Japanese scientists create 581 clones from the same mouse

Scientists clone 581 mice from one mouse.

Japanese scientists have taken cloning to a whole new level. They have managed to push the technique to new limits by cloning 581 mice – all from a single original cell. If their results can be replicated in other animals it could provide a way for virtually unlimited supplies of genetically superior farm animals or other animals important to research.

 

 

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New protein discovery could change biotech forever

The quest started with trying to make better yogurt.

Bacteria that uses a tiny molecular machine to kill attacking viruses could change the way that scientists edit the DNA of plants, animals and fungi, revolutionizing genetic engineering. The protein, called Cas9, is quite simply a way to more accurately cut a piece of DNA.

 

 

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Revolution in personalized medicine is coming

The need for personalized therapies abound.

It is the dawn of a new age of personalized medicine.  The interpretation of the human genome will transform medicine.   We are moving into the data-driven medicine of tomorrow.  Soon, diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and most importantly, prevention will be tailored to individuals’ genetic and phenotypic information.

 

 

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Emailing vaccines around the world

You could make a vaccine with a machine that synthesises DNA to an emailed sequence.

Craig Venter, who quietly sequenced the human genome using his own DNA, then made “synthetic life” by outfitting a gutted bacterium with homemade genes, says his next trick will be emailing biological molecules, using 3D biological printers. The move could revolutionise healthcare – and biological warfare.

 

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DNA sequencing is improving faster than Moore’s law

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSXTWhBUD0&hd=1[/youtube]

The cost of sequencing genomes has declined 50% faster per year than the cost of computers, since 2007. Declining sequencing costs have been due to a combination of Moore’s law and massive scaleups. An author and an expert on the life sciences industry, Juan Enriquez, runs a venture capital fund that invests in life science startups that could produce useful products and treatments within the next five years.  He also engages in more long-term forecasting. In an interview for Next Big Future, Enriquez discusses the exponential rate of change for biotechnology with Sander Olson. Enrique also discusses why he believes that the changes wrought by the biosciences during the next three decades could surpass the industrial revolution in importance. (video)

 

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DNA from a crime scene could help police create an image of suspect’s face

The genes researchers found only have small effects, and are only linked with a limited number of features.

One day, police may be able to reconstruct the shape of a suspect’s face from their DNA. Thanks to identification of five genes that contribute to facial shape and features that possibility is getting closer.

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23andMe asking FDA to approve personalized DNA test

23andMe is part of a fledgling industry that allows consumers to peek into their genetic code.

23andMe, a genetic test maker,  is asking the Food and Drug Administration to approve its personalized DNA test in a move that, if successful, could boost acceptance of technology that is viewed skeptically by leading scientists who question its usefulness.

Craig Venter: A 21st century perspective on life

Craig Venter

Craig Venter: I was asked earlier whether the goal is to dissect what Schrödinger had spoken and written, or to present the new summary, and I always like to be forward-looking, so I won’t give you a history lesson except for very briefly. I will present our findings on first on reading the genetic code, and then learning to synthesize and write the genetic code, and as many of you know, we synthesized an entire genome, booted it up to create an entirely new synthetic cell where every protein in the cell was based on the synthetic DNA code.

 

 

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Rapid DNA sequencing could soon become a routine part of your medical record

DNA sequencing

The latest technological competition involves the idea of threading a single strand of DNA through a tiny, molecular-scale eyelet known as a nanopore.

Rapid DNA sequencing can provide enormous amount of information previously sequestered in the human genome’s 3 billion nucleotide bases and soon may become a routine part of each individual’s medical record.

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Scientists discover gene that holds key to extending life 20 years

gene discovery

The gene, SIRT6, in laboratory mice and found it extended their lifespan by up to 15 per cent.

A gene has been discovered by scientists that could hold the key to extending life by up to two decades.  The gene is found in all mammals and is known to protect against age-related cell damage.

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