genetics

Genetic methodology complements historical record

harminka — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:13:50 -0500

A new study uses a sophisticated genetic strategy to reveal new roads past an apparent dead end in the historical record of a distinctive civilization that dominated the Mediterranean Sea during the first millennium BC.

Study helps pinpoint genetic variations in European Americans

harminka — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 03:18:05 -0500

An international team of researchers has identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of the most diverse and complex historic origins on Earth.

Mouse continues to contribute to humankind

harminka — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 02:44:40 -0500

"Big things come in small packages," the saying goes, and it couldn't be more true when discussing the mouse. This little creature has become a crucial part of human history through its contributions in understanding human genetics and disease.

Genetic evidence to trace ancient African migration

harminka — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:35:37 -0500

Stanford University researchers peering at history's footprints on human DNA have found new evidence for how prehistoric people shared knowledge that advanced civilization.

Genetics of the white horse unraveled

harminka — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:48:46 -0500

The white horse is an icon for dignity which has had a huge impact on human culture across the world. An international team led by researchers at Uppsala University has now identified the mutation causing this spectacular trait and show that white horses carry an identical mutation that can be traced back to a common ancestor that lived thousands of years ago.

Epigenetics of increasing weight through the generations

harminka — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:24:32 -0500

Overweight mothers give birth to offspring who become even heavier, resulting in amplification of obesity across generations, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in Houston who found that chemical changes in the ways genes are expressed – a phenomenon called epigenetics -- could affect successive generations of mice.

Marsupials and humans shared same genetic imprinting 150 million years ago

harminka — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:57:46 -0500

Research published in Nature Genetics by a team of international scientists including the University of Melbourne, Department of Zoology, has established an identical mechanism of genetic imprinting, a process involved in marsupial and human fetal development, which evolved 150 million years ago.

Microsatellite-guided insight into the genetic status of Adi tribe

harminka — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:35:26 -0500

North-east India has always been a hotspot for population geneticists due to its unique, strategic geographic location and the presence of linguistically, culturally and demographically diverse populations practicing varied occupations (from hunter-gathering to settled agriculture).

Political participation is partially rooted in genetic inheritance

harminka — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:01:23 -0500

The decision to vote is partly genetic, according to a new study published in the American Political Science Review.

Policies must keep pace with genetic progress

harminka — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:14:27 -0500

Enactment of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 is a boon to individual patients and for genetic research, write Kathy Hudson, M.K. Holohan, and Francis Collins in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Genetic mutation linked to walking on all fours

harminka — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:32:46 -0500

What are the genes implicated in upright walking of humans? The discovery of four families in which some members only walk on all fours (quadrupedality) may help us understand how humans, unlike other primates, are able to walk for long periods on only two legs, a scientist will tell the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics tomorrow (Monday 2 June).

Invention gives improved gene technology analysis

harminka — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:56:13 -0500

A patent for a system that gives more reliable results in gene technology-based diagnostic tests has been granted to researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH).