Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Election judges check signatures on ballots at the Denver Election Headquarters in downtown Denver, November 04, 2014. Closes races in Colorado are drawing a last minute rush to vote on election day. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post)

Voters dished up rejection for Proposition 105, labeling of genetically modified foods, with 35 percent of votes counted.

The measure would have required labels for GMOs foods produced with genetic engineering or containing genetically modified ingredients. More than 68 percent of voters said no to labeling.

Most processed foods sold in America include GMO ingredients such as corn syrup, corn oil, soybean crops and sugar.

Supporters of GMO labeling, such as Right to Know Colorado, Whole Foods and Natural Grocers, said it would give consumers a choice about what they serve their families.

It's a label, not a ban, alerting people to an unnatural manipulation of food, they argued.

Opponents of Prop 105 said the measure would create new costs and red tape for farmers, food manufacturers and grocery stores and consequently would run up grocery bills and cost taxpayers millions for the government oversight.

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Colorado Prop 105: GMO food fight won by opponents of labeling

Genetically engineering tumors in mice, a technique that has dominated cancer research for decades, may not replicate important features of cancers caused by exposure to environmental carcinogens, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco scientists. In addition to pointing the way to better understanding of environmental causes of cancer, the findings may help explain why many patients do not benefit from, or develop resistance to, targeted drug therapies.

In the new research, reported November 2, 2014 in the advance online edition of Nature, a team led by UCSF graduate student Peter M.K. Westcott found that chemically induced lung tumors in mice carry hundreds of point mutationsdeleterious alterations of single letters in the genomethat are not present in tumors induced by genetic engineering. The researchers demonstrated that chemically induced tumors display a starkly different mutational landscape even when chemicals cause a tumor-initiating mutation that is identical to that created by direct genetic manipulation.

Since the 1980s, when genetic engineering came along, the mouse model community has been working on genetically engineered canceryou put a gene in or take a gene out, and you get a tumor, said Allan Balmain, PhD, the Barbara Bass Bakar Distinguished Professor in Cancer Genetics at UCSF and senior author of the study. But its only now that were beginning to analyze what has happened between that first engineered change and the ultimate development of an aggressive tumor.

The new work made use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, which allows researchers to analyze the genomic sequence of tumors or of normal tissue letter-by-letter. For the Nature study, the group used a form of NGS known as whole-exome sequencing, which comprehensively analyzes the portion of the genome that contains the code for producing proteins.

The findings dovetail well with those from NGS-based studies of human tumors, such as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) initiative spearheaded by the National Cancer Institute and National Human Genome Research Institute, which have revealed mutational signatures, some of which can be definitively tied to environmental exposures. For example, distinctive patterns of point mutations are now known to differentiate lung cancer in smokers from that affecting non-smokers.

The results are also consistent with observations that tumors arising in human organs that are most directly exposed to environmental carcinogensthe skin, gastrointestinal system, and lungsare more prone to point mutations than more protected organs such as the brain, breast, and prostate gland.

We humans smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and spend too much time in the sun, all of which cause us to accumulate point mutations that are major determinants of the behavior of tumors, especially of how a tumor responds to therapy, said Balmain, co-leader of the Cancer Genetics Program at UCSFs Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. All this heterogeneity is being missed with genetically engineered tumors, because they dont reflect these environmental effects.

But only a very small number of the 25 mutational signatures revealed by NGS in human tumors so far have been convincingly tied to environmental exposures, Balmain said, so there is much to learn. Other very unusual, very specific signatures have been seen in human studies that remain obscure. Theyre like a smoking gunwe know theyre caused by something environmental, but were not sure what.

To date most epidemiological research on environmental causes of cancer has relied on patients and families to recall and document dietary habits, alcohol and tobacco use, or occupational exposures, and the rise of NGS offers an opportunity to approach these questions more rigorously, said Balmain.

To that end, Balmains research group is embarking on a collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, which maintains a collection of thousands of mouse and rat tumors caused by exposure to suspected human carcinogens. Through NGS analyses of that collection, the research team hopes to find mutational signatures that can be correlated with those seen in human cancer.

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Environmental Carcinogens Leave Distinctive Genetic Imprints in Tumors

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

5-Nov-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

"New Rochelle, NY, November 5, 2014The e-incubator, an innovative miniature incubator that is compatible with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enables scientists to grow tissue-engineered constructs under controlled conditions and to study their growth and development in real-time without risk of contamination or damage. Offering the potential to test engineered tissues before human transplantation, increase the success rate of implantation, and accelerate the translation of tissue engineering methods from the lab to the clinic, the novel e-incubator is described in an article in Tissue Engineering, Part C, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Tissue Engineering website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ten.tec.2014.0273 until December 5, 2014."

"In the article "The e-Incubator: A Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Compatible Mini Incubator" , Shadi Othman, PhD, Karin Wartella, PhD, Vahid Khalilzad Sharghi, and Huihui Xu, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, present the results of a validation study using the device to culture tissue-engineered bone constructs for 4 weeks. The e-incubator is a standalone unit that automatically detects and regulates internal conditions such as temperature, carbon dioxide levels, and pH via a microcontroller. It performs media exchange to feed the cultures and remove waste products. The current design is compatible with MRI to monitor the constructs without removing them from the incubator. With proper adjustments, compatibility with other imaging technologies including computed tomography (CT) and optical imaging is also possible."

""Calibratable, hands-free tissue development environments are becoming increasingly important for the engineering of implantable tissues," says Tissue Engineering Co-Editor-in-Chief Peter C. Johnson, MD, Vice President, Research and Development, Avery Dennison Medical Solutions of Chicago, IL and President and CEO, Scintellix, LLC, Raleigh, NC. "In this new development, noninvasive imaging modalities are added to the spectrum of sensing and environmental capabilities that heretofore have included temperature, humidity, light, physical force, and electromagnetism. This represents a solid advance for the field.""

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About the Journal

"Tissue Engineering is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published online with Open Access options and in print in three parts: Part A, the flagship, published 24 times per year; Part B: Reviews, published bimonthly; and Part C: Methods, published 12 times per year. Led by Co-Editors-In-Chief Antonios Mikos, PhD, Louis Calder Professor at Rice University, Houston, TX, and Peter C. Johnson, MD, Vice President, Research and Development, Avery Dennison Medical Solutions of Chicago, IL and President and CEO, Scintellix, LLC, Raleigh, NC, the Journal brings together scientific and medical experts in the fields of biomedical engineering, material science, molecular and cellular biology, and genetic engineering. Tissue Engineering is the official journal of the Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on at the Tissue Engineering website at http://www.liebertpub.com/ten. "

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New e-Incubator enables real-time imaging of bioengineered tissues in controlled unit

Phayronet ltd
Phayronet combines for medical benefits nanotechnology capabilities together with the achievements of genetic engineering. It develops the future direction of biomedical engineering developments....

By: Phayronet Ltd

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Phayronet ltd - Video

Genecoin - a group of young US entrepreneurs are developing a DNA storage service that uses bitcoin technology to encrypt and store the data(Genecoin)

A group of young entrepreneurs from the US is offering to take peoples' sequenced DNA, convert it into data, and then back it up using the cryptocurrency bitcoin to keep it safe for future genetic engineering and even cloning. It's the stuff of dystopian nightmare futures with clone armies marching around demanding bitcoin for your life.

The Genecoinservice will offer users an easy-to-use DNA sampling kit which can be sent back to the startup through the mail. The firm will then perform the necessary DNA tests and then upload the genome data into a bitcoin storage network.

The creators, based in the Pacific Northwest, say that using bitcoin blockchain technology as a storage tool has great potential for the future far beyond being merely a ledger for bitcoin transactions.

"Bitcoin's core innovation is the idea of a blockchain, which is a decentralised ledger. Bitcoin isn't a currency rather it is a protocol for writing to a blockchain, and this opens the door to lots of disruptive software innovations," Genecoin's creators computer science graduates who currently want to remain anonymous told IBTimes UK.

"There are so many use cases for the blockchain, and 'currency' is only the first one. People are working on all sorts of ideas: smart property, proof of existence, assurance contracts, data storage these are all possible with bitcoin."

There are already other companies using this technique, such as Storj.io, a startup aiming to provide a super secure private cloud, but so far none focusing on genomics.

A physical representation of a Bitcoin(Reuters)

But the question is: would anyone really want to store their DNA to be used to make clones of themselves in the future, and will Bitcoin even be around for long enough to make it a reliable storage format?

"Most people think of Bitcoin as a currency but it is much more. Bitcoin stores records of transactions. Imagine if you sent Morse code messages by giving your friends money. If you're clever about it, you can encode data based on how you make those transactions," Genecoin's creators said.

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Genecoin: Bitcoin DNA Backup Could be Used to Forge Your Clone Army

Ebola Field Trial in Genetic Engineering Financed by Pentagon?
5 years after the fake with the swine flu: The World Health Organization WHO beats alarm: A fatal virus again threatens the world, this time it is called Ebo...

By: We Don #39;t Vaccinate!

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Ebola Field Trial in Genetic Engineering Financed by Pentagon? - Video

Genetic Engineering and Plastic Surgery in India
Prime Minister Modi #39;s literal interpretation of Hindu Scriptures.

By: Muneeb Haroon

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Genetic Engineering and Plastic Surgery in India - Video

What is Synthetic Biology?: Engineering Life and Livelihoods
It has been referred to as extreme genetic engineering and the new frontier of biotechnology. What is "SynBio", and how will it affect the food we eat and the farmers who provide it? This short...

By: ETC Group

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What is Synthetic Biology?: Engineering Life and Livelihoods - Video

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

29-Oct-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, October 29, 2014 Cities around the world are increasingly making urban data freely available to the public. But is the content or structure of these vast data sets easy to access and of value? A new study of more than 9,000 data sets from 20 cities presents encouraging results on the quality and volume of the available data and describes the challenges and benefits of analyzing and integrating these expanding data sets, as described in an article in Big Data, the highly innovative, peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The Open Access article is available free on the Big Data website.

In the article "Structured Open Urban Data: Understanding the Landscape," Luciano Barbosa and Marcos Vieira, IBM Research, Brazil, and Kien Pham, Claudio Silva, and Juliana Freire, New York University School of Engineering and NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress, NY, present several promising findings. These include a steadily increasing volume of open urban data, the ability to integrate different data sets, and the finding that much of the available data is published in standard types of formats. The authors also discuss the main challenges that make it difficult to take full advantage of these data sources.

"Big urban data is a powerful new phenomenon that has the potential to transform everyday lives of hundreds of millions of people quickly via personal devices that integrate, filter, and create useful personalized information. This paper documents the sources and value of these data," says Big Data Editor-in-Chief Vasant Dhar, Co-Director, Center for Business Analytics, Stern School of Business, New York University.

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About the Journal

Big Data, published quarterly in print and online, facilitates and supports the efforts of researchers, analysts, statisticians, business leaders, and policymakers to improve operations, profitability, and communications within their organizations. Spanning a broad array of disciplines focusing on novel big data technologies, policies, and innovations, the Journal brings together the community to address the challenges and discover new breakthroughs and trends living within this information. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Big Data website.

About the Publisher

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Free urban data -- what's it good for?

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

30-Oct-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

Rochelle, NY, October 30, 2014Several companies are developing spacecraft designed to take ordinary citizens, not astronauts, on short trips into space. "Space tourism" and short periods of weightlessness appear to be safe for most individuals according to a series of articles on space biomedicine published in New Space, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The articles are available free on the New Space website until November 30, 2014.

James Vanderploeg, MD, MPH and colleagues, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, coauthored an article outlining the research that has been done to identify the risks and challenges involved in human commercial spaceflight. The authors describe the development of wearable biomedical monitoring equipment for spaceflight participants and of a medical and physiological database. In addition, the suthors also discuss topics such as the risk of electromagnetic interference and ionizing radiation to implanted medical devices in the article "The Human Challenges of Commercial Spaceflight: An Overview of Medical Research Conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch Through the Federal Aviation Administration Center of Excellence."

"One of the most important areas of New Space research is to determine whether there are biomedical conditions that would disqualify ordinary citizens from a short ride to the edge of space. This first rigorous, peer-reviewed work on a broad range of volunteers indicates most people can take that brief trip," concludes Editor-in-Chief of New Space Prof. Scott Hubbard, Stanford University, in the Editorial "Space Biomedicine -- Who Can Travel to the Final Frontier?"

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About the Journal

New Space facilitates and supports the efforts of researchers, engineers, analysts, investors, business leaders, and policymakers to capitalize on the opportunities of commercial space ventures. Spanning a broad array of topics including technological advancements, global policies, and innovative applications, the journal brings the new space community together to address the challenges and discover new breakthroughs and trends in this epoch of private and public/private space discovery. The Journal is published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print. Complete table of contents are available on the New Space website.

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Is space tourism safe or do civilians risk health effects?