capped at eight students to encourage student-professor interaction and small-group discussion, the course is open to students pursuing their bachelors in biology, as well as students from other disciplines, with instructor permission.

Close Encounters of the Marine Kind

Saint Leo's popular marine biology course has been called “the toughest class you’ll ever love” for offering students challenging, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

In the previous class, student work has included a link between the abundance of a marsh periwinkle and the height of cordgrass in a southeastern salt marsh, as well as research about flow rates in a mangrove system affecting settlement by crab larvae. While eating dinner together each night, students present their work to the group.

The course is filled with unexpected, up-close encounters with wildlife. Students photograph birds for a field guide. They catch their own lobster for dinner. They snorkel in the Florida Keys, and spy underwater fireworks created by crabs bumping into plankton. Students have even welcomed surprise visitors within a few feet of their campsite—green sea turtles, which are among the largest sea turtles in the world at up to 700 pounds.

More Marine Biology Opportunities at Saint Leo University

Working hand-in-hand with biology professors, Saint Leo students can conduct their own research in directed, independent studies and submit their findings for publication. Currently, Dr. Ellis is helping a student publish the first study of its kind that quantifies the structural complexity of oyster reefs using CT scanning.

In addition to this summer's “Field Problems in Marine Biology” Saint Leo’s biology department also offers an oceanography class.

With a distinctive combination of hands-on learning and faculty mentorship, Saint Leo students who have received their degree in biology have found internships and careers with a variety of competitive organizations, including Harvard Forest, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Wisconsin, University of South Florida and Southwest Florida Water Management District.

About Saint Leo University

Saint Leo ranks as one of the top universities in the South, according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” list. Saint Leo’s traditional liberal arts campus, located 30 miles north of Tampa, educates nearly 2,000 students. Total enrollment across its campus, regional education centers, and online programs exceeds 15,000. Among the oldest Catholic universities in Florida, Saint Leo is one of the nation's 10 leading providers of higher education to the U.S. military, and is a nationally recognized leader in online education.

To learn more about Saint Leo’s bachelors in biology degree, visit http://www.saintleo.edu/Academics/School-of-Arts-Sciences/Undergraduate-Degree-Programs/Bachelors-Degree-in-Biology

###

Jo-Ann Johnston
Saint Leo University
352-588-8237
Email Information

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Saint Leo Students Pursuing Bachelors Degree in Biology Dive into Science with Hands-On Field Work

Florida State Chemist to Receive Prestigious Award for Rising Faculty Stars

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

Newswise — Michael Shatruk, an assistant professor in Florida State University’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry who is working to develop new magnetic materials, has been awarded the prestigious ExxonMobil Solid State Chemistry Faculty Fellowship for 2012 by the American Chemical Society’s Division of Inorganic Chemistry.

Each year since 1979, the American Chemical Society has awarded the fellowship to a young scientist who has made substantial contributions to the discipline of solid-state chemistry and has the potential to emerge as a leader in the field.

“It is wonderful to see a younger faculty member like Dr. Shatruk receiving national recognition for his research,” said Kirby Kemper, vice president for Research at Florida State. “He is a credit to Florida State University and is our first faculty member to receive this distinction.”

In his research, Shatruk manipulates the atomic and electronic structures of materials to induce a desired magnetic behavior. His work could one day aid in the development of a new generation of energy-efficient devices, such as electric vehicles and magnetic refrigerators.

“In part, this award was given to Dr. Shatruk based on these research implications, but primarily for the deep chemical and physical insights that he brings to the field of magnetic materials development,” said Timothy Logan, chairman of Florida State’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “This award places him in the same class as some of the leading scientists in this field nationwide. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments and look forward to many more exciting developments from this research.”

The award also will raise the profile of Florida State’s entire solid-state chemistry group, Logan said.

Shatruk will receive the fellowship, which includes a $10,000 stipend, during the American Chemical Society’s fall 2012 national meeting in Philadelphia.

“I am very honored to receive the ExxonMobil Award from the ACS Division of Inorganic Chemistry and to join the ranks of previous winners, many of whom were my inspiration to become a chemistry professor,” Shatruk said. “It is one of the most highly coveted distinctions for a junior faculty member working on solid-state chemistry, and I’ve dreamt of this fellowship ever since I began my independent research here at Florida State. It is very rewarding to realize that my peers recognized the importance of our work and the value of contributions made by my research group to the field of solid-state chemistry.”

Shatruk joined the faculty of Florida State after two post-doctoral fellowships, one at Texas A&M University from 2003 to 2007, and the other at Cornell University from 2001 to 2003. Shatruk earned a doctorate from Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia, in 2000.

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Florida State Chemist to Receive Prestigious Award for Rising Faculty Stars

Research and Markets: Essentials of Medical Biochemistry. With Clinical Cases

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fc33c1/essentials_of_medi) has announced the addition of Elsevier Science and Technology's new report "Essentials of Medical Biochemistry. With Clinical Cases" to their offering.

Expert biochemist R.V. Bhagavan's new work condenses his successful Medical Biochemistry texts along with numerous case studies, to act as an extensive review and reference guide for both students and experts alike. The research-driven content includes four-color illustrations throughout to develop an understanding of the events and processes that are occurring at both the molecular and macrolecular levels of physiologic regulation, clinical effects, and interactions. Using thorough introductions, end of chapter reviews, fact-filled tables, and related multiple-choice questions, Bhagavan provides the reader with the most condensed yet detailed biochemistry overview available. More than a quick survey, this comprehensive text includes USMLE sample exams from Bhagavan himself, a previous coauthor.

Clinical focus emphasizing relevant physiologic and pathophysiologic biochemical concepts Interactive multiple-choice questions to prep for USMLE exams Clinical case studies for understanding basic science, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases Instructional overview figures, flowcharts, and tables to enhance understanding

Key Topics Covered:

1. Cells - Structures and Functions

2. Water, Acids, Bases, and Buffers

3. Amino Acids

4. Three-Dimensional Structure of Proteins

5. Energetics of Biological Systems

6. Enzymes and Enzyme Regulation

7. Clinical Enzymology and Biomarkers of Tissue Injury

8. Simple Carbohydrates

9. Heteropolysaccharides I: Glycoconjugates, Glycoproteins and Glycolipids

10. Connective Tissue: Fibrous and Non-Fibrous Proteins and Proteoglycans

11. Gastroentestinal Digestion and Absorption

12. Carbohydrate Metabolism I: Glycolysis and TCA Cycle

13. Electron Transport Chain, Oxidative Phosphorylation, and Other Oxygen-consuming Systems

14. Carbohydrate Metabolism II: Gluconeogenesis, Glycogen Synthesis and Breakdown, and Alternative Pathways

15. Protein and Amino Acid Metabolism

16. Lipids I: Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids

17. Lipids II: Phospholipids, Glycosphingolipids, and Cholesterol

18. Lipids III: Plasma Lipoproteins

19. Contractile Systems

20. Perturbations of Energy Metabolism: Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus

21. Structure and properties of DNA

22. DNA Replication, Repair, and Mutagenesis

23. RNA and Protein Synthesis

24. Regulation of Gene Expression

25. Nucleotide Metabolism

26. Hemoglobin

27. Metabolism of Iron and Heme

28. Endocrine Metabolism I: Introduction and Signal Transduction

29. Endocrine Metabolism II: Hypothalamus and Pituitary

30. Endocrine Metabolism III: Adrenal Glands

31. Endocrine Metabolism IV: Thyroid Gland

32. Endocrine Metabolism V: Reproductive System

33. Immunology

34. Biochemistry of Hemostasis

35. Mineral Metabolism

36. Vitamin Metabolism

37. Water, Electrolytes, and Acid-Base Balance

38. Case Studies

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/fc33c1/essentials_of_medi

An Evolutionary View of Depression – Part 1 – Video

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

23-02-2012 14:13 Full Story -- bit.ly | Depression: an evolutionary byproduct of the ability to fight infection? Emory University's Andrew Miller, MD, discusses. Miller is professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory and director of psychiatric oncology at Winship Cancer Institute. Background Depression is common enough -- afflicting one in ten adults in the United States -- that it seems the possibility of depression must be "hard-wired" into our brains. This has led biologists to propose several theories to account for how depression, or behaviors linked to it, can somehow offer an evolutionary advantage. Some previous proposals for the role of depression in evolution have focused on how it affects behavior in a socialcontext. A pair of psychiatrists addresses this puzzle in a different way, tying together depression and resistance to infection. They propose that genetic variations that promote depression arose during evolution because they helped our ancestors fight infection. An outline of their proposal appears online in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The co-authors are Andrew Miller, MD, William P. Timmie professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Emory and director of psychiatric oncology at Winship Cancer Institute, and Charles Raison, MD, previously at Emory and now at the University of Arizona.

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An Evolutionary View of Depression - Part 1 - Video

Area students gather in the name of science for fair

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

57th annual Piedmont Region III Science Fair

Students gathered at the University of South Carolina Upstate campus where exhibits from the 57th annual Piedmont Region III Science Fair were on display Thursday. The fair involves students in grades 1-12 who represent public, private and home schools located in the Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster, Spartanburg, Union and York counties.

Buy Photo ALEX C. HICKS JR./alex.hicks@shj.com Published: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:26 p.m. Last Modified: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 10:26 p.m.

The science behind an erupting volcano, whitening toothpastes and what conditions are most conducive to mold was on display Thursday at the 57th annual Piedmont Region III Science Fair.

The event, held at the University of South Carolina Upstate, involves students in first through 12th grades from public, private and home schools in Cherokee, Chester, Lancaster, Spartanburg, Union and York counties. The fair included a wide variety of category entries, including behavioral and social science, biology, chemistry, general science, math and computer science and physics.

This year's fair had more than 750 entries.

“It's just a great opportunity for all the students to develop a hypothesis and go through the scientific process of proving something and learning a lot in the process,” said Carolyn Culbertson, director of the Piedmont Region III Science Fair.

Andrew Morris, a seventh-grade student at Granard Middle School in Cherokee County, won honorable mention for his project, “Big Foot.” Andrew tested to determine whether there is a correlation between the size of a person's foot and their height. There is.

“Usually, when people do (science projects), they learn more than when they just listen in class,” Andrew said.

Austin Duckett's colorful project caught the attention of many visitors to the fair. The Granard sixth-grader wanted to determine how long it would take crayons to melt under a hair dryer. His answer: 55 minutes.

“You can test new things that you haven't done,” Austin said.

Culbertson said the projects give students a different way to learn about things they're interested in.

“I think it provides an opportunity for children to learn and grow,” she said. “And any opportunity to entice them to learn and get busy and do more than what they normally do in their day-in, day-out education process stretches them a little bit further and makes them grow.”

Winning projects were marked Thursday, but winning students' names will be announced at an awards ceremony at the university Saturday. The downtown Spartanburg Rotary Club sponsors and funds the event, providing prizes to winners. The overall winner will earn a trip to Pittsburgh in May to compete at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Scholarships to USC Upstate will be awarded by the USC Upstate Foundation.

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Area students gather in the name of science for fair

'Grey's Anatomy': Dr. Webber's Wife Adele Realizes She Has Alzheimer's (VIDEO)

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Danzig

It was a tough week for Cristina, as she spent the entire hour growing more and more convinced that Owen was cheating on her with Summer Glau on "Grey's Anatomy" (Thu., 9 p.m. EST on ABC). To keep things mysterious, Glau didn't speak a word during her guest turn, adding fuel to the skulking and spying that Cristina was doing. By the end of the hour, she seemed more convinced than ever, but no definitive answer had been given as to whether or not he was cheating on her, or just treating her rather poorly.

Far more definitive was Adele's self-awareness. Richard had decided that he owed it to his wife to stand by her through sickness as per their wedding vows, no matter how bad they got. But after a kitchen fire led to him getting a pretty serious burn, and then she lashed out with no idea who he was later, he began to realize the enormity of what he was going to do.

But that night, Adele came in and while she had no idea what had happened to his hand, or the dining room, she surprised him by saying, "I have Alzheimer's, don't I?"

She remembered visiting Rose Ridge nursing home earlier that day. At the time she had thought this was her and Richard looking for their first house, but now she knew exactly what it was, and insisted to Richard that that's where she belonged, and where she wanted to be.

Watch "Grey's Anatomy" on Thursdays at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

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MONDAY, FEB. 20: "Basketball Wives"

1 of 20

"Basketball Wives" (8 p.m. EST on VH1) season premiere In season four of "Basketball Wives" the two new ladies alter the ever-changing landscape and dynamic among these women. Newcomer Kesha Nichols survived every girl's worst nightmare, having her engagement broken off by her ball-playing fiance via email shortly before their wedding. Kenya Bell is in the process of finalizing a divorce from a basketball star and is one of the most notorious and controversial wives in the league, whose infamous reputation is well-known by the other wives. Shaunie O'Neal is on the path to establishing herself as a business mogul. Evelyn Lozada and Jennifer Williams' 12-year friendship is in a precarious position; will it recover from last season's fracture? Strong-willed Tami Roman continues to be a force to be reckoned with both socially and now in business. Royce Reed and Suzie Ketcham attempt to navigate uncharted waters as new chapters open in their lives. "Basketball Wives" (8 p.m. EST on VH1) season premiere
In season four of "Basketball Wives" the two new ladies alter the ever-changing landscape and dynamic among these women. Newcomer Kesha Nichols survived every girl's worst nightmare, having her engagement broken off by her ball-playing fiance via email shortly before their wedding. Kenya Bell is in the process of finalizing a divorce from a basketball star and is one of the most notorious and controversial wives in the league, whose infamous reputation is well-known by the other wives. Shaunie O'Neal is on the path to establishing herself as a business mogul. Evelyn Lozada and Jennifer Williams' 12-year friendship is in a precarious position; will it recover from last season's fracture? Strong-willed Tami Roman continues to be a force to be reckoned with both socially and now in business. Royce Reed and Suzie Ketcham attempt to navigate uncharted waters as new chapters open in their lives.

MONDAY, FEB. 20: "Basketball Wives"

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'Grey's Anatomy': Dr. Webber's Wife Adele Realizes She Has Alzheimer's (VIDEO)

'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Richard Makes a Life-Altering Decision

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

S8E16: One element Grey's Anatomy prides itself on is its ability to make the audience deeply feel for its characters. Grey's won't let us sit idly by, not feeling the emotional pull of each and every character. We've grown to know and love them on their journey as both doctors and regular people, so when they hurt, we hurt as well -- a fact made abundantly clear in this episode.

Normally Shonda Rhimes draws our attention to the younger couples: Callie/Arizona, Mark/Lexie, Cristina/Owen, and of course Meredith/Derek. These pairings have become the major focal point for most of the show's romantic stories, however, this episode temporarily shifted the primary focus away from them and onto Richard and Adele, whose story has thus far been more of a subplot. But with Adele's Alzheimer's worsening, Richard soon realizes he must face one of the toughest decisions any spouse ever has to make. It's a heart-wrenching topic to undertake, however, Grey's handles it will the delicacy and care it deserves, making us root for their happy ending just as much as we have for Meredith and her McDreamy. You might want to have tissues on hand.

"Ever seen a baby that weighs less than a pound?" - Alex
"No because babies that weigh less than 16 ounces don't survive." - Lexie
Lexie joins Arizona and Alex in pediatrics for the day in the hopes of getting a break from Derek's "lost cause" brain patients. However, she finds that everything isn't all pacifiers and cute baby noises in peds when she's assigned to work with Alex on the intern, Morgan's, premature son. The baby is dangerously small and in constant need of observation, which causes Morgan's boyfriend (and the baby's father) to give up based on all the negative odds. He suggests that maybe the baby just wasn't meant to be born, which ends in Morgan kicking him out of her life. And good riddance too, since it looks like things could be heating up with Morgan and Alex somewhere down the line. Now that he's back to being the sweet, adorable Karev we all know and love, it will be easy to get onboard with this pairing. It's about time Alex was shown some love.

"This is sexual harassment - you know that, right?" - April
"I like to think of that as sexual encouragement." - Mark
When an espresso machine explodes in a coffee shop, Meredith and Cristina are assigned to Devin: the victim of the explosion who's hopelessly in love with the coffee shop's barista. However, it turns out she doesn't feel the same way about him, a fact that Cristina makes him aware of in the bluntest way possible. And while this would normally seem like just another insensitive Cristina thing to do, it's very reflective of just how much she's hurting over the whole Owen ordeal. Throughout the episode, she's overcome with the fear that Owen is cheating on her, which quickly grows into an obsession. She, like Devin, can't bear the thought of being forgotten -- something that the old Cristina would have never cared about. This preoccupation shows how much her character has changed since meeting Owen. But as for whether suspicions are actually true, the truth remains unclear. Although, if this distance and lack of communication continues, it could very well be possible.

Meanwhile, Avery accidentally snaps at his patient thanks to his obsession with studying for the boards. This prompts Mark to offer some sage advice: get laid. He even tells April that she and Avery could become something a little more than just study buddies -- an idea she doesn't exactly get too thrilled about. And although this doesn't initially seem like a pivotal plot point, it reveals a significant piece of intel. After Mark tries and tries to pimp Avery out, he confides to Mark that he just can't be with someone right now. And even though he doesn't come out and say it, Mark takes it to mean that he's still in love with Lexie. And since Mark probably still has feelings for Lexie too, that could mean trouble for their newfound bromance. Let's hope not.

"I have Alzheimer's, don't I?" - Adele
Then we come to the most significant story line of the entire episode. After Adele accidentally starts a fire in the kitchen, Richard considers moving her to an assisted living facility. But when they go visit, Adele comments that it's too small for the both of them, especially if they want to start a family. Of course, this is an example of one of her Alzheimer's episodes - in that moment she believes they're a young couple just starting out. Overcome with sadness, Richard changes his mind and immediately takes her home.

But as Adele's condition worsens, it slowly takes a toll on Richard's emotions. Eventually he breaks down crying at the dining room table, literally at a loss of for how to handle his wife's affliction. But then Adele enters the room, fully returned to her cognitive state of mind. She now realizes the extent of her condition and pleads with Richard to let her go to the assisted living facility. He tries to fight it, but she insists, not because she really wants to go, but because she knows it's the best thing for Richard. The fact that they're both trying so hard to do what's right for the other shows just how much love the two of them share. It's downright heartbreaking and proves that there are things even the finest medical surgeons can't prevent. It makes their characters excruciatingly real and truly added an extra layer of value to the relationship - and to the series itself.

What did you think of tonight's episode? Were you pleased to see the Adele-Richard story take center stage? Will a romance spark between Alex and Morgan? Is Avery going to let Lexie know his true feelings? Sound off in the comments or get at me on Twitter @KellyBean0415.

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'Grey's Anatomy' Recap: Richard Makes a Life-Altering Decision

Facing a shortage of cadavers, professor turns to poetry to students anatomy

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Danzig

Tom Blackwell Feb 23, 2012 – 11:34 PM ET | Last Updated: Feb 23, 2012 11:39 PM ET

With dissection-ready cadavers in short supply and class sizes burgeoning, an Ottawa professor has come up with an unusual tool to teach the complexities of human anatomy: limericks.

Jacqueline Carnegie had students create the funny rhymes that incorporated anatomical concepts as part of her courses at the University of Ottawa, and suggests in a new study that writing body-part rhymes may have actually improved the amateur poets’ class performance.

Her idea adds to a cluster of creative study aids — including a Korean professor’s humorous comic strips and even folk songs — developed recently to make the age-old scientific discipline easier to grasp.

Limericks are a variation on mnemonics: groups of words, numbers or letters that help people remember complicated terms.

Ms. Carnegie said she now wants to gather the best of her students’ poems — including one about the gallbladder’s green and yellow bile — and print a booklet that students could use.

Anatomy, the study of the bodily structure, has long been a staple of medical training and other health-sciences education. While the subject once took up more than 800 hours of class and lab time for medical students, though, the volume of teaching even for trainee doctors has fallen dramatically in recent decades, according to a 2009 U.S. study.

Anatomical limericks
Created by Jacqueline Carnegie and her students

Three cheers for the pyloric sphincter, hurray!
It knows that acid beside cells should not stay,
So it opens just a mite,
Then closes up fast and tight,
Keeping damage to the duodenum at bay.

Atlas and Axis are King and Queen,
Thoracic and lumbar are in between,
The sacrum is next,
Your discs help you flex,
Your spinal column is curvy and lean.

Our gallbladder is the bile’s favourite place to hide,
Its green and yellow colour gives it a lot of pride,
Through the cystic duct it goes,
Past the ampula it flows,
Causing big droplets of fat to break up and divide.

The reasons include increased enrolment, more subjects to teach in the curriculum and less emphasis on basic science, Ms. Carnegie notes in her paper in the journal Anatomic Sciences Education. Human cadavers are also harder to obtain, and in higher demand for practising a variety of surgical and other procedures, as well as learning the body parts. While medical students still have at least some time dissecting real human corpses, students in other undergraduate programs no longer can observe anatomical facts in the flesh, said Ms. Carnegie.

With its odd-sounding vocabulary and complex systems, the topic has long been recognized as demanding. Somerset Maugham quotes a fictional anatomy teacher in his classic, 1915 novel Of Human Bondage as saying students would learn “many tedious things … which you will forget the moment you have passed your final examination.” One instructor at South Korea’s Ajou University School of Medicine has created scores of comic strips that wittily — and sometimes with a little sexual innuendo — explain anatomical concepts.

“It’s tough because it’s got a language of its own,” Ms. Carnegie said. “A lot of those names are long and complicated, a lot of them are derived from Latin.”

The five-line limerick is well-suited for retaining such facts because it places new information in a familiar context, uses rhyming to trigger recall and takes advantage of rhythm to promote long-term memory, she said. She had a total of just under 600 students over two years form into groups and come up with limericks, then assess each others’ poems for their educational value, literary skill and anatomical accuracy.

Average course marks for the minority of students who did none of the limerick work were significantly lower than those who did all the limerick-related tasks. Although it’s possible the students who did all the work are those who would have excelled anyway, Ms. Carnegie said she is convinced limericks helped the students better remember concepts.

That fits well with a modern educational approach that focuses less on rote, passive teaching of anatomy, and more on active learning by teams of students, said Dr. Wojciech Pawlina, anatomy-department chair at the Mayo Clinic college of medicine in Minnesota.

“You’re not at a table trying to memorize those strange names; you’re making something fun,” he said. “I don’t have anything against having fun in anatomy.”

National Post
• Email: tblackwell@nationalpost.com

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Facing a shortage of cadavers, professor turns to poetry to students anatomy

'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Return to Rose Ridge

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Danzig

If you thought we said goodbye to Rose Ridge -- the facility where Meredith Grey’s Alzheimer’s-stricken mother Ellis Grey lived before she died rather early in the series -- you were sadly mistaken. No, unfortunately, the latest new episode of Grey’s Anatomy, “If Only You Were Lonely,” took us back there last night, as Richard Webber explored options for how to care for his Alzheimer’s-stricken wife Adele. The whole thing was -- in a word -- heartbreaking to watch. Rose Ridge is not the kind of place where you want to return.

The whole sequence began when cameras turned to a sleeping Richard, who woke to the sound of a smoke alarm going off. He ran to the kitchen of his house, where a skillet on the stove was flaming. It was clear from the outset: Adele, in her affected state, had somehow forgotten about the skillet and caused the accident, which saw Richard suffer burns on his arm while trying to put it out. “Adele, are you okay honey?” he asked her, but she only looked completely bewildered.

As seems to be the case whenever one of the Webbers is hurt or sick, Meredith took care of Richard when he came into Seattle Grace after the accident. His faux daughter recommended that he check out Rose Ridge. Her concern ran deep: “Any deeper,” Meredith said to Webber, “and this burn could have retired you from surgery.” Rather reluctantly, Richard took Adele to look at the place. I just about crumbled when the guy giving them a tour of the facility -- we saw the exact pair of chairs that Meredith and her mother Ellis used to sit and chat, all those years ago -- excitedly offered to show the Webbers the gym. “We just added a piloxing class.” Yes, piloxing, apparently a mash-up of Pilates and boxing -- that was supposed to be a selling point for the place. As if that would make the fact that Adele was suffering from a debilitating disease somehow bearable. But the line did exactly what it was supposed to do: make me feel like grabbing Adele, wrapping her in my arms, and running home -- or really anywhere else -- with her.

That, in fact, is just what Richard wanted to do, too, especially after Adele's confusion about why they were there continued. “It’s nice, but it’s too small for us,” she told Richard. “You’re a doctor. You said you could afford a house. We couldn’t possibly start a family here. Richard, where would the nursery go?” The pain in Richard’s face was palpable as he said to her, “You’re right, honey. It’s too small. I said I’d get you a house. Let’s go.”

Richard seemed determined to take care of Adele himself. “Rose Ridge is not the answer.” But Meredith told him: “You think you can handle this, but you can’t.” Richard volleyed back to Meredith with more heartbreaking words: “I made vows to Adele, vows that I have broken time and again…. The least I can do is honor her in sickness. She stays home, and if necessary, so do I.” But then, Adele had another tantrum with a caretaker in her home, which found her also questioning who Richard was. “Don’t hurt me!” he yelled at her. “I’m your husband, Richard! I’m your husband!”

The final scenes we saw with the Webbers really brought the whole situation to a head, and it became clear that we’ll -- very tragically -- be seeing a whole lot more of Rose Ridge as Adele's disease progresses. “I have Alzheimer’s, don’t I?” Adele said, as she realized that she’s the one that caused the burns on Richard’s arm. “Yes, sweetheart, you do," he told her. And then Adele again: “Rose Ridge does seem like a nice place. We went there this morning, didn’t we? I think it’s best that I would go live there.” And this is the part where you see your heart fall out of your chest.

NEXT: More on Adele's Alzheimer's

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'Grey's Anatomy' recap: Return to Rose Ridge

Grey's Anatomy Recap: "If Only You Were Lonely"

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Danzig

Is Owen cheating on Cristina?

That was this big question in this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy. Cristina worrying that her husband's eyes were wandering actually drove her insane. But that was the least of the insanity this week as Adele nearly burned her and Richard's house down and attacked a live-in nurse. Oh boy. Check out the top moments from this week's episode:

It's Summer in Seattle: Finally Summer Glau made her Grey's debut. The producers had kept her role hush-hush and we now see why. Turns out she's an overly friendly nurse who Cristina thinks is cheating with Owen. When Cristina tries to rekindle her marriage in an on-call room, Owen shuts her down. She later rifles through his stuff to look for evidence that he's cheating, but comes up empty handed.

Derek's baby drama: After a parent gives him a sideways glance, Derek worries people have a certain perception of him because he has a black child. He even asks Bailey for a play date with Tuck so Zola can be around her roots. Race isn't the issue, though. It's that Derek doesn't know how to do Zola's hair, so Bailey teaches him.

No coffee, thanks: After an espresso machine explodes, Life Unexpected's Austin Basis looked like he took a whole load of buckshot to the chest. Gross.

The Chief's on fire: After Adele suffers a memory lapse, she nearly sets the house on fire, burning Richard as he tries to put out the flames. It's heartbreaking when he brings Adele to Rose Ridge — where Ellis Grey was housed when she had Alzheimer's — and she forgets that they've already grown old, complaining that he had promised them a house now that he's a doctor. Richard makes the decision not to leave her there, knowing that it means he'll be at Seattle Grace less. Adele later attacks their new in-home nurse, and forgets who Richard is altogether, but remembers later that night that she has Alzheimer's and decides to go to Rose Ridge.

Alex's sparks: Alex continues to treat intern Morgan's premature baby, later named Thomas. Usually terrible with his bedside manner, Alex looks like a true gentleman next to Morgan's boyfriend, who decides to bail when it looks like little Tommy won't survive.

Jackson's, ahem, frustrations: When Mark notices that Jackson is overly stressed about his Boards, he goes to April, trying to enlist her to sleep with Jackson. That's sexual harassment, but it's also pretty funny. Not so funny when Jackson admits he's still in love with Lexie, though. (Never been a Jaxie fan.)

What did you think of this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy? Should Lexie and Jackson get back together? Hit the comments with your thoughts.

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Is Owen cheating on Cristina?

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Grey's Anatomy Recap: "If Only You Were Lonely"

Canada gives $41M to help stop famine, humanitarian crisis in West Africa

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

OTTAWA - Canada is giving $41 million to help stop a famine in West Africa.

International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda says the impending food security and nutrition crisis in the Sahel is a great concern.

The semi-arid belt spans Africa along the southern Sahara Desert and some greener lands to the south.

Its western span has been ravaged by a severe drought that threatens to dwarf last year's famine in East Africa.

The United Nations and other major international bodies are warning of a famine that could affect 23 million people across Niger, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mauritania unless a major global rescue effort is mounted.

The world's aid agencies are still reeling from last year's full-blown famine further east in the Horn of Africa that killed tens of thousands and affected almost 10 billion in four countries, including Ethiopia and Somalia.

Oda says Canada will continue to monitor the developing situation closely.

"Clearly, the people in the Sahel region are in need of help to face their unimaginable reality. Canada is deeply concerned about the impending food security and nutrition crisis in the Sahel," Oda said in a statement.

"We must act now with help for millions of people struggling to meet their immediate basic food security and nutrition needs to avoid a more tragic situation later."

The money will help provide food and nutrition assistance, agriculture support, water, sanitation, basic health care, logistics and co-ordination, and protection in some of the most difficult environments in the world.

Aid groups applauded the move.

"I just returned from Mali today to learn of the government's announcement — this couldn't come at a more critical time," World Vision president Dave Toycen said in an email.

"The children and families I met and communities I visited in West Africa are clearly suffering the effects of the current food crisis. It's a perfect storm of continuing drought, high food prices and crippling poverty."

Patricia Erb of Save the Children says it's important to respond quickly to the impending crisis.

"Quicker responses to early warning signs of drought and hunger crises is vitally important if we are to save the lives of children," she said in a statement.

"Save the Children and Oxfam recently co-authored a report Dangerous Delays which called on governments and NGOs to learn the lessons of East Africa and we are pleased that today the Canadian government is one of the first major donors to respond."

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Canada gives $41M to help stop famine, humanitarian crisis in West Africa

OpGen Announces Participation in New European Union Clinical Microbiology Research Consortium

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

GAITHERSBURG, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

OpGen, Inc., a whole-genome analysis company developing and commercializing a complete suite of break-through products and services based on its proprietary Whole Genome Mapping technology, announced today the company’s participation in the European Union’s Patho-NGen-Trace research program. This multi-year project aims to bring Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) from a specialized basic research method to a standard routine tool for medical and bio-industrial microbiology applications, providing faster pathogen identification with whole sequence genetic characterization. OpGen’s Whole Genome Mapping technology will be used with NGS to generate more accurate sequences of the model pathogens, and to characterize genetic markers for drug-resistance, virulence and whole genome evolution that may not be detected by NGS alone.

Funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme, the international consortium of leading experts in clinical microbiology will focus on developing NGS combined with Whole Genome Mapping as next generation DNA analysis tools that can be used for the genotyping and diagnosis of pathogens. Three pathogens will serve as models for the development project?Mycobacterium tuberculosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Campylobacter species. All three pathogens are found worldwide and pose a serious medical threat and an important challenge when it comes to their treatment.

“We are very pleased to be a part of this international consortium and look forward to advancing the organization’s long-term goal to control, predict and contain the spread of disease,” said Douglas White, chief executive officer of OpGen. “Combining NGS with Whole Genome Mapping will provide powerful new DNA analysis tools to overcome existing obstacles facing microbiologists and scientists and translate into public health and clinical diagnostic applications.”

Continuing advances in sequencing technologies and the decreasing cost of sequencing have resulted in vast amounts of data that must be assembled and analyzed. There is a growing backlog of sequence data resulting from the costly and time consuming bioinformatics and computing required to complete the assemblies and analysis. Transforming this time- and resource-intensive process to a rapid, validated workflow could be adopted for routine use in public health epidemiology and diagnostic workflows.

OpGen’s Whole Genome Mapping technology has been shown to accelerate and streamline the sequence data analysis workflow. This unique and powerful technology rapidly generates high-resolution, ordered, whole genome maps from single DNA molecules. The result is an easy-to-interpret view of the genome that reveals genome architecture in a single image and provides better accuracy for NGS applications.

About OpGen, Inc.

OpGen, Inc. is a leading innovator in rapid, accurate genomic and DNA analysis systems and services. The company’s Argus® Whole Genome Mapping System, GenomeBuilder™ and MapIt® Services provide high resolution, whole genome maps for sequence assembly and finishing, strain typing and comparative genomics in the life sciences market. OpGen’s powerful technology dramatically improves the quality of data and time-to results by providing sequence information from single DNA molecules more rapidly and less expensively than previously possible. The company is dedicated to positively influencing individual healthcare outcomes, advancing scientific research and enhancing public health by delivering precise, actionable information and results to customers in the life science and healthcare communities. OpGen’s customers include leading genomic research centers, biodefense organizations, academic institutions, clinical research organizations and biotechnology companies. For more information, visit http://www.opgen.com.

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OpGen Announces Participation in New European Union Clinical Microbiology Research Consortium

Professor named microbiology fellow

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

SACRAMENTO — Jonathan A. Eisen, professor of medical microbiology and immunology at UC Davis Health System, has been elected as a fellow in the American Academy of Microbiology, the honorific leadership group of the American Society for Microbiology, which is the world's oldest and largest life-science organization.

As a fellow, Eisen joins a group of eminent leaders in the field of microbiology recognized for their excellence, originality, creativity and exemplary careers in basic and applied research, teaching, clinical and public health, industry or government service. The academy relies on fellows for authoritative advice and information on critical issues in microbiology, from responding to congressional inquiries to organizing meetings and workshops.

Eisen is an expert in microbial genomics, diversity and evolution. He has led many microbial genome sequencing projects, including the "Genomic Encyclopedia of Bacteria and Archaea" at the Department of Energy-Joint Genome Institute. In addition, he has helped pioneer the field of phylogenomics, which involves integrating genome analyses with evolutionary reconstructions.

From a research point of view, Eisen has focused on the origin of new functions and processes in microbes, including studies of uncharacterized branches on the tree of life and of symbioses involving microbes. He has studied many medically and economically important symbioses, including microbes in the human gut and nitrogen-fixing symbionts of plants and microbes that live in the guts of insect pests, such as the glassy winged sharpshooter, a vector for Pierce's disease in grapes.

"I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which organisms acquire new functions, learning how communities of microbes and their genomes function in nature, and using genomics to explore less-studied branches in the tree of life," said Eisen, who has published more than 200 scientific papers and is a co-author of the textbook Evolution. In addition, he is an active and award-winning blogger, a strong advocate for open access to scientific literature and academic editor-in-chief of PLoS Biology.

Eisen will be recognized at the Academy Fellows Luncheon at the 112th American Society for Microbiology meeting in San Francisco on June 19.

The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its research and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For more information, visit UC Davis School of Medicine at medschool.ucdavis.edu.

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Professor named microbiology fellow

A Mammalian Longevity Gene?

Posted on February 24, 2012 by ev1

Researchers find the first evidence that a sirtuin gene prolongs life in mice.

In 2001, researchers showed that a sirtuin protein—associated with the cellular stress response and metabolism—was essential for slowing aging in yeast. Now, researchers at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat-Gan, Israel, found that a different member of the sirtuin family may stall death in mice, suggesting sirtuins may also be significant players in mammalian aging.

A couple of years ago, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) became the focus of attention in aging research because it was the gene that most closely resembled the yeast gene linked to longevity. In 2008, pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline paid $270 million for a biotech company that was searching for compounds that activated SIRT1, according to Nature. But evidence for SIRT1’s role in expanding lifespan in humans has been hard to come by, and research showing its longevity effects in fruit flies has been questioned.

Instead, researchers at Bar-Ilan turned their focus to sirtuin 6 (SIRT6), which in 2006 was shown to speed death in mice lacking the gene. Here they showed that, at least in male mice, overexpression of the SIRT6 extended lifespan by nearly 16 percent. However, other researchers question whether the increase in lifespan is really due to improved longevity, which is associated with improved memory and mobility, or rather a result of anti-cancer or improved metabolic effects, reported Nature.

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A Mammalian Longevity Gene?

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