The Unexplained becomes Explained Let There be light……….and, this was the beginning of the creation processof this wonderful universe. So vast, unbound, unexplored a mystery thatsurvived and surpassed anything, beyond compare. Truth is stranger thanfiction, but the undefying truth is the presence of life only on thisplanet named Earth. The miracles of man-made inventions only complementthe creator’s own. Genetics is undoubtedly one such a miracle that has andcontinues to explore the... Read Full Story
While gene therapy holds promise as a revolutionary approach to treating disease, ethical concerns over its use and ramifications have been expressed by scientists and lay people alike. For example, since much needs to be learned about how these genes actually work and their long-term effect, is it ethical to test these therapies on humans, where they could have a disastrous result? As with most clinical trials concerning new therapies, including many drugs, the patients participating in... Read Full Story
I work for the state of North Carolina and there are certain things that had to be completed before I was hired including a drug test and a criminal background check. Some jobs require fingerprints as a requirement for hiring and that's not usually a problem. But the University of Akron is now not only requiring a background check but a DNA sample "may be requested". Now maybe I've watched too many Law and Order reruns but I'm not particularly comfortable with giving a DNA sample. This has... Read Full Story
identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA, determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA, store this information in databases, improve tools for data analysis, transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project. The goals of the original HGP were not only to determine all 3 billion base pairs in the human genome with a minimal... Read Full Story
The human genome is the genome of Homo sapiens, which is composed of 24 distinct chromosomes (22 autosomal + X + Y) with a total of approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs containing an estimated 20,000-25,000 genes. The Human Genome Project produced a reference sequence of the euchromatic human genome, which is used worldwide in biomedical sciences. The human genome is much more gene-sparse than was initially predicted at the outset of the Human Genome Project, with only about 1.5% of the... Read Full Story
People seek genetic counseling to help them make better decisions about their lives and families. There are many treatments and prevention is present there, Gene therapy is one of them. Gene therapy is a technique for correcting defective genes responsible for disease development. In gene therapy researchers try to supply copies of healthy genes to cells with variant or missing genes so that the “good” genes will take over. In gene therapy the abnormal gene could be repaired through... Read Full Story
The importance of the Human Genome Project has raised many concerns, both biological and ethical. These questions are being addressed as the information generated by the project is being processed and used by people worldwide. 1) Privacy and confidentiality of the genetic information: Who owns the genetic information? 2) Right to use the genetic information by insurance companies, employers, courts, schools, adoption agencies, and so on: Who should have access to individual genetic... Read Full Story
Sections of the Indian scientific community say the claims on mapping the genome of an Indian are vastly exaggerated though many agree it is a step forward.
Many scientists are also surprised that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) opted to announce its research to journalists through parliament before first publishing its findings in a peer-reviewed journal as is customary.
Pushpa Bhargava, founder of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in... Read Full Story
Scientists are still far from identifying and characterizing all the proteins in the human body. However, incredible strides have been made to provide a foundation for protein research. This reaches to the source of proteins and ultimately the source of life. This foundation is laid by deciphering the entire genome sequence, or DNA (gene) sequence of an organism. Beginning with bacteria, microscopic worms, and yeast, scientists and computational biologists have expanded DNA sequence... Read Full Story
Article by Bobbie Johnson, San Francisco, October 07 2008 It took hundreds of scientists 13 years and $3bn (£1.7bn) to decode the human genome: now one company says it is ready to slash the cost of reading your DNA to just $5,000. California-based Complete Genomics has announced that it will begin offering the service later this month, after developing new methods that reduce the price of sequencing a human genome. According to Clifford Reid, the company's chairman and chief executive, the... Read Full Story
