»genetics«

Amy Harmon reports in the NY Times (18.3.2007) about an American 23-year-old woman who made a genetic check for Huntington’s disease and got a positive result. "The gene that will kill [her] sits on the short arm of everyone’s fourth chromosome, where the letters of the genetic alphabet normally repeat C-A-G as many as 35 times in a row. In people who develop Huntington’s, however, there are more than 35 repeats," describes Harmon. The author writes on how people cope with the knowledge of their future death by the lethal gene, "a vanguard of people at risk for Huntington’s who are choosing to learn early what their future holds. Facing their genetic heritage, they say, will help them decide how to live their lives."

The NY Times brings (27.3.2006) an article collection on bird flu, a FAQ on the risk for a pandemic, a whole bunch of wonderful information graphics, about the classic dilemma whether and when to inform the public in case of an outbreak, the chicken's perspective, and more.

Scientist blogger Nick Anthis reviews the book "Coming to Life: How Genes Drive Development" by Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard.

The plant science devision of chemical company BASF is about to receiving approval for its genetically modified potato, called Amflora. The potato is optimized in its starch composition as for it only contains amylopectin. This compound is interesting for the non-food starch industry and may pave the way for more acceptance of GMO in the public, writes Tina Baier in Süddeutsche Zeitung (28.11.2006). Indeed, critics mostly agree that there's no risk to people but the potatoes have to be kept away from the food supply chain.

In 1999, German and Swiss researchers presented the golden rice to the public. A genetically modified variety that contains more carotene, a precursor of vitamin A. Ralf Krauter reports in Deutschlandfunk radio (26.4.2006) about the then elation of the researchers to have a food supply in the making to combat vitamin A deficiencies in developing countries. Today, they are disenchanted. Many obstacles have to be cleared. A main lesson learned is that you have to involve colleagues and institutions in developing countries. It's not sufficient to develop the product in Freiburg or Zurich and dump it at the doorsteps of the developing world.
At present, the Bill Gates foundation funds a project that is aimed to enrich the golden rice also with zinc and iron.

Mark Peplow explains why the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) refused the approval of a drug that is produced in the milk of transgenic goats. In Nature online (24.2.2006) he makes clear that is has nothing to do with genetics but simply with the amount of cases studied in clinical trials. The compound protein is anti-thrombin (planned for the market under the name ATryn by U.S. company GTC Biotherapeutics) which is essential for people lacking a working anti-trombin gene. However, trials comprised five cases, the EMEA recommended 12. Peplow dug out that a Dutch firm is also working for approval of an antibacterial compound from GM cows. The hurdles might be lower because the substance is aimed at food additives, not medicine.

It's a nice piece how evolution works: Researchers have found that lactose tolerance has been evolved several times, writes Ann Gibbons for Science online (11.12.2006). By comparing the genetic material DNA of Europeans and different ethnic groups in several African countries Sarah Tishkoff of the University of Maryland, College Park, found different mutations in the same DNA area. Hence, humans adapted in genetic variants to a changing environment - domestication of cattle and milk production some 3000 to 7000 years ago. The finding shows that evolution can find several different solutions to the same challenge. And - it isn't just about picking one gene and driving it.

How often did geneticists celebrate the complete sequencing of the human genome? Several times, although it seems to be a step by step process. Now Patricia Reaney reports for Reuters (17.5.2006) the finished sequence of chromosome 1, one of the larger human chromosomes. There are 23 pairs of them in a cell's nucleus. Chromosome 1 is packed with some 3100 genes. It took an international collaboration under the lead of the Sanger Institute, UK, ten years to unravel the Adenine-Thymine-Guanine-Cytosine chain. A, T, G, C are the chemical bases, say the letters in the "book of life," as the human genome is often referred to. "The scientists also identified 4,500 new SNPs - single nucleotide polymorphisms - which are the variations in human DNA that make people unique," writes Reaney.

Profi-Tänzer verdanken ihre Körperbeherrschung und Ausstrahlung offenbar nicht nur hartem Training. Forscher haben jetzt herausgefunden, dass viele Tänzer auch genetisch ein wenig anders sind als weniger graziöse Zeitgenossen.
(Spiegel Online/mbe, via ddp/Martin Schäfer)