| RNA shown to silence cancer suppressor gene
One way cancer arises is when tumour suppressor genes that normally keep cell growth in check are mysteriously turned off. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that at least one tumour suppressor gene is in fact turned off by a 'noncoding' single stranded RNA nucleic acid similar to its double-stranded DNA cousin. The so-called antisense RNA is made by a gene on a neighbouring strand of DNA. Most genes in the human genome have associated with them nearby antisense RNAs, which, as their name implies, are complementary to the amino acid sequences in a 'sense' RNA to which they may bind and switch off. Reporting on the discovery in the 10 January issue of Nature, the Johns Hopkins team says an absolute key to fighting cancer is to figure out why and how tumour suppressor genes get silenced and identifying means of switching them back on chemically.
Apple Settles Burst Patent Suit for 'Only' $10 Million
The patent system should have a panel of experts reviewing patents to see if there is prior art. Not a panel of lawyers. Patents are useful. But stupid patents are not. Lawyers can not be expected to understand the subtleties of physics, or Software engineering, or biology... You know there is prior art on DNA, but someone patented genes that are linked to breast cancer, for example. See? A biologist would laugh that out of the building. So, I belive that patents are useful... buuut that they need to be reveiwed to see if there really is prior art, and if there is, they should not be paitentable. (reply to this comment) (link to this comment) Re: Re: by Anonymous Coward on Nov 26th, 2007 @ 4:58pm Hey I found it. As posted by angry dude at http://techdirt.com/articles/20070614/130621.shtml we have his invention: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/281402/a_peek_into_the_future/ Stick with it to the 0:50 mark will you will laugh out loud as you remember posters you made for science projects in 4th grade (reply to this comment) (link to this comment) Patented Inventions by Fatech on Nov 28th, 2007 @ 11:09am Let's get the facts right.
Scientists Discover Heredity Skipping DNA!
We all know that how we look, behave and function is a question of genes. And genes are made of DNA. But now, a team at Princeton's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in a research to be published in the journal "Nature", challenges this. They have found an "epigenetic" pathway bypassing DNA, in a type of Lamarckian evolution, which says that an organism transmits to its offspring traits acquired during its lifetime for improving its success, like the long neck of the giraffe, which experienced a continuous stretching to reach the tree tops. The research was made on the ciliate protozoan Oxytricha trifallax, a relative of the more known Paramecium. Typical animal (and human) cells each have one nucleus, the ciliates have two: a somatic nucleus, accomplishing the cell's metabolism, and the germline nucleus, harboring the DNA required for sexual reproduction.
Academic Freedom and Evolution
I love the structure of the debate, as presented here, religion vs. Darwinian evolution. Except that the only theological option that the anti-Darwinists seem to advocate is the literalist Protestant Christian variant. Are they truly open to the inclusion of all theologies’ origin myths in the science classroom and the laboratory or just their belief system of choice? Gadfly on the Wall, at 9:30 am EST on December 10, 2007 .
Governor closes gun purchase loophole
In two search warrant affidavits filed today in Montgomery County Circuit Court, special agents with the Virginia State Police say they are seeking Cho Seung-Hui's cell phone records and any e-mails that may have been exchanged between Cho and Hilscher, who was killed in West Ambler Johnston Hall, the dormitory where she lived. In one affidavit, police say Cho's family members said he normally called them on Sunday evenings from his cell phone. Cho, police say in the affidavit, "may have communicated with others concerning his plans to carry out attacks on students and faculty at Virginia Tech." Police want to review the numbers dialed and received, text and picture messages and voicemail information spanning the life of the cell phone account. In another affidavit, police say they are seeking information from Tech's computer servers for Cho's two known e-mail accounts -- SC2@vt.edu, his school account, and blazers5505@hotmail.com, an account that was used in the purchase of a gun.
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