Scientists synthesize enzymes from artificial genetic material

A team of medical research council(MRC) have uncovered a process in which they are able to use artificially created genetic material that are able to code for enzymes that do not occur naturally but behave the same as those essential to life. This discovery encourages scientist to delve into the origins of life, develop new drugs and alternate methods in investigating and diagnosing diseases. Prior to the study it was believed that only DNA and RNA were the only materials capable of storing genetic material. In theory DNA, RNA and proteins work hand in hand to create enzymes. The results of the investigation leads one to believe that alternate routes may be taken to result in the creation of enzymes.

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Based on epigenetics there is new breast cancer classification

Breast cancer detection has become much more advanced than ever before. We are at the point where we are able to detect women who are at high risk for getting breast cancer. We also are able to determine whether a tumor removal is necessary or to continue chemotherapy. The genetics of breast cancers is still a bit of a mystery. The director of the Program Epigenetics and Cancer Biology (PEBC) at Bellvitge Biomedical Research Instiute (IDIBELL), Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona and ICREA researcher, Manel Esteller, have found the epigenetic patterns of breast cancer as well as its clinical consequences. They had studied 500 breast cancer tumors for the chemical signal methylation to compare to each other. They had found two subgroups within the breast tumors through epigenome. The first one is Epi-Basal, the characteristic is the loss of epigenetic markers causes the breakdown of chromosomes. The second is Epi-Luminal B, its characteristic is is epigenetic inactivation of genes that are suppose to protect against cancer.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141210114314.htm
http://witscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/breast-cancer-awareness1.jpg

Obesity Genes? Fried Foods Worse for Some People

Researchers have discovered that certain genes allow for enhanced effects on fried food. The higher the genetic risk of obesity, the greater fried food affected their BMI. The study was conducted with 37,000 men and women. For women in the study, this obesity person was approximately 6 pounds heavier. The main findings encourages those that are obese to truly stay away from fried foods because they are more susceptible to the weight gain due to the genes. The study did find that whether you have the genes that lead to higher risks of obesity or not, you should still not consume increased amounts of fried foods because your health will be negatively effected. Researchers did note that their are other factors that play a role in obesity but this study did not particularly look at them. 

I really liked this article for the information they found. I found it interesting that at the end a professor from the Nutrition Department at Harvard Lu Qi says "In the future, it may be possible to tailor diet recommendations for people based on their genes." I think this idea could really go a long way, considering your genes are what make you up to be unique from the next individual. Because we are all made differently, I think that diets tailored per person can have a greater effect on results.

Main Article: http://www.livescience.com/44180-fried-food-genes-obesity-risk.html

Parents Interested in New Born Genomic Testing

New research shows that most parents would have their new born children involved in genomic testing. The study originally went out to see how parents would feel about the issue and the responses have been positive. This would provide a genetic history for new born babies besides the known family history. This would be very helpful for health care professionals and doctors. They could find disease the baby would be more likely to get and hopefully find a way to prevent those disease from occurring. This testing would need to be done early after the child’s birth. To do this test parent would need to consent to this testing. After explaining genomic testing to parents and the effect it has on human health, most parents were interested. The parent’s age, or level of education did not have an effect on the results. In another study, no parents rejected genomic testing. This study shows the importance of future research in genomic testing. The interest level is high and this could help save lives in the future.

Original Article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/286543.php

Related Article: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/12/new-parents-weigh-in-on-genomic-testing/

Researchers believe sequencing genomes will be more beneficial if done at the early stages of life.

This story demonstrates the need for genetic testing to be done in a child early age to determine any future health problems. A little girl by the name of Mya was six month old and had already gone to the emergency room eight to nine times. Physicians could not understand why she was not developing properly, and were puzzled as to what to could be troubling her since there best guest did not agree with the diagnosis. 

Genetic testing can help extend a person life

The genetic screening was at this time the best method, since they believed that Mya genes would hold the answers. Although according to the writer it is believed to not be 100% accurate, “Genetic screening, especially whole-genome screening in which people can learn about their possible risk for certain disease, remains controversial.” It is because there is a limited amount of certainty of whether a gene would express it self later in life or remain dormant, although I believe even if the probability isn’t a 100% certain if there is even a small percentage that a child could get a serious disorder later in life that it should be looked into as soon as possible. Since DNA is the blueprint, it I worth considering having genomic testing for infants as soon as possible, since it would help lead the way for a better diagnosis and more efficient treatment. In Mya situation genomic testing showed that she posses a mutant gene that slowed the transporting of citrate, which was is essential for the cells to get their energy. The physicians started giving her supplement for her disorder and it is said that she is now lived twice the lifespan of the infant that have the same gene mutation.

Based on the article there should be more genomic testing done to help expand the lifespan of in infants like Mya. The article reports that the testing costs around five grand and that a night stay in intensive care cost around eight grand. For those prices I would go with the genetic testing since it less and is more beneficial since it would most lily have a database of disorders and diseases that the testing can match up and compare to the various possibility, compared to a physician that is limited to only the knowledge they have based on observation.

First Article:http://time.com/3616907/genetic-screening-saved-this-babys-life/

Second Article:http://www.wfla.com/story/27550072/new-parents-favor-in-depth-genetic-testing 

Could the Key to Good Memory be Found in Our Genes?

This study was conducted by Professor Ian Deary of the University of Edinburgh in the UK. His goal was to find small genetic variants that contribute to memory. Data was collected from previous studies and 30,000 patients over the age of 45 were dementia free for the experiment. Low memory scores were associated with a gene called Apolipoprotein E. Previous research has linked this gene to increased cases of dementia. A mutation in the gene involved with immune responses played a role as well. Scientists hope to conduct further studies accounting for age and how the immune system lacking contributes as well.

This study interested me greatly, considering how often Alzheimer's and other memory related health issues occur in humans. Patients that have these problems are truly helpless at a certain stage, and if more is known about how you can receive this the chances of receiving them could be much less frequent and even save lives. Prevention could also take place, another way to avoid suffering from memory related issues.

Main Article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286106.php

A Glass of Red Wine a Day Keeps Cancer Away

Alcohol is bad for your DNA and causes many health problems, and is often a factor in certain neck and head cancers. Most doctors would tell you to stay away from it to increase your chances of not having cancer, but is it bad in all forms? The more alcohol you drink, the more DNA damage that occurs. Although, it was found that with red wine, there is something in the wine that blocks the cancer-causing properties of alcohol. It was found in a recent study that resveratrol, a chemical found in grapes and red wine, takes out cells with the most DNA damage, or the cells that are most likely to cause cancer.

Original Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141203161134.htm
Related Article: http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/cancer-topics/prevention-and-screening/food/redwinecancer.html

Do Latinas Have a Lower Risk of Breast Cancer?

 New studies have been shown to indicate a new phenomenon in breast cancer. Hispanic females were found to have a genetic variant that lowered the risk of breast cancer in these females. Women who carry this gene were found to have less dense breast tissue than the average female. Dense tissue is a common characteristic found in those that are at a high risk for breast cancer. Dr. Elad Ziv, a research scientist conducting studies on this particular topic,also concluded that behavioral factors reduce the risk for breast cancer. These women are less likely to to utilize postmenopausal hormones. Genetic factors also play a large part in the level of risk of breast cancer. Chromosome six was found to have a specific protective variant , also known as a SNP, and the frequency at which it occured was monitored. Women who were shown to have a higher prevalence of the SNP also had a lower risk of the cancer.

If this type of genetic variant was identified and reproduced, it can be possible to reduce the risk of cancer in those of other nationalities. Dr. Ziv's research has provided revolutionary new findings in the search for a cure for cancer. If the density of tissue can be altered this could lower the risk of breast cancer nationwide.




Primary Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/genetic-variant-may-shield-latinas-from-breast-cancer/

Secondary Source: http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2014/10/119591/genetic-variant-protects-some-latina-women-breast-cancer

ALS associated genes are the primary suspect that has a direct correlation to Lou Gehrig’s disease

It was thought that genetics’ played a small to no role in causing Amyotrophic lateralsclerosis (ALS), which is commonly referred to Lou Gehrig’s disease. A disease that affects the motor neuron by slowly killing them and slowing down their functions until it comes to a complete stop. This process will stop the signals that come from the brain to the muscle and will lead to the person being paralysis. 

This image is of the nerve cells comparison of a healthy and ALS affected nerve.

The researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical center are looking into the genes that affect ALS, although this disease can occur to people who do not even have the disease in their bloodline. Even though it not in a person family genetic history, the researches discovered that this certain gene could be responsible for over a third of the people with Lou Gehrig’s disease. Through their studies they stated, “they found that patients with defects in two or more ALS-associated genes saw the onset of the disease approximately 10 years earlier than patients with single-gene mutations.” Meaning that this gene is promising to have a direct correlation with the degenerations of the motor neurons when there is at least two mutations.  Now that they narrow there search to theses genes they can think of the best way to fix the gene, through gene therapy, to help cure or improves the persons health.

I believe that these advancements in the study of the human genes will help find other unknown genes that could also cause Lou Gehrig’s in the near future.  

First article: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20141206/Genetics-may-play-major-role-in-Lou-Gehrigs-disease-study-reveals.aspx

Second article:http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/12/05/study-genetics-may-play-larger-role-in-who-develops-als/

The Effects of Smoking on the Y Chromosome and Increased Cancer Risk

Smoking is already known to increase the risk of cancers in multiple organs in the body. A new study finds that males who smoke may be more at-risk for smoking-related cancers than females who smoke are. Researchers at Sweeden's Uppsala University believe that smoking is related to the deterioration of the Y-chromosome and therefore linked to the cancers caused by it.

A study done with 6014 men showed the difference in the Y chromosome between non-smokers and smokers. Three groups of males had their blood tested and then were followed for about 20 years in order to retest their blood after they all were at least past the age of 48. The DNA in each sample was studied to determine any differences. All the men had normal Y-chromosome counts when their blood was first tested. The final tests showed that the men who were smokers had a much greater loss of their Y-chromosome than the non-smokers did.

The good news was that in the men who had stopped smoking, the Y-chromosome did not seem to deteriorate in the way it once had, and were similar to those who never smoked, This caused scientists to believe that the condition is reversible

Smoking is already a high health risk activity. Even with the warnings, some people cannot break past the addiction. With this new information and the idea that smoking is even more dangerous for men than it was before, it could be the encouragement to get men to stop smoking for good, especially since the condition is potentially reversible.

Sources:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/smoking-cigarettes-causes-men-lose-y-chromosomes-while-increasing-their-risk-cancer-313212
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2014/12/03/science.1262092

Centipedes and Evolution

The first genetic sequences of centipedes has recently been mapped out. The sequences found in the centipede genome are giving researchers the ability to learn more about evolution. As members of arthropods and more specifically myriapods, centipedes of the species Strigamia maritima were sequences. This simplistic species can be used to learn more about complex arthropods.

One author of this study, Ariel Chipman, the genetic sequencing of these arthropods shows how they've changed over time. It helps demonstrate the changes from living in water to living on land. For example, Chipman was able to conclude that myriapods and insects changed their preferred environment differently from one another. One example of this is the fact that centipedes don't have the olfactory genes insects have. Instead, centipedes have enhanced another aspect of their genome, which is not present in insects. One species of centipedes have no eyes and live underground, and this demonstrates how the environment influences evolution. Therefore, their other senses are enhanced.

Research on genomes was fixated on humans, but now there is enough knowledge that scientists are able to research animals. Knowing the genomes of more simple organisms will enable scientists to learn more about human genetics. In the future, this will serve several purposes.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141125140807.htm
Supporting Article: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.1002005

The Genomic Key to Memory

Have you ever thought that your short-term memory was just really bad? Forgetting the name of someone you just met or where you put your keys are common slips in memory that haunt most of us at some point in our lives. For certain individuals these issues will continue to progress with age and lead to signs of detrimental conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. A new study led by Prof. Ian Deary of the University of Edinburgh in the UK identifies specific genes that are linked to poorer memory in life. This was the first international study that found a link between common genetic variants and the ability to recall lists of words and stories.

The study used data from five studies conducted at the University of Edinburgh: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 and 1936. Altogether these made up the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology Consortium, which analyzed data from 30,000 individuals over the age of 45. The participants, all free of dementia, underwent memory tests that involved recalling words and stories after an assigned time period. It was found that individuals with certain genetic variants had signs of early Alzheimer’s in their brain tissue. The researchers analyzed the results with personal genome data to determine genetic variants and changes that were inked to lower memory.The results show that individuals with lower overall scores had variants near a gene called Apolipoprotein E and other gene involved with immune responses. It should be noted that previous research indicated that some forms of Apolipoprotein E are linked with increased risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's. The researchers also checked 725 postmortem brain tissue samples and determined that individuals with the genetic variants that related to poorer test scores were more likely to have signs of early Alzheimer's disease.

The genetic variants associated with memory performance also predicted altered levels of expression of certain genes in the hippocampus, a key region of the brain for the consolidation of information. This really is an interesting study for me because I do feel like I have really bad memory, and I’m young. I don’t personally have any relatives that suffer from diseases such as Alzheimer’s but the fact that the genes associated with it can be identified can lead to revolutions in the medical aspect. This can help lead the path to new preventative medicines. The data from this study from the memory test can be used in future studies as well.

Plants That Practice Genetic Engineering

People often avoid purchasing plants that were genetically modified. However, plants were found to modify their own genes from one species to another. These plants are found to "learn" specific features that help them thrive through other plants. For example, ferns were found to acquire a specific gene that allowed them to sense light like a hornwort would. Research done by Kathleen M. Pryer and other scientists studied DNA from a vast number of fern species to further investigate this phenomenon. These ferns were found to have acquired a light sensing protein along with the gene called neochromes. Pryer's mission was aimed towards finding where the neochrome oringinated. Pryer's colleagues have found that because the hornwort and fern had grown in close contact, the fern was able to pick up the neochrome gene and pass it on to other ferns.  

If this process of genetically engineering plants could be isolated, many species may have longer lifespans or ability to survive in many conditions. Gardeners would be able to grow plants that are not native to their area, and be able to thrive in those conditions. This phenomenon has solely been found between ferns and hornworts but scientists suggest that there is bound to be many more cases. 

Primary Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/17/science/plants-that-practice-genetic-engineering.html

Secondary Source: http://agbiosafety.unl.edu/education/summary.htm

A Mouse, a Fish, and a Bee Walk into a Territory

Researchers at the University of Illinois have discovered that some organisms have much in common, genetically, despite the fact that they do not have much in common species-wise. The team at the University of Illinois did experiment with a house mouse, a stickleback fish, and a honey bee to see the relationship of brain patterns when stimulated with a threat coming into their territory. “We knew that a variety of animals share genes for some common physical traits. Now it appears that different organisms share a ‘genetic toolkit’ for behavioral traits, as well,” says Lisa Stubb, who is the lead of the research team. When the brain activity of each of the organisms was observed when each with threatened with an intruder was alarmingly similar. It is so alarming due to the fact that a house mouse, a stickleback fish, and a honey bee all have very different brain anatomy. The research showed that all three organisms had the same change in gene expression that regulate hormones and brainwaves that influence behavior. Other organisms shared similar responses linked to brain development.

Researchers say that the links between these organisms gives hope to the research for comparative genetics among organisms. If scientists are able to find similarities among organisms that evolved their behaviors hundreds of millions of years apart, it won’t be long before they can make connections between other organisms including humans.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141201163243.htm

Loss of Y Chromosome Related to Smoking

Smoking is infamously linked to increasing the risk of many types of cancers. New studies show that smoking may be related to the loss of Y chromosomes in men. This could explain why men who smoke are at a bigger risk than women. It may also help scientist discover why men have shorter life spans than women. Male smokers are more likely to develop cancer outside of the respiratory track. The effect genetics may play in this difference could help scientist understand why men and women are at different risks.

Scientists have previously discovered the link between the loss of the Y chromosome in men and the increased rate of cancer. There are also studies showing that the Y chromosome may lead to tumor suppression which also explains why men may get cancer more often than women. Researchers did a study testing many factor that may cause the loss of the Y chromosome. Smoking was for to be one of these causes based on dosage and exposure.

They also discovered that men who had never smoked and men that have quit smoking have the same risk for losing their Y chromosome. This shows that even though smoking may increase the loss of the Y chromosome, it may be reversible. Researchers have yet to discover why there is a link between smoking and the loss of the Y chromosome, however, more studies are being done to further investigate.

Original Article: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286474.php
               Related Article: http://www.theverge.com/2014/12/4/7333717/y-chromosome-smoking-cancer-death

How does Penicillin work?

Even though Penicillin has been the go to antibiotic for almost a century, scientists still don’t understand how the drug works. Resistance against penicillin has been emerging over the recent decades and new antibiotics need to be found. However, Thomas Bernhardt who is an associate professor of microbiology and immunobiology at Harvard Medical school have found out how penicillin attacks bacteria which can lead to new ways to prevent drug resistance. They found that penicillin not only block cell-wall assembly, but it sets in motion a toxic malfunctioning of the machinery to prevents the cell from producing a cell wall causing the cells to die because they don’t have the resources they need to survive.

In order to determine how penicillin and other similar drugs that are called beta-lactams that are naturally derived from antibiotics produced by fungi that evolved effective ways to kill bacteria, the researchers at Harvard used a specific derivative of penicillin that targets one enzyme in cell-wall assembly. They found that the cell was still killed by the penicillin that was targeting the nonessential enzyme. Therefore, the enzyme could be removed from the cells completely without harm, because if the enzymes were present, the cell would die. The enzyme that fights back against the beta-lactam is called beta-lactamases that slice the beta-lactam molecules and keep them from attaching to their targets to resist penicillin. Since this research has allowed the scientists to learn more about beta-lactams they will be able to find new ways to disrupt it in the future.

I found this article interesting because I am always getting sick and I have been on several antibiotics and I never understood how they worked. After reading this article, I see that scientists also didn’t know much about how they work either.

This Article : Penicillin tactics revealed by scientists

Red Wine Preventing Cancer

Alcohol has the ability to damage cells in the body, and a plant compound called resveratol may kill the cells after being damaged. Although the body has the ability to fix damaged genes, an excessive amount of alcohol may disable the repairing. Therefore, an increased amount of alcohol intake has been associated with and increased risk of head and/or neck cancer. Resvertol, however, can kill cancerous cells, thus decreasing the effects of cancer.

Although an excessive amount of alcohol increases the chance of head and neck cancer, red wine contains resveratol and this enables the body to kill harmful cells. Resveratol is found in grape skins as well as in red wine. A biochemist at the University of Colorado, Dr. Robert Sclafani, stated that the destruction of genes from alcohol can be used beneficially with red wine. Resveratol kills the cells with damaged DNA.

Studying the genetic disorder Fanconi anemia allows researchers to discover the effects of alcohol on the body. This disease is extremely rare, affecting only 1 in 350,000 infants. Without the disease, the tangles that naturally form in DNA (called cross links) are untangled with genes. With the disease, people are not able to untangle the cross links. The amount of DNA damage yields an increased risk of cancer. The cause of cancer in Fanconi anemia are very similar to the cause of cancer from alcohol. In both cases, the body is unable to metabolize alcohol by transforming it to acetyl aldehyde. In addition, aldehyde dehydrogenase is not able to transform the acetyl aldehyde to acetic acid. If the dehydrogenase isn't functioning properly, acetyl aldehyde builds up, and is toxic. Acetyl aldehyde is one cause for the cross links in DNA that may lead to cancer.

Statistics have shown that people who drink red wine are less likely to develop cancer. This shows researchers and oncologists that there must be a reason for this phenomenon.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141203161134.htm

Supporting Article: https://www.yahoo.com/health/exactly-why-red-wine-helps-prevent-cancer-104364418107.html

Smoking Might Cost Men Their 'Y' Chromosome

A new study has found that men who smoke will see their Y chromosomes disappear from their body. There research that shows as men age, they lose Y chromosomes. The new research linked the Y chromosome to short life span and dying from cancer. Recent research suggests that the Y chromosomes  contains large amount of genes and those genes suppress tumors.

The findings show that men who smoke are definitely are more risk than nonsmokers. The study is done by the researchers analyzing blood samples from more than 6,000 men who took part in three different studies. The researchers also took other risks into account like high blood pressure, excess weight, diabetes, and lack of exercise.  And as for women, they lose X-chromosome from their cells as they age. This research can solve many mysteries I think in the medical field; it is a great finding. 

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2014/12/04/smoking-might-cost-men-their-y-chromosome-study-finds  

Smoking May Cause Men to Lose Their Y Chromosome

Its been understood that as men grow older they begin to lose their Y chromosome from their body cells. Initially thought to be a normal cause of aging, however, recent studies show that loss of the Y chromosome is  not something to be content with. Earlier this year, researchers linked the loss of the Y chromosome to a shorter life-span and increased risk of cancer, which could be fatal. Now it has been observed that men who smoke show to have less Y chromosomes in their blood cells than non-smokers do. Lars Forsberg of Uppsala University explains that this could explain why male smokers develop cancer more frequently than female smokers. This is not a closed case however, because there are observed cases where smokers have no loss of Y chromosome and non-smokers do, so other instances can occur. This information also suggests that the Y chromosome may have other uses, rather than just determining sex, such as suppressing tumors.  Hypotheses have been created on the function of the Y chromosome in regards to cancer from controlling the surveillance of cells for cancer to simply acting as a marker for the defenses of tumors. Although the significance of the Y chromosome related to cancer is not yet understood what is important to note is that those who did smoke were two to four times more likely to be losing their Y chromosome, and therefore two to four more times likely to develop cancer. 

I found this article interesting because there has always been a correlation of smoking to cancer, usually of the lungs, but now it can be understood that it could affect the whole body. This provides further information for those who constantly hear that smoking causes cancer but disregard or do not believe it.Also, To understand how it can cause cancer can also be used for methods of preventing and treating the growth of tumors. The fact that smoking men were more susceptible to cancer than smoking women was also a an intriguing fact that I did not know. 

Article

Related Article

Africa's Tallest Animal is Going Extinct.

Giraffes are the worlds tallest animals in the world. Unfortunately, because of poaching their population is becoming less and less. According to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation the giraffe population went down 40% in the last 15 years. Giraffes have nine different races and it is believed that some of them will be extinct very soon. It is a shock to everyone because it has only been recently noticed that the giraffe population has been going down. Hunters use their skin for clothing and to sell for trophies. Now that this issue has come to the surface hopefully this can be stopped and the population will rise bak to normal.

 

I Really hope this issue becomes resolved because giraffes happen to be my favorite animal and think they are so sweet and keep to themselves. I think poachers need to be stopped and the animal life foundation needs to do a better job on protecting these animals. 

link: http://www.ibtimes.com/african-giraffe-silent-extinction-how-disappearance-worlds-tallest-animal-went-1736448

Financial Behavior Linked to Genes?

ABOVE: MAOA gene located on "p" or short arm of the x chromosome

Research on genetic survey data done at the University of California and London School of Economics connected a gene to credit-debt. Having this MAOA gene at a "low" version meant that a person was more likely to have credit-card debt than a person with "high" version. People with the "low" version of MAOA had a 7.8% more chance of coming across credit card debt. Monoamine-oxidase-A or MAOA is an enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitters including dopomine and serotonin (signal chemicals). The low reaction/stimulus time that this gene has on the individual has a higher chance to cause them to lose the impulse needed to pay bills on time.

However, this was not the first time the gene was studied before. The "low" version gene also indicates a higher chance of "lack of conscientiousness, impulsivity, and addictive behavior". About half the USA population has one or two alleles of the "low" version of this gene.

The research in this article that links a gene to credit card debt was at first a huge surprise to me because I thought such a imaginary concept such as credit and fiat money could never be connected to something so real as our human genome. Could this mean some financial institutions will find a loophole to sneak this information to judge their potential clients? As the law is now, they can not, and for good reason, but I can see the possible future of gene manipulation in children. I see that when parents can manipulate their offspring's genome, they can eliminate the MAOA gene from effecting their child's financial status and impulse/reaction time.
Original: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/born-into-debt/
Supporting: http://neurocritic.blogspot.com/2009/11/genomarketing.html

New Parents Favor In-depth Genetic Testing

A Boston survey found that new parents are interested in having their newborn baby undergo in-depth genetic screening to learn about potential health risks.  Newborn babies currently get blood tests that screen for about 30 heritable and treatable conditions. The researcher's found that 83% of parents surveyed within the first 2 days of their baby's birth were interested in in-depth genetic testing for their baby. In-depth genetic screening is also well known as genomic testing, which has the potential to provide more comprehensive personal information than normal blood tests. The parents who took the survey were all similar regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, level of eduction, family history of genetic disease, or if it was their first child.

Harvard found that as whole-exome and genome sequencing is integrated into clinical practice, researchers are becoming more interested in providing in-depth health information for newborns that is not already known from standard blood screenings.
I believe advancements in newborn genetic testings is a step in the right direction. If parents find out the genetic sequence of their child at birth that can help treat a medical condition before it gets out of hand.



Article: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2014/12/04/new-parents-favor-in-depth-genetic-testing-survey-finds

Cat Genome Reveals Clues to Domestication

     Although cats have been domesticated for approximately 9,000 years, this is a relatively short time period when compared to other animals like dogs that have been domesticated for at least 18,000 years. In order to find DNA proof of the domestication of cats, the genomes of domestic cats were compared to the genomes of wild cats. By determining which parts of the cat genome changed in response to living with humans, the genetics of domestication can be explored. It was found that the three areas that change the most in response to living with humans were areas involving fear, memory, and reward-seeking. Each of these different behaviors, especially when an animal will do something because it seeks a reward, are thought to be important to the process of domestication.

                               

     In order to determine the specific characteristics of domestication, the genomes of purebred cats were sequenced during the cat genome sequencing project of 2007. It turns out that docility, hair patterns, and hair color are all traits that are linked to domestication. This made sense because modern breeds are bred by humans to have some of these particular characteristics. A breed of cat called Birman were also investigated in this study. This breed of cat is notable for its characteristic white paws. After researching the reason behind this trait, it was found that Birmans have white paws due to just two small changes in the gene associated with hair color. In addition, this genetic change was shown to be present in all Birman cats. Due to this, it can be shown that humans bred these cats selectively for their white paws and that this change in their genome occurred over a short period of time.

    

     I find this article interesting because it describes the relationship between genetics and domestication. By discovering that domestication involves changing a species on a genetic level, it can be concluded that any animal can be domesticated given enough time for these changes to occur. Therefore, by domesticating new animals of different types, humans will be better able to use animals to complete tasks or keep them as pets.

Source: Cat Genome Reveals Clues to Domestication

Gene Repelling against Spruce Budworm

Scientists from Université Laval, the University of British Columbia and the University of Oxford were researching spruce budworms and found a natural resistance gene in white spruce. "We could say the gene we discovered produces natural insecticides in the tree foliage," said Dr. Mackay. The gene they discovered was  betaglucosidase-1. They had measured expression levels up to about 24,000 genes between two tree groups.  The resistant spruce trees were 1,000 times higher than non-resistant. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141121102920.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choristoneura_fumiferana

Gene Linked to Heavy Smokers

 

Smokers, especially heavy smokers, have shown to have a genetic variant that is associate with increased body mass (BMI). The gene variant CHRNA5-A3-B4 is associated with smokers who have a low BMI, but the BMI in non smokers that have this gene to be higher. This gene that is linked to those who have never smoked is still not understood. There are assumptions that this gene variant reacting to nicotinic acetylcholine could be the reason for the low BMI.

 http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/09/florida-county-bans-smokers-from-new-jobs/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141204143124.htm

James Watson sells his Nobel medal for $4 million

There are no words...

Coffee Help Preventing Parkinson's

Neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's are less common for those who drink a lot of coffee. Since illnesses like Parkinson's are intertwined with both genetics and environmental factors, the habit of having coffee is encouraged for prevention. A research team has identified in a study of a million genetic malformations that a variant of GRIN2A protects against Parkinson's. The corresponding protecting play a huge role in many neurodegenerative diseases.

A dopamine receptor that manages the amount of calcium enters a cell is combined with caffeine. As a part of the reward system, dopamine involved with caffeine has been thought to not reward individuals with certain genetic variations the same. GRIN2A has recently shown a recent connection to such a genetic predisposition.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140710081304.htm
 https://www.google.com/search?q=Coffee&biw=1252&bih=602&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=tvh3VJnKFcfOsQTbiIKIBA&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=OU_c34mZ_rSTvM%253A%3BgacBYV22Zty6rM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdreamatico.com%252Fdata_images%252Fcoffee%252Fcoffee-3.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdreamatico.com%252Fcoffee.html%3B1536%3B1047