Tag: DNA

DeForest Kelley’s DNA to join the stars of the ‘journey’ in space

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paramount pictures DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy in a scene from the movie Star Trek. DeForest Kelley is set to join many of his fellow “Star Trek” legends in Final Frontier. Represented by his DNA, Kelly — who grew up as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in “Star Trek: The Original Series” and died in 1999 — will be sent to deep space with the ashes of Nichelle Nichols “Star Trek” “content creator Gene Roddenberry and his wife,” Star Trek’s First Lady,” Magel Barrett Roddenberry, James Doohan, and visual effects legend…

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This jellyfish can live forever. His genes might tell us how

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Fleets of tiny transparent umbrellas, each the size of a lentil, cruise through the waters of the Mediterranean. Known as Turritopsis dohrnii, these miniature jellyfish ripple and hold their pale tentacles, bringing plankton to their mouths, as do many other jellyfish species that float aimlessly in glowing waters. But they have a secret that sets them apart from ordinary sea creatures: When their bodies are damaged, mature adults, known as medusas, can turn back the clock and transform back into their young selves. They shed their appendages, become a drifting…

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The need for diversity in genome sequencing

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Among the various things that unite humans around the world, DNA sequences hovers at the top: 99.9% of human DNA sequences are identical between humans. Gregor Mendel, a monk and scientist whose 200th birthday falls this Wednesday (July 20), suggested that some “unseen factors” were responsible for the various properties we display. Today, we know that these factors are the genes that make up our DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid. This acid molecule gives genetic instructions to living organisms. If humans share much of the same DNA, why is diversity important…

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Deep digging: is genetic recombination linked to expression of deleterious traits?

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digging deep, science,

Most mammals, including humans, are diploid. That is, DNA exists as pairs of chromosomes (humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes, mice have 20 pairs). This pair of chromosomes is homologous, since the sequence of genes on both chromosomes is the same. However, a gene located on a particular label (“locus”) can have different “alleles” on homologous chromosomes. For the sake of understanding, if we assume that height is determined by a particular gene sitting, let’s say, on chromosome VI, one chromosome could carry the gene sequence for short height –…

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Deep digging: Ancient DNA discovered in Africa reveals insights into human migration

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Ancient African DNA reveals complex insights of human migration

A new study in the journal Nature reports DNA recovered from six individuals from southeast Africa who lived between 1-5 Kia (1,000 years ago). A notable finding is that the study is one of the few that has been able to report ancient DNA from the continent, where hot and humid conditions are not conducive to preserving genetic material. Lipson et al. (2022) reported the entire genetic sequence, along with radiocarbon dates, of three Late Pleistocene (125–12 Kia) and three Early Holocene (11–5 Kia) individuals (a total of six to…

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Bowden drops charges against woman linked to rape kit DNA burglary

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A San Francisco District Attorney has dropped charges against a sexual assault victim whose DNA from a rape group was used to link her to an unrelated burglary. Chesa Bowden announced Tuesday that he dropped the charges just days after discovering that the city’s police crime lab was routinely using evidence collected from sexual assault victims to look for matches to other cases. Bowden said the woman — whose identity has not been released — was charged with burglary because of a match for her DNA taken during a rape…

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Forget metals, chemists use DNA to build the world’s smallest antenna

nanoantennas

A team of researchers at the University of Montreal has developed a Nanantina made of DNA (DNA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to study changes in the structure of protein molecules. The fluorescent nanoantenna offers a distinct advantage over the ubiquitous fluorescent dyes used in biotechnology. The latter “shows low affinity for proteins”, while these nanoparticles are able to detect even the smallest changes. The dye in the nanoantenna has an affinity for a specific region of the protein, which depends on the protein’s structure and chemistry. The antenna also performed…

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DNA molecules in ancient dirt offer a treasure trove of clues to our past

denisova cave sediment

Written by Mike W. Morley, Diindo Masellani, Mathias Meyer, and Richard Burt Roberts Archaeological deposits typically consist of a mixture of artefacts and remains of plants and animals – including accidental human fossils – all preserved in a dirt matrix. But these days, we dig a lot besides fossils and artifacts. Now we can find evidence of the past deep in the dirt we dig. Besides plant and animal remains, sediments in archaeological deposits may also contain ancient DNA particles that can be extracted and used to identify species that…

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3000 years ago Britain got half of its genes from…France?

three years ago in the magazine temper natureAn extensive international research team led by Harvard University geneticist David Reich has shed light on one of the mysteries of prehistoric Britain. By analyzing decomposing DNA from the remains of 400 ancient Europeans, researchers have shown that nomadic pastoralists from the steppes on the eastern edge of Europe moved into Central Europe 4,500 years ago, and in some areas their offspring replaced about 75% of the genetic lineage. current population. Then the descendants of the nomads moved west to Britain, where they…

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How often do you defecate? New research shows gut habits are written in our DNA

Irritable bowel syndrome

Do you go once a day? Maybe go twice, or even three times? Or maybe you only go a few times a week? Yes, we are talking about defecation. In our new study, we found how often you go, at least to some extent, a function of your genetic make-up. You may be wondering why we chose this thing for study. While many people rarely think again when the urge arises, for others, common gastrointestinal conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) cause problems. IBS affects up to 10 percent of…

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