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NEWS ABOUT: DNA

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DNA Ties 1991 Murder to 17th-Century Family

Police believe results will narrow search for Sarah Yarborough's killer

(Newser) - In December, stumped Washington state authorities sent a DNA sample from an unsolved 1991 murder to a forensic consultant in California—and though she didn't return with a match to the murderer himself, she did figure out who his 17th-century ancestors were. The DNA profile closely matched the family... More »

For Just $1K, You'll Soon Be Able to Map Your Genes

Genomics company unveiling new machine today

(Newser) - Want to map your genes, but don't have the $3,000 the cheapest sequencing currently costs? By the end of the year, you could be in luck: California genomics company Life Technologies Corp. will introduce a machine today that, by year's end, is expected to be able to... More »

How Much Caveman DNA Do You Have?

Company scours genome for Neanderthal heritage

(Newser) - If you've ever wondered whether your boorish ex or oafish boss may be closely related to our caveman ancestors, you can now officially prove it with a genetic test. Genome-mapping company 23andMe is offering "The Neanderthal Test" this holiday season. Simply submit your saliva and you can find... More »

Gacy Victim Identified 35 Years Later

DNA technology allows a match to be made

(Newser) - Thanks to recent DNA technology, a previously unidentified John Wayne Gacy victim is no longer anonymous. The Cook County Sheriff’s office matched the remains found in Gacy’s crawlspace to a 19-year-old who went missing in 1976 on his way to a party, William George Bundy, the Chicago Tribune... More »

Amanda Knox Edges Closer to Freedom

Even prosecutor now thinks she may be released

(Newser) - Amanda Knox can almost see daylight. Court developments in her murder trial appeal are all falling her way, strongly indicating that she could soon be released. Even the once-confident prosecution is prepared for the case to go either way, reports ABC News . "The judge and his assistant are clearly... More »

Wimpy Cousin of Black Death Still Around

Medieval plague shares gene sequence with modern version

(Newser) - The version of the bubonic plague kicking around today is indeed related to the one that wiped out a third of Europe’s population in the Middle Ages, researchers have confirmed, after DNA testing on 109 ancient skeletons buried in a mass victims' grave in London revealed a shared gene... More »

Sex With Neanderthals Boosted Our Immunity

Scientists make 'stunning' discovery in genome comparison

(Newser) - Three years ago, scientists thought humans had never had sex with Neanderthals. Last year, they changed their tune—and now it looks like DNA passed down from Neanderthals has had a “profound impact” on our immune systems. Scientists compared a section of the modern human genome to the same... More »

Scientists Crack Code of Kangaroo's DNA

Decoding could lead to new antibiotics, hope for wombats

(Newser) - What makes the kangaroo hop? That’s just one of the questions answered by international researchers who’ve decoded the genome of a kangaroo species, the BBC reports. The genome research team—the first to be led by Australian scientists—sequenced the genome in 2008 but finally completed its analysis... More »

Thank Meteorites for Life on Earth?

Space rocks hold elements of DNA

(Newser) - The ingredients for DNA aren’t just here on Earth—they can develop in space, too, a study suggests. Scientists with NASA and the Carnegie Institution analyzed 12 meteorites and found that 11 of them contained nucleobases, the rings in the middle of DNA molecules. That means the space rocks... More »

Scientists Seek 'Frankenstein Spark'

Synthetic life close to becoming a reality

(Newser) - Alien life may appear in a test tube on Earth long before it's found elsewhere—and by some standards, it's already here, researchers say. Multiple teams of scientists around the world are experimenting with genetic tools in an effort to create synthetic life, the New York Times finds.... More »

DNA Tests Nab Poop-Scoop Scofflaws

Apartment buildings require dog DNA samples for tracking

(AP) - Here's the scoop: Some apartment complexes are using DNA testing on dog doo to find out who's not cleaning up after their pets. A new complex in New Hampshire, for example, is requiring residents to submit samples from their dogs so DNA profiles can be put on file.... More »

We're All Mutant X-Men

We're all chock-full of mutations, scientists find

(Newser) - Wolverine’s not so different from you and me: Scientists have found that each person has as many as 60 mutations in our genomes—portions of our DNA that aren’t matched in either of our parents. Mutations happen in both eggs and sperm cells, and neither cell’s mutations... More »

Strauss-Kahn's DNA on Maid's Clothes

Lawyers have no comment as yet

(Newser) - Dominique Strauss-Kahn's semen has been found on the clothing worn by the New York City hotel maid who accuses him of sexual assault, reports the New York Post. The finding wouldn't necessarily refute Strauss-Kahn's claim that the sexual contact was consensual, but his attorneys have not yet... More »

DNA Results May Give Hope to Amanda Knox

There's not enough DNA on alleged murder weapon to test

(Newser) - Finally, some good news for Amanda Knox? Two forensic scientists have re-examined the alleged murder weapon and found that it doesn't have enough DNA on it even to conduct another test, report the Telegraph and Daily Mail . The knife was one of the key pieces of evidence used to tie... More »

Animal DNA Brings Abusers to Justice

Genetic evidence spurs convictions, guilty pleas

(Newser) - For three decades, human DNA has been used in court; now, abused cats and dogs are benefiting from their own genetic evidence. Thus far, only a few cases have been won with help from DNA, but its use is “becoming more and more common,” an expert tells the... More »

Experts Weigh 3-Parent Test Tube Babies

Third donor could make for healthier babies

(Newser) - British authorities are considering approval for "three parent" test-tube babies to mix and match the best DNA for a healthier children. An expert panel of scientists has been asked to consider the safety and effectiveness of such a procedure, and advise government watchdogs. Babies resulting from the new process... More »

Why Humans No Longer Have Spiky Penises

It's all because of a missing piece of DNA

(Newser) - Were it not for evolution, sex could be a pretty uncomfortable prospect. But fortunately for humans, the male penis evolved in one particularly nice way: it lost its spikes. Some animals, including chimps and mice, still have penises dotted with hard spines. But Stanford researchers have discovered one particular chunk... More »

East Coast Rape Suspect to Cops: What Took So Long?

Investigation may have found 12-time serial rapist

(Newser) - When cops arrested Aaron Thomas and charged him with being the infamous East Coast Rapist, the 39-year-old unemployed truck driver apparently had one question: "What took you so long to get me?" A prosecutor says Thomas has admitted his “involvement in numerous, alleged rapes,” while in custody.... More »

Is Amelia Earhart's Saliva the Key to Her Whereabouts?

DNA from old letters could be compared to found bone

(Newser) - Last year, researchers may have found one of Amelia Earhart’s bones —and this year, another group might be able to match that bone to Earhart, using, of all things, the missing aviator’s spit. Scientists will attempt to harvest DNA from the saliva found on four letters Earhart... More »

DNA Could Reveal Whether John Wilkes Booth Escaped

Descendants say he took new name, committed suicide in 1903

(Newser) - DNA evidence could settle once and for all the truth about what transpired in the days after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. The official story is that John Wilkes Booth was killed in a barn days after shooting the president—but his descendants say the dead man was just a lookalike.... More »

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