Gene tests which are also called DNA-based tests are the most recently used techniques for detecting any genetic disorder .such tests directly involve direct examination of the DNA molecule itself. This process involves extraction of DNA from blood sample or from other body fluids or tissues. The DNA change can vary from small piece or even an entire chromosome which is visible under a microscope. Some genes may be over expressed or inactivated and with some kind of mutation.
Genetic testing in a broader sense includes biochemical tests for the presence or absence of key proteins that signal aberrant genes.

Genetic tests are used for several reasons, including:
• Carrier screening, which involves identifying unaffected individuals who carry one copy of a gene for a disease that requires two copies for the disease to be expressed.
• preimplantation genetic diagnosis
• prenatal diagnostic testing
• newborn screening
• presymptomatic testing for predicting adult-inception disorders such as Huntington's disease
• Presymptomatic testing for estimating the risk of developing adult-beginning cancers and Alzheimer's disease.
• Conformational diagnosis of a symptomatic individual.
• forensic/identity testing

For some types of genetic tests, small pieces of DNA are designed which are termed as probes whose sequences are complementary to the mutated sequences. These probes will seek their complement among the three billion base pairs of an individual's genome. If the mutated sequence is present in the patient's genome, the probe will bind to it and flag the mutation. Another type of DNA testing involves comparing the sequence of DNA bases in a patient's gene to a normal version of the gene. Cost of testing can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on the sizes of the genes and the numbers of mutations tested.

BENEFITS OF GENE TESTING
A negative result obtained can relieve lot of tension and can eliminate the need for frequent checkups. In case of person who has the family history of cancer can be relieved of unwanted fear. In case the person is diagnosed positive for a particular disease he can be informed and healthy decisions can be made about the future treatments. It can also let a person take steps to reduce risk before disease has a chance to develop

Gene testing can allow families to avoid having children with devastating diseases or identify people at high risk for conditions that may be preventable.

LIMITATIONS OF GENE TESTING
• For example, some disorders that "run in families" can be traced to shared environmental exposures rather than any inherited susceptibility. In addition, some mutations detected by a positive test may never lead to disease. Furthermore, because existing tests look only for the more common mutations in a gene, some disease-causing mutations may escape detection.
• A limitation of all medical testing is the possibility for laboratory errors. These might be due to sample misidentification, contamination of the chemicals used for testing, or other factors.
Many in the medical firm feel that uncertainties surrounding test interpretation, the current lack of available medical options for these diseases, the tests' potential for provoking anxiety, and risks for discrimination and social stigmatization could overshadow the benefits of testing.

SOME CURRENTLY AVAILABLE DNA-BASED GENE TESTS
• Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency (AAT; emphysema and liver disease)
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS; Lou Gehrig's Disease; progressive motor function loss leading to paralysis and death)
• Alzheimer's disease* (APOE; late-onset variety of senile dementia)
• Ataxia telangiectasia (AT; progressive brain disorder resulting in loss of muscle control and cancers)
• Gaucher disease (GD; enlarged liver and spleen, bone degeneration)
• Inherited breast and ovarian cancer* (BRCA 1 and 2; early-onset tumors of breasts and ovaries)
• Hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer* (CA; early-onset tumors of colon and sometimes other organs)
• Central Core Disease (CCD; mild to severe muscle weakness)
• Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT; loss of feeling in ends of limbs)
• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH; hormone deficiency; ambiguous genitalia and male pseudohermaphroditism)
• Cystic fibrosis (CF; disease of lung and pancreas resulting in thick mucous accumulations and chronic infections)
• Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD; severe to mild muscle wasting, deterioration, weakness)
• Dystonia (DYT; muscle rigidity, repetitive twisting movements)
• Emanuel Syndrome (severe mental retardation, abnormal development of the head, heart and kidney problems)
• Fanconi anemia, group C (FA; anemia, leukemia, skeletal deformities)
• Factor V-Leiden (FVL; blood-clotting disorder)
• Fragile X syndrome (FRAX; leading cause of inherited mental retardation)
• Galactosemia (GALT; metabolic disorder affects ability to metabolize galactose)
• Hemophilia A and B (HEMA and HEMB; bleeding disorders)
• Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HFE; excess iron storage disorder)
• Huntington's disease (HD; usually midlife onset; progressive, lethal, degenerative neurological disease)
• Marfan Syndrome (FBN1; connective tissue disorder; tissues of ligaments, blood vessel walls, cartilage, heart valves and other structures abnormally weak)
• Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS; deficiency of enzymes needed to break down long chain sugars called glycosaminoglycans; corneal clouding, joint stiffness, heart disease, mental retardation)
• Myotonic dystrophy (MD; progressive muscle weakness; most common form of adult muscular dystrophy)
• Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1; multiple benign nervous system tumors that can be disfiguring; cancers)
• Phenylketonuria (PKU; progressive mental retardation due to missing enzyme; correctable by diet)
• Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD1, PKD2; cysts in the kidneys and other organs)
• Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease (APKD; kidney failure and liver disease)
• Prader Willi/Angelman syndromes (PW/A; decreased motor skills, cognitive impairment, early death)
• Sickle cell disease (SS; blood cell disorder; chronic pain and infections)
• Spinocerebellar ataxia, type 1 (SCA1; involuntary muscle movements, reflex disorders, explosive speech)
• Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA; severe, usually lethal progressive muscle-wasting disorder in children)
• Tay-Sachs Disease (TS; fatal neurological disease of early childhood; seizures, paralysis)
• Thalassemias (THAL; anemias - reduced red blood cell levels)
Timothy Syndrome (CACNA1C; characterized by severe cardiac arrhythmia, webbing of the fingers and toes called syndactyly, autism)

Genetic memory is a process in which a memory is passed down through the generations without the individual having to any firsthand experience about the topic of the memory." Genetic memory, sometimes called ancestral memory, is, in contrast, the genetic transmission of sophisticated knowledge itself, or they are the genetic transmission of the templates of such knowledge. One might refer to these as the musical chip, artistic chip, calendar-calculating chip or mathematical chip, whatever the individual is related with.

This theory of genetic memory remains a controversy. But a standalone British Biologist by the name of Rupert Sheldrake gave ideas about how we manage to obtain traits through our DNA from our ancestors. He proposed that every living organism has an undetectable field around it called "Morphic fields” that incorporates actions and then passes them on through that Morphic field to their next generation. This was more of a supernatural stand point which many scientists thought was a natural process of "memories" being planted into the DNA structure of every living being. Hence it remained as a theoretical concept that couldn't be proven because nobody could see it with the naked eye or with a microscope. Later many conducted experiments that made it possible.
Genetic memory theory was much proved and was undeniable in the Savant Syndrome patients. Savant syndrome is a rare, but extraordinary, condition in which persons with serious mental disabilities, including autistic disorder, have some 'island of genius' that stands in marked, incompatible contrast to overall handicap. Skills most often exist in art, music, calendar calculating, lightning calculating and mechanical or spatial abilities. Whatever the special skill, it is just related with massive memory which is present exceedingly deep and narrows within the area of the special skill. these skills present in them is often so remarkable that they would be termed at a ‘prodigy’ or ‘genius’ level if present in a non-disabled person. The prodigious savant represents a very high threshold group and there are probably less than 100 such known persons living worldwide at the present time.

These astonishing skills, abilities, knowledge and expertise, most often unexpectedly blow up at an early age, in areas which the savants have neither studied nor had any formal training. Hence prodigious savants innately and instinctively “know” things they have never learned. This was later coined as “collective unconscious.” Or genetic memory.

Leslie, who has never had a music lesson in his life, instinctively knows “the rules of music” according to professional musicians who have met him. George, and his brother Charles, unconsciously know “the rules of mathematics” and can compute multi-digit prime numbers, never having studied them, yet cannot correctly multiply 6 x 5, for example. Alonzo, with no training in art, has access to the “rules of art” which allow him to duplicate three dimension animals from a two dimension photo; he also was able to just instinctively framework his horse figures in order to capture them in motion, a skill other artists train for years to master. A music professor says, about Matt, the 14 year prodigious savant now known around the world as the “Mozart of jazz, He was seemed to know things beyond his own existence. He told that he never composes any but simply wrote down that which was already inscribed on his soul.

He is now a musical genius in his teen years. On a 60 Minutes program in 2006 the parents describe Jay beginning to draw little cellos on paper at age two. Neither parent is musically inclined, and there never were any musical instruments, including a cello, in the home. At age three Jay asked if he could have a cello of his own. The parents took him to a music store and to their astonishment; Jay picked up a miniature cello and began to play it! He had never seen a real cello before that day. After that experience he began to draw his miniature cellos placed on musical lines. By age 5 he had composed five symphonies. By age 15 he had written nine symphonies. His fifth symphony, which was 190 pages and 1328 bars in length, was professionally recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra for Sony records.

Jay says that the music just streams into his head at lightning speed, sometimes several symphonies running simultaneously at the same time. “My unconscious directs my conscious mind at a mile a minute,” he told the correspondent on that 60 Minutes program.

Where does Jay’s musical genius come from? How did he know about cellos, and how to play them at age three when never exposed to one before? How did he instinctively, at that age also “know” the rules of music when he had never studied or learned them?

They come with what was called as software, factory installed. These savants have inborn access to intricate knowledge they never learned off. They remember, genetically, things they have never learned. Genetic memory—factory installed software—exists in the prodigious savant, and believe to exists in all of us. It is a huge reservoir of generally hidden knowledge and talent, which is present in all of us. But the special brain circuitry of the prodigious savant gives them access to that generally buried potential in spectacular fashion, permitting them to ‘know’ things they never learned.

Every organism has a unique body pattern. Although specialized body structures, such as arms and legs, may be similar in makeup but their shapes and details are different in different organisms. During growth of the embryo, arms and legs develop differently due to the actions of special genes, called homeotic genes.

Homeotic genes are genes that specify how structures develop in different segments of the body. Examples of such genes are Hox and ParaHox genes which are important for segmentation. These genes determining where, when, and how body segments develop in flies. Alterations or mutations in these genes may lead to changes in prototypes of body parts, sometimes causing striking effects such as legs growing in place of antennae or an extra set of wings or, in the case of plants, flowers with abnormal numbers of parts. An individual carrying an altered (mutant) version of a homeotic gene is known as a homeotic mutant.

Organisms can continue to exist and be reproductive even with homeotic gene mutations that produce differences in body shape. This means that homeotic mutations can be an effective means for evolutionary change.
For example, in a mammal, a single homeotic mutation might produce an arm that is shorter, or longer, or broader. Regardless, it will probably still look and work like an arm.

A change in body shape may sometimes lead to its advantage. For example, the mutation may allow it to capture food more effectively or be more attractive in some way. In this case, then the mutant organism may have greater reproductive fitness. And naturally the genes may be passed on to the preceding generations, which may lead to influencing the course of evolution.

These genes were studied in fruit flies having bizarre mutations. They correlated mutations in different genes with transformations in the flies' body patterns.

One example of a homeotic transformation in fruit flies - antenna to leg.
Research led by biologist Ed Lewis, studied fruit flies that had legs growing out of their heads in place of antennae! They found that a mutation in a single gene, called Antennapedia, made this phenotypical change. Scientists believe that this mutation changes not only the antennal structure, but makes that entire segment of the fruit fly's body develop as if it were a different segment.

Dr. Lewis's work depicted that antennal cells carry all of the information necessary to become leg cells. As per the general principle, every cell having its own DNA caries all the information necessary to build the entire organism.

Genes that determine body pattern have common sequence characteristics.
Researchers found while studying the DNA sequences of many genes which controls the body pattern, that each contains a similar stretch of about 180 nucleotides within its sequence. They named this stretch of genes as a homeobox, and classified all genes containing it as homeotic genes. The homeobox is only a portion of each gene. For example, if the words below were homeotic genes, the capital letters would represent the homeobox:
• togeTHEr
• THEoretical
• gaTHEring
• boTHEr

These show the gene expression seen in the fruit fly. Each of the genes in the homeotic complexes is responsible for controlling body pattern in a particular region. It is also noted that the genes in the chromosome are arranged in an order corresponding to the order they appear on the body.
Researchers were curious to know whether organisms other than fruit flies also had homeotic genes that regulated body patterning. It was found that Homeobox sequences found in most mammalian genes are very similar to those in fruit flies. These sequences have been conserved throughout evolution without much change.

Gene sequences sustained over evolutionary time are important to the basic development of even distantly related organisms. For example, flour beetles and fruit flies share a cluster of homeobox genes, called the homeotic complex or HOM-C, that are very similar in sequence and function.

Genes in different organisms that share similar sequence and function are called homologous. The insect HOM-C gene cluster also shares homology with Hox gene complexes in mammals.

Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes passed on through either mitosis or meiosis. This involves mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence. Mechanisms involve changes in the genome without a change in the nucleotide sequence. Examples of such changes are DNA methylation or histone deacetylation, processes which suppresses gene expression without altering the sequence of the silenced genes. Essential epigenetic reprogramming events occur during germ cell development and early embryogenesis in mammals.

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the initiation, maintenance, and heritability of epigenetic states is an important aspect of research in current biology. Several distinct but interconnected molecular pathways have been discovered to date.

Brain is the very important organ of the body remains flexible and responsive to the outside world. Other than receiving signals from the various body parts they also receive from the outside world, the brain allows us to form memories and learn from our experiences. Many brain functions are accompanied at the cellular level by changes in gene expression. Epigenetic mechanisms such as histone modification and DNA methylation stabilize gene expression, which is important for long-term storage of information.

Such epigenetic changes in the brain may lead to brain diseases such as mental illness and addiction. Understanding epigenetics in the brain may help solve numerous such problems and may lead to effective treatments for brain diseases.

Interestingly it was studied by Dr. Moshe Szyf, Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill University, that there was an association between certain epigenetic patterns, suicide, and child abuse.

Scientists are just starting to study how changes in epigenetic tags affect behavior, and how behavior can change epigenetic tags. Some of the following are listed below.

• People who commit suicide have less-active ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes than people who die of other causes. In people who commit suicide, Methyl levels are higher on rRNA genes in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is important for learning and memory. More methyl leads to less production of rRNA, which in turn leads to fewer ribosomes and less protein production.
• Children who are abused leave behind an epigenetic mark or a tag on the brain .it was noted that only the abused victims had mark on the GR gene and not those who committed suicide. Interestingly, the GR gene receives a similar epigenetic tag in rat pups who receive low quality care from their mothers.
• CBP is a protein that is needed for the activation of genes which are involved in learning and memory. One of its functions is to add acetyl tags to histones .It’s an epigenetic modification found on active genes. Even one defective copy of CBP gene causes Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, a condition with a variety of characteristics, including mental disability.
• Reelin is an important potein in the brain needed for shaping the brain early in development and later on for learning. The gene for REELIN protein has less methyl and hence it is more active than normal in schizophrenic brains.
• One scan of epigenetic markers in the brain differentiated about 60 genes that are different between psychiatric patients and healthy people. Many of these genes code for proteins that are important for signaling between brain cells.
• Some drugs that are administered to treat mental sickness work by changing gene expression taking place in the brain .These changes in gene expression are stabilized through epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation and histone modification), reversing the effects of the disease.
• When a person is addicted to cocaine, they trigger epigenetic changes in certain brain regions which affects and damages hundreds of genes at a time. Some of them remain for a longer time than expected in the brain system. Research says that some of the long-term effects of drug abuse and addiction and high rates of their relapses are marked in epigenetic code.

There are three groups of signals that conclude in the establishment of a stably heritable epigenetic state: a signal that we to call the “Epigenator,” which originate from the environment and triggers an intracellular pathway; an “Epigenetic Initiator” signal, which responds to the Epigenator and is needed to define the precise location of the epigenetic chromatin environment; and an “Epigenetic Maintainer” signal, which sustains the chromatin environment in the first and subsequent generations.

Saliva and saliva-stained materials were examined and said to be a potential sources of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) for DNA analysis and identity testing. This was done by isolating DNA and DNA banding patterns suitable for DNA typing were obtained from fresh saliva and various saliva-stained materials, such as envelopes, buccal swabs, gags, and cigarettes.

Furthermore, DNA and DNA banding patterns were obtained from samples containing mixed saliva or semen stains. The DNA banding patterns obtained from saliva or saliva-stained material were impossible to differentiate from the patterns obtained from blood or hair from the same person. DNA banding patterns were obtained from saliva stored at 20 degrees from the isolated DNA and also from dried saliva stains stored under different conditions. This lead to the conclusion that saliva and saliva-stained material can be good sources of DNA for analysis and for DNA typing in certain forensic settings.

Interestingly it was found in a study supported by the National Institute of Dental Research, that when we lick an envelope, we may be sending a more detailed information than we realize. Our saliva leaves a DNA fingerprint that not only says who we are, but also tells that whether we have any genetic tendency for certain diseases. This makes saliva a promising alternative to blood as a source of DNA for genetic testing,

It was found out by Drs. Rob van Scheme and Mark Wilson at the State University of New York that even minor differences such as difference in bases or detect person-to-person differences of as little as a single nucleotide, or structural unit, in the genes. This seemingly small difference in gene structure is known to affect the proper functioning of the immune system.

Diseases potentially connected to these genes include childhood respiratory infections, lupus and juvenile periodontal disease (LJP), a particularly aggressive form of gum disease that occurs in young adults.
As the saliva was believed to have genes that can be screened for genetic diseases, young children can be tested earlier for susceptibility to LJP.

Saliva has other apparent advantages over blood as a clinical tool; being a substitute for blood it opens doors to wide range of population which were not easily accessible. Drawing blood is very invasive and it is not a practical procedure for children or individuals that can't give blood for religious or medical reasons. It is also a frightening prospect for most adults. Provided they can be easily collected, stored and shipped which can be obtained at low cost in sufficient quantities for analysis. They are easy to purify than blood samples.

Forensic scientists can retrieve enough saliva from a postage stamp to identify the person that licked the stamp. Saliva has also been used to test for fragile X syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes mental retardation in children who carry the gene.

The technology that allows tiny amounts of salivary DNA to be examined in such detail is a procedure called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. PCR can be used to replicate small pieces of DNA a billion fold, and with such accuracy minor differences in gene structure are readily distinguishable in laboratory tests. The method is so sensitive one milliliter of saliva (approximately 1/5 teaspoon) yields enough DNA to do over one hundred separate tests. PCR has also been used to identify very small amounts of DNA obtained from fossilized animals, forensic specimens and infectious microorganisms.

Although saliva has the potential to reveal variations in any gene whose sequence is known, but this not proved to b an universal application. Investigators caution that as DNA in saliva comes from many sources, including blood, tissue cells and non-human DNA from bacteria and food particles. Each human gene will have to be validated for accurate PCR identification -- and the number of disease-related genes that have been identified is rapidly growing.

Recently it was proved that adults have a genetic marker for periodontal (gum) disease and hence can be screened with saliva at earlier stage. . Other important possibilities would be the genes for Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis or breast cancer. As the structure of more genes becomes known, it may be possible to test for many genetic disorders from a single sample of saliva.

DNA construction, which is commonly known as DNA cloning or recombinant DNA technology. It is one of the most important and very useful tools for modern biotechnology, genetic studies, medical research, and the development of advanced biofuels.

Recently Nathan Hillson, a biochemist at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI),has developed the most easy and economic DNA construction software . The name of the DNA construction software program is j5.This also identifies which strategy would be the most cost-effective.

This the only special software package today that both standardizes and cost-optimizes the DNA construction process, this is done by the design of short DNA sequences which are used to join longer sequences together in recombinant DNA processes.Over all this newly developed software , improves the precision, scalability, and cost-effectiveness of DNA construction.

Basic of DNA construction includes the process of physically assembling fragments of DNA sequences. Such kind of constructed DNA are very helpful in developing new medical treatments and for modifying or engineering microbes to proficiently carry out a specific task which may include converting cellulosic biomass into dirt free, green, renewable transportation fuels.

The incorporation of the DNA sequence fragments in the DNA construction process are often referred to as parts. These parts are from different organisms are inserted into a self-replicating genetic element, such as a bacterial plasmid, that will multiply the assembled parts in a host cell. Conventionally, this has been achieved through the use of restriction enzymes for splicing desired DNA sequence fragments, and ligation enzymes for bonding the fragments to plasmid cloning sites.
As the size of the plasmids increases because of the more number of parts being incorporated conventional construction of recombinant DNA assemblies becomes ever more difficult. The whole process must be started all over again for alternate combinations of parts, cloning; every time a different gene or fragment is cloned different pair of restriction sites are being used. This a very exhaustive and time-consuming process. In addition to that the Traditional DNA construction methods result in scars in uncontrolled portions of the DNA.This takes place at DNA fragment junctions that can adversely affect function.

With current DNA construction techniques, a small number of enzymes can be used over and over again, independent of the DNA sequence fragments being assembled, and which enables automation with robotic platforms. However, designing protocols for these modern DNA construction approaches can be as tedious, time-consuming and error-prone as the traditional approach. To prevent these usually outsourcing of DNA portion are done by companies that chemically synthesize long sequences of DNA, this is because they are less costly .

To overcome all these problems j5 software for the DNA construction was developed which provides a single design for the SLIC, Gibson, CPEC and Golden Gate DNA assembly strategies and guides us to determine which can be the best and advantageous for a given construction project.
Hence the j5 software package is a Web-based computer application that automatically designs and optimizes state-of-the-art DNA construction protocols. The main advantage of this program over the conventional methods is that, they determine the optimal flanking sequences that should be attached to each DNA part to produce the desired recombinant DNA within minutes and are also least expensive .these is usually executable by hand or robotics.

The j5 software package controls the DNA sequence at every single base pair which is the ability of combinatorial libraries. Combinatorial libraries are the collections of hundreds to millions of related DNA assemblies, each with a different combination of genes or parts that perform similar functions in different organisms. These libraries allow scientists to choose the most effective genetic combination to get preferred result, e.g., the most efficient production of a biofuel or medication in a given host. No other automated DNA cloning software does this on the same scale and as fast and effectively as j5.

The j5 software package is has a graphical interface that enables users to design a DNA construct or combinatorial libraries though the arrangement of individual part logos that theoretically resemble the underlying DNA sequence. The result obtained or the outputs are in the form of user-friendly spreadsheets that detail the resulting designed experimental protocols which provides instructions that can either be followed by a person in the laboratory or fed directly into a robotic platform for a machine to carry out.

As a result, researchers can direct their resources to investigating their primary interests, rather than preparing the DNA that is merely a tool in their experiments.

Hey guys I'm a new member here and stumbled upon this forum when i was looking for help for my bioprocessing project. I must note that there are few forums dedicated to this field a stark contrast to the field's actual size! Someone somewhere is missing a trick.

Anyway my problem is to do with the average disc-stack centrifuge with intermittent discharge. I'm using a program called Biosolve to show how cell engineered nuclease affects the standard platform for fab production using e coli. I have to mass balance by hand the centrifuge but i am unsure as how to do it. My supervisor was not very helpful in this matter, she only stated that i would need the density of the average fab, and the average % yield of a centrifuge. I am really stuck as to what factors i need to consider and what it is i need to do. Any help would be really helpful and greatly appreciated.

P.S. for example,I know 1000L of e coli broth is being harvested by the centrifuge, i know that a certain % of the broth has viable fab's and im thinking that the density will help somehow.

Thanks guys,

Latkan

hi there

My background isn't in science. More in science fiction.

But someone has to visualise the future before it is made fact. E.g. Arthur C. Clarke and the communications satellite.

I'm disturbed by the lack of vision regarding the energy sources which will replace fossil fuels.

So here's an extreme vision for the future. Is it viable?

1. Electricity will be generated by custom made organisms.

2. Houses will be lit by slime painted on the walls, containing the same light emitting cells as are present in deep sea organisms.

3. Houses will be heated by over-sized GMO hearts, pumping warm blood around a radiator system, and fed on food waste.

So there's the vision. But is it possible? Electric eels generate power. Lemons can light a bulb. Can these properties be enhanced a millionfold, then utilized in our daily lives?

If they can, perhaps we can sidestep future Fukushimas?

Thanks for looking. I'm feeling pretty humble here, as my only science degree is in the social sciences.

Steve

Network Modeling and Analysis in Health Informatics and Bioinformatics (NetMAHIB)
Published by Springer
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University of Calgary



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Seeking a quick guidance, can the parent's genetic disorder affect a child in third generation in a family?

To elaborate, for e.g ; a boy's family (father's side) has a background of genetic disorder (2 cases where a child is born with an immature brain as per age). If he marries a girl having no such background of genetic disorder, then what are the chances of this disorder getting evolved to the child of this couple?

I don't know whether i have framed the question correctly as I don't have a background of medicine and science. I am into Human Resource field. I am registered in this forum just to ask this question to the people who have quite a good exposure into this field.

Please help as it can help me take a decision of life....
Thank you very much in anticipation.

Regards,
Reshma Vohra
(reshma.vohra@gmail.com)

I need the entire genome sequence of Clostridium thermocellum or at least the gene that allows the microbe to degrade cellulose. Any suggestions?

Sarah

"The mind is everything, what you think you become."

International Stem Cell CEO, Ken Aldrich said - Last week's newspapers carried the news of what was widely described as a significant 'breakthrough' in stem cell science: the first successful human use of a technology known as Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (also referred to as SCNT). This is essentially a variation on a process that was used some years ago to create a cloned sheep named Dolly. Cloning has since been used commercially in various animal applications.

What is strange about the flurry of publicity about this discovery, however, is the almost total lack of commentary about a method of creating stem cells that has been available to researchers for almost half a decade, holds the same kind of promise as embryonic stem cells for providing cells for the treatment of almost any kind of degenerative disease, is free of ethical issues (including issues with egg donation), and can potentially make immune matched cells available to any patient anywhere in the world, on demand, at a far lower cost.

I am talking about human stem cells derived from a process called, “Parthenogenesis”, developed and first announced in 2007 by a company called International Stem Cell Corporation, whose discoveries were first published in the peer reviewed journal, Cloning and Stem Cells, edited by the scientist who first created “Dolly”, the first cloned animal.

I realize that I could be accused of bias because I am one of the founders of International Stem Cell, but, in fact, our company also owns license rights to some of the key intellectual property that is required to create cells through SCNT technology and our scientists are very familiar with its promise and its limitations. As a result, International Stem Cell will benefit from the development of either technology, but it is important that the public and the scientific community be fully aware of all alternatives in the field of regenerative medicine, not just the ones that capture public imagination at any particular time.

For that reason, I would like to comment on Parthenogenesis and compare it to SCNT technology and the other options available today. The technology known as "Parthenogenesis" begins with human eggs that are created and used every day throughout the world for in-vitro fertilization (IVF). What is not generally known is that the IVF process can often result in the creation of far more unfertilized eggs than will ever be needed for fertility purposes. It is possible, with informed consent from the IVF patient, to hold back some unfertilized eggs for creation of parthenogenetic stem cells, all at no additional risk to the donor.

Instead of wasting those eggs, what International Stem Cell does, with the full consent of the donors, is to save those eggs from the trash bin, induce them through a simple, but patented, process to create the small cluster of cells from which a stem cell line can be created that can be used for scientific research and the eventual treatment of patients with such diseases as Parkinson’s, Macular Degeneration, Liver Disease, Diabetes, and possibly many others.

What are critical to understand in thinking about Parthenogenetic stem cells are six things:
Like embryonic stem cells and SCNT cells, these cells can be converted into almost any cell in the human body and thus have enormous potential for human therapy.

Unlike embryonic stem cells, the human eggs used to create parthenogenetic stem cells are never fertilized and cannot become a human being. No viable embryo is ever harmed or destroyed.

Unlike SCNT cells, parthenogenetic stem cells require no genetic manipulation or insertion of foreign DNA.

No donor is every subjected to any additional physical risk beyond what she has already agreed to as part of the IVF procedure in which she elected to participate. In fact, all egg donors voluntarily participate through a very transparent, peer-reviewed, and medically supervised process. Protocols are approved by Independent Review Boards (IRBs) to protect the safety of donors and by an independent Stem Cell Research Oversight (SCRO) committee to insure compliance with state laws and research ethics, regulations established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Human Research Protections, in addition to state-level requirements.

The cell lines that are produced from this method, unlike cell lines from embryonic stem cells or from SCNT, can potentially be matched to millions of people in the same way that an organ transplant is matched between donor and patient. In fact, by some estimates, as few as 100 parthenogenetic stem cell lines could provide immune-matched cells to over 50 percent of the world’s population, and could accelerate disease therapies and treatments for severe chronic conditions, including diabetes, spinal cord injuries, liver diseases, blinding diseases such as macular degeneration, and neural diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The possibility of immune-matching to millions of persons can vastly reduce the potential costs relative to SCNT or embryonic stem cell technology, which create stem cell lines that can match only a few persons.

In summary, what we find particularly exciting about Parthenogenesis is that it addresses all the major issues of stem cell therapy. It is free from the traditional bioethical issues that have clouded federal policies towards stem cell research because parthenotes are derived from unfertilized eggs and cannot develop into human beings. Parthenogenesis is not cloning, and it does not involve the creation or destruction of a viable human life. Also, the creation of a parthenogenetic stem cell bank will not require a large number of human eggs and many individual donors, as has been a fear surrounding other stem cell approaches. Parthenogenesis is at once effective and efficient, and one line of parthenogenetic stem cells can be used to create treatments for millions of persons. This is not a situation where one line must be made for each patient treated."

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Dear {First Name}

How do you know that your computational model is right? Please attend to this International Computational Modeling Conference in Sydney, Australia.

Please see here the details:
http://doncomputing.com/sydney-conference/

Please note that there will be advanced training of few software as post conference Trainings:
http://doncomputing.com/post-conference-training/

If you would like to nominate yourself or anyone else as a Keynote speaker, please register here:
http://doncomputing.com/keynote-speaker/

Please nominate yourself and others as reviewers if interested:
http://doncomputing.com/reviewer-registration/

About Sydney, please visit:
http://doncomputing.com/about-the-city/

For sponsorship deals and many others, please visit:
http://doncomputing.com/sponsor-registration/

We would like you to spread the news as time is limited. Few journals will accept selected papers for publication. Please contact admin@doncomputing.com for an updates.

======

Engineering Event Management Division
Don Computing

Email: sydney-conference@doncomputing.com

fax: 61-2-94754512

fax:61-2-80147209

www.doncomputing.com/sydney-conference

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International Conference in Sydney, Australia: 13-14th January 2012
Don Computing is hosting “International Computational Modeling Validation Conference” in Sydney, 13-14 January 2012. Australian Technology Park, Sydney, Australia

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Who Should Join?

Academics, Researchers, Industrial Engineers, Scientists, Students, CFD/FEA/Process Modeling/Reservoir Simulation users, Computational modeler, managers.
Oil and gas, Aerospace & Maritime, Automotive & Transportation, Environmental Flows-Water, Environmental Flows – Atmospheric, Air-conditioning & Industrial Ventilation, Turbo machinery, Pumps & Appliances, Combustion & Power Generation, Biomedical Flows, Chemical & Process, Electronics & Semiconductors, Food & Beverage, Mineral Processing, Refining & Smelting.


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Why Should you Join?

Collaboration with Big Companies
Get an Efficient solution of your industrial problems
Sign agreement with Don Computing to offer consulting to many industries
Selling your expertise to the world through Don Computing
Learn how to validate your computational model
Learn about the latest development in Software for CFD/FEA/Process Modeling/Reservoir Simulation
Expand the business with more clients
Tell the world about your offer
Plan for the future growth

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Why Sponsor an Event?

Sponsorship of an event will make your company stand out as a leader in this burgeoning industry and will leave a strong impression of your brand in people’s minds. Sponsors have an incredible amount of presence and in conjunction with an exhibition stand it will not only give your company optimum exposure but also the opportunity for delegates to meet you and your Executives to find out more about your role and business opportunities in the sector.

Networking with the industries leading Government Officials, Senior Level Delegates and Experts
Access to interact with Senior Business Partners
Get an Efficient solution of your industrial problems
Learn how to validate your computational model
Learn about the latest development in Software for CFD/FEA/Process Modeling/Reservoir Simulation

For sponsorship deals and many others, please visit:
http://doncomputing.com/sponsor-registration/

Letter from the Organiser
September 2011



Keynote Speaker 1. Dr Thomas Höhne: Recent Developments in CFD Modelling of Multiphase Flows



Dr. Höhne studied Thermal Engineering at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Technical University of Dresden/Germany. Since 1997 he is working at the Safety Analysis Department in the Institute of Safety Research at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) Germany in the field of numerical simulation of coolant flow and mixing and obtained in this field his Ph.D. (2003). His newer activities comprise CFD-analyses in buoyancy driven natural circulation phenomena and stratified horizontal two-phase flow processes. Today he is head of the international CFD research group at the Institute of Safety Research at HZDR. Due to the leading position in the analysis of the coolant mixing, Dr. Hoehne took part as a Senior Expert in an EU project on the coolant mixing for Russian pressurized water reactors and works now as an expert in an industrial project of VGB (Association of major German energy companies) as a project manager.

Keynote Speaker 2. Dr Neihad Al-Khalidy: Engineering Solution for Industrial thermo/fluid problems

Dr. Neihad has more than 15 years experience in CFD and FEA, awarded a PhD from Europe, worked for Worley Parsons, UNSW and now with the SLR consulting. Dr. Neihad has managed many industrial and commercial projects throughout Australia, SE Asia and the Middle East in the fields of CFD, Analytical Calculation (Building Facades, Condensation and Insulation Assessment), Ecologically Sustainable Development, Building Energy Rating, Exterior Lighting, Solar, Reflectivity and Overshadowing, Acoustically Induced Vibration and Pulsation Assessment. Recent projects include assessments associated with the Sydney Airport, Westfield Liverpool, Westfield Bondi Junction, Penrith Plaza, Macarthur Square, Top Ryde Shopping Centre, Parramatta Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Mawson Lakes School in Adelaide (This building received the Sustainable Building RAIA Awards), Australian science building in Adelaide, Melbourne Central, Forestry SA, Wind, natural ventilation and carpark air quality of Claremont Village in Perth, Natural Ventilation Design and air quality assessment of IKEA Building carpark in Perth.

TWO DAYS NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON “MOLECULAR DOCKING AND VIRTUAL SCREENING ”

‘JanuGanak’ - Bioinformatics Community of Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Padmashree Dr. D Y Patil University, is pleased to inform you that a two days national workshop on ‘MOLECULAR DOCKING AND VIRTUAL SCREENING ’ is being organized. This workshop is the third of a series of workshops which are aimed at giving complete hands-on experience in various tools and techniques used in the field of Life Science and Bioinformatics.

This session is aimed at giving practical experience on the basic methods of modeling of protein structures, sketching of ligands, docking and virtual screening using bioinformatics tools. Both under-graduate and post-graduate students can participate in this workshop.

Interested candidates from Research Fraternity as well as faculties from various areas of Life Sciences are also welcome. We hope that this workshop will provide fairly good amount of knowledge about Molecular
Modeling, Docking, Sketching of Ligands, and Virtual Screening which is essential in all fields of Life Sciences today.

Venue – Level VI
Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics,
Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil University,
Plot 50, Sector 15, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai-400614

Date – 14th and 15th October 2011

Time - 10.00 AM to 5.00 PM

Contents -
 Sequence to Structure - Homology modeling
 Sketching of Ligands
 Docking Studies
 Virtual Screening

Registration Fees – Rs. 1000/- per candidate

Mode of Payment – Cash or DD / Cheque in favor of “Pad Dr. D. Y. Patil University, Dept. of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics”

Total Number of Seats – 40 (First-cum First-Serve basis)

Last Date of Registration – 8th October, 2011

Registrations are done at the above mentioned venue. Participants can also obtain the electronic copy of the Registration Form by contacting at the email address given below or can download from the conference section at http://www.dypatil.ac.in.

Registration fees should accompany the duly filled registration form with a passport – size photograph.

For further enquiries contact –Mr. Sagar Nagare (9595750057), Mr. Pramodkumar Gupta(9323250900)

Mail – dypbioinfo@gmail.com

Hi,

I wanted to get anyone's advice or suggestions on how to get my foot in the door of biotech companies. I have several years of research experience in the field of oncology, heart disease, autoimmune, and mental disorders. However, many biotech positions (shooting for Bay Area companies) require experience directly in the field of biotechnology. Does anyone have any thoughts? Thanks so much for your time!

Western blotting…*sigh*…I have been performing Western blots on my peptides which are labelled with both a GST tag and a HIS tag on their N- and C-terminal ends respectively. Whenever I perform the blot with an anti-GST antibody, it works perfectly, yet whenever I perform the blot with the anti-HIS antibody, it never works properly. My samples would never appear, and my controls would be faint. I cleaved the GST tag from my peptides (with Thrombin, stopping the reaction with PMSF) and then performed a blot with the anti-HIS antibody again, and now nothing shows up, only non-specific blotches all over the exposed film!

If anyone has any suggestions as to what might be interfering with it, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks


FYI, I have also posted this discussion on Nature Network.

http://network.nature.com/groups/labvamp/forum/topics

Dear all,

I am currently pursuing some market research regarding the synergy between Biotech and Pharma companies in pre-clinical stage deals and hence in the process of building a financial model. The recent Rib-x-Sanofi deal is a prime example.

The questions that I have are as follows:

1. What is the peak sales assumed for antibiotics and in how many years?
2. What are the royalty percentage we are looking at and is it on a tier basis?
3. What is the market trend for such pre-clinical stage deals?
4. Is all the upfront payment given in cash as widely reported or there are clauses attached to it?
5. What sort of discount rate do we use to value such deals?

Any help in this regard will be much appreciated.

Regards,
Niki

Stem cells, by definition, can undergo infinite number of cell division while remain in an undifferentiated state. However, they can also give rise to differentiated daughter cells that are committed to specialized cell fate in all three primary germ layers: ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. During embryogenesis, the degree of this differentiation becomes gradually restricted as the fetus develops and the potential of various stem cells is limited by the class they belong to. While both totipotent and pluripotent stem cells can generate every type of cells found in the body, only totipotent ones are able to form an entire organism. In contrast, multipotent stem cells are more mature in developmental age compared to totipotent and pluripotent stem cells, and therefore, can only give rise to a limited population of cells within a specific lineage.

The particularly extrinsic and intrinsic molecular signaling network that confers their self-renewal and differentiation remain fairly uncharacterized. However, a consistent requirement for the Oct4, Nanog and Sox2 transcription factors in maintaining pluripotency seems to be evolutionarily conserved between mouse and human.

I am offering a continuing education course titled, “Plant Biotechnology and You,” on Wednesday, August 3 from 6:30 to 9 PM at KCC’s campus. During this discussion-based course I will introduce the basic science and concepts behind plant biotechnology using examples of where plant biotechnology crosses your everyday life. A portion of this discussion will be devoted to the moral and ethical implications of plant biotechnology. The topic will be approached in a scientific manner and all viewpoints are welcome. For more information, check out: http://www.kcc.edu/coned/Pages/default.aspx. Contact KCC Continuing Education at 815-802-8206 to register for this course.