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	<title>dnawellnessinfo.com&#187; DNA Testing</title>
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		<title>Canadian scientists crack hidden DNA code</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/canadian-scientists-crack-hidden-dna-code/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 05 May 2010 12:43:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Last Updated: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 &#124; 1:11 PM ET Canadian researchers have unraveled a genetic &#8220;code within a code&#8221; that helps explain how the instructions for building complex organisms, like humans, can be found in a small number of genes. University of Toronto scientists Brendan Frey and Benjamin Blencowe said they have found a [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/canadian-scientists-crack-hidden-dna-code/">Canadian scientists crack hidden DNA code</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>Last Updated: Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | 1:11 PM ET</p>
<p>Canadian researchers have unraveled a genetic &#8220;code within a code&#8221; that helps explain how the instructions for building complex organisms, like humans, can be found in a small number of genes.</p>
<p>University of Toronto scientists Brendan Frey and Benjamin Blencowe said they have found a hidden code in DNA that helps explain how a small number of genes can contain instructions for a larger number of proteins and structures.</p>
<p>When researchers fully sequenced the human genome in 2004, they were surprised at how few genes humans actually have.</p>
<p>&#8220;Human DNA has 22,000 genes. That might seem like a lot, but not when you consider that a poplar tree has 45,000,&#8221; said Frey, in a statement.</p>
<p>Frey said his team, including Blencowe and Yoseph Barash, found a second level of information that the cells of living organisms use to create a larger set of instructions.</p>
<p>&#8220;We discovered a hidden code within DNA that living cells use to turn 20,000 genes into hundreds of thousands of genetic messages, by rearranging their parts,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Barash and Frey, who is also a professor of computer science and engineering, created a computer program that analyzes DNA to find &#8220;code words&#8221; in the genome.</p>
<p>The code words together are called the &#8220;splicing code,&#8221; containing the biological information needed to splice together different parts of the genetic code in different orders to generate a greater number of messages.</p>
<p>&#8220;For example, three neurexin genes can generate over 3,000 genetic messages that help control the wiring of the brain,&#8221; said Frey.</p>
<p>Neurexin is a protein that glues together the connections between nerve cells in the brain.</p>
<p>Frey said their work is the result of a close collaboration between computer scientists and experimental biologists.</p>
<p>&#8220;Understanding a complex biological system is like understanding a complex electronic circuit. Our team &#8216;reverse-engineered&#8217; the splicing code using large-scale experimental data generated by the group,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>The research was the cover story in this week&#8217;s issue of the journal Nature.</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/05/05/tech-dna-splicing-code.html#ixzz0n9Wn5yO0</p>
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		<title>Blood Tests May Reveal Tumor Size</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/blood-tests-reveal-tumor-size/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:27:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cancer]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Feb. 22, 2010 &#8211; cbsnews.com (CBS) This article was written by Discover&#8217;sAndrew Moseman. Doctors who are torn over how aggressively to treat a cancer patient, not knowing whether a tumor has fully regressed or is coming back, might someday be able to find out just by testing the patient’s blood. In a study forthcoming his [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/blood-tests-reveal-tumor-size/">Blood Tests May Reveal Tumor Size</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p><span>Feb. 22, 2010 &#8211; cbsnews.com</span></p>
<p><strong>(CBS) </strong> <!-- sphereit start--><strong>This article was written by <a href="http://discovermagazine.com/">Discover&#8217;s</a>Andrew Moseman.</strong></p>
<p>Doctors who are torn over how aggressively to treat a cancer patient,  not knowing whether a tumor has fully regressed or is coming back, might someday  be able to find out just by testing the patient’s blood. In a study forthcoming  his week in <a href="http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/current">Science Translational Medicine, </a>John Hopkins researchers say they have tested a way to spot the  “fingerprint” of cancer-the changes to the</p>
<p>Jeffery Schloss of the National Human Genome Research  Institute, who wasn’t involved in the study, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704269004575073640581947242.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop">likened  the approach</a> to drawing a map. Sequencing the letters of the genetic code  would be akin to plotting every house in a large neighborhood. The Hopkins team  was looking only for neighborhoods-in particular, neighborhoods out of place  compared with where they would be in normal tissue. The researchers in the study  looked at tissue from people with breast or bowel cancer, and found multiple DNA  rearrangements in each of the samples of cancerous tissue.</p>
<p>In each patient, the genetic changes in the cancerous cells amount to a unique  marker of the patient’s tumor, the researchers say. Using blood samples from two  of the colorectal cancer patients, <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8522301.stm">they found</a> the test was  sensitive enough to detect this marker or “fingerprint” DNA that had been shed  by tumors into the bloodstream.</p>
<p>The study’s approach could be invaluable  for tracking the progress of a tumor. When a cancer is operated on or treated  with radio &#8211; or chemotherapy, the levels of the fingerprint should fall, and  vanish altogether if the tumor <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2010/feb/18/cancer-genetic-fingerprint-personalised-test">has  been eradicated.</a> Indeed, in one of their patients, the study authors saw the  cancer biomarker drop after surgery but then rise again, suggesting to them that  the cancer wasn’t fully eradicated.</p>
<p>Because the technique requires  sequencing a person’s whole genome, it’s not coming to a hospital near you in  the immediate future, <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61H5QR20100218">says study author  Bert Vogelstein:</a> “This is really personalized medicine. This is not  something off the shelf…. This is something that has to be designed for each  individual patient”. But with the cost of genome sequencing rapidly coming down  in price, this kind of approach might not be too far away, and doctors could use  it to catch a recurring cancer before it’s large enough to be visible to other  methods, like CT scans.<br />
<!-- sphereit end--><br style="clear: both;" /><br />
<span>By Andrew Moseman<br />
Reprinted  with permission from Discover</span></p>
<p><span>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource: </span><a title="cbsnews.com" href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/22/tech/main6232081.shtml" target="_blank">http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/22/tech/main6232081.shtml</a></p>
<p><span><br />
</span></p>
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		<title>Scientists develop universal DNA reader to advance faster, cheaper sequencing efforts</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/scientists-develop-universal-dna-reader-advance-faster-cheaper-sequencing-efforts/</link>
		<comments>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/scientists-develop-universal-dna-reader-advance-faster-cheaper-sequencing-efforts/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:31:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genetic Code]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[2/11/10 &#8211; physorg.com Led by ASU Regents&#8217; Professor Stuart Lindsay, director of the Biodesign Institute&#8217;s Center for Single Molecule Biophysics, the ASU team is one of a handful that has received stimulus funds for a National Human Genome Research Initiative, part of the National Institutes of Health, to make DNA genome sequencing as widespread as [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/scientists-develop-universal-dna-reader-advance-faster-cheaper-sequencing-efforts/">Scientists develop universal DNA reader to advance faster, cheaper sequencing efforts</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>2/11/10 &#8211; physorg.com</p>
<p>Led by ASU Regents&#8217; Professor Stuart Lindsay, director of the  Biodesign Institute&#8217;s Center for Single Molecule Biophysics, the ASU team is one  of a handful that has received stimulus funds for a National Human Genome  Research Initiative, part of the National Institutes of Health, to make <a rel="tag" href="http://www.physorg.com/tags/dna/">DNA</a> genome  sequencing as widespread as a routine medical checkup.</p>
<p>The broad goal of this &#8220;$1000 genome&#8221; initiative is to  develop a next-generation DNA sequencing technology to usher in the age of  personalized medicine, where knowledge of an individual&#8217;s complete, 3  billion-long code of DNA information, or genome, will allow for a more tailored  approach to disease diagnosis and treatment. With current technologies taking  almost a year to complete at a cost of several hundreds of thousands of dollars,  less than 20 individuals on the planet have had their whole genomes sequenced to  date.</p>
<p>To make their research dream a reality, Lindsay&#8217;s team has  envisioned building a tiny, nanoscale DNA reader that could work like a  supermarket checkout scanner, distinguishing between the four chemical letters  of the DNA genetic code, abbreviated by A, G, C, and T, as they rapidly pass by  the reader.</p>
<p>To do so, they needed to develop the nanotechnology  equivalent of threading the eye of a needle. In this case, the DNA would be the  thread that could be recognized as it moved past the reader &#8216;eye.&#8217; During the  past few years, Lindsay&#8217;s team has made steady progress, and first demonstrated  the ability to read individual DNA sequences in 2008—but this approach was  limited because they had to use four separate readers to recognize each of the  DNA bases. More recently, they demonstrated the ability to thread DNA sequences  through the narrow hole of a fundamental building block of nanotechnology, the  carbon nanotube.</p>
<p>Lindsay&#8217;s team relies on the eyes of nanotechnology, scanning  tunneling- (STM) and atomic force- (ATM) microscopes, to make their  measurements. The microscopes have a delicate electrode tip that is held very  close to the DNA sample.</p>
<p>In their latest innovation, Lindsay&#8217;s team made two  electrodes, one on the end of microscope probe, and another on the surface, that  had their tiny ends chemically modified to attract and catch the DNA between a  gap like a pair of chemical tweezers. The gap between these functionalized  electrodes had to be adjusted to find the chemical bonding sweet spot, so that  when a single chemical base of DNA passed through a tiny, 2.5 nanometer gap  between two gold electrodes, it momentarily sticks to the electrodes and a small  increase in the current is detected. Any smaller, and the molecules would be  able to bind in many configurations, confusing the readout, any bigger and  smaller bases would not be detected.</p>
<p>&#8220;What we did was to narrow the number of types of bound  configurations to just one per DNA base,&#8221; said Lindsay. &#8220;The beauty of the  approach is that all the four bases just fit the 2.5 nanometer gap, so it is one  size fits all, but only just so!&#8221;</p>
<p>At this scale, which is just a few atomic diameters wide,  quantum phenomena are at play where the electrons can actually leak from one  electrode to the other, tunneling through the DNA bases in the process.</p>
<p>Each of the chemical bases of the DNA <a rel="tag" href="http://www.physorg.com/tags/genetic+code/">genetic code</a>,  abbreviated A, C, T or G, gives a unique electrical signature as they pass  between the gap in the electrodes. By trial and error, and a bit of serendipity,  they discovered that just a single chemical modification to both electrodes  could distinguish between all 4 DNA bases.</p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve now made a generic DNA sequence reader and are the  first group to report the detection of all 4 DNA bases in one tunnel gap,&#8221; said  Lindsay. &#8220;Also, the control experiments show that there is a certain (poor)  level of discrimination with even bare electrodes (the control experiments) and  this is in itself, a first too.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We were quite surprised about binding to bare electrodes  because, like many physicists, we had always assumed that the bases would just  tumble through. But actually, any surface chemist will tell you that the bases  have weak chemical interactions with metal surfaces.&#8221;</p>
<p>Next, Lindsay&#8217;s group is hard at work trying to adapt the  reader to work in water-based solutions, a critically practical step for DNA  sequencing applications. Also, the team would like to combine the reader  capabilities with the carbon nanotube technology to work on reading short  stretches of DNA.</p>
<div>
<p>If the process can be perfected, DNA sequencing could be performedmuch faster than current technology, and at a fraction of the cost. Only then  will the promise of personalized medicine reach a mass audience.</p></div>
<p><!-- additional info --><strong>More information:</strong> The Nano Letters  research article can be accessed online at URL: <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/nl1001185" target="_blank">http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/nl1001185</a></p>
<p>Provided by Arizona State University (<a rel="news" href="http://www.physorg.com/partners/arizona-state-university/">news</a> : <a href="http://www.asu.edu/" target="_blank">web</a>)</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="physorg.com" href="http://www.physorg.com/news185129971.html" target="_blank">http://www.physorg.com/news185129971.html</a></p>
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		<title>Evolution faster than thought</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/evolution-faster-thought/</link>
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		<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:28:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Evolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[genome]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[2010-01-01 22:18 news24.com Berlin &#8211; A team of German and US scientists has discovered that genetic mutation &#8211; the basic process of evolution &#8211; occurs much faster than previously thought, according to a study published on Friday. The team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biology in Tuebingen and the University of [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/evolution-faster-thought/">Evolution faster than thought</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>2010-01-01 22:18 news24.com</p>
<p>Berlin &#8211; A team of German and US scientists has discovered  that genetic mutation &#8211; the basic process of evolution &#8211; occurs much faster than  previously thought, according to a study published on Friday.</p>
<p>The team of  researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biology in Tuebingen and  the University of Indiana studied genome mutation in a species of cress  (Arabidopsis thaliana), and found that each gene in the plant will mutate on  average once in every 143 million generations.</p>
<p>Genomes are the complete  set of genetic information for any organism, consisting of individual genes  found in DNA.</p>
<p>&#8220;While the long-term effects of genome mutations are quite  well understood, we did not know how often new mutations arise in the first  place,&#8221; project leader Detlef Weigel of the Max Planck Institute said in a press  statement.</p>
<p><strong>Thousands of years</strong></p>
<p>The discovery means that for  many plant species, whose millions of individual members produce thousands of  seeds with each generation, an entire genome mutation can occur within a  relatively short space of time.</p>
<p>&#8220;Evolution reveals itself only after  thousands, not millions of years,&#8221; Weigel said.</p>
<p>Such a rate of genetic  change can explain how species adapt to changing circumstances quickly, and the  study gives the example of weeds becoming resistant to specific herbicides  within just a few generations.</p>
<p><strong>60 new mutations in  humans</strong></p>
<p>The team used new methods to track all the genetic changes in  five &#8220;lines&#8221; (plants with common ancestors) of Arabidopsis thaliana over 30  generations. In the final generation they searched for differences to the  original plants.</p>
<p>&#8220;To ferret out where the genome had changed was only  possible because of new methods that allowed us to screen the entire genome with  high precision and in a very short time,&#8221; Weigel said.</p>
<p>The team said that  the same speed of genetic change could in theory be expected in human DNA,  meaning that with six billion people on earth each form of human gene would be  permanently mutating somewhere on the planet.</p>
<p>&#8220;If you apply our findings  to humans, then each of us will have in the order of 60 new mutations that were  not present in our parents. Everything that is genetically possible is being  tested in a very short period,&#8221; said Indiana University&#8217;s Michael Lynch. Max  Planck Society:</p>
<p id="ctl00_ctl00_MainBodyPlaceholder_Column1Placeholder_articlePaged__htmlAccreditationName">-  SAPA</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="news24.com" href="http://www.news24.com/Content/SciTech/News/1132/fde544679f8e47fb9d0155d6adc6171a/01-01-2010-10-18/Evolution_faster_than_though" target="_blank">http://www.news24.com/Content/SciTech/News/1132/fde544679f8e47fb9d0155d6adc6171a/01-01-2010-10-18/Evolution_faster_than_though</a>t</p>
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		<title>Faster, Cheaper DNA Sequencing Method Devised</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/faster-cheaper-dna-sequencing-method-devised/</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:04:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Science]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Sequencing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2009) — Boston University biomedical engineers have devised a method for making future genome sequencing faster and cheaper by dramatically reducing the amount of DNA required, thus eliminating the expensive, time-consuming and error-prone step of DNA amplification. In a study published in the Dec. 20 online edition of Nature Nanotechnology, a team [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/faster-cheaper-dna-sequencing-method-devised/">Faster, Cheaper DNA Sequencing Method Devised</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p id="first"><span>ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2009)</span> — Boston  University biomedical engineers have devised a method for making future genome  sequencing faster and cheaper by dramatically reducing the amount of DNA  required, thus eliminating the expensive, time-consuming and error-prone step of  DNA amplification.</p>
<div id="attachment_1139" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 160px"><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/2009/12/091220143923.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1139" title="A team of researchers led by Boston University biomedical engineer Amit Meller is using electrical fields to efficiently draw long strands of DNA through nanopore sensors, drastically reducing the number of DNA copies required for a high throughput analysis. (Credit: Figure copyright, Nature Nanotechnology, 2009)" src="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/091220143923-150x150.jpg" alt="091220143923 150x150 Faster, Cheaper DNA Sequencing Method Devised" width="150" height="150" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">A team of researchers led by Boston University biomedical engineer Amit Meller is using electrical fields to efficiently draw long strands of DNA through nanopore sensors, drastically reducing the number of DNA copies required for a high throughput analysis. (Credit: Figure copyright, Nature Nanotechnology, 2009)</p></div>
<p>In a study published in the Dec. 20 online edition of <em>Nature  Nanotechnology,</em> a team led by Boston University Biomedical Engineering  Associate Professor Amit Meller details pioneering work in detecting DNA  molecules as they pass through silicon nanopores. The technique uses electrical  fields to feed long strands of DNA through four-nanometer-wide pores, much like  threading a needle. The method uses sensitive electrical current measurements to  detect single DNA molecules as they pass through the nanopores.</p>
<p>&#8220;The current study shows that we can detect a much smaller amount of DNA  sample than previously reported,&#8221; said Meller. &#8220;When people start to implement  genome sequencing or genome profiling using nanopores, they could use our  nanopore capture approach to greatly reduce the number of copies used in those  measurements.&#8221;</p>
<p>Currently, genome sequencing utilizes DNA amplification to make billions of  molecular copies in order to produce a sample large enough to be analyzed. In  addition to the time and cost DNA amplification entails, some of the molecules  &#8212; like photocopies of photocopies &#8212; come out less than perfect. Meller and his  colleagues at BU, New York University and Bar-Ilan University in Israel have  harnessed electrical fields surrounding the mouths of the nanopores to attract  long, negatively charged strands of DNA and slide them through the nanopore  where the DNA sequence can be detected. Since the DNA is drawn to the nanopores  from a distance, far fewer copies of the molecule are needed.</p>
<p>Before creating this new method, the team had to develop an understanding of  electro-physics at the nanoscale, where the rules that govern the larger world  don&#8217;t necessarily apply. They made a counterintuitive discovery: the longer the  DNA strand, the more quickly it found the pore opening.</p>
<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s really surprising,&#8221; Meller said. &#8220;You&#8217;d expect that if you have a  longer &#8216;spaghetti,&#8217; then finding the end would be much harder. At the same time  this discovery means that the nanopore system is optimized for the detection of  long DNA strands &#8212; tens of thousands basepairs, or even more. This could  dramatically speed future genomic sequencing by allowing analysis of a long DNA  strand in one swipe, rather than having to assemble results from many short  snippets.</p>
<p>&#8220;DNA amplification technologies limit DNA molecule length to under a thousand  basepairs,&#8221; Meller added. &#8220;Because our method avoids amplification, it not only  reduces the cost, time and error rate of DNA replication techniques, but also  enables the analysis of very long strands of DNA, much longer than current  limitations.&#8221;</p>
<p>With this knowledge in hand, Meller and his team set out to optimize the  effect. They used salt gradients to alter the electrical field around the pores,  which increased the rate at which DNA molecules were captured and shortened the  lag time between molecules, thus reducing the quantity of DNA needed for  accurate measurements. Rather than floating around until they happened upon a  nanopore, DNA strands were funneled into the openings.</p>
<p>By boosting capture rates by a few orders of magnitude, and reducing the  volume of the sample chamber the researchers reduced the number of DNA molecules  required by a factor of 10,000 &#8212; from about 1 billion sample molecules to  100,000.</p>
<p>The research was funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute of  the Institutes of Health and by the National Science Foundation.</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="sciencedaily.com" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091220143923.htm" target="_blank">http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091220143923.htm</a></p>
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		<title>New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/dna-test-speed-time-sepsis-diagnosis/</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:29:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Method saves an average 18 hours over conventional blood culture, research shows Posted December 10, 2009 THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) &#8212; A new DNA test for sepsis-causing bacteria provides results much sooner than the current gold-standard blood-culture method, a new study shows. Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition caused by the immune system&#8217;s strong [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/dna-test-speed-time-sepsis-diagnosis/">New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>Method saves an average 18 hours over conventional blood  culture, research shows</p>
<div id="dateline">Posted December 10, 2009</div>
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<div><img src="http://www.usnews.com/pubdbimages/image/6533/GR_PR_healthdaylogo153x52.jpg" alt="GR PR healthdaylogo153x52 New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis"  title="New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis" /></div>
<p>THURSDAY, Dec. 10 (HealthDay News) &#8212; A new <a id="KonaLink0" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,0);" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,0);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,0);" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html#" target="_new"><span style="position: static; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;"><span style="position: relative; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;">DNA </span><span style="position: relative; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;">test</span></span></a> for sepsis-causing bacteria provides results  much sooner than the current gold-standard blood-culture method, a new study  shows.</p>
<p>Sepsis is a potentially fatal condition caused by the immune system&#8217;s strong  reaction to a serious <a id="KonaLink1" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,1);" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,1);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,1);" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html#" target="_new"><span style="position: static; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;"><span style="position: relative; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;">infection</span></span></a>. The sooner sepsis is diagnosed, the  sooner infection-specific treatment can begin, leading to improved patient  outcomes.</p>
<p>In this study, researchers found that the new Prove-it microarray platform &#8212;  a series of microscopic spots of short DNA fragments whose sequences are  specific for individual organisms &#8212; delivered results an average of 18 hours  faster than the blood culture technique, which is based on detecting inhibition  of growth of bacteria through <a id="KonaLink2" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,2);" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,2);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,2);" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html#" target="_new"><span style="position: static; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;"><span style="border-bottom: 1px solid #005497; position: relative; background-color: transparent; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;">antibiotics</span></span><span id="preLoadWrap2" style="position: relative;"> </span></a></p>
<div id="preLoadLayer2" style="z-index: 4000; position: absolute; display: none; top: -22px; left: -18px;"><a id="KonaLink2" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,2);" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,2);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,2);" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html#" target="_new"><img style="border: 0px none ;" src="http://kona.kontera.com/javascript/lib/imgs/grey_loader.gif" alt="grey loader New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis" width="22" height="22" title="New DNA Test Could Speed Time to Sepsis Diagnosis" /></a></div>
<p>.</p>
<p>The blood culture method typically takes one to three days to become  positive. Another one or two days may be needed to identify the bacteria and  their antibiotic sensitivity patterns, according to background information in  the study.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Prove-it sepsis assay yielded a high sensitivity and specificity, and  identified bacterial species about 18 hours before conventional culture methods  did, providing practical and realistic delivery of same-day bacterial  identification after the blood-culture positivity,&#8221; the researchers wrote.</p>
<p>&#8220;Our study was not designed to address health-care costs,&#8221; they added.  &#8220;Although additional costs are associated with this assay, these costs need to  be assessed in the context of the effect of early identification on total  patient management, which might include savings relating to factors such as  targeted investigation, length of stay in hospital, and outcomes for the <a id="KonaLink3" style="position: static; text-decoration: underline ! important;" onclick="adlinkMouseClick(event,this,3);" onmouseover="adlinkMouseOver(event,this,3);" onmouseout="adlinkMouseOut(event,this,3);" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html#" target="_new"><span style="position: static; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;"><span style="position: relative; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman',Times,serif; color: #005497 ! important; font-weight: 400;">patient</span></span></a>.&#8221;</p>
<p>The study was released online Dec. 9 in advance of publication in an upcoming  print issue of <em>The Lancet</em>.</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="healthday" href="http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html" target="_blank">http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2009/12/10/new-dna-test-could-speed-time-to-sepsis-diagnosis.html</a></p>
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		<title>DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/dna-test-prevent-blood-disorder-infants/</link>
		<comments>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/dna-test-prevent-blood-disorder-infants/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:32:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lymphopenia]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[2009-12-09 22:11:17 CST by Brendan Missett Genetic testing in newborns can help identify T-cell lymphopenia, a blood disorder that disrupts the function of the immune system, according to new research. As part of the study, which was published in the December 9 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers screened all infants [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/dna-test-prevent-blood-disorder-infants/">DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>2009-12-09 22:11:17 CST</p>
<p><em>by Brendan Missett</em></p>
<p align="left"><img src="http://www.privatemdlabs.com/newsimages/baby+rug_2248_19504807_0_0_7045150_300.jpg" alt="baby+rug 2248 19504807 0 0 7045150 300 DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants" align="right" title="DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants" />Genetic  testing in newborns can help identify T-cell lymphopenia, a blood disorder that  disrupts the function of the immune system, according to new research.</p>
<p>As  part of the study, which was published in the December 9 issue of the Journal of  the American Medical Association, researchers screened all infants born in  Wisconsin in 2008 for T-cell lymphopenia using a DNA test which measures the  number of T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC) in a blood sample, HealthDay  reports.</p>
<p>Of a the 71,000 infants screened, a total of 11 were found to  have at least one abnormal TREC test result, eight of whom were diagnosed with  T-cell lymphopenia after being evaluated by a clinical immunologist.</p>
<p>In  many cases, the study notes, babies with the blood disorder, manifested by a low  level of white blood cells, can appear to be healthy and have no family history  of immunodeficiency.</p>
<p>&#8220;Consequently, many infants with severe T-cell  deficiencies are not identified until life-threatening infections occur,&#8221; said  Dr John Routes of the Medical College of Wisconsin.</p>
<p>He added that early  diagnosis, which could be facilitated by the DNA testing, dramatically improves  the prognosis of newborns with the condition.</p>
<p>The T-cell lymphopenia  screen costs only $5.50 per test, according to Medscape.com.<br />
<img src="http://feeds.directnews.co.uk/feedtrack/justcopyright.gif?feedid=2248&amp;itemid=19504807" alt=" DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants"  title="DNA test could prevent blood disorder in infants" /></p>
<p align="left">DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="original" href="http://www.privatemdlabs.com/news/Blood_and_Blood_Diseases/DNA-test-could-prevent-blood-disorder-in-infants$19504807.php" target="_blank">http://www.privatemdlabs.com/news/Blood_and_Blood_Diseases/DNA-test-could-prevent-blood-disorder-in-infants$19504807.php</a></p>
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		<title>Salivary DNA tests to support dentists&#8217; fight against periodontal disease</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/salivary-dna-tests-support-dentists-fight-periodontal-disease/</link>
		<comments>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/salivary-dna-tests-support-dentists-fight-periodontal-disease/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:42:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dental]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Periodontal Disease]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[November 23, 2009 NASHVILLE, Tennessee&#8211;OralDNA Labs, a specialty diagnostics subsidiary of Quest Diagnostics, has announced the availability of two molecular tests to help periodontists and general dentists identify patients with and at risk for periodontal disease. MyPerioPath detects the presence and quantity of specific bacteria associated with periodontal disease, while MyPerioID PST, which the company [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/salivary-dna-tests-support-dentists-fight-periodontal-disease/">Salivary DNA tests to support dentists&#8217; fight against periodontal disease</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<div>November 23, 2009</div>
<div id="paragraphs">
<p>NASHVILLE, Tennessee&#8211;OralDNA Labs, a specialty diagnostics subsidiary of  Quest Diagnostics, has announced the availability of two molecular tests to help  periodontists and general dentists identify patients with and at risk for  periodontal disease.</p>
<p>MyPerioPath detects the presence and quantity of specific bacteria associated  with periodontal disease, while MyPerioID PST, which the company licenses from  Interleukin Genetics, provides a means of quickly and accurately assessing an  individual&#8217;s genetic risk for periodontal disease.</p>
<p>Used together, the new salivary DNA diagnostic tests can help dental  professionals reduce patient incidence of periodontal disease. MyPerioPath  provides early and accurate diagnosis of existing periodontal disease by  identifying and measuring specific types of bacteria, while MyPerioID PST  assesses a patient&#8217;s genetic predisposition to developing periodontal disease  well before physical symptoms occur.</p>
<p>The company has launched a national dental industry awareness and training  program to support the profession&#8217;s understanding and effective use of the new  tools.</p>
<p>According to OralDNA senior vice president and general manager Robert Walker,  the company has been introducing the tests to leading dental industry  practitioners during the past year.</p>
<p>&#8220;Leading periodontists and general dentists are already relying on the  MyPerioPath and MyPerioID PST salivary diagnostic tests to provide valuable  insights for enhanced patient care, and as important tools in the fight against  periodontal disease,&#8221; Walker said.</p>
<p>&#8220;We believe these tests will not only help put dental professionals at the  forefront of oral medicine, but also enable them to provide more comprehensive  and accurate treatment plans for their patients.&#8221;</p>
<p>According to the American Dental Association, an estimated 75% of Americans  over the age of 35 have some form of periodontal disease. Research conducted  during the past 10 years has provided insight into the perio/ systemic  connection and the link between chronic periodontal infections and heart  disease, diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancer.</p>
<p>Within the next year, OralDNA expects to add the clinician-administered oral  DNA HPV test, OraRisk HPV, for use in assessing the risks associated with  certain types of oral cancer, and intends to continue to broaden its menu of  salivary diagnostic tests for use in oral medicine.</p>
<p>For more information, education, and training related to OralDNA&#8217;s salivary  DNA diagnostic tests, dental professionals&#8211;including periodontists, general  dentists, and dental hygienists&#8211;should visit <a href="http://www.oraldnatraining.com/">OralDNA Labs</a> or call (877)  577-9055.</p>
<p>To read more about OralDNA Labs, go to <a href="http://www.dentaleconomics.com/articles/article_display.cfm?ARTICLE_ID=349737">OralDNA  Labs</a>.</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="dentalofficemag.com" href="http://bit.ly/60QZOG" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/60QZOG</a></div>
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		<title>New Dating Service Tests Your DNA for the Right Match</title>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:52:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Genetic Testing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[In Love &#38; Sex by Jeffery , on Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:33 AM (PST) Nothing says romance like deoxyribonucleic acid. If you&#8217;ve been looking for love in all the wrong places, maybe you should look a little bit deeper&#8230; like in your DNA. In the latest trend in online matchmaking, genetic testing companies are [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-testing/dating-service-tests-dna-match/">New Dating Service Tests Your DNA for the Right Match</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>In <a href="channel-lovesex/0.html">Love &amp; Sex</a> by <a href="profile-239.html">Jeffery</a> , on Friday, November 13, 2009, 6:33 AM  (PST)</p>
<p>Nothing says romance like deoxyribonucleic acid.</p>
<p>If you&#8217;ve been looking for <a href="../blog-entry/Taylor-Swift-Taylor-Lautner-Are-Totally-in-Love/25443.html" target="_blank"><strong>love</strong></a> in all the wrong places, maybe you  should look a little bit deeper&#8230; like in your DNA. In the latest trend in  online matchmaking, genetic testing companies are saying your best bet for true  romance could be in a quick cheek swab.</p>
<p>Through genetic testing, some companies are saying you can be provided with a  better <a href="../blog-entry/Is-Love-at-First-Sight-in-Your-Genes/4957.html" target="_blank"><strong>biological match</strong></a>, which theoretically could  mean someone you&#8217;ll get along with better and possibly even create healthier  children with.</p>
<p>According to Eric Holzle, founder of ScientificMatch.com, one of the first  sites to offer the service, the idea of genetic testing could revolutionize  matchmaking. &#8220;How many dating services can you think of where they can suggest  you might have better children?&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Folks who sign up for the service get a packet in the mail which includes a  cheek swab for skin cells. They then mail it back and within two weeks an  analysis is completed, and the swabee can post pictures and profile information  to the site. The test, like the one soon to be launched by Swiss company  GenePartner, will run the lovelorn around $100.</p>
<p>Still, not everyone is taken with the idea. Dr. Rocio Moran, medical director  of the General Genetics Clinic at the Cleveland Clinic, calls the idea  &#8220;ridiculous.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;They are just trying to make a buck,&#8221; she said. &#8220;That if it&#8217;s genetic, it  must be real science.&#8221;</p>
<p>So what do you think? Can love be found deep down in our chemical makeups, or  is it more complicated than just having the right combination of amino  acids?</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource:  <a title="limelife.com" href="http://www.limelife.com/blog-entry/New-Dating-Service-Tests-Your-DNA-for-the-Right-Match/26323.html" target="_blank">http://www.limelife.com/blog-entry/New-Dating-Service-Tests-Your-DNA-for-the-Right-Match/26323.html</a></p>
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		<title>Experts To Discuss DNA Barcodes And Their Uses</title>
		<link>http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/experts-discuss-dna-barcodes/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:21:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>DNAWellness</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[DNA Medicine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Barcodes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Sequencing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DNA Testing]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Article Date: 09 Nov 2009 &#8211; 2:00 PST &#8211; medical news today World experts are gathering this week to discuss DNA barcodes and their uses, covering a wide range of areas from medicine to agriculture, health to fraud, from smuggling to exploring our planet&#8217;s prehistoric life. About 350 experts from 50 countries are meeting for [...]<p><a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com/dna-medicine/experts-discuss-dna-barcodes/">Experts To Discuss DNA Barcodes And Their Uses</a> is a post from: <a href="http://dnawellnessinfo.com">dnawellnessinfo.com</a></p>
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<p>Article Date: 09 Nov 2009 &#8211; 2:00 PST &#8211; medical news today</p>
<p>World experts are gathering this week to discuss DNA barcodes and their uses,  covering a wide range of areas from medicine to agriculture, health to fraud,  from smuggling to exploring our planet&#8217;s prehistoric life.</p>
<p>About 350  experts from 50 countries are meeting for the third International Barcode of  Life conference that is taking place from 9 to 11 November in Mexico City.</p>
<p>DNA barcoding is a new technique that uses a short DNA sequence from the  genome of an organism, living or dead, as a molecular way of identifying the  species it belongs to. DNA barcode sequences are very short compared to the  entire genome and can be obtained quite quickly and cheaply.</p>
<p>The  Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) is an international initiative devoted  to developing DNA barcoding as a global standard for the identification of  biological species.</p>
<p>Through the CBOL initiative, experts are agreeing a  standard for DNA barcoding.</p>
<p>The challenge for the initiative is finding  an area of DNA that does not vary much down generations, yet varies sufficiently  between species to make identification reliable. A number of studies have shown  that for higher animals, the variability of the &#8220;Folmer region&#8221; at the 5&#8242; end of  the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial region (COI) is very low (about  1 to 2 per cent) and even between closely related species it differs by several  per cent, making this the ideal region on which to settle as the standard for  DNA barcoding.</p>
<p>This section of DNA is 648 nucleotide pairs long for most  groups and is surrounded by regions that are reasonably conserved, making it  quite easy to isolate and analyze.</p>
<p>In some groups, COI is not an  effective barcode region and a different standard region will have to be sought  and agreed on. But the idea is that in all cases, DNA barcoding uses a short,  standard region that enables cost-effective species identification.</p>
<p>As  the standard is being thrashed out and discussed, all manner of professionals  are starting to get interested in its application, from medical and agricultural  researchers, to police and customs officers.</p>
<p>For instance, using DNA  barcoding, palaeontologists hope to be able to sequence ancient plant and animal  remains extracted from degraded DNA in northern permafrost cores to reveal  Earth&#8217;s pre-historic life, and how life on Earth responded to global climate  change.</p>
<p>And by analyzing the DNA of gut contents, scientists hope to  discover secrets of what eats what in the animal world.</p>
<p>One such group  is the The International Barcode of Life Project, headquartered in Guelph,  Canada, where barcoding was pioneered. They will be telling meeting delegates  about their discovery that eight species of bat feed on over 300 types of  insect, one of the largest food webs ever found.</p>
<p>Conservationists are now  getting very excited about the application of DNA barcoding to help unravel the  complexity of the dynamics in the natural world.</p>
<p>Scott Miller, Acting  Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution and Chair of the  Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL), who are co-hosting the meeting with  the Instituto Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), told the  press that:</p>
<p>&#8220;DNA barcoding is opening a new window into the relations  between hunter and prey in the wild and how diets may be changing due to climate  change.&#8221;</p>
<p>He explained that like gut contents, soils contain a mixture of  species that are hard to identify using convetional tools. Tiny soil organisms  eat each other, they eat roots, and all sorts of animal and plant debris,  so:</p>
<p>&#8220;Knowing what eats what is important to many studies, including  investigations into how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are being  released from soils into the atmosphere,&#8221; said Miller.</p>
<p>Another area of  application would be producing evidence to prosecute smugglers of wild bushmeat  and other products made from endangered species: a trade that last year netted  15 billion dollars worldwide.</p>
<p>When smoked or sundried, only DNA  barcoding can differentiate bushmeat from domestic animal meat like beef, goat  or pork, so law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly interested in the  DNA barcode library of endangered species that Dr George Amato of the American  Museum of Natural History in New York is compiling.</p>
<p>The hope is that the  Mexico meeting will bring about a global agreement on how to do the same with  plants, which would for instance help to track down illegal timber trading and  regulate herbal medicines, among others.</p>
<p>CBOL Executive Secretary David  Schindel said:</p>
<p>&#8220;Biodiversity scientists are using DNA technology to  unravel mysteries, much like detectives use it to solve crimes. It is having a  profound impact on our understanding of organisms in nature and how they  interact with the environment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Following increases in the number of  puffer fish poisoning cases in the US due to fradulent food labelling, the US  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be telling delegates about their  interest in DNA barcoding and the challenge posed by trying to differentiate  among different species in marketed seafood, an increasing proportion of which  is now imported, and which is also processed to &#8220;a point where traditional  morphologic species determination is not possible&#8221;.</p>
<p>An FDA  representative told the press that:</p>
<p>&#8220;New methods that allow accurate and  rapid species identifications are critical for both food borne illness  investigations and for the prevention of deceptive practices, such as those  where species are intentionally mislabeled to circumvent import restrictions or  for resale as species of higher value.&#8221;</p>
<p>The FDA will also be presenting a  study that showed DNA barcoding reliably distinguished the seedpods of Star  Anise ( Illicium verum, a herb used in teas, herbal remedies and cooking) from  otherwise identical seedpods of a sister species, Illicium anisatin, considered  to contain neurotoxic compounds and therefore a health risk.</p>
<p>The  delegates will also hear of a case from Canada, where students nationwide  collected fish samples from stores and analyzed the resulting DNA data,  revealing significant market &#8220;mislabelling&#8221; of seafood.</p>
<p>Another case that  will be presented will be the successful apprehension of a Brazilian smuggler  last year who was caught trying to smuggle parrot eggs which he said were  quails&#8217; eggs, but DNA barcoding revealed that they were the eggs of several  species of parrots and macaws, many of which where either threatened or  vulnerable.</p>
<p>A medical application of DNA barcoding will help to identify  black flies in Brazil and other South American countries where they spread river  blindness disease. So far 70 species of black flies have been barcoded to date,  about 20 per cent of the number known to science, and including three previously  unrecognized.</p>
<p>Other medical applications include identification of <a title="What Is Malaria?" href="/articles/150670.php">malaria</a> mosquitoes in  India, parasite bearing freshwater snails in the Cameroons, nematode parasites  in Mexico that attack crops, humans and livestock.</p>
<p>Mexico is one of the  countries that is moving ahead quickly in using DNA barcoding. Under the  auspices of CONACYT, Mexico&#8217;s National Council on Science and Technology, they  have established a national barcode network (MexBOL) involving 60 researchers  from 15 institutions.</p>
<p>Mexico now has a number of new &#8220;barcode factories&#8221;  at institutions in the north, center and south of the country, including CIBNOR  (Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste), IBUNAM (Instituto de  Biología, UNAM), and ECOSUR (El Colegio de la Frontera Sur).</p>
<p>Meeting  co-host Patricia Escalante, chair of the Zoology Department, Institute of  Biology, UNAM, said this work in Mexico and elsewhere was very  important.</p>
<p>&#8220;Barcoding is a tool to identify species faster, more cheaply,  and more precisely than traditional methods,&#8221; she explained.</p>
<p>MexBOL will  produce barcodes for all important taxonomic groups including national  campaigns, such as barcoding all trees (ArBOL), fungi, bees, aquatic insects,  crayfishes, fishes, birds, mammals and more.</p>
<p>Escalante explained  that:</p>
<p>&#8220;We need an accurate inventory of global biodiversity to recognize  parasites of medical, economic or ecological importance.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This work will  help develop biological control measures, monitor and control of human diseases  and potential zoonoses, manage agricultural and aquaculture pathogens, and  detect the presence of invasive species,&#8221; she added.</p>
<p>The largest barcode  factory in the world is at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at the  University of Guelph in Canada, where DNA barcoding was first proposed and  developed.</p>
<p>Similar facilities are being set up at the French Museum  National d&#8217;Histoire Naturelle, as well as in the Netherlands and  Poland.</p>
<p><a rel="nofollow" href="http://dnabarcodes2009.org/" target="_blank">&#8211; 3rd International Barcode of Life  Conference</a></p>
<p><small>Source: Consortium for the Barcode of Life  (CBOL).</small></p>
<p>Written by: Catharine Paddock, PhD<br />
Copyright: Medical  News Today</p>
<p>DNAWellnessinfo.com Resource: <a title="medical news today" href="http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170276.php" target="_blank"> http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170276.php</a></p>
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