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It is possible to apply genetic modification to the crop crambe so it meets market demands and takes into account what modern society wants. These are the results of research for which Weicong Qi will receive his PhD on 27 August at Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR.

Qi has developed a technique to genetically modify crambe without marker genes appearing in the crop. Using this technique he was able to steer the manufacture of metabolic substances in a direction that would make the crop more attractive to the processing industry.

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica), a bio-based economy crop, is a source of renewable raw materials that will allow industry to become less dependent on petroleum, thus leading to a more sustainable economy.

Biobased Economy

At the moment, however, the quantities of oil this crop produces are too small to meet the needs of industry, which has a particular interest in erucic acid. That is why crambe has been bred for a number of decades. It seems that when Crambe is crossbred, it can produce, at most, 65% erucic acid: too little to make the crop economically viable. That is why the Chinese PhD student Weicong Qi investigated the possibility of enhancing erucic acid production in crambe by applying genetic modification.

Genetically modifying crambe

Qi has developed a workable system for genetically modifying crambe, and one that does not lead to marker genes in the crop. He used the technique to transfer a gene to crambe which meant the plant could build oil molecules with not two, but three erucic acid molecules on the three available positions on each oil molecule (glycerol). In this way Qi managed to increase the erucic acid levels to more than 75%. According to his co-supervisor, Frans Krens, this is an important step forward. "It's not the whole story, but Qi has shown that this approach can work. A start has been made"

Explore further: Research uses camelina to build better biofuel

A Kansas State University biochemist is improving biofuels with a promising crop: Camelina sativa. The research may help boost rural economies and provide farmers with a value-added product.

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Crambe could be an even better oil crop thanks to gene technology

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Lecture 8: Plant Genetics
I would like to welcome you to Lecture 8 of the subject Future Farming Technologies. This subject is a component of the BACHELOR OF AGRICULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY offered at both NMIT ...

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BroadE: Statistical Genetics - Meta-analysis
Copyright Broad Institute, 2013. All rights reserved. BroadE: Statistical Genetics - Meta-analysis - Daniel Howrigan These presentations were filmed during the September 2013 Statistical...

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Genetics - An Overview (Part I)
Introduction to the Levels of Genetics.

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Perfect Genetics Part 7 Preggers Again
Please like and subscribe. Comment below to give me some feedback please and thank you! Sims 3 Profile: http://mypage.thesims3.com/mypage/Courtneydhooks.

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Genetics - An Overview (Part II)
The two types of traits, risk, and benefits of knowing risks.

By: Chemtano

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Genetics and You! #TheFutureIsHere
The filed of genetic science is fast approaching into our everyday lives. Xcode Life Sciences is at the leading edge of providing evidence based tools for the fitness and beauty industry. By...

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Genetics of Complex Disease - Larry Brody
August 4, 2014 - From the 2014 National Human Genome Research Institute Summer Workshop in Genomics (Short Course) More: http://www.genome.gov/10000217.

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Let #39;s Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge: Cowgirl and Horse Edition Episode 42
Come join me on my latest journey into the complex world of sims 3 genetics, as I try to get perfect foals and perfect children. Will I succeed in getting perfect genetics in both? Can I keep...

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Savage Genetics - Silent Hill (Dubstep Remix)
ojala les sirba pronto subire las cansiones del diario de brandon.

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Genetics Arteco Production
Genetics by Sean Goodman - DVD.

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In a new study published in Nature Communications, research scientists from Uppsala University present for the first time a large-scale study of the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream. The results of the study show that genetics and lifestyle are determining factors for protein levels, a discovery which greatly influences the possibilities for using more biomarkers to identify disease.

Biomarkers used for diagnosing disease should preferably indicate variations in protein levels only for those individuals who are suffering from a particular disease. Nor should they vary for reasons which have nothing to do with the disease. By analysing 92 protein biomarkers for cancer and inflammation in a clinical study of 1,000 healthy individuals, researchers at Uppsala University have for the first time surveyed the significance of genetic, clinical and lifestyle factors for protein levels in the bloodstream. The results of the study show that hereditary factors play a significant role for more than 75 per cent of the proteins, and a detailed genetic analysis demonstrates 16 genes with a strong effect on protein levels.

"These results are important, as they show which variables are significant for variations in the measurable values. If these factors are known, we have a greater possibility of seeing variations and we get clearer breakpoints between elevated values and normal values. By extension this may lead to the possibility of using more biomarkers clinically," explains Stefan Enroth, researcher at the Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology at Uppsala University.

According to the study, genetics and lifestyle together account in some cases for more than 50 per cent of variations in protein levels among healthy individuals. This means that information about both genetic and lifestyle factors must be taken into account in order for protein biomarkers to be used effectively.

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what is the procedure of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder
What is the procedure of stem cell therapy for autism spectrum disorder? In conversation with Dr Alok Sharma (MS, MCh.) Professor of Neurosurgery Head of Department, LTMG Hospital LTM Medical...

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Oldsmar, FL (PRWEB) August 22, 2014

This funding was made through an additional investment in Cryo-Cells cell therapy research affiliate, Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc. in the form of a convertible promissory note purchase agreement.

Cryo-Cell is extremely pleased to collaborate with Saneron on several fronts to enable the filing of an IND, which we hope will lead to regenerative therapies using cord blood to treat devastating neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, David Portnoy, Chairman and Co-CEO of Cryo-Cell, stated. He continued, Although this is only the next step, if Sanerons cord blood product ultimately is successfully approved by the FDA to treat ALS, Saneron will indeed prove to be a very valuable corporate asset for Cryo-Cell.

With these funds, Saneron anticipates filing an IND application in the fourth quarter of 2014. The IND for the FDA will be for a Phase I Safety trial enrolling 12 patients that have been diagnosed with ALS, said Nicole Kuzmin-Nichols, President & COO of Saneron. The study will involve the administration of U-CORD-CELL, Sanerons proprietary mononuclear enriched cell fraction of umbilical cord blood to be processed in Cryo-Cells GMP laboratory.

Sanerons sponsored preclinical studies using U-CORD-CELL have demonstrated efficacy in various disease models including: ALS, stroke, myocardial infarction, and Alzheimers disease. In particular, the Cryo-Cell affiliate has demonstrated that a single intravenous administration of U-CORD-CELL can delay disease progression and extend lifespan in a preclinical ALS animal model.

Cryo-Cell is excited that Sanerons U-CORD-CELL processed cell fraction has shown improved efficacy in the ALS preclinical model when previously compared to commonly utilized cord blood cell processing procedures used in the cord blood banking industry.

ALS is a devastating disease that is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles (muscle action we are able to control, such as those in the arms, legs, and face). The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons. According to the ALS Association, in the U.S., approximately 30,000 people have ALS and each year 5,000 people are diagnosed with the disease.

About Cryo-Cell International

Founded in 1989, (OTCQB:CCEL) Cryo-Cell International, Inc. is the world's first private cord blood bank. More than 500,000 parents from 87 countries trust Cryo-Cell to preserve their family members' stem cells. Cryo-Cell's mission is to provide clients with state-of-the-art stem cell cryopreservation services and support the advancement of regenerative medicine. Cryo-Cell operates in a facility that is FDA registered, cGMP-/cGTP-compliant and is licensed in all states requiring licensure. Besides being AABB accredited as a cord blood facility, Cryo-Cell is also the first U.S. (for private use only) cord blood bank to receive FACT accreditation for adhering to the most stringent cord blood quality standards set by any internationally recognized, independent accrediting organization. In addition, Cryo-Cell is ISO 9001:2008 certified by BSI, an internationally recognized, quality assessment organization. Cryo-Cell is a publicly traded company, OTCQB: CCEL. For more information, please visit http://www.cryo-cell.com.

About Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc.

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3 hours ago Credit: National Institutes of Health (common fund)

Researchers of the ISREC Institute at the School of Life Sciences, EPFL, have deciphered the mechanism whereby some microRNAs are retained in the cell while others are secreted and delivered to neighboring cells.

There are many ways cells can communicate with each other. One important mode is the release by a cell of signaling molecules that can bind receptors expressed on the surface of another cell to initiate a specific response. In other cases, cells release small vesicles that are packed with signaling molecules of one or more types; such vesicles can fuse with, or be uptaken by, other cells that internalize their content. Exosomes are small vesicles (also called microvesicles) produced by virtually all cell types. After their release to the extracellular environment like the interstices amongst cells, the blood or other body fluids exosomes can fuse with neighboring or distant cells, to which they transfer their cargo of functional molecules. Remarkably, exosomes not only contain conventional signaling molecules like proteins and peptides but also nucleic acids, such as RNAs and DNA fragments, which can horizontally transfer genetic information from one cell to another.

Modulators born within the cells

microRNAs are small RNA molecules that can tune cell behavior by directly modulating the stability of other RNA molecules, called messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which are the precursors of all cellular proteins. Several dozen functional microRNA species are produced by each cell type. These may target hundreds of mRNAs to finely modulate the global protein output of the cell. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs are packed, along with other molecules, into exosomes and are secreted to the extracellular environment by many distinct cell types. This discovery suggests a new mechanism of cell communication involving the ability of exosomal microRNAs to "reprogram" the gene expression of cells that have internalized them. For example, some of the internalized microRNAs could influence the cell's ability to produce certain proteins that, in turn, may affect the cell functions and behavior.

Sorting out microRNAs

Interestingly, the microRNA composition of exosomes may differ from that of the producer cell. Indeed, some microRNA species can be abundant in the cell but scarce in its exosomes, and vice versa. This finding suggests that the sorting of specific microRNAs to exosomes may be actively regulated, although the underlying mechanisms have remained elusive. With the financial support of the Fonds National Suisse de la Recherche Scientifique (SNSF), Michele De Palma and his colleagues at EPFL and at the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB) of the University of Lausanne, have now identified a mechanism that may explain the differential incorporation of microRNAs into exosomes. By performing RNA sequencing and bioinformatic modeling of the data, the researchers found that the sorting of microRNAs to exosomes is directly controlled by the abundance of the mRNAs they target in the producer cell. When the target mRNAs of a given microRNA increase in the cell for example as a consequence of cell activation the microRNA is more likely to be retained in the cell and excluded from exosomes. Conversely, if the mRNA levels decline, the microRNA is loaded into exosomes and secreted. These findings imply that the secretion of microRNAs through exosomes is a mechanism whereby cells rapidly dispose the microRNAs that are in excess of their target mRNAs.

"It may seem a quite intuitive and straightforward mechanism," explains Mario Leonardo Squadrito, a leading author of the study, "but investigating the cross-talk between microRNAs and their targeted transcripts has proven challenging and required complex bioinformatic analyses." The authors also took advantage of lentiviral vectors they had developed to specifically introduce or delete selected microRNAs, or their targeted mRNAs, in the cells. "These experiments have been crucial to document how microRNAs can dynamically traffic from the cell cytoplasm to exosomes, in response to changes of the RNA levels," adds Squadrito.

Biological markers

The microRNAs contained in circulating exosomes ("microRNA signatures") are increasingly recognized as potential biomarkers of disease and response to therapy. The findings of De Palma and colleagues not only identify a general mechanism regulating microRNA sorting to exosomes, but may also help understand how the microRNA signatures observed in circulating exosomes originate from within the cells. For example, patients with some types of cancer display specific microRNA signatures in their blood that may reflect the altered, and possibly evolving, mRNA (and protein) expression profiles of their tumors. Another important area of research is the analysis of the fate of the microRNAs once the exosomes are internalized by cells. "Although our findings suggest that a significant proportion of the internalized microRNAs may be degraded, we employed sensitive new techniques to demonstrate that they retain the ability to modulate gene expression in the target cell," explains Caroline Baer, another leading author of the study. "A fascinating side of the story is that cells produce profuse amounts of exosomes packed with microRNAs. If cells of different type and origin can effectively exchange this form of genetic information, their boundaries must be less tight than we used to think."

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Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy

Before you get the stem cell transplant, youll get the actual cancer treatment. To destroy the abnormal stem cells, blood cells, and cancer cells your doctor will give you high doses of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or both. In the process, the treatment will kill healthy cells in your bone marrow, essentially making it empty. Your blood counts (number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) will drop quickly. Since chemotherapy and radiation can cause nausea and vomiting, you might need anti-nausea drugs.

Without bone marrow, your body is vulnerable. You won't have enough white blood cells to protect you from infection. So during this time, you might be isolated in a hospital room or required to stay at home until the new bone marrow starts growing. You might also need transfusions and medication to keep you healthy.

A few days after youve finished with your chemotherapy or radiation treatment, your doctor will order the actual stem cell transplant. The harvested stem cells -- either from a donor or from your own body -- are thawed and infused into a vein through an IV tube. The process is essentially painless. The actual stem cell transplant is similar to a blood transfusion. It takes one to five hours.

The stem cells then naturally move into the bone marrow. The restored bone marrow should begin producing normal blood cells after several days, or up to several weeks later.

The amount of time youll need to be isolated will depend on your blood counts and general health. When you are released from the hospital or from isolation at home, your transplant team will provide you with specific instructions on how to care for yourself and prevent infections. Youll also learn what symptoms need to be checked out immediately. Full recovery of the immune system might take months or even years. Your doctor will need to do tests to check on how well your new bone marrow is doing.

There are also variations in the stem cell transplant process being studied in clinical trials. One approach is called a tandem transplant, in which a person would get two rounds of chemotherapy and two separate stem cell transplants. The two transplants are usually done within six months of one another.

Another is called a mini-transplant, in which doctors use lower doses of chemotherapy and radiation. The treatment is not strong enough to kill all of the bone marrow -- and it wont kill all of the cancer cells either. However, once the donated stem cells take hold in the bone marrow, they produce immune cells that might attack and kill the remaining cancer cells. This is also called a non-myeloablative transplant.

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Bone Marrow Transplants and Stem Cell Transplants for ...

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Released: 19-Aug-2014 11:30 AM EDT Embargo expired: 21-Aug-2014 12:00 PM EDT Source Newsroom: Johns Hopkins Medicine Contact Information

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Newswise Johns Hopkins stem cell biologists have found a way to reprogram a patients skin cells into cells that mimic and display many biological features of a rare genetic disorder called familial dysautonomia. The process requires growing the skin cells in a bath of proteins and chemical additives while turning on a gene to produce neural crest cells, which give rise to several adult cell types. The researchers say their work substantially expedites the creation of neural crest cells from any patient with a neural crest-related disorder, a tool that lets physicians and scientists study each patients disorder at the cellular level.

Previously, the same research team produced customized neural crest cells by first reprogramming patient skin cells into induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are similar to embryonic stem cells in their ability to become any of a broad array of cell types.

Now we can circumvent the iPS cells step, saving seven to nine months of time and labor and producing neural crest cells that are more similar to the familial dysautonomia patients cells, says Gabsang Lee, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neurology at the Institute for Cell Engineering and the studys senior author. A summary of the study will be published online in the journal Cell Stem Cell on Aug. 21.

Neural crest cells appear early in human and other animal prenatal development, and they give rise to many important structures, including most of the nervous system (apart from the brain and spinal cord), the bones of the skull and jaws, and pigment-producing skin cells. Dysfunctional neural crest cells cause familial dysautonomia, which is incurable and can affect nerves ability to regulate emotions, blood pressure and bowel movements. Less than 500 patients worldwide suffer from familial dysautonomia, but dysfunctional neural crest cells can cause other disorders, such as facial malformations and an inability to feel pain.

The challenge for scientists has been the fact that by the time a person is born, very few neural crest cells remain, making it hard to study how they cause the various disorders.

To make patient-specific neural crest cells, the team began with laboratory-grown skin cells that had been genetically modified to respond to the presence of the chemical doxycycline by glowing green and turning on the gene Sox10, which guides cells toward maturation as a neural crest cell.

Testing various combinations of molecular signals and watching for telltale green cells, the team found a regimen that turned 2 percent of the cells green. That combination involved turning on Sox10 while growing the cells on a layer of two different proteins and giving them three chemical additives to rewind their genetic memory and stimulate a protein network important for development.

Analyzing the green cells at the single cell level, the researchers found that they showed gene activity similar to that of other neural crest cells. Moreover, they discovered that 40 percent were quad-potent, or able to become the four cell types typically derived from neural crest cells, while 35 percent were tri-potent and could become three of the four. The cells also migrated to the appropriate locations in chick embryos when implanted early in development.

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Biologists Reprogram Skin Cells to Mimic Rare Disease

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Durham, NC (PRWEB) August 22, 2014

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have great potential in the field of regenerative medicine because they can be coaxed to turn into specific cells; however, the new cells dont always act as anticipated. They sometimes mutate, develop into tumors or produce other negative side effects. But in a new study recently published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, researchers appear to have found a way around this, simply by removing the material used to reprogram the stem cell after they have differentiated into the desired cells.

The study, by Ken Igawa, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Tokyo Medical and Dental University along with a team from Osaka University, could have significant implications both in the clinic and in the lab.

Scientists induce (differentiate) the stem cells to become the desired cells, such as those that make up heart muscle, in the laboratory using a reprogramming transgene that is, a gene taken from one organism and introduced into another using artificial techniques.

We generated hiPSC lines from normal human skin cells using reprogramming transgenes, then we removed the reprogramming material. When we compared the transgene-free cells with those that had residual transgenes, both appeared quite similar, Dr. Igawa explained. However, after the cells differentiation into skin cells, clear differences were observed.

Several types of analyses revealed that the keratinocytes cells that make up 90 percent of the outermost skin layer that emerged from the transgene-free hiPSC lines were more like normal human cells than those coming from the hiPSCs that still contained some reprogramming material.

These results suggest that transgene-free hiPSC lines should be chosen for therapeutic purposes, Dr. Igawa concluded.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines have potential for therapeutics because of the customized cells and organs that can potentially be induced from such cells, Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine. This study illustrates a potentially powerful approach for creating hiPSCs for clinical use.

-#-

The full article, Removal of Reprogramming Transgenes Improves the Tissue Reconstitution Potential of Keratinocytes Generated From Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, can be accessed at http://stemcellstm.alphamedpress.org/content/early/2014/07/14/sctm.2013-0179.abstract.

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Removing Programming Material After Inducing Stem Cells Could Improve Their Regeneration Ability

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23 hours ago by David Stacey

(Phys.org) A problem that has puzzled canola breeders for years has been solved by researchers from The University of Western Australia - and the results could provide a vital breakthrough in understanding the impact of increasing global temperatures on crop flowering.

The key to understanding what makes Australian canola flower earlier than its Canadian and European counterparts lies in the genes.

Associate Professor Matthew Nelson from UWA's Institute of Agriculture and School of Plant Biology has identified that heat-responsive genes are responsible for flowering time in Australian spring-type and European summer-type canola. This is the first time such genes have been reported to influence flowering time in canola.

Australian canola is quite distinct from its Canadian and European counterparts - it flowers much earlier. Plant breeders cannot simply transfer varieties from Canada or Europe into Australia as they flower much too late for the Australian environment.

"We took a European summer-type canola, crossed it with Monty, a typical early flowering Australian variety, and analysed the progeny for variation in flowering time," Associate Professor Nelson said.

"There was a huge variation from about 30 days to 160 days in our typical Australian environment. This was totally unexpected and we showed there are several forms of these heat-responsive genes controlling flowering time."

The research indicated that the European plants required much more accumulated heat (thermal time) to flower than the Australian plants.

"Until now, most researchers assumed that long summer days in Europe and Canada triggered flowering, not heat," Associate Professor Nelson said. "Now we know that long days are only a minor part of the story."

"Understanding this complex process is important as breeders alter the adaptation of crops to a new and changing environment," research team leader Winthrop Professor Wallace Cowling said. "International canola breeders will use this information to re-establish the correct flowering time in canola when they cross between Australian types and summer annual types in the northern hemisphere.

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Canola flowers faster with heat genes

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Aug 21, 2014

(Phys.org) There's an old saying in the biofuels industry: "You can make anything from lignin except money." But now, a new study may pave the way to challenging that adage. The study from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) demonstrates a concept that provides opportunities for the successful conversion of lignin into a variety of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for a sustainable energy economy.

"Lignin Valorization Through Integrated Biological Funneling and Chemical Catalysis" was recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The NREL-led research project explores an innovative method for upgrading lignin.

The process for converting glucose from biomass into fuels such as ethanol has been well established. However, plants also contain a significant amount of lignin up to 30 percent of their cell walls. Lignin is a heterogeneous aromatic polymer that plants use to strengthen cell walls, but it is typically considered a hindrance to cost-effectively obtaining carbohydrates, and residual lignin is often burned for process heat because it is difficult to depolymerize and upgrade into useful fuels or chemicals.

"Biorefineries that convert cellulosic biomass into liquid transportation fuels typically generate more lignin than necessary to power the operation," NREL Senior Engineer and a co-author of the study Gregg Beckham said. "Strategies that incorporate new approaches to transform the leftover lignin to more diverse and valuable products are desperately needed."

Although lignin depolymerization has been studied for nearly a century, the development of cost-effective upgrading processes for lignin valorization has been limited.

In nature, some microorganisms have figured out how to overcome the heterogeneity of lignin. "Rot" fungi and some bacteria are able to secrete powerful enzymes or chemical oxidants to break down lignin in plant cell walls, which produces a heterogeneous mixture of aromatic molecules. Given this large pool of aromatics present in nature, some bacteria have developed "funneling" pathways to uptake the resulting aromatic molecules and use them as a carbon and energy source.

This new study shows that developing biological conversion processes for one such lignin-utilizing organism may enable new routes to overcome the heterogeneity of lignin. And, that may enable a broader slate of molecules derived from lignocellulosic biomass.

"The conceptual approach we demonstrate can be applied to many different types of biomass feedstocks and combined with many different strategies for breaking down lignin, engineering the biological pathways to produce different intermediates, and catalytically upgrading the biologically-derived product to develop a larger range of valuable molecules derived from lignin," Beckham said. "It holds promise for a wide variety of industrial applications. While this is very exciting, certainly there remains a significant amount of technology development to make this process economically viable."

A patent application has been filed on this research and NREL's Technology Transfer Office will be working with researchers to identify potential licensees of the technology.

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New process helps overcome obstacles to produce renewable fuels and chemicals

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21-Aug-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, August 21, 2014--Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are present in virtually every type of human tissue and may help in organ regeneration after injury. But the theory that MSCs are released from the bone marrow into the blood stream following organ damage, and migrate to the site of injury, has long been debated. M.J. Hoogduijn and colleagues provide conclusive evidence to resolve the controversy over the mobilization and migration of MSCs in humans in a new study published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Stem Cells and Development website.

In "No Evidence for Circulating Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients with Organ Injury," Hoogduijn and coauthors from Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), describe the results of studies to detect MSCs in the blood of healthy individuals, of patients with end-stage renal disease, of patients with end-stage liver disease, and of heart transplant patients with organ rejection. Whereas they did not find MSCs in the circulation of these individuals, they did report the presence of MSCs in the blood of a patient suffering from severe trauma with multiple fractures. In the trauma patient, the circulating MSCs likely derived from disruption of the bone marrow caused by the fractures.

"We can add the simple but elegant work of Martin Hoogduijn to the pantheon of studies in stem cell research that skewer a long treasured tenet of faith and consign it to mythology," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

###

About the Journal

Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online. The Journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. A complete table of contents and free sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website.

About the Publisher

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Conclusive evidence on role of circulating mesenchymal stem cells in organ injury

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

21-Aug-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, August 21, 2014Popular fiction that normalizes and glamorizes violence against women, such as the blockbuster Fifty Shades series, may be associated with a greater risk of potentially harmful health behaviors and risks. The results of a provocative new study are presented in the article "Fiction or Not? Fifty Shades Is Associated with Health Risks in Adolescent and Young Adult Females," published in Journal of Women's Health, a peer-reviewed publication from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Women's Health website.

Amy Bonomi and coauthors from Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI), Group Health Research Institute (Seattle, WA), and Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) compared young women ages 18-24, readers versus non-readers of at least the first novel in the Fifty Shades series based on self-reports of intimate partner violence victimization (including shouting, swearing, delivering unwanted calls or text messages, and other forms of verbal/emotional abuse, stalking, as well as physical and sexual abuse), binge drinking, disordered eating (use of diet aids and fasting for more than 24 hours), and sexual practices such as number of intercourse partners during their lifetime. The findings point to a substantially greater risk for certain adverse health behaviors among the group that read Fifty Shades, which hyper-sexualizes women and may reaffirm and create the context for those behaviors.

"Clearly, we need a better understanding of the association between reading popular fiction that depicts violence towards women and engaging in risky health behaviors, particularly among adolescent and young adult women," says Susan G. Kornstein, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Women's Health, Executive Director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Institute for Women's Health, Richmond, VA, and President of the Academy of Women's Health.

###

About the Journal

Journal of Women's Health, published monthly, is a core multidisciplinary journal dedicated to the diseases and conditions that hold greater risk for or are more prevalent among women, as well as diseases that present differently in women. The Journal covers the latest advances and clinical applications of new diagnostic procedures and therapeutic protocols for the prevention and management of women's healthcare issues. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Women's Health website. Journal of Women's Health is the official journal of the Academy of Women's Health and the Society for Women's Health Research.

About the Society

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Women's health and Fifty Shades: Increased risks for young adult readers?

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Advances in molecular medicine, genetic testing, and laboratory technologies to be featured at the College of American Pathologists annual meeting CAP 14: Sept. 7-10, Chicago

NORTHFIELD, ILL. New science in molecular and genetic testing for breast, colon, and prostate cancer, as well as leukemia, will be among the special features at the College of American Pathologists annual scientific and education meeting, CAP'14--THE Pathologists' Meeting, Sept. 7-10 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

More accurate diagnoses and precise treatments through molecular diagnostics offer new hope for the millions of patients battling cancer each year, said CAP President Gene N. Herbek, MD, FCAP. As the doctors who diagnose disease and guide treatment, pathologists want to keep current on the new diagnostic procedures that can enhance patient care. CAP14 brings together the leading experts in laboratory medicine to share the latest information to benefit patients.

World-renowned experts in pathology and laboratory medicine will examine the clinical and economic impact of genomic-based testing, as well as share insights on the pathologists role in coordinated care models and appropriate test selection to reduce medical costs and unnecessary testing.

Highlighted scientific topics and educational courses include:

Special Scientific Plenary Session: Molecular MedicineCan We Afford It?, lead by national thought leaders: o Debra G.B. Leonard, MD, PhD, FCAP, chair of pathology at the University of Vermont o David O. Meltzer, MD, PhD, a health economist at the University of Chicago o Adam C. Berger, PhD, director of the Instituteof Medicines Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health Beyond the microscope, emerging technologies and new ways to guide clinical decision making The use clinical informatics in an era of meaningful use

View a complete list of CAP14 media hot topics by day and by subject on cap.org. Contact CAP Media for free media registration or to arrange an interview with one of the experts.

Highlighted events to be featured at CAP14 include: The Next 20 Years: How Science Will Revolutionize Medicine, featuring futurist and celebrated author, Michio Kaku, PhD The top five Junior member-submitted abstracts, representing original pathology research The Path to a Future in Medicine program honoring five of the best and brightest high school science students from the Chicago Public Schools

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Advances in Molecular Medicine, Genetic Testing, and Laboratory Technologies to Be Featured at the College of American ...

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Physician Experts Available to Discuss Advances in Molecular Medicine and Genetic Testing at the College of American Pathologists annual meeting CAP 14: Sept. 7-10, Chicago

NORTHFIELD, ILL. New science in molecular and genetic testing for breast, colon, and prostate cancer, as well as leukemia, will be among the special features at the College of American Pathologists annual scientific and education meeting, CAP14THE Pathologists Meeting, Sept. 7-10 at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago.

World-renowned experts in pathology and laboratory medicine are available to speak about the clinical and economic impact of genomic-based testing, as well as share insights on the pathologists role in coordinated care models and appropriate test selection to reduce medical costs and unnecessary testing. Highlighted scientific topics and educational courses to be featured at CAP14 include:

Special Scientific Plenary Session: Molecular MedicineCan We Afford It?, lead by national thought leaders: o Debra G.B. Leonard, MD, PhD, FCAP, chair of pathology at the University of Vermont o David O. Meltzer, MD, PhD, a health economist at the University of Chicago o Adam C. Berger, PhD, director of the Instituteof Medicines Roundtable on Translating Genomic-Based Research for Health

Beyond the microscope, emerging technologies and new ways to guide clinical decision making The use clinical informatics in an era of meaningful use

View a complete list of CAP14 media hot topics by day and by subject on cap.org. Contact CAP Media at media@cap.org for free media registration or to arrange an interview with one of the experts before, during, or following CAP14. Physician experts are media-trained.

About Pathologists Sometimes called the doctors doctor, pathologists are physicians who use laboratory medicine to identify and diagnose disease from pre-birth to post-death. They work with other physicians on the patient care team to guide treatment for medical conditions, from diabetes to cancer.

About the College of American Pathologists As the leading organization with more than 18,000 board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. The CAPs Laboratory Improvement Programs, initiated 65 years ago, currently has customers in more than 100 countries, accrediting 7,600 laboratories and providing proficiency testing to 20,000 laboratories worldwide. Find more information about the CAP at cap.org. Follow the CAP on Twitter: @pathologists.

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Physician Experts Discuss Advances in Genetic Testing & Laboratory Medicine at CAP'14, Sept. 7-10, Chicago @Pathologists

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

If doctors discovered you had a 30 per cent chance of developing colon cancer, would you want to know? What if that probability was only 10 per cent, or perhaps as high as 50? Maybe it would depend on what you could do to improve your prognosis or whether the information would be confidential.

These ethical issues are becoming increasingly relevant following the announcement this month of a landmark 300m project to sequence the genomes of 100,000 NHS patients. The programme, which will last four years, is part of the developing field of personalised medicine and it aims to use genetic data to customise medical treatments.

Currently, many diseases are defined by their symptoms or the site of occurrence. Greater understanding of the genetic causes of illness suggests that this method of categorisation might not be the most accurate. For instance, scientists now believe that cancer is better understood as a plethora of diseases rather than a single one because of the variety of underlying genetic mutations.

Improved awareness of these genetic factors raises thepotential of new treatment options. Up to one in four cases of breast cancer is caused by a mutation in the gene thatencodes the HER2 protein. As such, Herceptin, the drug used to target the protein, isgiven only to breast cancer patients with this genetic abnormality. It is hoped that further research will allow more drugs to be optimised inasimilar way.

Personalised medicine could also be safer. Genetic variation among patients has been linkedto dangerous reactions to drugs. In 2004, a British Medical Journal report estimated that each year in the UK, more than10,000 deaths result from adverse reactions to drugs. Bypredicting how patients will respond to medication, genetic screening could help avoid these cases.

There is also the possibility of disease prevention. If we know which diseases we are most susceptible to, that allows us to take precautions. For instance, a patient might choose to have surgery to remove her ovaries after discovering that she has a genetic predisposition to ovarian cancer. These changes can also be more subtle. Health advice can often seem overwhelming; genetic testing could personalise dietary guidelines or fitness regimesfor individuals.

These exciting developments bring challenges. A 2001 study found that genetic testing had certain severe psychological implications, with a group of adults reporting clinical levels of anxiety and depression after learning that their genes predisposed them to colon cancer. Especially when it comes to conditions for which effective treatment isnt available, its worth asking yourself how much of your genome you wish to explore.

Another concern often raised is the legal status of genetic data. In 2008, the US government introduced the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act to prevent employers and health insurers requesting genetic records. In the UK the government relies on a voluntary agreement with the Association of British Insurers. This expires in 2017 and a review is due this year.

That said, if you wish to discover your medical fate you neednt wait for the NHS project. Private companies already offer genotyping services for less than 100.

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Greater understanding of the genetic causes of illness suggests that this method of categorisation might not be the ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith