Songbirds appear to have an extra chromosome in cells involved in sexual reproduction. The extra DNA could help explain why there are so many songbird species Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2201146-weird-chromosome-may-have-spurred-evolution-of-thousands-of-songbirds/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Tag: DNA
How did the ancient Egyptians catch and mummify millions of ibises?
Egyptians mummified millions of sacred ibises thousands of years ago. Analysing their DNA seems to show they were sourced from the wild rather than large farms Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2200902-how-did-the-ancient-egyptians-catch-and-mummify-millions-of-ibises/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…
Sooner or Later Your Cousin’s DNA Is Going to Solve a Murder
The Golden State Killer case was just the start. Hundreds of cold cases are hot again thanks to a new genealogy technique. The price may be everyone’s genetic privacy. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/golden-state-killer-dna.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…
A marine parasite’s mitochondria lack DNA but still churn out energy
Missing mitochondrial DNA inside a parasitic marine microbe turned up inside the organism’s nucleus. Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/marine-parasite-mitochondria-no-dna-energy4…
Can we cure genetic diseases by rewriting DNA? | David R. Liu
In a story of scientific discovery, chemical biologist David R. Liu shares a breakthrough: his lab’s development of base editors that can rewrite DNA. This crucial step in genome editing takes the promise of CRISPR to the next level: if CRISPR proteins are molecular scissors, programmed to cut specific DNA sequences, then base editors are pencils, capable of directly rewriting…
Scientists Create ‘Living’ Machines That Eat, Grow, and Evolve
elainerd (Slashdot reader #94,528) shares an article from The Next Web:
Scientists from Cornell University have successfully constructed DNA-based machines with incredibly life-like capabilities. These human-engineered organic machines are capable of locomotion, consuming resources for energy, growing and decaying, and evolving. Eventually they die. That sure sounds a lot like life, but Dan Luo, professor of biological and environmental engineering in the…
Scientists Discover 42,000-Year-Old Liquid Blood in Preserved Foal
The well-preserved condition of the animal is giving hope to researchers trying to clone extinct animals. Source: https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/bj9x3a/scientists-discover-42000-year-old-liquid-blood-in-preserved-foal…
Doctors Used HIV To Develop Cure For ‘Bubble Boy’ Disease
An anonymous reader quotes a report from the BBC: U.S. scientists say they used HIV to make a gene therapy that cured eight infants of severe combined immunodeficiency, or “bubble boy” disease. The babies, born with little to no immune protection, now have fully functional immune systems. Untreated babies with this disorder have to live in completely sterile conditions and tend…
Magnesium Puts Psychiatric Drugs to Shame for Depression
Sayer Ji – Depression is one of the most widely diagnosed conditions of our time. Source: https://www.wakingtimes.com/2019/04/16/magnesium-puts-psychiatric-drugs-to-shame-for-depression/…
Don’t Count on 23andMe to Detect Most Breast Cancer Risks, Study Warns
The DNA testing company, which has 10 million customers, misses nearly 90 percent of people with risky BRCA mutations. It says the criticism is overblown. Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/health/23andme-brca-gene-testing.html?partner=rss&emc=rss…