dna – Page 6 – Impact Lab

Analysis, Big Problems, Science & Technology News

DNA could be the next frontier for hackers and biological warfare

December 8, 2011

Synthetic biology will lead to new forms of bioterrorism.

Computer-designed viruses that cure disease, new bacteria capable of synthesizing an unlimited fuel supply, new organisms that wipe out entire populations and bio-toxins that target world leaders may sound like devices restricted to feature-film script writers, but it is possible to create all of these today, using the latest advances in synthetic biology.

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Analysis, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Short people could blame their lack of height on a shortage of genes

November 26, 2011

Short people have shortage of genes.

Height is mostly passed down through families but scientists have so far only identified specific gene characteristics to explain about 10 per cent of the difference between people’s heights.

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Business, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Colorado company claims DNA testing could help choose your kids’ sport

November 9, 2011

A simple swab of the inside cheek will tell if your child will be a future sports star.

Is your kid the next LeBron James, Peyton Manning or Albert Pujols? A Colorado company claims it can find out through DNA testing.

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Analysis, Breakthrough Thinking, Current Events, Education, Historical Perspectives, Hot Issues, Latest News

Computing building blocks created from bacteria and DNA

October 20, 2011

Biocomputers are one step closer to reality.

Scientists have successfully demonstrated that they can build some of the basic components for digital devices out of bacteria and DNA, which could pave the way for a new generation of biological computing devices, in research published October 18 in the journal Nature Communications…

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Analysis, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Drinking alcohol does increase your risk of cancer: study

September 18, 2011

When ethanol is broken down by the body, it can cause DNA damage that may lead to dangerous changes to the cells.

Drinking alcohol can increase your risk of cancer because ethanol is itself a carcinogen on certain parts of the body, scientists have found.

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Animals, Science & Technology News

Scientists reverse evolution to create chickens that grow alligator-like snouts

August 18, 2011

Altering the DNA of chicken embryos can give them qualities they lost millions of years ago.

Chickens and other birds are thought to have descended from dinosaurs through a series of genetic changes. Scientists have rewound 65 million years of evolutionary history by tweaking chicken DNA to create embryos that grow alligator-like snouts rather than beaks.

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Business, Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Bad driving a disease and can be cured Chinese doctor says

July 16, 2011

Dr. Jin Huiqing says you can treat bad driving like a disease you can diagnose before the driver even gets near a car.

Someone is killed in traffic every five minutes in China and one entrepreneurial doctor has an unusual approach for making roads safer. He says to treat bad driving like a disease you can diagnose before the driver even getting near a car.

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Animals, Business, Science & Technology News

PooPrints uses dog DNA to catch pet owners who don’t clean up

July 8, 2011

PooPrints uses dog DNA to catch pet owners who don’t clean up.

Some pet owner is the U.S. who failed to clean up after their dogs got a nasty surprise from apartment complex manager Deb Logan. Logan started fining the irresponsible dog owners $100 per offense using DNA evidence.

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Analysis, New Discoveries, Science & Technology News

Human belly button home to 662 microbes new to science

July 3, 2011

Belly Button Biodiversity Project

The human navel is apparently a ripe environment for bacteria. Scientists sampling DNA strains from the navels of volunteer donors have found 662 microbes that are apparently new to science.

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Analysis, Health & Fitness, Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

Scientists edit genetic code in a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments in hereditary diseases

June 27, 2011

‘Genetic editing’ works by using enzymes to unlock the DNA.

Scientists have edited the genetic code in a breakthrough that could lead to new treatments for some hereditary diseases. The scientists managed to persuade cells in mice to repair a faulty gene but, instead of recreating the flawed piece, the cells generated a healthy one.

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Health & Fitness, Medical Breakthrough, Science & Technology News

Scientists a step closer to a ‘miracle’ treatment for genetic diseases

June 16, 2011

Scientists claim they have come up with an entirely new way to rewrite the genetic code – reversing any flaws or faults.

Genetic diseases result from flaws in the body’s DNA that lead to the cells not functioning or developing as they should. But, the genetic faults that cause diseases such as cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and some cancers could be repaired in a new technique described as a “miracle of modern medicine.”

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Health & Fitness, Science & Technology News

Controversial $615 Test That Tells You How Long You Will Live

May 16, 2011

The results of the tests might also be of interest to companies offering life-insurance policies or medical coverage.

A controversial blood test that can show how fast someone is aging – and offers the tantalizing possibility of estimating how long they have left to live – is to go on sale to the general public in Britain later this year.

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