Archive for October, 2013

Adapting microbes that dramatically increase crop yields while reducing demand for fertilizers and pesticides through selective breeding or genetic engineering could be cheaper and more flexible than genetically modifying plants themselves, says an author of a report.

Microbes, such as beneficial bacteria, fungi and viruses, could be produced locally for smallholder farmers to significantly improve food security and incomes in developing regions, believes Ann Reid, director of the American Academy of Microbiology and co-author of a report published by the organization last month (27 August).

"Genetic modification of crop plants, which has seen a huge investment, is closed to all but the biggest agricultural companies," she tells SciDev.Net.

"Optimisation of microbes could be done at the level of the local community college and is much more obtainable for a smallholder farmer."

Her comments echo the findings of the report the product of an expert meeting in 2012 which underscored the significant impact microbes could have on food production by increasing crops' absorption of nutrients, resistance to disease and environmental stresses, and even improving flavour.

As well as to accentuate naturally occurring traits such as the secretion of pest-killing toxins or nitrogen-fixation, the modification of microbes is often needed to allow them to be grown in large numbers out of their natural environment.

For example, researchers in Colombia could only produce large quantities of a fungus that improves the nutrient absorption of cassava once they bred a strain of that fungus that was capable of growing on carrot roots.

Recent technological developments in rapid DNA sequencing, imaging and computer modelling can help provide further solutions, as well as building a greater understanding of the complex environment that microbes themselves need to flourish, the report says.

These advances raise the possibility that, within two decades, microbes could increase food production by a fifth and reduce fertiliser demands by the same proportion, it finds.

But to achieve this ambitious goal, the research community must engage in curiosity-driven basic research, develop even cheaper sequencing techniques, and establish a process to move discoveries from the lab to the field, it says.

Read more:
Microbes vs. Genetic Modification

Home Mail News Sports Finance Weather Games Groups Answers Screen Flickr More omg! Shine Movies Music TV Health Shopping Travel Autos Homes Mobile Yahoo News Search News Search Web Sign In Mail Help Account Info Help Suggestions Yahoo News Home Video Photos GMA Year in Review Odd Comics Travel Opinion Trending Now Who Knew? Weather The Upbeat U.S. U.S. Video GMA Education Religion Crimes and Trials Local Contributor Network Year In Review World World Video Middle East Europe Latin America Africa Asia Canada Australia/Antarctica Business Video Exclusives Today's Markets Stocks Personal Finance Marketplace Entertainment Video Clinton Concert Celebrity TV Movies Music Fashion Books Arts Theater Dear Abby Comics Odd News Sports Video NFL MLB NBA NCAAF NCAAB Soccer Cycling NHL Tennis Golf Boxing Motor Sports MMA Olympics Tech Gadgets Wireless Apple Social Media Security Open Source Gaming Apps This Could Be Big Upgrade Your Life Politics Remake America The Issues Women and Politics Press Releases Video Science Science Video Weather News Space / Astronomy Pets Dinosaurs / Fossils Biotech Energy Green Health Video Weight Loss Cancer Sexual Health Medications/Drugs Parenting/Kids Seniors/Aging Diseases/Conditions Blogs The Sideshow Katie's Take Power Players This Could Be Big Newsmakers Trending Now The Upbeat Who Knew? Nightline Fix Beyond the Headline Local Popular Search Keyword News Search

See the article here:
5 Revolutionary Nobel Prizes in Medicine

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Regenerative medicine and Stem cells Partnering Terms and Agreements http://www.reportlinker.com/p01098514/Regenerative-medicine-and-Stem-cells-Partnering-Terms-and-Agreements.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Biological_Therapy

The Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cells Partnering Terms and Agreements report provides comprehensive understanding and unprecedented access to the Regenerative medicine and Stem cells partnering deals and agreements entered into by the worlds leading healthcare companies.

Trends in regenerative medicine and stem cells deals Deal terms analysis Partnering agreement structure Partnering contract documents Top deals by value Most active dealmakers Average deal terms for regenerative medicine and stem cells

The report provides a detailed understanding and analysis of how and why companies enter regenerative medicine and stem cells partnering deals. The majority of deals are development stage whereby the licensee obtains a right or an option right to license the licensors regenerative medicine and stem cells technology. These deals tend to be multicomponent, starting with collaborative R&D, and commercialization of outcomes.

This report provides details of the latest regenerative medicine and stem cells agreements including cell therapy agreements announced in the healthcare sector.

Understanding the flexibility of a prospective partner's negotiated deals terms provides critical insight into the negotiation process in terms of what you can expect to achieve during the negotiation of terms. Whilst many smaller companies will be seeking details of the payments clauses, the devil is in the detail in terms of how payments are triggered contract documents provide this insight where press releases and databases do not.

This report contains a comprehensive listing of all regenerative medicine and stem cells partnering deals announced since 2008 including financial terms where available including over 550 links to online deal records as disclosed by the deal parties. In addition, where available, records include contract documents as submitted to the Securities Exchange Commission by companies and their partners.

Contract documents provide the answers to numerous questions about a prospective partner's flexibility on a wide range of important issues, many of which will have a significant impact on each party's ability to derive value from the deal.

For example, analyzing actual company deals and agreements allows assessment of the following: - What is actually granted by the agreement to the partner company? - What exclusivity is granted? - What are the precise rights granted or optioned? - What is the payment structure for the deal? - How aresalesand payments audited? - What is the deal term? - How are the key terms of the agreement defined? - How are IPRs handled and owned? - Who is responsible for commercialization? - Who is responsible for development, supply, and manufacture? - How is confidentiality and publication managed? - How are disputes to be resolved? - Under what conditions can the deal be terminated? - What happens when there is a change of ownership? - What sublicensing and subcontracting provisions have been agreed? - Which boilerplate clauses does the company insist upon? - Which boilerplate clauses appear to differ from partner to partner or deal type to deal type? - Which jurisdiction does the company insist upon for agreement law?

Go here to read the rest:
Regenerative medicine and Stem cells Partnering Terms and Agreements

SUNDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Genetics do not play a major role in determining whether people are right- or left-handed, a new study says.

About 10 percent of people worldwide are left-handed, but the reasons why people favor one hand over the other remain unclear.

In an effort to learn more, researchers conducted genetic analyses of nearly 4,000 twins in the United Kingdom, but were unable to find a strong genetic factor in determining handedness.

The study was published recently in the journal Heredity.

Even though they didn't find a strong genetic influence on handedness, the researchers noted that it is widely believed that handedness is not just the result of choice or learning. Therefore, it's likely that genetic factors play at least a minor role in determining handedness.

Another recent study, published in the journal PLoS Genetics, has found that genetics do play a part in handedness, along with environment.

"It is likely that there are many relatively weak genetic factors in handedness, rather than any strong factors, and much bigger studies than our own will be needed to identify such genes unambiguously," John Armour of the University of Nottingham, co-author of the latest study, said in a university news release.

"As a consequence, even if these genes are identified in the future, it is very unlikely that handedness could be usefully predicted by analysis of human DNA," he added.

More information

The Nemours Foundation has more about being left-handed.

The rest is here:
Righty? Lefty? Genes' role still unclear

Cell Therapy - Auto Immune Disease
For More Information Visit: http://www.progenacell.com/

By: Charles Studios

View post:
Cell Therapy - Auto Immune Disease - Video

Cell Therapy - Body Approach
For More Information Visit: http://www.progenacell.com/

By: Charles Studios

See the article here:
Cell Therapy - Body Approach - Video

Cell Therapy - Lime Disease
For More Information Visit: http://www.progenacell.com/

By: Charles Studios

View post:
Cell Therapy - Lime Disease - Video

Cell Therapy - Managing Treatments
For More Information Visit: http://www.progenacell.com/

By: Charles Studios

The rest is here:
Cell Therapy - Managing Treatments - Video

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT), a leader in genetic engineering of animals for discovery of human therapeutic antibodies, today announced expansion of its ongoing collaboration with CNA Development LLC, an affiliate of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Janssen).

Following a preliminary collaboration on OmniRat announced in December 2012, OMT has now granted Janssen licenses to use all its genetically engineered animals, OmniRat, OmniMouse and OmniFlic, for an unlimited number of targets and indications. Under the terms of the expanded agreement, Janssen will pay OMT annual platform access fees and success-based development and commercial milestone payments for each product derived from OMTs antibody platforms.

Dr. Roland Buelow, Founder and CEO of OMT, said: "Unlimited, triple-platform access provides OMTs partners with cost-efficient ability to create superior antibodies against some of the most challenging targets. OMT expects to see more and more partners taking such broad access, which will make OMT a profitable biotech company without need for further private or public funding.

OMT offers its collaborators both target-by-target and unlimited platform access. Target-by-target licensing allows the partners to use the technologies in a limited fashion and compare them to existing internal technologies, including humanization of animal-derived antibodies, optimization of display-derived antibodies, and alternative transgenic animal systems. Unlimited platform access provides a more cost-effective long term alternative and gives OMT and its partners more chances at discovery and development of clinically-commercially successful therapeutic antibodies.

Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc.

Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. (OMT) is a leader in genetic engineering of animals for discovery of human therapeutic antibodies naturally optimized human antibodies.

OMT has created OmniRat, the industrys first fully human monoclonal antibody platform based on rats. It represents a novel and proprietary technology with unrestricted development options. OMT and Pfizer have demonstrated that OmniRat has a complete immune system with a diverse antibody repertoire and generates antibodies with human idiotypes as well as a wild-type animals make rat antibodies (Journal of Immunology 2013 Feb 15; 190(4):1481-90).

OmniMouse is a transgenic mouse designed to complement OmniRat and further increase epitope coverage. Both animals deliver antibodies with great affinity, specificity, expression, solubility and stability, yet with low or no immunogenicity or need for lead optimization. OmniFlic is the industrys first engineered rat with a fixed light chain for development of human bispecific antibodies.

OMTs antibody platforms have broad freedom to operate and use technology protected by new patents and patent applications. They are available for licensing worldwide for all targets and indications and are presently partnered with Merck KGaA, Pfizer, WuXi AppTec and other biopharmaceutical companies.

Read more here:
Open Monoclonal Technology, Inc. Grants Unlimited Platform Access to CNA Development LLC, an Affiliate of Janssen ...

Public release date: 6-Oct-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kara Gavin kegavin@umich.edu 734-764-2220 University of Michigan Health System

ANN ARBOR, Mich. A global hunt for genes that influence heart disease risk has uncovered 157 changes in human DNA that alter the levels of cholesterol and other blood fats a discovery that could lead to new medications.

Each of the changes points to genes that can modify levels of cholesterol and other blood fats and are potential drug targets. Many of the changes point to genes not previously linked to blood fats, also called lipids. A surprising number of the variations were also associated with coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

The research also reveals that triglycerides another type of blood lipid play a larger role in heart disease risk than previously thought.

The results, published in two new papers appearing simultaneously in the journal Nature Genetics, come from the Global Lipids Genetics Consortium -- a worldwide team of scientists who pooled genetic and clinical information from more than 188,000 people from many countries and heritages.

The analysis of the combined data was led by a team from the University of Michigan Medical School and School of Public Health. They used sophisticated computing and statistical techniques to search for genetic variations that modify blood lipid levels.

The results increase by more than a third the total number of genetic variants linked to blood lipids. All but one of the variants associated with blood lipids are near stretches of DNA that encode proteins.

"These results give us 62 new clues about lipid biology, and more places to look than we had before," says Cristen Willer, Ph.D., the lead author of one paper and an assistant professor of Internal Medicine, Human Genetics and Computational Medicine & Bioinformatics at the U-M Medical School. "Once we take the time to truly understand these clues, we'll have a better understanding of lipid biology and cardiovascular disease -- and potentially new targets for treatment."

But, cautions senior author and U-M School of Public Health Professor Gonalo Abecasis, Ph.D., it will take much further work to study the implicated genes and to find and test potential drugs that could target them. The consortium's "open science" approach will include publishing further detail online for other researchers to use freely toward this goal.

See original here:
Massive DNA study points to new heart drug targets and a key role for triglycerides

Genetics - The Battle Of Epping Forest (Parte 1) @ Teatro Coliseo, Bs As, 21/09/13.
Genetics - The Battle Of Epping Forest (Parte 1) (Selling England by the Pound, 1973). Teatro Coliseo, Bs As, Argentina. Sábado 21 de Septiembre de 2013. HD ...

By: Gino Zolezzi

See the rest here:
Genetics - The Battle Of Epping Forest (Parte 1) @ Teatro Coliseo, Bs As, 21/09/13. - Video

Where I #39;ve been and SK195 Human Genetics and health issues review
So this is where I #39;ve been for a while. This is a review of the Open University module SK195 Human Genetics and heath issues review. Some of the information ...

By: 10yeargoals

Read more:
Where I've been and SK195 Human Genetics and health issues review - Video

SALT LAKE CITY, Oct. 7, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Myriad Genetics, Inc. (MYGN) today announced new clinical data from a study with myRisk Hereditary Cancer, a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel, that showed a 60 percent increase in mutations detected in cancer predisposition genes in patients with a prior history of colon cancer and/or polyps. Myriad is presenting this clinical study and data from four other studies this week at the Collaborative Group of the Americas on Inherited Colorectal Cancer (CGA) Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

Patients with a family history of colon cancer also are vulnerable to other cancers including breast, ovarian, endometrial and stomach cancer. The detection of individuals with mutations associated with hereditary colon cancer greatly increases the chances of successful medical management in those at-risk individuals, which will save lives and reduce the downstream healthcare costs. Also, once a patient has been identified as carrying a deleterious mutation that patient's family members can be tested to determine if they have an increased risk of cancer.

"The new data presented at this year's CGA meeting is ground breaking and underscores the importance of using multi-gene panels when testing patients for hereditary colon cancer," said Richard J. Wenstrup, MD, chief medical officer of Myriad. "Importantly, the data suggest that the use of a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel significantly improved the detection of mutations and is a more efficient way for patients to receive appropriate medical management."

Below is a summary of the key data being presented at the CGA annual meeting.

Abstract: Germline Mutations Identified by a 25-Gene Panel in Patients Undergoing Lynch Syndrome Testing

This study evaluated the mutation prevalence among cases referred for Lynch Syndrome (LS), the most common genetic cause of colon cancer, using the myRisk Hereditary Cancer test, a 25-gene hereditary cancer panel. The study presents data from two cohorts representing a total of 1,133 patients diagnosed with colon cancer or colorectal polyps. The results demonstrated that 10 percent of patients had deleterious mutations in the traditional hereditary colon cancer genes, but an additional 6 percent had deleterious mutations in other genes. This represents a 60 percent increase in the number of patients detected with deleterious mutations in cancer predisposing genes

Abstract: Overlap between Lynch Syndrome and Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome among Family Histories in Patients Tested for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes

This study investigated the overlap of personal and family histories in hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) and hereditary colon cancer in 9,000 patients. Results showed that among patients tested for HBOC, 6.9 percent also had family histories that meet the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) criteria for hereditary colon cancer. In addition, 30 percent of patients tested for hereditary colon cancer also met NCCN criteria for HBOC. This analysis demonstrates the overlap among patients with a family history of hereditary breast cancer and those with a family history of colon cancer, suggesting that patients may benefit from multi-gene panels to better improve the diagnosis of hereditary cancer syndromes.

Abstract: MSI-High Histology Is a Predictive Risk Factor for Lynch Syndrome

The objective of this study was to better understand the prevalence of hereditary colon cancer mutations in patients who have abnormal histology, regardless of family history. Approximately 13.9 percent (57/410) of patients with abnormal histology had a deleterious mutation. Importantly, among the patients who tested positive for a deleterious mutation, 77.2 percent (44/57) would not have met Amsterdam II criteria based on personal or family history for hereditary colon cancer testing if histology was not considered. These data support the use of histology to simplify patient selection for hereditary colon cancer testing.

Original post:
Myriad's myRisk Hereditary Cancer(TM) Test Improves Colon Cancer Testing by 60 Percent

Washington, Oct. 7 (ANI): A global hunt for genes influencing heart disease risk has uncovered 157 changes in human DNA that alter levels of cholesterol and other blood fats - a finding that may lead to new medications.

Each of the changes points to genes that can modify levels of cholesterol and other blood fats and are potential drug targets. Many of the changes point to genes not previously linked to blood fats, also called lipids.

A surprising number of the variations were also associated with coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.

The research also reveals that triglycerides - another type of blood lipid - play a larger role in heart disease risk than previously thought.

The results increase by more than a third the total number of genetic variants linked to blood lipids. All but one of the variants associated with blood lipids are near stretches of DNA that encode proteins.

Lead author Cristen Willer, Ph.D., assistant professor of Internal Medicine, Human Genetics and Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics at the U-M Medical School, said that these results give us 62 new clues about lipid biology, and more places to look than we had before.

A further analysis of the massive dataset, published as a letter with lead authors Sekar Kathiresan and Ron Do from Harvard University and the Broad Institute, suggests that triglyceride levels have more impact on cardiovascular disease risk than previously thought.

This analysis found that genetic variations that increase triglyceride or LDL-cholesterol levels are also associated with higher incidence of heart disease. But the analysis also casts further doubt on the role of high density lipoprotein, known commonly as HDL or "good cholesterol", in heart disease risk. In recent years, many drugs that modify HDL cholesterol have failed to show a benefit in preventing heart disease.

The findings have been published in the journal Nature Genetics. (ANI)

See the rest here:
Gene therapy set to become future of heart disease treatment

Project Walk Atlanta- Spinal Cord Injury Recovery V1

By: ProjectWalkAtlanta Spinal Cord Injury Recovery

View post:
Project Walk Atlanta- Spinal Cord Injury Recovery V1 - Video

YourLife Regenerative Medicine

By: TVTerraVerde

Here is the original post:
YourLife Regenerative Medicine - Video

Personalized Medicine in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
In this segment, panelists discuss research into genomic assays and novel therapeutic approaches that could help personalize the treatment of patients with t...

By: OncLiveTV

See the original post:
Personalized Medicine in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer - Video

Caring for Wounded Warriors with Spinal Cord Injury
During military operations, service members may be exposed to ammunition explosives, fragments, or blasts that can penetrate the spinal cord. If you are cari...

By: AgriLifeVideo

Excerpt from:
Caring for Wounded Warriors with Spinal Cord Injury - Video

Cell Therapy - Cancer Treatment
For More Information Visit: http://www.progenacell.com/

By: Charles Studios

View original post here:
Cell Therapy - Cancer Treatment - Video

Marilynn Marchione, The Associated Press Published Saturday, October 5, 2013 5:20PM EDT

They were mystery diseases that had stumped doctors for years - adults with strange symptoms and children with neurological problems, mental slowness or muscles too weak to let them stand. Now scientists say they were able to crack a quarter of these cases by decoding the patients' genes.

Their study is the first large-scale effort to move gene sequencing out of the lab and into ordinary medical care, and it shows that high hopes for this technology are finally paying off.

"This is a direct benefit of the Human Genome Project," the big effort to decode our DNA, said Dr. Christine M. Eng of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "We're now able to directly benefit patients through more accurate diagnosis."

She led the study, which was published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine. It gives results on the first 250 patients referred to Baylor for a newer type of sequencing - just the DNA segments that hold the recipes for all the proteins the body needs. That's only about 1 percent of the whole genome.

Baylor has sequenced more patients beyond those in the study - 1,700 so far - and found gene flaws in 1 out of 4, Eng said.

That rate will improve as more genes are linked to diseases, but it's already much higher than the less comprehensive gene tests done now, said Rebecca Nagy, a scientist at Ohio State University and president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors.

"For some of these conditions there could be treatments that are lifesaving," she said.

Already, three people tested at Baylor were found to have a muscle disorder that can cause respiratory problems and even death. The condition is aggravated by infections and stress, and there are drugs to treat those and prevent serious episodes, Eng said.

In other cases, having a diagnosis helped parents like Lindsey and Brandon Collier decide whether to have more children. The Colliers, who live in Georgetown, Texas, about 30 miles north of Austin, searched for years for an answer to what was plaguing their son, Cannon, now 4.

Link:
Gene scans solve mystery illnesses in kids, adults

Genetic Engineering (2000)
Comedy horror music video made to the X-Ray Spex song Genetic Engineering, filmed in 2000. Starring Mike Anino and Alex Dickman, directed by James Nicholas M...

By: James Mohr

The rest is here:
Genetic Engineering (2000) - Video

GNU ECO GENETICS 2014
GNU ECO GENETICS 2014 http://www.board-club.com.ua/?page=productDetails id=7379.

By: BoardClubUA

See the original post:
GNU ECO GENETICS 2014 - Video

Genetics problems 5 recessive epistasis
For more information, log on to- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/ Download the study materials here- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/bio-materials.html Genet...

By: Suman Bhattacharjee

Excerpt from:
Genetics problems 5 recessive epistasis - Video

Genetics problems 9 dominant recessive epistasis
For more information, log on to- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/ Download the study materials here- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/bio-materials.html Genet...

By: Suman Bhattacharjee

See more here:
Genetics problems 9 dominant recessive epistasis - Video

Genetics problems 12 sex linked inheritance 2
For more information, log on to- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/ Download the study materials here- http://shomusbiology.weebly.com/bio-materials.html Genet...

By: Suman Bhattacharjee

More:
Genetics problems 12 sex linked inheritance 2 - Video