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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: genetics

genetics stories: 87 news summaries

41 - 60 of 87 Stories | << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 Next >>

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 DNA Used to Nab Criminal Kin 

But questions arise over genetic privacy of innocent relatives

Apr 21, 08 12:51 PM CDT
(Newser) - Law-enforcement agencies are using DNA of family members—often without their consent—to identify and convict criminals, the Washington Post reports. Privacy advocates object that it turns family members into unwitting informants, and subjects innocent relatives to “lifelong genetic surveillance” because someone in their family committed a crime. But... More »

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FBI • crime • genetics • law enforcement • murder • DNA • Massachusetts • Colorado • DNA database • DNA evidence • criminal justice

 Lousy Figure?
 Blame Mom and Dad 

Another reason to get mad at your parents: body shape is inherited

Apr 9, 08 9:10 PM CDT
(Newser) - Still struggling to get that 36-24-36 figure? Science can’t help you, but it can explain why some girls are leaner than others, reports the Telegraph. Researchers have found a link between parental DNA and female muscle mass, which could explain “why many people will never obtain the perfect... More »

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genetics • DNA • scientists • gene pool • scientist • genetic research • scientific study • muscle mass • scientific research

Autistic Kids Linked to
Sperm Donor

Experts warn it's
impossible to screen
for autism genes

Apr 3, 08 8:07 AM CDT
(Newser) - A New York professor who wanted to become a mother contacted a sperm bank and chose sperm from a donor with a high IQ. When her son turned out to be autistic, she contacted other mothers who used the same donor and discovered some of their kids were autistic as... More »

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genetics • autism • genetic screening • sperm bank • sperm donors

Genetics May Play Role
in Smokers' Cancer Risk

Those who inherit variation from both parents are at greater danger

Apr 2, 08 8:50 PM CDT
(Newser) - Three new studies have found a genetic variation that may increase smokers' chances of getting lung cancer. A smoker who inherits the variations from both parents has a 70% to 80% greater risk of developing the cancer. The findings could shed light on why some  smokers get cancer and some... More »

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genetics • lung cancer • smoking • cigarettes • cancer research • genetic mutation • human genome

Gene Linked
to Stress Disorder

Could explain why some soldiers are
more susceptible

Mar 19, 08 11:16 AM CDT
(Newser) - A gene that may influence an individual's susceptibility to post-traumatic stress disorder has been identified by psychologists at Emory University, Time reports. A study of low-income African-American adults in the Atlanta area, 80% of whom had experienced trauma, found that certain versions of a gene were linked to higher PTSD... More »

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Atlanta • genetics • mental health • genetic screening • Emory University • PTSD

Researchers
Let the Cats
Out of the Bag

Feline genes reveal lessons of past, guidance for future

Mar 17, 08 12:57 PM CDT
(Newser) - Cats don't talk, but their genes can tell a good story, and they're revealing plenty about the animal's 10,000-year history. DNA samples from more than 1,100 cats, from fancy show breeds to wild animals from around the world, are confirming earlier discoveries as well as refuting some claims,... More »

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genetics • DNA • genes • cat • Burmese cat • Persian longhair • inbreeding • feline • Fertile Crescent • Leslie Lyons

Exercise and Happiness Not Linked: Study

Same gene set makes physically active most likely to be mentally fit

Mar 17, 08 8:06 AM CDT
(Newser) - Going for a run might not clear your head in quite the way thought, reports USA Today, and its supposed benefits on mental health may be misguided. Rather, Dutch researchers found that a single set of genes both determines one’s inclination toward exercise and happiness—making the most physically... More »

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depression • twins • genetics • mental health • Netherlands • exercise • health study

Risk Rises if 2 Parents Have Alzheimer's

4 in 10 get the disease if mom
and dad had it, study finds

Mar 10, 08 8:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - People whose mom and dad have Alzheimer's run a much higher risk of getting the disease, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle looked at 111 families in which both parents have Alzheimer's, and found that 42% of those aged 70 and up got the... More »

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dementia • genetics • parents • medical research • scientific study • health risks • Alzheimer's Disease

Millionaire Pays Firm to Map His Genetic Code

Personal genome readouts now on shopping list for super-rich

Mar 4, 08 4:01 AM CST
(Newser) - A Switzerland-based millionaire is paying to have his personal genetic code mapped out, the New York Times reports. He is only the second person to ever have done so, but genetics companies say interest is high despite the $350,000 price tag for decoding all 6 billion units in an... More »

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genetics • genetic testing • DNA • human genome • genetic code • biotech companies • scientific study

Africans Have Most Diverse DNA

Testing confirms man evolved on continent before migrating

Feb 21, 08 1:47 PM CST
(Newser) - A pair of wide-ranging genetic studies, published yesterday in the journal Nature, back up the idea that humanity first evolved in Africa before migrating elsewhere, Reuters reports. DNA testing of African Americans and European Americans found that people with African roots had much more genetic diversity. Other tests discovered that... More »

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Africa • genetics • DNA • genetic mutation • human evolution • genetic research

Sequencer Can Map Genome
in 4 Minutes

Warp-speed, dirt-cheap system has potential to transform health care

Feb 12, 08 3:54 PM CST
(Newser) - Blinding-fast new machines will be able to sequence a human genome in 4 minutes for just $1,000, potentially revolutionizing medical research. "It will change health care forever if it works," the CEO of the manufacturer tells Reuters. By comparison, the federally funded Human Genome Project, which wrapped... More »

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genetics • DNA

Baby Blues Come From Single Ancestor

A long-ago genetic mutation diluted brown eyes, scientists say

Jan 31, 08 7:21 PM CST
(Newser) - All blue-eyed people have a single, shared ancestor, scientists say. And all those baby blues are the result of a genetic mutation that occurred between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago, LiveScience reports. Before that, everyone had brown eyes. The mutation limits the effects of the gene that produces... More »

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genetics • science • genetic mutation • Denmark • human evolution • eyes

Gene Tweaking Dramatically Extends Life

Altered yeast microbes live 10 times longer
than control group

Jan 14, 08 5:33 PM CST
(Newser) - In a breakthrough that may have implications for humans, researchers have made the lifespan of yeast 10 times longer, doubling the previous record for life expansion, LiveScience reports. Genetic alteration and a low-calorie diet prolonged the microbe's existence from the typical 1 week to 10 weeks. The scientists involved have... More »

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genetics • DNA • life expectancy • genes • microorganisms • longevity • yeast • life extension

Why Am I Fat? One Word for You: Plastics

Chemicals in common items may play role in rising obesity rates

Jan 14, 08 1:30 PM CST
(Newser) - Early exposure to chemicals found in common plastics could predispose a person to obesity, scientists suggest. Studies have shown that animals fed the chemicals, called endocrine disrupters, are fatter later in life than those who were not, the Boston Globe reports. Diet, exercise, and genetics are key factors, but "... More »

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obesity • health • genetics • obesity epidemic • chemicals and obesity • baby bottle • plastic • fat

DNA May Shine Light on Killer

Headless body's ties to Indiana serial killer in doubt for a century

Jan 11, 08 2:20 PM CST
(Newser) - Authorities in Indiana are hoping DNA evidence will help them close the case of a woman who killed at least 25 people in the early 20th century before possibly faking her own death. A woman's headless body was found in the burned-out basement of Belle Gunness' house in 1908, and... More »

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genetics • murder • Indiana • Belle Gunness • serial killers • DNA evidence

Breast Cancer Risk Seen for Latinos, Blacks

Scientists find higher prevalance of mutated gene in new study

Dec 26, 07 6:40 PM CST
(Newser) - A genetic mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer has been linked to Hispanic and young black women, according to a new study. The findings could lead to changes in screening, the San Jose Mercury News reports. In the survey of 3,181 women with breast cancer, 16.7%... More »

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cancer • health • breast cancer • genetics • disease • women • ovarian cancer • genetic mutation • BRCA1 • American Medical Association • black women • Hispanic

Big Stud Fees ≠ Great Racers

Genetics less important than environment, study finds

Dec 19, 07 12:29 PM CST
(Newser) - In horse racing, nurture trumps nature, a study finds. Just 10% of a horse’s winnings can be chalked up to lineage, the BBC reports; offspring of high-priced stallions do perform better overall, but not because of genetics. “People who can afford to pay high stud fees can also... More »

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genetics • breeding • horse racing • horse • stud fees

Synthetic DNA Comes to Life

As breakthrough nears, questions multiply like cells

Dec 17, 07 9:56 AM CST
(Newser) - Scientists are on the verge of creating new life forms from synthetic DNA and already sparking ethical questions, the Washington Post reports. Researchers can make entire chromosomes from sugars, phosphates, and nitrogen-based compounds, then insert the DNA into a host cell. The new codes can transform bacteria or yeast into... More »

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genetics • DNA • biofuel • bacteria

Genes Make Mouse That Roared

Genetically altered Mickey has no fear of cats

Dec 13, 07 10:25 AM CST
(Newser) - Japanese scientists have modified mouse genes to make rodents unafraid of cats in a dramatic experiment that offers insight into the origins of terror. The breakthrough shows that fear is largely genetically hardwired rather than learned through painful experience, researchers say. Some of the mice, whose nasal cells were altered... More »

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genetics • genes • experiments • fear • mouse • University of Tokyo • cat

Flies Gay, Straight, Gay Again

Researchers find genes, drugs can flip insects' sexuality

Dec 10, 07 12:22 PM CST
(Newser) - Fruit flies were gay one hour and straight the next in a recent study in which researchers used drugs to flip the switch of sexuality, reports LiveScience. When scientists disabled a gene called genderblind, male flies courted other males; they reverted to pursuing females only hours later when given a... More »

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genetics • homosexuality • sexual orientation • fruit flies • Genderblind

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