Monthly Archives: September 2014

Scientist Uncovers Mars' Climate History In Unique Meteorite

Posted: September 2, 2014 at 10:44 pm

Was Mars now a cold, dry place once a warm, wet planet that sustained life? And if so, how long has it been cold and dry?

Research underway at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory may one day answer those questions and perhaps even help pave the way for future colonization of the Red Planet. By analyzing the chemical clues locked inside an ancient Martian meteorite known as Black Beauty, Florida State University Professor Munir Humayun and an international research team are revealing the story of Mars ancient, and sometimes startling, climate history.

The teams most recent finding of a dramatic climate change appeared in Nature Geoscience, in the paper Record of the ancient Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere preserved in zircon from a Martian meteorite.

The scientists found evidence for the climate shift in minerals called zircons embedded inside the dark, glossy meteorite. Zircons, which are also abundant in the Earths crust, form when lava cools. Among their intriguing properties, Humayun says, is that they stick around forever.

When you find a zircon, its like finding a watch, Humayun said. A zircon begins keeping track of time from the moment its born.

Last year, Humayuns team correctly determined that the zircons in its Black Beauty sample were an astonishing 4.4 billion years old. That means, Humayun says, it formed during the Red Planets infancy and during a time when the planet might have been able to sustain life.

First we learned that, about 4.5 billion years ago, water was more abundant on Mars, and now weve learned that something dramatically changed that, said Humayun, a professor of geochemistry. Now we can conclude that the conditions that we see today on Mars, this dry Martian desert, must have persisted for at least the past 1.7 billion years. We know now that Mars has been dry for a very long time.

The secret to Mars climate lies in the fact that zircons (ZrSiO4) contain oxygen, an element with three isotopes. Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons sort of like members of a family who share the same last name but have different first names.

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Scientist Uncovers Mars' Climate History In Unique Meteorite

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Russia will begin Moon colonization in 2030 – draft space …

Posted: at 10:44 pm

Published time: May 09, 2014 00:17

Reuters / Jim Urquhart

We are going to the Moon forever, the Russian Deputy PM said in April, and it was not just empty words. It appears Russia does plan to colonize the Moon by 2030 and the first stage of the ambitious project may start as soon as two years from now.

That is according to a leaked draft document that Izvestia newspaper claims to have obtained. It was prepared by the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Roscosmos federal space agency, Moscow State University and a number of space research institutes.

Moon is a space object of the future reclamation by Earth civilization, and in XXI century there might be a geopolitical competition for lunar natural resources, the authors of the draft project state in the opening line.

This is why it is important to focus on creating an arsenal of necessary means in advance, they stress.

The Moon is not an intermediate point in the race, Russias Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin who is in charge of space and defence industries said back in April. This process has the beginning, but has no end. We are going to the moon forever.

The Concept of Russian Lunar Program, as it is titled according to the paper, outlines a three-step plan toward manning the moon.

The first stage is planned to start in 2016 and last until 2025. This is when Russia, should everything go well, will send four automated rovers to the moon Luna-25, Luna-26, Luna-27 and Luna-28.

As the document states, earlier Soviet and American lunar expeditions established that the Moon contains aluminum, iron, titan, and many other useful elements. Scientist think it will be possible to mine some of the Moon's natural resources for terrestrial use.

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MPs' protests fail to derail "three parent family" plans

Posted: at 10:44 pm

First published in News Last updated by Robert Merrick, Parliamentary Correspondent

PROTESTS by a group of MPs have failed to derail plans for a controversial gene therapy, to stop incurable diseases passing to the next generations.

Ministers vowed to plough ahead with preparations for the DNA-altering procedure, which is being pioneered by a team at Newcastle University.

However, the department of health declined to say when the issue would be put to a vote in Parliament, despite suggestions that it could be before the end of the year.

The treatment involves replacing faulty mitochondria responsible for inherited diseases, including muscle wasting, heart problems, vision loss, organ failure and epilepsy.

Embryos are given healthy DNA from donor eggs, meaning a baby has the DNA of three people from two parents, plus less than one per cent from the donor.

Professor Doug Turnbull, who leads the Newcastle team, has urged the Government to draw up legislation as soon as possible, because of the number of patients waiting for treatment.

But, in the Commons, MPs brought forward a motion demanding further research and for new regulations to be delayed in light of public safety concerns.

Fiona Bruce, a Conservative backbencher, claimed the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) wanted further research, saying: This is a case of genetic engineering.

It is the alteration of a potential human being - the removal of certain genes and their replacement with others, to create children.

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MPs' protests fail to derail "three parent family" plans

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Exploring the Labyrinth of Human Genetics – Video

Posted: at 10:43 pm


Exploring the Labyrinth of Human Genetics
Hannah Isaacson, State Fair oral presentation 2014.

By: Dan Isaacson

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Human trial of Ebola vaccine begins

Posted: at 10:43 pm

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- A highly anticipated test of an experimental Ebola vaccine will begin this week at the National Institutes of Health, amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa.

After an expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers were given the green light to begin what's called a human safety trial, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

It will be the first test of this type of Ebola vaccine in humans.

The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged 18 to 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects.

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

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Human trial of Ebola vaccine begins

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Human vaccine trial starting

Posted: at 10:43 pm

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- A highly anticipated test of an experimental Ebola vaccine will begin this week at the National Institutes of Health, amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa.

After an expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers were given the green light to begin what's called a human safety trial, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

It will be the first test of this type of Ebola vaccine in humans.

The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged 18 to 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects.

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

Ebola outbreak in Africa

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Human vaccine trial starting

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ASHG and NHGRI award genetics and public policy fellowship

Posted: at 10:43 pm

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

2-Sep-2014

Contact: Nalini Padmanabhan press@ashg.org 301-634-7346 American Society of Human Genetics

BETHESDA, MD - The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have named Katherine D. Blizinsky, PhD, a neuroscientist at Northwestern University in Chicago, the newest ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Public Policy Fellow. The 16-month appointment begins today.

The Genetics and Public Policy Fellowship is intended to help early-career genetics professionals develop and implement genetics-related health and research policy at a national level. Fellows in the program gain policy experience in diverse settings by completing rotations in the non-profit science advocacy sector at ASHG, in the executive branch at NHGRI, and in the legislative branch as a staff member on Capitol Hill. ASHG and NHGRI have jointly sponsored the fellowship since 2002.

Dr. Blizinsky has served in various genetics research roles since 2008, studying varying topics in the areas of psychiatric neurogenetics and genomics, gene-environment coevolution of psychiatric susceptibility, and imaging genetics of neurological and psychiatric conditions. She received the Sage Bionetworks Young Investigator Award in 2012 and co-founded Science Policy Initiative Northwestern, an organization that fosters science policy dialogue in the university community through panel discussions, lectures, and interactive debates.

"With her diversity of experience inside and outside the genetics laboratory, Dr. Blizinsky will bring her practical knowledge of genetics research to settings where the potential impact of that research can be more fully realized and disseminated," said Joseph McInerney, MA, MS, executive vice president of ASHG.

"Our fellows have gone on to work at a wide variety of influential organizations," said Derek Scholes, PhD, chief of NHGRI's Policy and Program Analysis Branch. "We're confident that this fellowship will provide a good foundation for Dr. Blizinsky's career in health policy."

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Human trial of Ebola vaccine begins this week

Posted: at 10:43 pm

The human trial of an experimental Ebolavaccine will begin this week, according to the National Institutes of Health, United States of America.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said the US Food and Drug Administration had given the researchers at the institute the approval to begin the human safety trial.

The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged between 18 and 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects.

The vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm, first in a lower dose; then later, in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined.

Some of the preclinical studies that are normally done on these types of vaccines were waived by the FDA during the expedited review, Fauci said. So we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing.

The vaccine did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees, Fauci told the AFP on Tuesday.

He noted that the method being used to prompt an immune response to Ebola could not cause a healthy individual to become infected with the virus.

Still, he said, I have been fooled enough in my many years of experience you really cant predict what you will see (in humans).

According to the NIH, the vaccine will also be tested on healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom, Gambia and Mali, once details are finalised with health officials in those country.

Meanwhile, officials from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, US, have said that the human trials of Ebola vaccines cannot currently be done in the four countries affected by the recent outbreak Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Nigeria due to the conditions of existing health care infrastructure in these countries.

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ASHG and NHGRI award first genetics and education fellowship

Posted: at 10:43 pm

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

2-Sep-2014

Contact: Nalini Padmanabhan press@ashg.org 301-634-7346 American Society of Human Genetics

BETHESDA, MD The American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health, have named Elizabeth P. Tuck, MA, Upper School Science Teacher at The Wellington School in Columbus, Ohio, the first ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Education Fellow. The 16-month appointment begins today.

The Genetics and Education Fellowship is intended to help early-career genetics professionals expand their skills, experience, and network to prepare for a career in genetics education. Fellows in the program will complete rotations at both sponsoring organizations in areas that may include curriculum development, education research, faculty professional development, public education and outreach, and science education policy.

Ms. Tuck has served in various roles related to science education since 2008, including teaching high school biology, developing biotechnology and neuroscience curricula for underserved youth, and organizing science caf events for teenagers. She has also conducted laboratory research at the undergraduate and graduate levels, focusing on the genetics and cellular mechanisms underlying neurological diseases.

"With her background in both laboratory genetics research and science education, Ms. Tuck is exceptionally well-qualified to take advantage of the opportunities this fellowship provides," said Michael J. Dougherty, PhD, ASHG's Director of Education. "We are excited to launch this new program with a fellow who has worked in varied settings and who can effectively combine diverse perspectives to identify and address challenges in genetics education."

The ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Education Fellowship is modeled after the ASHG/NHGRI Genetics and Public Policy Fellowship, which ASHG and NHGRI have jointly sponsored since 2002.

"NHGRI is pleased with the implementation of the new fellowship program. Ms. Tuck will be our first fellow and we could not be more delighted. We anticipate her helping to make the education fellowship program as successful as the long-standing ASHG-NHGRI policy fellowship program," said Vence L. Bonham, Jr., JD, chief of the Education and Community Involvement Branch at NHGRI.

"The Genetics and Public Policy Fellowship has been successful in helping to train genetics professionals who currently occupy significant positions in policy and advocacy organizations and in government. We hope the new program has a similar impact," added Joseph D. McInerney, MA, MS, Executive Vice President of ASHG.

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Human trial of experimental Ebola vaccine begins this week

Posted: at 10:43 pm

NEWS

Posted TODAY, 5:41 AM Updated TODAY, 5:42 AM

A highly anticipated test of an experimental Ebola vaccine will begin this week at the National Institutes of Health, amid mounting anxiety about the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa.

After an expedited review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, researchers were given the green light to begin what's called a human safety trial, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

It will be the first test of this type of Ebola vaccine in humans.

The experimental vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and the NIAID, will first be given to three healthy human volunteers to see if they suffer any adverse effects. If deemed safe, it will then be given to another small group of volunteers, aged 18 to 50, to see if it produces a strong immune response to the virus. All will be monitored closely for side effects.

The vaccine will be administered to volunteers by an injection in the deltoid muscle of their arm, first in a lower dose, then later in a higher dose after the safety of the vaccine has been determined.

Some of the preclinical studies that are normally done on these types of vaccines were waived by the FDA during the expedited review, Fauci said, so "we want to take extra special care that we go slowly with the dosing."

The vaccine did extremely well in earlier trials with chimpanzees, Fauci said. He noted that the method being used to prompt an immune response to Ebola cannot cause a healthy individual to become infected with the virus.

Still, he said, "I have been fooled enough in my many years of experience... you really can't predict what you will see (in humans)."

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