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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: DNA

DNA stories: 132 news summaries

41 - 60 of 132 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next >>

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100M-Year-Old DNA Regions Baffle Experts

Mice, humans share mysterious code immune to evolution

Oct 9, 08 3:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - Certain regions of mammalian DNA with no discernible purpose have one perplexing characteristic in common: They have survived, without mutation, for as long as 100 million years, LiveScience reports. Scientists speculate that the areas have some deep purpose, but for now they know only that they are “ultraconserved regions,... More »

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evolution • DNA • Stanford University • mice • genetic mutation • genome • scientific study • genetic engineering

New Prenatal Gene Test Proves Safer

Checks mom's blood for defects without miscarriage risk

Oct 7, 08 3:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have developed a prenatal test for genetic defects much safer than the ones currently in use, reports the San Jose Mercury News. Methods like amniocentesis can spot chromosomal disorders like Down Syndrome, but involve inserting a needle into the uterus, which carries close to a 1-in-200 risk of miscarriage.... More »

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pregnancy • genetic testing • DNA • prenatal care • miscarriage • chromosomal disorders • genetic defects • Down Syndrome

 HIV/AIDS May Be 100 Years Old 

Evidence of old strain discovered in Congo

Oct 2, 08 3:03 AM CDT
(Newser) - The HIV/AIDS epidemic exploded in the 1980s, but new research shows HIV was plaguing the human population in Africa for a century before that. Old collections of human tissue samples from the Congo have produced evidence of old strains of HIV that may have emerged in 1908, reports Nature. More »

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HIV • DNA • genome • University of Alabama • HIV/AIDS • Pasteur Institute • Congo • biopsy • Leopoldville

Tech Helps Prints Tell More of the Story

Snack, drug habits can be traced on bullets, similar surfaces

Sep 29, 08 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser) - Advances in fingerprint technology are making the century-old forensic tool even more vital, the Boston Globe reports. Scientists have developed methods that can not only detect traces of food or chemicals in prints, but also single out targets at a confused crime scene. “We're using fingerprints to learn more... More »

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technology • crime • police • DNA • fingerprint • fingerprinting • forensic science

 Colbert Shooting DNA 
 Into Space 

Comedian's digitized genetic code headed to space station

Sep 8, 08 12:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - You probably won’t live forever, but a part of Stephen Colbert hopes to. The comedian’s digitized DNA will travel to the International Space Station in October as part of an “Immortality Drive” DNA time capsule, reports AP. The DNA will be delivered by video-game designer Richard Garriott,... More »

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DNA • International Space Station • Stephen Colbert

Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key

Scientists crack code of enzyme that helps cells multiply limitlessly

Sep 1, 08 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser) - An insect that’s a scourge in Southern kitchens could help scientists develop drugs to treat human cancer, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. In studying  the red flour beetle, scientists were able to decode an enzyme called telomerase, which triggers a cell's ability to multiply timelessly, playing an active role in... More »

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cancer • chemotherapy • DNA • aging • protein • cell • telomeres

NY Sushi Sleuths Uncover Fishy Tricks

Simple DNA test reveals fish sellers' bait-and-switch

Aug 22, 08 3:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Two New York City high school students used DNA testing to uncover a bait-and-switch scam in local restaurants and fish markets, the New York Times reports. Fish being sold as prized white tuna turned out to be the much more common—and cheaper—Mozambique tilapia, while red snapper proved to... More »

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genetic testing • DNA • fish • restaurant • genetic code • DNA database • sushi

'Bigfoot' DNA Actually Human, Opossum

Sasquatch expert blames contamination, will perform autopsy

Aug 15, 08 8:55 PM CDT
(Newser) - DNA from an alleged Bigfoot carcass is actually part human, part opossum, a scientist said today. A University of Minnesota expert debunked the DNA at a Palo Alto, Calif. press conference before the two men who allegedly found the corpse—and who sell Bigfoot merchandise. The head of a group... More »

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DNA • Georgia • mythical creature • bigfoot • Sasquatch • Tom Biscardi • Palo Alto • carcass

Missing DNA Sheds Light
on Roots of Schizophrenia

Scientists disocover 3 genetic hot spots

Jul 30, 08 6:01 PM CDT
(Newser) - Missing chunks of DNA increase a child's chance of developing schizophrenia by up to 10 times, say to two major international studies. Scientists are calling the data from more than 3,000 schizophrenia patients a huge step toward finding the genetic source of the disease, which could ultimately help doctors... More »

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health • schizophrenia • DNA • genome • genetic code • genetic abnormalities

 Ballooning Priest's Body Found

Charity stunt went tragically wrong

Jul 30, 08 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - DNA tests have confirmed that a body found earlier this month off the coast of Brazil is that of a Catholic priest who tried to set a flight record strapped to 1,000 helium balloons. Father Adelir Antonio de Carli, 41, set off  from the Brazilian port of Paranagua in... More »

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Brazil • DNA • Father Adelir Antonio de Carli • Catholic priest

 'Yeti' Hairs Sent for DNA Tests

Hairs found in jungle may belong to unknown species of primate

Jul 26, 08 8:12 AM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists hope DNA tests will clear up the mystery of hairs claimed to be from a "yeti," or giant ape-like creature, the BBC reports. The hairs, found in dense jungle in India, are not from any known animal in the area. They also bear a strong resemblance to... More »

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India • DNA • bigfoot • Sasquatch • primates • animal

For TB Clues, Researchers Turn to Bones

Key to disease's evolution may lie in 6,000-year-old DNA

Jul 14, 08 6:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists are analyzing bones found in the ancient city of Jericho, in what's now the West Bank, for clues to fighting tuberculosis. The German, Israeli, and Palestinian researchers hope the 6,000-year-old DNA they're studying will reveal how the disease evolves and how to combat it. More »

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disease • DNA • Jericho • fossil • TB • skeleton • bones • tuberculosis • Gulf • Nile delta

DNA Tests Yield Few Clues on Canada Victims

But authorities say
two of the floating feet belonged to one man

Jul 11, 08 7:20 AM CDT
(Newser) - Canadian authorities have determined that two of the five feet found floating on British Columbia's coastline came from the same man. The only other information about the mystery victim are his shoe size (11) and brand preference (Nike), and fact that he must have been alive in early 2003 when... More »

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Canada • DNA • sneakers • mystery • British Columbia • missing person • severed feet

Study Yields More Clues About Autism

Scientists find genes needed for learning stuck in the off position

Jul 10, 08 6:20 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists have found six new genes linked to autism, inching closer to a fuller understanding of the disorder and how to treat it, the AP reports. The genes in question are necessary for learning but are essentially stuck in the "off" position. The finding lends credence to the philosophy... More »

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Middle East • autism • DNA • genetic defects • scientific study • neurons • synapse

 Men Less Fertile After 40: Study 

Biological clock ticking as men age

Jul 7, 08 4:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - Men apparently have a biological fertility clock that ticks just as inexorably as that of women, reports Agence France Presse. New research reveals that a man's ability to impregnate a partner drops significantly once he reaches 40, regardless of his sperm count. It's the first clinical proof that a man's... More »

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fertility • DNA • miscarriage • sperm count • Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction • European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology • Reproductive Biomedicine • IUI • intrauterine insemination

 Study Rewrites 
 Birds' Family Tree 

DNA research reveals new information about bird relations

Jun 26, 08 9:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - A five-year study of bird DNA is turning the world of ornithology on its head. The study revealed such drastic new information about the evolution of birds that dozens will need new scientific names, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Notable finds: Falcons are not related to hawks or eagles; hummingbirds—... More »

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evolution • birds • DNA • scientific discoveries • scientific research • Field Museum

DNA Scientists Finally Clear Gender Barrier

After 5 male subjects, female genome sequenced for first time

May 26, 08 10:32 AM CDT
(Newser) - Dutch scientists have sequenced the a female human genome, reports the AP. The first human genome was sequenced in 2001; since then, scientists have mapped four male individuals' DNA. "It was time, after sequencing four males, to balance the genders a bit," says the lead researcher. More »

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women • DNA • human genome

 Sudoku Champ Eyes
 Tougher Puzzles 

Young scientist hopes to make his name in DNA research

May 10, 08 5:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Beating all comers—for the second year in a row—at the world's top sudoku tournament is nothing to scoff at, but champ Thomas Snyder has loftier goals, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The 28-year-old Stanford scientist is hoping he can solve complex DNA puzzles instead: "I hope... More »

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Stanford • sudoku • DNA • Thomas Snyder

Missing Genes Can Thwart Doping Tests

Athletes' DNA triggers false negative tests for testosterone

Apr 30, 08 2:09 PM CDT
(Newser) - Testosterone injections are among the most common performance-enhancing drugs detected in athlete screenings, but some lucky competitors can take them without fear of exposure, the New York Times reports. Of 55 men given testosterone in a recent study, 17 came up clean on a drug test because they're missing... More »

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genetics • DNA • testosterone • genes • performance-enhancing drugs

DNA Confirms It: Man Fathered Own Grandkids

Austrian 'horror dad' appears in court, will remain in custody

Apr 29, 08 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - DNA testing has confirmed the bizarre tale of Josef Fritzl, who confessed to imprisoning his now-42-year-old daughter Elisabeth in his basement for 24 years and fathering seven children by her. The test confirms the parentage of all six surviving kids —one twin died shortly after childbirth, CNN reports. The... More »

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kidnapping • DNA • rape • incest • Josef Fritzl • Elisabeth Fritzl • Rosemarie Fritzl

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