Category Archives: DNA

After almost 45 years to the day that police found her body dumped near a cemetery, Baltimore County Police said Wednesday detectives identified a girl known as Woodlawn Jane Doe thanks to new DNA testing.

The young woman who turned out to be 16 years old when she was killed was identified by police as Margaret Fetterolf from Alexandria, Virginia. Family members told detectives that the teen went missing in 1975, one year before she was found strangled, with her body wrapped in a white sheet and her hands bound behind her back near Lorraine Park Cemetery.

In a video provided by county police, Cpl. Dona L. Carter, who works with the criminal investigations unit, said this is significant development in the case that could help catch the people involved in the murder.

This is a really big break in the case, she said in the video. Because without knowing who she is or where she came from, we really dont have too much to go on. We need to know who she may have been with to get some leads for this case.

Carter said the department plans to head to Alexandria to try to drum up any leads in the area, including talking with and visiting the Hayfield Secondary School, where Fetterolf attended at the time she went missing. Detectives are also interested in talking with any friends or former classmates.

For years police believed Fetterolf hailed from the Boston area after testing pollen particles that clung to her clothing in 2016. Authorities said the blend of cedar and mountain hemlock pollen, identified by a scientist with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, was a combination only found at the Arnold Arboretum in Boston or the New York Botanical Garden.

Clues found at the scene had long pointed to Massachusetts. The type of cloth seed bag pulled over Fetterolfs head was sold only in Massachusetts. A key in her pocket was made by ILCO in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. A crude tattoo of the letters JP could signify the Boston neighborhood of Jamaica Plain.

Police said Wednesday its unclear when or if Fetterolf was ever in Boston.

It was only recently Virginia became an area of interest, police spokeswoman Joy Stewart said.

One year after the pollen discovery, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released a new facial reconstruction image of Fetterolf.

Then, police say their big break came earlier this year.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which has assisted county police with the investigation along with Bode Technology, one of the largest private forensic DNA laboratories in the United States, more DNA testing was done. Those results were crucial in helping identify Fetterolf, authorities said.

A woman on her way to church on Sept. 12, 1976, spotted a van near the Lorraine Park Cemetery. Officers found Fetterolf wearing beige jeans, a white short-sleeved shirt and a rawhide necklace. Police previously thought she was in her late teens or 20s. she was about 5-foot-8, weighed 159 pounds, and had brown hair and brown eyes. Tips initially poured in but waned as the years passed.

At about 5-foot-8 and 159 pounds, the brown eyed and brown haired girl was also believed to have been sexually assaulted. The drug chlorpromazine, an anti-psychotic medication, was found in her system.

Anyone who might have information in this case is asked to contact Baltimore County detectives at 410-307-2020.

See more here:
Slain teen known for 45 years as Woodlawn Jane Doe identified by DNA testing - MassLive.com

Rivers, lakes and wetlands cover just 1% of the Earths surface but are home to nearly 10% of all species, including fish, mammals, birds, insects and crustaceans. But these rich, diverse ecosystems are in free fall. Worldwide, species are declining faster now than at any other time in human history, and fresh waters are losing more species than land or ocean ecosystems.

Today about 1 in 4 freshwater creatures face extinction. Wetlands are disappearing three times faster than forests. Across the globe, water quality is plummeting, polluted by plastic, sewage, mining sludge, industrial and agricultural chemicals and much more.

Its challenging to study how these stresses are affecting aquatic life. There are many diverse threats, and river networks cover broad geographic regions. Often they run through remote, nearly inaccessible areas. Current techniques for monitoring freshwater species are labor-intensive and costly.

In our work as researchers in ecology, we are testing a new method that can vastly expand biomonitoring: using environmental DNA, or eDNA, in rivers to catalog and count species. Federal and local agencies need this data to restore water quality and save dwindling species from extinction.

With traditional biomonitoring methods, scientists count individual species and their abundance at just a few sites. For example, one recent study of mountaintop mining impacts on fish in West Virginia sampled just four sites with a team of four researchers.

Collecting and identifying aquatic organisms requires highly skilled ecologists and taxonomists with expertise in a wide variety of freshwater species. For each sample of fish or invertebrates collected in the field, it takes from hours to weeks to identify all of the species. Only wealthy nations can afford this costly process.

Conserving threatened and endangered species and keeping river ecosystems healthy requires monitoring broad areas over time. Sensitive aquatic insects and fish species are the freshwater equivalent of the proverbial canary in a coal mine: If these species are absent, thats a strong indicator of water quality problems. The cause may be mining, agriculture, urbanization or other sources, as well as dams that block animals downstream movements.

Innovations in genetic technology have created a powerful, affordable new tool that we are now testing. The process involves extracting eDNA from genetic material floating in the water skin, scales, feces and single-celled organisms, such as bacteria.

By analyzing this genetic information, we can detect a wide range of species. We started considering using eDNA for our research in 2018, after several studies demonstrated its power to monitor single species of interest or groups of organisms in rivers and oceans.

Collecting eDNA is easy: One 4-ounce water sample can capture remnant DNA from thousands of aquatic species. Another benefit is that it doesnt require killing wildlife for identification.

In the lab, we analyze the DNA from different taxonomic groups one by one: bacteria, algae, fish and macroinvertebrates organisms that lack backbones and are large enough to see, such as snails, worms and beetles. Many researchers study just one group, but we assess all of them at the same time.

We then match our DNA sequences with freshwater species that are already catalogued in existing databases. In this way, we can chart the distribution and abundance of these organisms within and across rivers.

This process requires just a cheap filter, a syringe and vials, and anyone can do it. Commercial eDNA companies charge less than $200 to extract and sequence a sample.

Using this method, we extensively surveyed 93 rivers in West Virginia looking at the entire tree of life, from the tiniest bacteria to fish in two days with a four-person team.

The Appalachian rivers that we study teem with life. These are some of the worlds most biologically diverse temperate freshwater ecosystems, home to many fish species, as well as salamanders, crayfish, mussels and aquatic insects. Many are found nowhere else. We tallied more than 10,000 different species in those 93 waterways.

The area where we worked is an intensive coal mining region, which heavily affects waterways. Liquids draining from mines are acidic, but in this region they react with limestone rock, so the net effect is to make local streams alkaline. Mine drainage also increases streams salinity and concentrations of sulfate and other contaminants. Our research revealed that mined watersheds held 40% fewer species than areas without mining operations, and the organisms we detected were less abundant than in unaffected rivers.

We believe this new approach represents a revolution for biomonitoring, expanding our ability to quantify and study freshwater life. Its also an important new conservation tool, allowing scientists to track changes in populations of endangered or invasive species. Researchers also can use eDNA to monitor biodiversity or discover new species in oceans or soils.

This open-science method makes all DNA data widely available, with nearly all sequences placed in public repositories. Moving forward, we expect that it will aid many types of research, as well as state and local monitoring and conservation programs. Investments in collecting eDNA and identifying organisms and analyzing their genetic signatures will continue to make it a more effective tool.

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Efforts are underway to better target various individual species, focusing on those that are endangered, invasives that damage ecosystems and sensitive species that serve as indicators of river health. Scientists are freezing eDNA samples at -112 degrees F (-80 C) in expectation that technological advances may yield more information in the future.

Traditional monitoring approaches remain valuable, but eDNA adds an important new tool to the toolkit. Together, these approaches can begin to answer many questions about food webs, the conservation status of species, reproduction rates, species interactions, organisms health, disease and more.

The rest is here:
Scientists at work: We use environmental DNA to monitor how human activities affect life in rivers and streams - The Conversation US

The new report on the DNA Polymerase Market provides estimations of the size of the global market and share and size of key regional markets during the historical period of20192029. The study provides projections of the opportunities and shares, both vis--vis value and volume, of various segments in the DNA Polymerase Market during the forecast period of 2019 2029. The business intelligence study offers readers a granular assessment of key growth dynamics, promising avenues, and the competitive landscape of the DNA Polymerase Market.2019is considered as the baseyear and 2029 as the estimation year.

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While there will be uncertainties, stakeholders can navigate them by factoring in historic and current drivers of change when strategizing for 2020 and beyond. Among these drivers are a growing and aging population, rising prevalence of chronic diseases, infrastructure investments, technological advancements, evolving care models, higher labor costs amidst workforce shortages, and the expansion of health care systems in developing markets. Health care systems need to work toward a future in which the collective focus shifts away from treatment, to prevention and early intervention.

For years, financial challenges have shadowed the worlds public and private health systems to varying degrees, and we expect the situation to persist in 2020. This will make value a watchword in health care payment reform. The entry of non-traditional players in the health care sector have the potential to both support and suppress incumbents efforts to grow revenue. Digital giants and digital-first health solution disruptors are demonstrating that there could be an easier and more user-friendly way to conduct health care transactions.

To offer a comprehensive assessment of opportunities, the study makes a scrutiny of growth prospects in various regions. The key regions comprise the following geographical segments:

North America (U.S., Canada)

Latin America ( Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Rest of LATAM)

Europe (Germany, Italy, UK, Spain, France, Russia, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, Czech Rep, Rest of Europe)

Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (India, Australia & New Zealand, Greater China, S. Korea, ASEAN Countries, Rest of APEJ)

Japan

CIS & Russia

Middle East and Africa (GCC, Turkey, Iran, Israel, South Africa, Rest Of MEA)

The detailed assessments focus on, inter alia, on the regulatory and macroeconomic frameworks, prevailing pricing structure, imminent investment pockets, and emerging application areas. Taking the analysis further, the study helps readers get a better understanding of the trends characteristics of the emerging markets, including government regulations crucial to growth of such markets. Shares of major regional markets are also presented in the analysis.

The study provides detailed profile of key players and their offering in the DNA Polymerase Market which include

ThermoFisher Scientific

Bio-Rad Laboratories

MerckKGaA,

Jena Bioscience GmbH

Agilent Technologies

New EnglandBiolabs

The report offers insight into the competitive dynamic in the DNA Polymerase Market which has shaped the major strategies of each player. It also covers recent moves such as partnerships and collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, diversification and research investments, of each prominent player. The key factors that shape the entry barrier and intensity of competition in the DNA Polymerase Market are presented in the analysis. Further, the study provides PESTLE analyses of numerous players and an evaluation of how the competitive landscape will evolve over the forecast period.

Tentatively, the global high-fidelity DNA polymerase market can be segmented on the basis of the application type, end user and geography.

Based on the application, the global high-fidelity DNA polymerase market is segmented as:

DNA Cloning

SNP Analysis

Next Generation Sequencing Applications

Other Applications

Based on the end user, the global High-fidelity DNA polymerase market is segmented as:

Research Centers

Academic Institutions

Biotechnology Centers

Others

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The global DNA Polymerase Market report answers numerous pertinent questions, some of which are:

What are some of the latent areas of investments in the DNA Polymerase Market?

Which region is expected to emerge as showing the most attractive growth rate during the forecast period and which factors will be crucial to its growth?

What trends are likely to change the status quo of the positions held by leading players of the DNA Polymerase Market in the not-so-distant future?

Which product/service/technology segments holds game-changing potential to dramatically shape the competitive dynamic in the DNA Polymerase Market?

What are the strategies adopted by top players to retain their stronghold in the DNA Polymerase Market?

Which strategic moves will new entrants adopt to gain a strong foothold in the DNA Polymerase Market?

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Cell-Free Fetal DNA Testing MarketAccording to the latest research by Fact.MR, theCell Free Fetal DNA Testing Marketis set to witness exponential growth during 2021-2031. Increasing adoption of advance testing methodwilllead to upsurgegrowth outlook forCell- Free Fetal DNA Testingin the long run.

Home DNA Testing MarketAccording to the latest research by Fact MR, theHome DNA testing Marketis set to witness steady growth during 2021-2031. Demand for the market will witness a steady recovery in the short term, with an optimistic growth outlook in the long run.

Organ Care MarketAccording to the latest research by Fact MR, Organ Care Market is set to witness steady growth during 2021-2031. Demand for the market will witness a steady recovery in the short-term, with an optimistic growth outlook in the long run.

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Read this article:
Introduction of New Research Equipment In The European Healthcare Industry, High-Fidelity DNA Polymerase Holds Maximum Revenue Share - BioSpace

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REVIEW Aches and pains, we all have them or will have them at some point in our lives. Whether these pains come as a result of epic workouts or from arthritis and other chronic medical conditions, finding a way to alleviate inflammation and pain without drugs can be a struggle. Thats where the DNA Vibe Jazz Band Vibe is supposed to help. No, it isnt a musical instrument, its a light therapy device. Lets take a look.

The DNA Vibe Jazz Band is a therapy device that has been designed to reduce pain, enhance performance, and allow for faster recovery of aching joints and muscles using red and near infrared light, magnets, and micro vibration. It can be used on ankles, knees, elbows, wrists, shoulders, necks, backs, and more.

Power output 2 Watts (Optimized for minimum output)Power density 6 mW/cm^2Red light 650 nm 675 nm 10 emitters, the exact wavelength is proprietaryNear-infrared 825 nm 850 nm, 18 emitters, the exact wavelength is proprietaryMagnetic 45-55 micro Tesla, 1 emitter, 6-10 Hz pulsed (intensity is comparable to earths naturally occurring magnetic field)Micro-vibration 225 Hz, Controllable on/off, pulse pattern & periodicity selectableDimensions 5 x 11.25

The DNA Vibe Jazz Band Vibe is an oval-shaped device that is housed in a neoprene cover. The Vibe has a short power cable with a magnetic connector attached to it. The connector reminds me of an Apple MagSafe cable that we used to have on MacBooks. It provides a quick connect and disconnect of the power adapter cable which plugs into your wall. That means that youll always be tethered when youre using this device. If you want to use the Vibe wirelessly, you can check out the Cordless Power Pack.

If you flip the band over, youll see that theres a mesh cover.

The Jazz Band Vibe feels like a thick slab of solid gel. But when you plug it in, 10 large LED glow red and the Vibe vibrates with short bursts.

To control the DNA Vibe Jazz Band Vibe Light Therapy Device, youll need to download the DNA Vibe app for your phone. I did all my testing with my iPhone 12 Pro Max. Bluetooth pairing of the Vibe with my phone was quick and simple and the app itself is also just as simple to use.

The app has one main screen (shown above) that lets you set a timer for the therapy session and adjust the red light, near infrared light, magnetics, and toggle the micro vibration feature. It is suggested that you use the device twice a day for 20-30 minutes to achieve results. What kind of results? According to DNA Vibe, you should see:

Basically, you just wrap the Vibe around the body part that needs therapy and use one of the straps to keep it in place. That sounds easy but it can be a bit awkward when youre trying to place the Vibe around your own hand, arm, elbow, or shoulder. You should also know that the body part needs to be bare and the Vibe needs to be positioned against the area that needs help.

I tested the DNA Vibe Jazz Band Vibe Light Therapy device with my elbow and my hand. Once in a while, Ill give myself a mild case of tendonitis from leaning on my elbow too much while Im sitting at my desk. I had noticed lately that my elbow is achy so I used the Vibe to see if it could relieve the inflammation and mild pain. I was very much surprised when one 30 minute session with the Vibe made the pain go away. I considered that a fluke and decided to give the Vibe something difficult to fix my hand. My right hand has the beginning of arthritis or some type of inflammation problem in the thumb near the wrist. So used the Vibe as suggested, 20-30 minutes once a day for 2 weeks. Here are before pictures comparing my left hand and my right hand so you can better see how the right hand is slightly swollen.

Original post:
DNA Vibe Jazz Band Vibe review - Light therapy device - The Gadgeteer

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PRESS RELEASE

Immunocore presents data at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021 demonstrating a reduction in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) while on tebentafusp is associated with overall survival in the Phase 2 clinical trial

Linear correlation between the magnitude of ctDNA reduction on tebentafusp and improved overall survival

70% of evaluable patients had any ctDNA reduction and 14% had ctDNA clearance

Immunocore Holdings Plc (Nasdaq: IMCR), a late-stage biotechnology company pioneering the development of a novel class of T cell receptor (TCR) bispecific immunotherapies designed to treat a broad range of diseases, including cancer, infectious and autoimmune disease, presented new data from the Companys lead program, tebentafusp (IMCgp100), at an oral presentation at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress.

The findings presented by Alexander N. Shoushtari MD, medical oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, demonstrated that reduction by Week 9 in circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) while on tebentafusp is strongly associated with overall survival (OS). A majority (70%) of evaluable patients had any ctDNA reduction while 5% of patients had radiographic response per the RECISTv1.1 criteria. In addition, 14% of patients had complete ctDNA clearance and long OS; this included some patients with best response of stable or progressive disease. The analysis was based on the phase 2 trial of tebentafusp in HLA-A*02:01 positive, previously treated patients with metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) (IMCgp100-102).

Uveal melanoma is characterized by a defined set of unique mutations that can be measured in the blood as free circulating tumor DNA, said David Berman, Immunocores Head of Research and Development, We found that the degree of ctDNA reduction from tebentafusp was strikingly correlated with overall survival. This association was observed even in patients whose tumor lesions appeared radiographically stable or progressing and suggests that clinical benefit from tebentafusp may occur even in patients who did not have a RECIST response.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the United Kingdoms Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have each accepted applications seeking the approval of tebentafusp for the treatment of HLA-A*02:01-positive adult patients with metastatic uveal melanoma based on the primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) from the Phase 3 study IMCgp100-202.

See more here:
Immunocore (IMCR) presents data at ESMO demonstrating reduction in circulating tumor DNA while on tebentafusp is associated with OS in the Phase 2...

While its unsurprisingly common for in-laws to fret over their sons new partner, some just dont know when to stop the phrase no one is good enough for your son comes to mind.

For one Redditor, his parents committed a stunning form of betrayal after they pulled a Maury-style DNA test on their grandson to confirm the baby was, in fact, his.

Subsequently, the man and his wife of two years cut his parents out of their lives, and he has now turned to Reddit for much-needed reassurance that he did not overreact by doing so.

The man explained how he had met his wife, Sonya, in a restaurant where she worked as a waitress. Instantly, his parents disapproved as they believed she was using [him] to achieve her American dream. Naturally, the man was offended by their assumption and slammed his parents for being racist.

Circumstances worsened after the pair were due to wed when he turned to his parents for their blessing to which they declined. Because of this, we decided to elope and only invited my brother and Sonyas best friends to be our witnesses, he wrote.

Two years on, the happy couple welcomed their first child, Garreth, which prompted the parents to reach out in hopes of being a part of their grandsons life. Mykindhearted wife didnt think twice to welcome my parents into our lives, the Reddit user said. She let themmeet our baby two days after being dischargedfrom the hospital.

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The relationship between the foursome appeared to be heading in a progressive direction that was until the Reddit user overheard his mom say to his son, Arent you the cutest baby ever? I am so glad to confirm you are indeed my grandson.

After a back and forth between the pair, his mom finally caved and told him the truth. They had baby Garreth DNA tested to make sure that he was their biological relation.

The man turned to Reddit for much-needed reassurance

I wasspeechlessfor a moment, and before Iblew up from anger, he wrote, I tolddad to give me my son and they better leave before I lose whatever respect I had left for them.

My mom was veryapologeticand said its because theydont trust my wife and that our son looks nothing like me.

It wasnt until two weeks later when the Redditor finally told his wife about the incident after she was questioning why his parents hadnt been visiting. She started crying and it broke my heart, he said, especially after she attempted to win their approval.

The pair collectively decided to no longer let his parents into the childs life. When mom called to ask when they can visit again, I told them they are no longer welcome in our sons life.Mom called my dad and I told him the same thing, he said.

He waslivid, he called me ungrateful and cruel.

He also said afew choice words about my wife which angered me more. I didnt even hear the rest because I just hung up.

Fellow Reddit users flocked to the thread to jump to the mans defence.

This right here, I dont even know why its up for debate. One wrote. Literally a no brainer. Like who they f**k are they to go behind your back and do that and still have the fkn audacity to bad mouth OPs wife. Im so mad and I dont even know these people!

Another sent out a clear message to those saying he shouldnt deprive the child of a relationship with his grandparents. They are openly racist towards his wife/ the mother of this child. They will make remarks about that, they will make him feel bad about his heritage and will talk badly about his mother even when he is there. Don't let them into your life, stay your ground.

Read more:
Man cuts parents out of his life after they secretly DNA tested his new baby - indy100

Huge swaths of our DNA library are made up of non-coding genes that were long regarded as "junk DNA".Recent findings, however, have shown these bits of DNA actually have many purposes in mammals.

Some help form the structure in our DNA molecules so they can be packaged neatly within our cell nucleiwhile others are involved in gene regulation. Now, researchers from the University of New South Wales in Australia have discovered another potential purpose for these non-coding instructions, within the genomes of marsupials.

Some of the gene sequences once considered "junk" are actually fragments of viruses left buried in our DNA from an infection in a long-forgotten ancestor.

Whenever a virus infects you, there's a chance it will leave behind a piece of itself within your DNA, and if this happens in an egg or sperm cell, it will then be passed on through the generations. These are known as endogenous viral elements (EVEs).

In humans, fragments of viral DNA make up around 8 percent of our genome. They can provide a record of viral infections through our evolutionary history, like genetic memory.

"These viral fragments have been retained for a reason," said paleovirologist Emma Harding. "Over millions of years of evolution, we would expect all DNA to change, however, these fossils are preserved and kept intact."

To try to work out why, Harding and colleagues searched for EVEs in the genomes of 13 species of marsupials, including the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugeni), Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), and fat-tailed dunnarts (Sminthopsis crassicaudata).

They found EVEs from three viral groups Bornaviridae, Filoviridae, and Parvoviridae in all of the animals sampled.

"One of the EVEs I found was from the Bornaviridae family of viruses, which first entered the animals' DNA during the time of the dinosaurs when the South American and Australian land masses were still joined together," Harding said.Bornaviridae is present in the opossums of America as well as Australia's marsupials.

The Bornaviridae EVEs were particularly prevalent and more closely related to similar viral fossils found in birds and reptiles rather than those seen in placental mammals like us.

"Bornaviridae viruses were previously thought to have evolved 100 million years ago," Harding explained. "But the one I found in almost every marsupial DNA we looked at puts it at 160 million years old."

Surprisingly, some of these ancient viral fragments were still being transcribed into RNA. Often in cells, RNA transcriptions act as protein templates. But in this case they weren't being translated, effectively making them non-coding RNA.

That doesn't make them useless. Non-coding RNA is used in a number of cell functions, including the regulation of RNA transcription among other genes.

A tammar wallaby, one of the study species. (Hossein Anv/Unsplash)

Significantly, it is also known that this type of RNA is used for many cell functions, including regulating the creation of RNA, and it is also known to contribute to immune defense against viruses in plants and invertebrates. Bats have a particularly large cache of these fossil viral fragments too, and they're well known for their unfortunate ability to survive while carrying deadly viruses that do most other mammals in.

Looking at koalas in more detail, the researchers discovered some of the EVEs were indeed being transcribed into small RNA molecules known to be antiviral in invertebrates.

"This suggests the tantalizing possibility of this RNA defense system, previously thought to be abandoned in mammals in favor of the interferon system, still being active and protecting marsupial cells," Harding and colleagues wrote in Microbiology Australia.

As marsupials undergo most of their developmental time within their mother's pouch, some are born before they've even developed bones let alone fully functioning immune systems. So, this kind of antiviral defense could be critical to pouch young, the team suspects.

"This could be a mechanism similar to vaccination but is inherited through generations. By keeping a viral fossil, the cell is immunized against future infection," said Harding.

"If we can show it occurring in marsupials, it may also be occurring in other animals, including humans."

This researcher was published in Virus Evolution.

Continued here:
Mammals Carry a Graveyard of Viruses in Our DNA, And It Could Have a Crucial Purpose - ScienceAlert

It is less known that how DNA helix is neatly packed and stored inside cells. DNA is wound around protein structures known as histones. It forms an elegant, tightly packed structure known as chromatin.

For molecular processes to use that information, the chromatin needs to open and make the DNA available for binding by transcription factors. Transcription factors are proteins involved in the process of converting or transcribing DNA into RNA.

The proteins translate the DNA sequence made of base pairs into messenger RNA. This mRNA is then finally read by a ribosome to produce proteins based on the original blueprint.

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have uncovered a unique mechanism where two transcription factors stabilize each others binding to DNA in fission yeast. They found that Atf1 and Rst2 helped each other stably bind when they were close enough together.

Both proteins transcribe a gene that deals with poor glucose environments but belongs to entirely independent activation pathways.

Scientists studied how transcription factors (TF) bind to the chromatin by looking at a simpler organism, the fission yeast. They wanted changes in their environment.

Now, scientists have successfully caught a glimpse into the unique mechanism behind how transcription works in yeast cells responding to a lack of glucose in their surroundings.

Starved yeast cells cause two TFs, Atf1, and Rst2 to activate transcription of the fbp1 gene. When scientists studied the process, they found that not only that the activation of both was crucial to the function of fbp1, but that they helped stabilize each other.

Scientists also showed that this was due to how close these sites were, usually 45 base pairs apart.

Introduction of extra lengths of DNA between these sites, the TFs suddenly could not help each other. This also closed chromatin, hence leaving both factors unbound. Their relative orientation along the twisting grooves of the helix also proved vital.

Importantly, this effect was shown to be strong enough to counteract the effects of Tup11 and Tup12, co-repressors that help destabilize the random binding of independent TFs to the chromatin. All this suggests that this reciprocal relationship helps the TFs bind successfully and prevents either from attaching by themselves.

A fascinating fact is Completely independent chemical pathways activate TFS.

The process discovered by the team thus integrates these routes into a signal hub. Though a single piece in a complex biochemical puzzle, this finding helps highlight an unappreciated mechanism by which different TFs interact and effectively integrate pathways. The team hopes this new insight can help in the fight against cancer and other related illnesses.

Read more from the original source:
Proteins help each other stably bind to DNA - Tech Explorist

For the first time, bighead carp DNA has been found in the Milwaukee River, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Thegenetic material, called environmental or eDNA, was detected in a water sample taken in June during routine sampling on the river.

Thetest resultwasconfirmed Friday by the Service and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Bighead and its close relative thesilver carp are highly destructive, invasive species of carp spreading throughout North American waters.

To date, no live specimens of the fish have been found in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan or its tributaries.

More: Fish barrier vs. carp DNA: What to believe?

More: Electric currents, underwater speakers scare up invasive Asian carp in Mississippi River near La Crosse

More: Asian Carp 'eDNA' found in Chicago creek near Lake Michigan. But what does it mean?

But fisheries biologists have been on the lookout due to the threat the carp pose to the multibillion-dollar fishery.

The Service uses the highly sensitive eDNA methodologyas part of its annual monitoring for invasive species in the Great Lakes.

The testingis designed to detect traces of skin cells, feces, reproductive secretions and other genetic material shed into the environment.

While DNA from the invasive fish canenter lakes and rivers in wastewater or other indirect means and doesn't necessarily signal the presence of a live fish, a positive testsends off an alarm, said Nick Frohnauer, USFWS eDNA and early detection and monitoring coordinator.

"We can't be sure of the source," Frohnauer said. "But people should have a heightened sense of concern for Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes overall because of how close the carp are in the river systems and the damage they can cause."

The positive bighead carp result came from one out of 100 samples taken from the Milwaukee River, according to the Service.

Silver and bighead carp are found in theChicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, about 35 miles from Lake Michigan. They are also found in Wisconsin waters of the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.

And in 2020 the DNR brought charges against a Wisconsin man for illegally transporting the carp into the state and selling them in Madison.

The finding of invasive carp DNA in theMilwaukee River marks the third such detection in Wisconsin waters of Lake Michigan.

Silver carp DNA was found near Sturgeon Bay in 2013 and bighead carp DNA was found in the Fox River in 2014, according to state and federal biologists.

Subsequent netting and electroshocking in both areas failed to turn up a silver or bighead carp, dead or alive.

The Milwaukee River detection will trigger a similar response, saidTodd Kalish, DNR deputy fisheries director.

Additional water samples were collected this week, Kalish said, and beginning next week crews will use nets andshocking gear to search for invasive carp on the Milwaukee.

The eDNA results on the additional water samples are expected to be known later this month, according to Kalish.

Bighead, black, grass, and silver carp were imported from Asia to the United States in the 1970s as a method to control nuisance algal blooms in wastewater treatment plants and aquaculture ponds as well as for human food, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Within 10 years, the carp escaped confinement and spread to the waters of the Mississippi River basin and other large rivers like the Missouri and Illinois.

The invasivecarp are filter feeders that remove large quantities of plankton from the water and competewith native aquatic species for food and habitat.

Their rapid population increase is disrupting the ecology and food web of the large rivers of the Midwest, according to the USGS.

In areas where bighead and silvercarp are abundant, they have harmed native fish communities and interfered with commercial and recreational fishing.

Bighead carp can get very large. A 125-pounder was taken this summer by a bowfisherman in Missouri.

Kalish said it was criticalto keep bighead and silver carp out of the Great Lakes to help protect the region's estimated $7 billion-a-year fishing industry.

"I can't overemphasize how important it is to be vigilant and work to prevent the spread of these invasive carp," Kalish said. "We hope this DNA finding doesn't lead to finding a fish. But no matter what, it helps underscore this critical issue and the need to work together to keep these invasivesout."

Invasive carp info: It is a violation of federal law to transport live Asian carp in interstate commerce. In addition, Wisconsin law makes it illegal to possess, transport, transfer or introduce any species of live Asian carp.

If you catch or find a bighead, black, grass or silver carp in Wisconsin, the DNRadvises you to not return the fish to the water. Instead, take a photo of the fish andreport it to the DNR. If possible, put the fish on ice and take it the local DNR office.

For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov andinvasivecarp.us.

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Bighead carp DNA found in Milwaukee River for the first time - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Hyejung Won, PhD, is principal investigator of five-year project, part of the NIHs $185-million Impact of Genomic Variation on Function consortium. UNCs Karen Mohlke, PhD, and Michael Love, are co-investigators.

Thousands of DNA variants may contribute to common diseases by affecting how well a gene is expressed, but the identity of these variants is unknown. To address this problem, The National Institutes of Health is providing approximately $185 million over five years to the Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) consortium composed of 25 awards across 30 U.S. research sites. IGVF consortium investigators will work to understand how genomic variation alters human genome function, and how such variation influences human health and disease.

The proposed UNC-led $9.25 million study over five years, spearheaded by Hyejung Won, PhD, assistant professor in the UNC Department of Genetics, will identify specific DNA variants that alter gene expression level to influence risk of disease. The study will determine whether variants act differently in males and females; in the brain, liver, muscle, lung, and heart; and in or out of an inflamed environment.

As members of the IGVF Consortium, we will also generate a regulatory variant catalog for the community, and enable future studies through data collection and predictive models, said Won, who is a member of the UNC Neuroscience Center. The ultimate goal of the IGVF is to identify new targets to treat common diseases.

Co-investigators at UNC-Chapel Hill are Karen Mohlke, PhD, professor of genetics at the UNC School of Medicine, and Michael Love, PhD, assistant professor of genetics and biostatistics at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Thousands of genetic loci specific locations on chromosomes are associated with human traits or disease risk, and these loci each typically contain tens to hundreds of variants, most of which are non-coding and lack direct evidence of effects on genes. Experimental tests of genomic variants are needed to identify functional effects, which can be specific to one sex, tissue, and/or perturbed environmental contexts, such as inflammation, a hallmark disease state.

The expertise of the study investigators in genome-wide association studies, statistical and computational genetics, human genomics, AAV delivery (gene therapy), and mouse physiology make achievement of these aims feasible and likely highly informative to understand how genomic variation impacts human health and disease, Won said.

Read the announcement of these IGVF grants from the National Human Genome Research Institute.

Read more here:
UNC Researchers Awarded $9.25 Million to Study DNA Variance Related to Disease | Newsroom - UNC Health and UNC School of Medicine