Tag Archives: DNA

The Genographic Project Confirms Humans Migrated Out of Africa through Arabia

By Guest PostNovember 2, 2011Science, Technologyafrica, ajay royyuru, analytical method, anthropology, arabia, archaeology, bab el mandeb strait, DNA, dna chromosomes, egypt, Europe, evolutionary history, genetic diversity in southern india, genographic project, history of human migration, history of humankind, human genome, human population genetic data, human populations, laxmi parida, mathematical modeling, migratory genealogy, modern humans, national geographic society, out of africa, project, spencer wells

*New analytical method approaches the unstudied 99% of the human genome*

WASHINGTON, D.C., – 02 Nov 2011: Evolutionary history shows that human populations likely originated in Africa, and the Genographic Project, the most extensive survey of human population genetic data to date, suggests where they went next. A study by the Project finds that modern humans migrated out of Africa via a southern route through Arabia, rather than a northern route by way of Egypt. These findings will be highlighted today at a conference at the National Geographic Society.

National Geographic and IBM’s Genographic Project scientific consortium have developed a new analytical method that traces the relationship between genetic sequences from patterns of recombination – the process by which molecules of DNA are broken up and recombine to form new pairs. Ninety-nine percent of the human genome goes through this shuffling process as DNA is being transmitted from one generation to the next. These genomic regions have been largely unexplored to understand the history of human migration. (more…)

Scientists Identify Microbes Responsible for Consuming Natural Gas in Deepwater Horizon Spill

By Guest PostOctober 7, 2011Environmentapril spill, bacteria, cold loving bacteria, colwellia, cycloclasticus, david valentine, deepwater horizon oil spill, DNA, ecological history, ethane, geological past, gulf of mexico, methane, microbe, molly redmond, national science foundation, natural gas, oceanography, oceanospirillales, petroleum hydrocarbons, propane, psychrophilic, sequencing dna, spill, submerged plume, surface oil slicks, ucsb, university of california at santa barbara, water temperature

*Water temperature played key role*

In the results of a new study, scientists explain how they used DNA to identify microbes present in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill–and the particular microbes responsible for consuming natural gas immediately after the spill.

Water temperature played a key role in the way bacteria reacted to the spill, the researchers found. (more…)

UCLA Study Shows Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Drug Delivery Act Like A Swiss Army Knife

By Guest PostOctober 6, 2011Health, Sciencebiomaterials, cell penetrating peptides, cells, cellular transfer, chemical molecules, cpps, cytoskeletons of cells, daniel kamei, DNA, drug carrier designs, endocytosis, endocytotic event, general recipe, gerard wong, hiv tat peptide, membrane, molecular cargoes, molecules, nano sized particles, normal peptides, swiss army knife, therapeutic agents, timothy deming

Cell-penetrating peptides, such as the HIV TAT peptide, are able to enter cells using a number of mechanisms, from direct entry to endocytosis, a process by which cells internalize molecules by engulfing them.

Further, these cell-penetrating peptides, or CPPs, can facilitate the cellular transfer of various molecular cargoes, from small chemical molecules to nano-sized particles and large fragments of DNA. Because of this ability, CPPs hold great potential as in vitro and in vivo delivery vehicles for use in research and for the targeted delivery of therapeutics to individual cells. (more…)

Of Mice and Men

By Guest PostSeptember 18, 2011Sciencebret payseur, chromosomes, diseases, DNA, dna sequences, evolution of disease, evolutionary relationships, genetic codes, genomes, genomic information, identification of genes, madison, mice and humans, michael white, mouse strains, national science foundation, strains of common lab mice, university of wisconsin

*The genomes of 17 common strains of lab mice were sequenced to advance genetic studies of human diseases*

Scientists have sequenced the genomes (genetic codes) of 17 strains of common lab mice–an achievement that lays the groundwork for the identification of genes responsible for important traits, including diseases that afflict both mice and humans.

Mice represent the premier genetic model system for studying human diseases. What’s more, the 17 strains of mice included in this study are the most common strains used in lab studies of human diseases. By enabling scientists to list all DNA differences between the 17 strains, the new genome sequences will speed the identification of subsets of mutations and genes that contribute to disease. (more…)

A “Jumping Gene’s” Preferred Targets May Influence Genome Evolution

By Guest PostSeptember 10, 2011Scienceallan spradling, baylor college of medicine, cell, chromosomes, DNA, dna duplication, drosophila, drosophila melanogaster, drosophila transposons, fruit fly, gene disruption project, gene function, genetic blueprint, genome duplication cycle, genome structure, hugo bellen, human cell, human genome, jumping genes, minos, model organisms, p element, piggybac, rogerhoskins, transposons

Baltimore, MD — The human genome shares several peculiarities with the DNA of just about every other plant and animal. Our genetic blueprint contains numerous entities known as transposons, or “jumping genes,” which have the ability to move from place to place on the chromosomes within a cell.

An astounding 50% of human DNA comprises both active transposon elements and the decaying remains of former transposons that were active thousands to millions of years ago before becoming damaged and immobile. If all of this mobile and formerly mobile DNA were not mysterious enough, every time a plant, animal or human cell prepares to divide, the chromosome regions richest in transposon-derived sequences, even elements long deceased, are among the last to duplicate. The reason for their delayed duplication, if there is one, has eluded biologists for more than 50 years. (more…)

Ancient Humans Were Mixing it Up

By Guest PostSeptember 7, 2011Scienceafrica, archaic hominin forms, august woerner, central africa, chromosome, contemporary african populations, DNA, eurasia, fernando mendez, fossil, fossil specimens, genome, homo, homo sapiens, hybridization, jeffrey wall, joseph watkins, michael hammer, modern humans, molecular biology, morphologically diverged neighbors, neanderthal bones, neanderthals, sub saharan africans

*Anatomically modern humans interbred with more archaic hominin forms even before they migrated out of Africa, a UA-led team of researchers has found.*

It is now widely accepted that anatomically modern humans of the species Homo sapiens originated in Africa and eventually spread throughout the world. Ancient DNA recovered from fossil Neanderthal bones suggests they interbred with more archaic hominin forms once they had left their evolutionary cradle for the cooler climates of Eurasia, but whether they exchanged genetic material with other, now extinct archaic hominin varieties in Africa remained unclear.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, or PNAS, a team led by Michael Hammer, an associate professor and research scientist with the UA’s Arizona Research Labs, provides evidence that anatomically modern humans were not so unique that they remained separate. (more…)

Life Scientists Use Novel Technique to Produce Genetic Map for African Americans

By Guest PostJuly 23, 2011Scienceafrican american, african american dna, african ancestry, african and european ancestry, african caribbeans, ancestry, bioinformatics, biological process, cag, chicago asthma genetics, chromosome, collaborative study on the genetics of asthma, csga, daniel wegmann, david reich, discover genes, disease mapping, DNA, european populations, european rate, genestar, genetic diseases in african americans, genetic map, genetic network of arteriopathy, genetic research on asthma in the africa diaspora, genetic study of atheroscleoris risk, genoa, genome, graad, high resolution genetic maps, john novembre, journal nature genetics, nelson freimer, recombination, saarp, scales of the genome, searle foundation, severe asthma research program, simon myers, snp typing for association with multiple phenotypes from existing epidemiological data, stampeed, ucla life scientists

UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced one of the first high-resolution genetic maps for African American populations. A genetic map reveals the precise locations across the genome where DNA from a person’s father and mother have been stitched together through a biological process called “recombination.” This process results in new genetic combinations that are then passed on to the person’s children.

The new map will help disease geneticists working to map genetic diseases in African Americans because it provides a more accurate understanding of recombination rates among that population, said the senior author of the research, John Novembre, a UCLA assistant professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and of bioinformatics. The map could help scientists learn the roots of these diseases and discover genes that play a key role in them. (more…)

UF Researchers Help Pinpoint Key Events in Ancient Plant Evolution

By Guest PostApril 14, 2011Scienceancient genome duplication, angiosperms, big bangs, cucumber plants, DNA, doug soltis, evolution of seed and flowering plants, flowering plants, genes, genomes, grape, jonathan wendel, modern genome complexity, organisms humans, pam soltis, papaya, poplar, rice, signal, university of florida, water lily

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Researchers from the University of Florida and six other institutions have unlocked some of the key foundations for the evolution of seed and flowering plants.

The study, to be published online Sunday in Nature, is the first to identify the occurrence of ancient genome duplication events and show the genomes of seed and flowering plants duplicated before each group of plants diversified. It introduces new factors for further molecular research on the organisms humans depend on for food, clothing and shelter. (more…)