Category Archives: Transhuman News

NYGC Welcomes Robert Darnell as President Scientific Director
Robert B. Darnell, MD, Ph.D., a leading expert in the emerging area of RNA genomics, was named President and Scientific Director of the New York Genome Center on November 28, 2012. While he #39;s new to the role of President and Scientific Director, Darnell is no stranger to NYGC. He was part of the Center #39;s founding board and executive committee, and he #39;s the Heilbrunn Professor of Cancer Biology at The Rockefeller University, which is also home to NYGC #39;s Pilot Lab. He #39;ll retain that position and continue to be an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.From:NewYork GenomeCenterViews:3 0ratingsTime:01:45More inScience Technology

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NYGC Welcomes Robert Darnell as President

Yak Genome Database YGD
A quick look at the search and display features of the Yak Genome Database. For links and references, see the associated blog post here: blog.openhelix.comFrom:OpenHelixLLCViews:1 0ratingsTime:04:41More inScience Technology

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Yak Genome Database YGD - Video

Leicester scientists print human genome in 130 books
28 November 2012 Scientists at the University of Leicester have printed the whole of the human genome to show just how much information it takes to make up one human body. They say it has taken 130 book volumes, which would take 95 years to read.From:marthymamoViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:51More inNews Politics

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Leicester scientists print human genome in 130 books - Video

scientists print human genome in 130 books
Scientists at the University of Leicester have printed the whole of the human genome to show just how much information it takes to make up one human body. They say it has taken 130 book volumes, which would take 95 years to read. Eleanor Garnier reports.From:technologyvideos4uViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:51More inPeople Blogs

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scientists print human genome in 130 books - Video

Dr. Svante Paabo on the Power of Genomics
As part of the Genome Canada / Gairdner Foundation Genomics: The Power and the Promise conference being held in Ottawa, we shot some quick videos of various people across Canada talking about the potential power of genomics. The Power and Promise conference and gala dinner brings together some of the top experts in the field of genomics and examines the impact of genomics on Canada #39;s bioeconomy, health, agriculture, and the environment.From:OntarioGenomicsClipsViews:2 0ratingsTime:01:30More inScience Technology

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Dr. Svante Paabo on the Power of Genomics - Video

Translating all CDS Features in a Genome Using SeqNinja
In this video, we show you how to translate all of the CDS features from a genome into a multiple sequence FASTA file in a single step using SeqNinjaFrom:DNASTARIncViews:0 0ratingsTime:02:56More inScience Technology

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Translating all CDS Features in a Genome Using SeqNinja - Video

David Chalack from ALMA on the Power of Genomics
As part of the Genome Canada / Gairdner Foundation Genomics: The Power and the Promise conference being held in Ottawa, we shot some quick videos of various people across Canada talking about the potential power of genomics. The Power and Promise conference and gala dinner brings together some of the top experts in the field of genomics and examines the impact of genomics on Canada #39;s bioeconomy, health, agriculture, and the environment.From:OntarioGenomicsClipsViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:57More inScience Technology

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David Chalack from ALMA on the Power of Genomics - Video

DAVIS The genome sequence of watermelon has been published by an international consortium of scientists including researchers at UC Davis. The information could dramatically accelerate both breeding of more nutritious, tasty and disease-resistant fruit, and progress on understanding the role of the plant vascular system as an information superhighway. The watermelon genome sequence was published Sunday (Nov. 25) in the online version of the journal Nature Genetics.

The genome of the domesticated watermelon contains 23,440 genes, roughly the same number of genes as in humans. The team compared the genomes of 20 different watermelons and developed a first-generation genetic variation map for watermelon. This information allowed them to identify genomic regions that have been under human selection, including those associated with fruit color, taste and size.

Professor William Lucas, chair of the Department of Plant Biology and one of the leaders of the genome project, and colleagues at UC Davis are using the previously published cucumber genome and the newly decoded watermelon genome to explore fundamental questions about the plant vascular system, which carries water and nutrients through the plant. They hope to discover the role played by proteins and RNA species that traffic through the vascular system, many of which are likely to be involved in regulating important agricultural traits.

"Watermelons are a model system for studying the evolution of long-distance signaling processes that occur through the plant vascular system. Knowledge relating to these regulatory mechanisms can be harnessed by breeders to develop watermelons having enhanced properties, including increased water use efficiency, enhanced nutritional value and engineered resistance to pathogens," Lucas said.

The researchers also discovered that a large portion of disease resistance genes were lost in the domestication of watermelon. Breeders ultimately may be able to use the genome information to recover some of these natural disease defenses.

Believed to have originated in Africa, watermelons were cultivated by Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago, and the fruit was a source of water in dry, desert conditions. They are now consumed throughout the world, with more than 200 varieties in global commercial production. China leads in global production of the fruit, and the United States ranks fourth with more than 40 states involved in the industry.

Despite being more than 90 percent water, watermelons contain important nutrients like vitamins A and C and lycopene, a compound that gives some fruits and vegetables their red and orange color. The fruit also contains citrulline, a novel amino acid that has been reported to have beneficial effects in terms of maintaining a healthy heart.

Institutions collaborating on the project in addition to UC Davis were: Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, China; Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Cornell University; BGI-Shenzhen, China; Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Beijing University of Agriculture, China; Institut National de la Recherche Agrinomique, France; Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; Beijing Normal University, China; Huazhong Agriculture University, Wuhan, China; University of Bonn, Germany; Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China; Beijing Novogene Bioinformation Technology Co. Ltd., China; U.S. Department of Agriculture, Charleston, S.C.; USDA Robert W. Holley Center for Agriculture and Health, Ithaca, N.Y.; University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

The project was funded by grants from the Chinese, U.S. and French governments.

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Watermelon genome reveals botanic clues

Newswise ITHACA, N.Y. Are juicier, sweeter, more disease-resistant watermelons on the way? An international consortium of more than 60 scientists from the United States, China, and Europe has published the genome sequence of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) information that could dramatically accelerate watermelon breeding toward production of a more nutritious, tastier and more resistant fruit. The watermelon genome sequence was published in the Nov. 25 online version of the journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers discovered that a large portion of disease resistance genes were lost in the domestication of watermelon. With the high-quality watermelon sequence now complete, it is hoped that breeders can now use the information to recover some of these natural disease defenses.

The authors reported that the genome of the domesticated watermelon contained 23,440 genes, roughly the same number of genes as in humans. The group compared the genomes of 20 different watermelons and developed a first-generation genetic variation map for watermelon. This information allowed them to identify genomic regions that have been under human selection, including those associated with fruit color, taste and size.

Watermelons are an important cash crop and among the top five most consumed fresh fruits; however, cultivated watermelons have a very narrow genetic base, which presents a major bottleneck to its breeding. Decoding the complete genome of the watermelon and resequencing watermelons from different subspecies provided a wealth of information and toolkits to facilitate research and breeding, said Zhangjun Fei, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University, and one of the leaders of this project.

Fei worked with BTI scientists on different aspects of the research, including James Giovannoni, to generate the gene expression data through RNA-sequencing and Lukas Mueller to provide additional analysis to confirm the quality of the genome assembly. Fei also collaborated with Amnon Levi, a research geneticist at the USDA-ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, S.C., on genetic mapping and identifying candidate genes that might be useful to enhance disease resistance in watermelon. The genome sequences of the watermelon are publicly available at the Cucurbit Genomics Database (www.icugi.org), which is created and maintained by Feis group.

Believed to have originated in Africa, watermelons were cultivated by Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago, where the fruit was a source of water in dry, desert conditions. They are now consumed throughout the world with over 400 varieties in global commercial production. China leads in global production of the fruit, and the United States ranks fourth with more than 40 states involved in the industry. Despite being over 90 percent water, watermelons do contain important nutrients such as vitamins A and C, and lycopene, a compound that gives some fruits and vegetables their red color and appears to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Watermelon is also a natural source of citrulline, a non-essential amino acid with various health and athletic performance benefits.

Contact the Press Relations Office for information about Cornell's TV and radio studios.

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Genome Decoded: Scientists Find Clues to Disease Resistant Watermelons

Public release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Carberry johncarberry@cornell.edu 607-255-5353 Cornell University

ITHACA, N.Y. Are juicier, sweeter, more disease-resistant watermelons on the way? An international consortium of more than 60 scientists from the United States, China, and Europe has published the genome sequence of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) information that could dramatically accelerate watermelon breeding toward production of a more nutritious, tastier and more resistant fruit. The watermelon genome sequence was published in the Nov. 25 online version of the journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers discovered that a large portion of disease resistance genes were lost in the domestication of watermelon. With the high-quality watermelon sequence now complete, it is hoped that breeders can now use the information to recover some of these natural disease defenses.

The authors reported that the genome of the domesticated watermelon contained 23,440 genes, roughly the same number of genes as in humans. The group compared the genomes of 20 different watermelons and developed a first-generation genetic variation map for watermelon. This information allowed them to identify genomic regions that have been under human selection, including those associated with fruit color, taste and size.

"Watermelons are an important cash crop and among the top five most consumed fresh fruits; however, cultivated watermelons have a very narrow genetic base, which presents a major bottleneck to its breeding. Decoding the complete genome of the watermelon and resequencing watermelons from different subspecies provided a wealth of information and toolkits to facilitate research and breeding," said Zhangjun Fei, a scientist at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research at Cornell University, and one of the leaders of this project.

Fei worked with BTI scientists on different aspects of the research, including James Giovannoni, to generate the gene expression data through RNA-sequencing and Lukas Mueller to provide additional analysis to confirm the quality of the genome assembly. Fei also collaborated with Amnon Levi, a research geneticist at the USDA-ARS, U.S. Vegetable Laboratory, Charleston, S.C., on genetic mapping and identifying candidate genes that might be useful to enhance disease resistance in watermelon. The genome sequences of the watermelon are publicly available at the Cucurbit Genomics Database, which is created and maintained by Fei's group.

Believed to have originated in Africa, watermelons were cultivated by Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago, where the fruit was a source of water in dry, desert conditions. They are now consumed throughout the world with over 400 varieties in global commercial production. China leads in global production of the fruit, and the United States ranks fourth with more than 40 states involved in the industry. Despite being over 90 percent water, watermelons do contain important nutrients such as vitamins A and C, and lycopene, a compound that gives some fruits and vegetables their red color and appears to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Watermelon is also a natural source of citrulline, a non-essential amino acid with various health and athletic performance benefits.

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Genome decoded: Scientists find clues to more disease-resistant watermelons