Massachusetts company making diesel with sun, water, CO2

A recent article states that diesel fuel can be made with the same ingredients that makes grass grow. Joule Unlimited is a Massachusetts based biotechnology company. They have invented a genetically-engineered organism that secretes diesel fuel (or ethanol) whenever it interacts with sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. The costs are relatively cheap to grow the organism and can be grown in large or small facilities. The reason why this is more effective than other production of ethanol (in corn or algae) is because Joule Unlimited cut out the middle man which was creating most of the costs. The middleman is the biomass, the untold amounts of corn or algae that had to be produced, harvested, and destroyed to make the ethanol. The new genetically engineered organism secretes the finished product and does not need to be destroyed and regrown. The genetically engineered organism is call cyanobacterium, that was patented by Joule Unlimited in 2007. The claims are that the organism can create 15,000 gallons of diesel fuel per acre annually, which is four times more efficient than the algae making process. The best part? It only costs 30 dollars a barrel. Although doubts are in place by other biotechnology companies, Joule Unlimited plans to break ground on a 10-acre facility later this year.

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cyanobacterium is found everywhere and less complex than algae so it easier to genetically manipulate."][/caption]

Drunk Driving Linked To Certain Genotypes

Recent studies have shown people with certain genotypes are more likely to drive after drinking than people with other genotypes. Doctors at UNT Health Science Center's School of Public Health conducted a study in a bar district of a large college campus community. Random samples of saliva were taken from patrons leaving bars and results showed that patrons with S/S genotype are more likely to drive home from the bar than patrons with L/L genotype. The 5-HTTLPR genetic marker is commonly reported in three forms based on allele length: L/L (two long alleles), S/L (one long and one short allele), and S/S (two short alleles).Most research has shown that the S/S type is associated with psychological distress and problem behavior. Approximately 20 percent of the general population has the S/S trait. Although this does not give people an excuse to drink and drive it gives us a better understanding into the minds of repetitive DUI offenders. Individuals with this genotype are more apt to performing risky behaviors and impulsive decisions.

Secrets of Fungus Farming revealed in Leafcutter Ant Genome

This article is written about a study published in the PLoS Genetics journal on February 10, 2011.  An international team of researchers completed the sequencing of the 300 million of DNA that comprise the ant's genome, with the help of Roche Applied Science sequencing technology.  Currently the genome of the fungus the ant's use as food, as well as other microorganisms that are involved in this mutualism are also being sequenced.

The purpose of this study was to show how over the course of evolutionary time, an animal's lifestyle is influental in changing its genetics.  The study actually did show that in over 50 million, due to the leaf cutter ant's symbiotic lifestyle, its was able to remove the genes that other ant species require to obtain nutrients.  A continuing study is going on right now that is connecting the leaf cutter ant's genome to the varying body sizes and "caste system" within a colony.  The researchers are using the DNA to unlock the secrets for why there are large ants with wings that defend the nest, and are the only ones that can mate, and medium-sized ants that gather leafs, and smaller ants that tend to the fungus garden and ant brood.

   Example of the different sizes of the leaf cutter ants "caste system."

This article interested me because the study is using genetics to explain ecological symbiotic relationships between leaf cutter ants and the fungus they eat.  This concept may have the potential to explain symbiotic relationships between other species as well.  There may valuable information in studying the genomes of these relationships.

Genetic Tests Can Unearth Family Secrets, Such as Incest

At Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, sophisticated DNA analyses used to diagnose such disabilities as birth defects, epilepsy or developmental delays revealed that in some children, about 25 percent of genetic material inherited from their mother was the same as material inherited from their father.  In the few months that Baylor has been performing these detailed genetic tests, there have been fewer than 10 cases of consanguinity -- the phenomenon of inheriting the same gene variations from two closely related people, said Dr. Arthur L. Beaudet, chairman of Baylor's department of molecular and human genetics.  Children of first-degree relatives face a risk of disability up to 50 percent higher than that of children born to unrelated moms and dads, Beaudet said. No one has good estimates on the prevalence of children born from incestuous relationships.  genetic testing that analyzes single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs, pronounced "snips"), which are variations in single building blocks of DNA, can inadvertently reveal the secrets of a child's birth. That is forcing health professionals to consider the most ethical ways to handle potentially incriminating or otherwise damaging information.

I think this is great research that should be made more known and aware to people.  The chances of some sort of genetic problem in children is not rare in these consanguineous relationships.  Yet, some people are so illiterate or ignorant to these facts.  Its ridiculous.  I had once read a study where 66% of consanguineous relationships in England have children with some kind of medical issues.  But this research is definitely helping in the cases of young girls who are being sexually abused and stay quiet, and other related events.

The Promise of Genetics and Autism

The Autism Genome Project announced the discovery of several new genes that are implicated in autism. The genes implicated in autism affect individuals in very different ways. Some genes change the balance of gray and white matter in our brains whereas others affect the way our brain cells signal each other or even the rate at which our brains grow and develop. The biological causes of disability in each case are not the same. It is becoming evident that autism is a catchall phrase for a number of brain differences that happen to look similar when seen from the outside.

A huge step has been made in learning that certain genetic defects cause profound autistic disability. The goal now is to learn how to help the affected population. Thus far, damaged genetic data can not be repaired. The biggest complication is that there are many different genetic problems to accommodate. Even though they produce a similar outcome - autism - they work in very different ways at a biological level. There is no such thing as a single "autism gene." Rather, there are many genes that push toward autistic outcomes when they go wrong.

This means tens or even a hundreds of different treatment strategies must be developed to address the multitude of genetic errors that lead to autism. Genetic testing may allow for babies to be identified with genetic defects that can lead to autism before their brains have developed on the autistic pathway. If interceded early enough, there is a chance autism can be avoided in those children.



This article explains clearly the importance in understanding that autism is a broad disorder that affects the human population in a large range of ways. It is very useful for researchers to understand that no one gene triggers the onset of autism. Advances in scientific genetic research can help improve the lives of today's autistic population, and the unborn population to come.

What's missing may be key to understanding genetics of autism

This article describes a study in which missing or duplicated strands of DNA were found to be responsible for some cases of autism.  The researchers analyzed the genetic makeup of  individuals with and without autism and found that those genes which are missing are involved with the development and function of the brain.  Autism is a developmental disorder that affects social interaction and language development and is believed to be caused by genetic factors.  The study showed that people with autism tend to have deletions that remove parts or all of genes, while healthy people carry deletions on stretches of DNA that don’t contain genes.  One X-linked gene in particular,   DDX53-PTCHD1, was found to be strongly liked to autism.

With the increasing number of autism cases, these results will hopefully help narrow down some of the likely causes to autism.  The fact that a gene strongly linked with autism was located on the X chromosome probably explains why it is mostly boys who are diagnosed.

gene mutation that causes a type of dwarfism resists cancer and diabetes

An article from AP news, titled Clue to diabetes, cancer seen in short Ecuadoreans, reports that Ecuadoreans with Laron syndrome, which makes them shorter than 4 feet almost never get cancer or diabetes. Scientists report that they studied the health of this population for over 22 years and no one has gotten diabetes, while only one individual suffered a non-lethal case of cancer. These people's gene mutation prevents them from using human growth hormone which affects how other hormones like insulin-like growth factor or IGF-1 work.  Other studies are investigating IGF-1 and its effect on lifespan.

I find this article fascinating, as the potential research is the stuff of science fiction. While the Laron afflicted people did not live longer, we could potentially isolate the mechanisms and specific chemicals creating new treatments for both cancer and diabetes. It could eventually lead to an eradication of any serious cases of both diseases with some form of genetic or hormone thereapy. Additionally, while more research is needed, if growth hormone can damage cell defense and affect its ability to repair itself, this could lead to the ability to lengthen the lives of humans while maintaining quality of life. We could gain the ability to repair the affect of all kinds of diseases that damage tissue.

To Defend Against Disease, a Plant Checks the Clock

An Arabidopsis plant with downy mildew disease, caused by a fungus-like pathogen.

(Above Link To Article)

Plants, like many other organisms, have circadian clocks that help them anticipate various environmental and biological events that occur at precise times of the day. Researchers report that genes in certain plants fend off infections with the help of their circadian rhythms. Twenty-two genes in the plant Arabidopsis are connected to the plant’s ability to resist infection due to pathogens. This is the first time researchers have been able to make a functional connection between the circadian clock and pathogen resistance.

I believe this is an important discovery that can be quite beneficial to our understanding of how genes are expressed  in relation to an organism and its surrounding environment. This single plant can enhance our knowledge that can then be applied further, for instance, in human situations.

Microsponges Can Possibly Save Lives

This article shows that recently, scientists have discovered that micro sponges from seaweed may be able to diagnosis diseases. At Rice University they have a 'Bio-Nano-Chip' which is a grid with agarose beads that capture biomarkers. These biomarkers are in a persons health and are located in their body fluids such as blood and saliva. There are also the micro sponges inserted inside of the grid which were discovered since they obtain massive amounts of fluids in the sponge. The agarose beads also capture and detect the biomarkers. The micro sponges allows a lot of fluid over a large surface for quicker results in capturing the biomarkers; making this a new discovery for Rice University in detecting diseases such a HIV and cancers. This method of diagnosing patients of cancers and diseases is a new step towards technology in an inexpensive way compared to other methods.

Programmable Bio-Nano-Chip:

Identical Twins' Genes Are Not Identical

Before I read this article I would of bet good money that identical twins genes are identical, and I would have lost. Research done by Geneticist Carl Bruder of the University of Alabama at Birmingham and his colleagues showed the differences in the genome of two identical twins. Until Bruder came upon these findings any differences in the lives of twins was labeled as an environmental cause. Now the census is to look at  the twins and their genome. Maybe it is not all environmental causes that allow one twin to have a disease and the other to be healthy. The article told about how twins have multiple copies of genes. These areas, instead of having a two sets of genetic data, have multiple gene copies. These areas are in a state of copy number variants. The easiest way for researchers to separate nature vs nurture was to do testing on twins. Because of the previous notion that there were genetically similar it eliminated a variable, but that variable may be back after Carl Bruders findings. But instead twins can help scientists find specific gene locus that identify genetic disorders. Another interesting point of this research was to help put the right twin in jail! In Virgina alone there are 80 pairs of identical twins in jail. If one twin is seeing committing a crime, and the other has no alibi it can be hard for a court to decide who is guilty. "So hopefully looking at copy number variants of two twins can help sort that out."

Genetic Link Between Stress and Depression

In this article, it discusses how stress had a genetic link with depression. Depression is a major disorder that affects many people in America. There was a study done in the Journal Archives of General Psychiatry that implies that there is a genetic link between stress and depression. The gene that causes the formation of a small peptide in our brains is called Neuropeptide Y. The way that stress is related is that there is something in the bloodstream and spinal fluid that relates to how resilient we are to life’s stress. The more Neuropeptide Y, the more resilient we are to life’s stresses. So they did tests at the University of Michigan to test whether people that had different variations of the Neuropeptide Y gene scored differently in a few tests linked to depression and stress. The scientist founds out some promising results from running tests with different types of people in the experiment.

The evidence in this experiment does have some valid points but there are still more test to be done to make sure that this is a relative correlation. This was just a step in the right direction, but more experiments are required to see if the gene Neuropeptide Y is a correct gene to use to measure peoples stress levels and hoe depressive actions and thoughts effect the gene. Intuitively, the more stress someone possesses the more depressive their behavior could become but this is science so anything is possible.

Genetic evolution of cancer

The article I am refering to suggest that cancer has been evolving since the development of multicellular life, billions of years ago. As life on earth has become more complex so has the ways that cancer manipulates the cells that occupy the organism. Cancer causes the uncontrolled growth of cells that intrudes upon and destroys adjacent tissues. Scientist involved in this reseach have reasoned that cancer revisits the tried and true genetic pathways which is why it is so successful as a mutigen. Essentially as life has evolved from single cell bacteria to multicellular complex organisms cancer has done just the same with the same devistating results.



     The research also suggests that there are a limited number of  the genetic pathways that are favored by cells as they become progressively genetically unstable and malignant, implying that cancer could be manageable by new drugs as medicine becomes more advanced. This means that maybe there is hope to finally find a way to keep cancer at bay. Possibly the best way to see where cancer is going is to look at where it has been as these researchers suggest.

Early Risk Of Alzheimer's May Be Identified By Combining Brain Imaging And Genetic Analysis

This article discusses a study in which researchers may have discovered a  variation of a specific gene that may play a role in late-onset Alzheimer's.  The participants were genotyped to see who carried the  variation of the BDNF gene called val66met, a gene important in maintaining healthy brain functioning.  The researchers then used two types of brain imaging techniques (MRI & DTI) to measure the physical structures of the brain.  This study found that the BDNF val66met gene variation influenced exactly those brain structures and connections that deteriorate at the earliest phases of Alzheimer's disease.

This new technique for detecting Alzeihmer's before patients display outward symptoms can help in delaying the progression of Alzheimer's and can also save the healthcare system money in the longrun.

The Scent of Love

What if it wasn’t someone’s outward appearance that attracted you, but the way that person smelled?  Studies conducted on the genetics behind mate preference have shown that attraction may be based on a particular set of genes known as the major histocompatibility complex (MHC).  These genes play a large role in the body’s ability to fight off certain pathogens.  In relation to mate selection, it would be wise for a person to seek out a mate with a dissimilar set of MHC genes to ensure a broader immune system for any offspring they may produce.  According to some research, this exactly what we do, and we do it with our sense of smell.

It is not fully understood how people determine which set of MHC genes a potential mate may possess, but it is believed that our sense of smell plays an important role.  Studies have been conducted in which people were instructed to rate attractiveness based on scent.  The participants were given t-shirts worn by others and told to base their rating on how the clothing smelled.  The participants tended to give a higher attractiveness rating to the t-shirts worn by people with dissimilar MHC genes than those they possessed themselves.  It appears that people actually do sniff out their mates!

It is important to note that there are exceptions to this rule.  Hormonal contraception can wreak havoc on a woman’s ability to sniff out the right set of MHC genes.  In fact, birth control pills tend to make women prefer men who possess similar MHC genes, which may cause them to mate with someone who is not genetically suitable.  The menstrual cycle can also play a large role in what both men and women find attractive about one another.  For men, the scent of a woman who is near ovulation is more attractive than a woman who is not.  For women, the preference of male scent, as well as other traits, changes throughout her cycle.

Further study in this area could help us better understand the reasons behind relationships that work and relationships that do not.  Maybe there isn’t such a thing as bad relationships—just bad noses.  Maybe there is a link between the way we love and the way we smell.  Maybe instead of signing up with that trendy new dating website, you should just follow your nose!

Scientists find 5 new Parkinson's genes

In London, scientists have discovered five new gene's that are linked to Parkinson's disease, increasing the proof of degenerative disease is triggered by people's genes.

"The major common genetic variants for Parkinson's have been found," said Nick Wood, a professor at the Institute of Neurology at University College London, one of the researchers who led the study. "We haven't put together all the pieces of the puzzle yet, but we're not that far off," he said.

Scientists analyzed genetic samples from more than 12,000 people with the disease and more than 21,000 of the general population of Europe and the U.S. The highest number of mutations were in the eleven genes linked to Parkinson's disease are two and half times more likely to develop the disease then people with less mutations.

Scientists say identifying Parkinson's disease could help explain what sparks the disease and have hope that it will lead to new treatments.

"There is good reason for optimism that these advances will be translated into direct benefits for our patients," wrote Christine Klein and Andreas Ziegler of the University of Lubeck in Germany.—

A gene critical for heart function

DOT1L is a gene that has been linked to leukemia, and now has been linked to heart defects.  Researchers at the University of North Carolina created a line of mice that lack DOT1L, and also were genetically prone to dilated cardiomyopathy.  Dilated cardiomyopathy is a condition in which the heart is enlarged causing the walls of the heart to thin and also weakens its ability to pump blood.  However, by re-expressing Dystrophin, a downstream target gene, the researchers were able to keep the mice from developing the heart defect.  They also found that the DOT1L enzyme activates the gene and when levels fall to low the Dystrophin fails to function leading to heart disease.  Samples of human heart tissue were also examined showing that the role of DOT1L is similar in humans and in mice.

This article is interesting because it could be a break through in developing better ways of diagnosis and treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy and other heart defects, and may also prove important with muscluar distrophy, which has to do with Dystrophin function as well. 



 DOT1L                                                    Dystrophin

Jumping Genes Defy the Tree of Life

Darwin's "tree of life" metaphor for the process of evolution has been has been challenged by Antonis Rokas and Jason Slots' discovery of a jumping gene cluster in this article. Although it was previously thought that genes were passed from parent to child, known as vertical gene transfer, Rokas and Slot found a cluster of 23 genes that have moved from one species of fungus to another. Horizontal gene transfer had previously been seen in bacteria with very rare exceptions in complex organisms such as fungi and animals. This jumping gene cluster codes for a toxic compound called sterigmatocystin. Revealing this transfer has brought up new ideas about evolutionary paths and the changing of individual species. Many horizontal gene transfers have resulted in drug-resistant bacteria. Methods for surviving a drug are able to be passed to one another. This discovery has lead to more research into past evolutionary pathways as well as current evolving species.

Gene Altered Eucalyptus Trees, Green Technology ?

An interesting article in the The New York Times stated the United States Department of Agriculture gave the ok to Arborgen to test plant 200,000 genetically modified Eucalyptus trees. The trees are modified mainly to overcome the cold temperatures and continue with regular growth.  The goal of the Arborgen Co. is to efficiently use space and produce the most  trees per acre. The production of paper products, wood pulp products, and biofuels is under criticism by Anne Petermann, “They’ve been a disaster everywhere they’ve been planted,” who is the coordinator of a coalition called the Stop GE Trees Campaign. I feel like Arborgen just wants to make some money  and we need paper, all you have to do is just throw in biofuels at the end of the list and its ok. Eucalyptus trees are under skepticism due to their invasive nature. Is creating more paper waste to recycle a good or bad thing for the environment?

Age and muscle degridation via gene expressions

As the title suggest, the article that I chose looks at studies done that shows a correlation between age and muscle break down caused by the expression of these particular genes, primarily in men, as they age. Essentially the expression of these genes cause more of a release of certain enzymes, called atrogin-1 and MuRF-1,which break down muscle tissue. Researchers also noticed that the greater the expression of the MuRF-1 enzyme the lower the levels of IGF-1 (Insulin Growth-like Factors) which increase the growth of cells and tissues in the human body. However to minimize these effects, specialized weight training routines can help to counter act muscular atrophy and maintain muscle mass.

This is interesting because it is common knowledge that as you get older you lose muscle mass exponentially, however now it appears that there may be genes that control how much mass you actually lose. I wonder how they would control the expression of this gene and if there are other problems attributed to this gene beyond muscular atrophy, such as low testosterone levels in men. Testosterone, or other hormones, when used as prescribed, would help to negate muscle loss and overall heath in older men and women as well. Do you think it is plausible to use human hormones to control the effects of this gene's expression?