Syracuse, N.Y. -- Critics of genetically modified organisms are criticizing SUNY ESF's announcement that it had genetically engineered an American chestnut tree resistant to blight.

"Genetically engineered chestnuts and other trees are an unnecessary, undesirable, and hazardous product of the techno-obsessed mindset that assumes genetic codes are like Lego sets that can be engineered to our specifications," said Rachel Smolker, a member of the Campaign to STOP Genetically Engineered Trees, in a statement issued today. "The impacts of these engineered chestnuts will be completely unpredictable."

After 25 years of research, scientists at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry announced last month they had created a new strain of blight-resistant American chestnut that could restore the once-abundant tree to the forest. Researchers said they had inserted a wheat gene that could help chestnuts withstand the blight that wiped out up to 5 billion of the trees in the United States.

The Global Justice Ecology Project has also criticized the SUNY-ESF research, saying it had been supported in part by corporations who want to profit from genetically engineered crops, including Monsanto and ArborGen.

"A look at the partners and funders of this program at SUNY ESF over the years reveals some very disturbing bedfellows," said the group's executive director, Anne Petermann, in an article titled "This Holiday Season say NO to GMO Chestnuts."

ESF's American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project website lists Monsanto and ArborGen as donors.

The latest criticism follows a letter to the editor to Syracuse.com last month, in which Martha Crouch, a biologist with the Center for Food Safety, said release of the tree in the wild is premature.

"The researchers' dream could become a nightmare if something goes wrong," Crouch wrote. "Genetically engineered trees will be difficult to recall once they spread."

One Washington Post columnist has come to the defense of the SUNY ESF research, saying the restoration of the tree could provide an important source of food in the nutrient-rich nuts -- the kind that used to be roasted like in that Christmas song.

"It wasn't created for personal profit or for the benefit of corporations or farmers," wrote columnist Tamar Haspel. "It contributes to a wholesome, healthful diet. And it's intended solely for the public good."

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Genetic-engineering critics open fire on American chestnut breakthrough at SUNY ESF

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Bioethics on Gene Therapy
Talks about gene therapy the costs and benefits.

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MSS Personalized Medicine
Dr. David Chitayat describes Personalized Medicine and its impact on individual health. Dr. Chitayat works with MSS to help bring personalized medicine innov...

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Science Documentary: Personalized Medicine, Synthetic Biology , a documentary on genetic design
Science Documentary: Personalized Medicine, Synthetic Biology a documentary on genetic design Within our DNA lies the instructions for our cells. These cellu...

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Science Documentary: Personalized Medicine, Synthetic Biology , a documentary on genetic design - Video

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Vintura Annual Life Sciences Event 2014
Annual Vintura Life Sciences Event, this year #39;s topic: Our health, our care! How to improve quality of care and keep it affordable? - Will entrepreneurship, technological innovation, personalize...

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Christmas Cash Draw 2014 - Spinal Cord Injury Newfoundland and Labrador
Christmas Cash Draw 2014 Spinal Cord Injury Newfoundland and Labrador Draw Date: December 15th, 2014 1st Prize $10000 Ticket # 27635 2nd Prize $3000 Ticket...

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Michael Bonaguidi contributes brain power to stem cell research at USC
Visit USC on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/usc Learn more about the University of Southern California: http://www.usc.edu As the newest principal investigator to join USC #39;s Department...

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George Osgoodby, a parishioner of St. Luke's Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, is waiting for his perfect match. The 59-year-old Waldwick resident was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), an aggressive form of cancer, back in October, and a bone marrow transplant is his best chance of a cure.

photo courtesy of nancy osgoodby

George Osgoodby, a parishioner of St. Luke's Church in Ho-Ho-Kus, is battling cancer and may need a bone marrow transplant. The church responded by offering the building for a blood and bone marrow drive on Dec. 20.

Though somewhere around 11 million people belong to the Be The Match bone marrow registry, operated by the National Marrow Donor Program, Osgoodby's ideal donor has not yet been found.

The community will come together in support of him at St. Lukes's Church for a blood and bone marrow drive this Saturday, Dec. 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and with a few simple swabs of the cheek, could give him, or someone else the gift of life.

Osgoodby's sister, Nancy, said her brother, a successful businessman, husband and father, and an avid scuba diver, who enjoys fishing and boating, began to experience symptoms during the summer. He was becoming lightheaded and dizzy when he would bend over, short of breath when going up stairs, and began to experience joint pain.

Doctors initially thought it was a cardiac problem, but found nothing during a workup. A blood panel later showed that his hemoglobin and blood counts were low and a bone marrow biopsy revealed he was suffering with AML. The diagnosis came as a blow, especially since Osgoodby's father had succumbed to the disease just a few years ago.

Osgoodby has been receiving high dose chemotherapy treatments, during which he is inpatient at Hackensack University Medical Center. He will continue with the treatments monthly until a match is found for him in the registry and Nancy said he has needed frequent blood transfusions throughout the process.

Still, his spirits are good, his sister reports, and the family feels fortunate to have a great medical team caring for Osgoodby and thankful for all those that donate blood, or sign up for the registry.

"It means so much, I can't believe how many transfusions he's needed," Nancy said. "It has really made me aware of how many people need blood, how vital it is and it's not something you can just buy - people have to be willing to take the time to donate it - same with bone marrow. We're very touched that people are willing to do this. We've received an amazing response from people in the community."

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Blood drive, marrow registration to benefit parishioner

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CGI Illustration by Peter Crowther Associates c/o Dbut Art

Andrea Accomazzo: Comet chaser | Suzanne Topalian: Cancer combatant | Radhika Nagpal: Robot-maker | Sheik Humarr Khan: Ebola doctor | David Spergel: Cosmic sceptic | Maryam Mirzakhani: Surface explorer | Pete Frates: Ice-bucket challenger | Koppillil Radhakrishnan: Rocket launcher | Masayo Takahashi: Stem-cell tester | Sjors Scheres: Structure solver | Ones to watch

A former test pilot steered the Rosetta mission to an icy world in deep space. By Elizabeth Gibney

Andreas Reeg/Agentur Focus/Eyevine

Nearly two decades ago, Andrea Accomazzo got into trouble with his girlfriend when she found a scrap of paper on his desk. In his handwriting was scrawled a phone number next to a female name: Rosetta.

She thought it was a girl, says Accomazzo. I had to explain to my jealous Italian girlfriend that Rosetta is an interplanetary mission that is flying to a comet in almost 20 years.

Ever since, Accomazzo has divided his attention. He eventually married his girlfriend and has also spent the past 18 years pursuing the comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko. As flight director for the mission, Accomazzo led the team that steered Rosetta to its August rendezvous with the comet, following a 6.4-billion-kilometre journey from Earth. The pinnacle of the project came in November, when Rosetta successfully set down a lander named Philae, providing scientists with the first data from the surface of a comet and making it one of the most successful missions in the history of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Accomazzo did not act alone: it took a large operations team at ESA to manoeuvre Rosetta with enough precision to drop Philae down just 120 metres from the centre of the landing zone. Given that we'd had a 500-metre error circle, that was not a bad shot, says Fred Jansen, who led the mission. When Philae's anchoring systems failed, the craft bounced into a shady site where it could not charge its solar panels, so the lander lost power after 64 hours. But in that time, it gathered a trove of data that will add to the information collected by Rosetta about the comet's structure and composition. Armed with those insights, scientists hope to better understand the origin and evolution of the Solar System, including whether comets could have brought water and organic molecules to Earth during its infancy.

Accomazzo started off his career focused on a different type of flight. He first trained as a test pilot in the Italian Air Force. But although he loved flying, he found the culture too constraining and after two years he quit to study aerospace engineering. With his quiet, hard-working, sometimes no-nonsense nature, colleagues say that Accomazzo brings a bit of the military with him into mission control.

For Accomazzo, the biggest parallel between flying a fighter jet and Rosetta is the need for split-second judgements. You have to prepare and train a lot to be able to make the right decision, very quickly, he says. Between launch and landing, his team ran 87 full-day simulations.

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365 days: Nature's 10

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Pre and Post Stem Cell Therapy
Russell Scott was a top cyclist for the 7-11 team. He was diagnosed with MS in 1991. After every traditional FDA approved drug he decided to try stem cell therapy. He has been on a steady...

By: Teresa Scott

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Freeport, Grand Bahama (PRWEB) December 18, 2014

Okyanos, the leader in cell therapy, announced the expansion of its medical team to accommodate the growing demand for cell therapy to treat patients with chronic unmet needs for which adult stem cell therapy using cells from a persons own fat (adipose) tissue has been found to be safe and efficacious. Led by a prestigious team of U.S.-licensed physicians and nursing staff, the team includes Dr. Todd Malan, Chief Cell Therapy Officer and pioneer of adipose-derived stem cell therapy, and is joined by Dr. Matthew Mick, Cardiologist, FACC, Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic.

We are very pleased to have such a competent and highly regarded aggregate of expertise, said Okyanos CEO Matt Feshbach. Our team is comprised of leaders in their respective fields, each of whom is committed to bringing about a new standard of care and better quality of life to our patients.

Todd Malan, MD, serves as the Chief Cell Therapy Officer and General Surgeon at Okyanos, overseeing the fat-harvesting and stem cell isolation step of the Okyanos cell therapy process. A pioneer of fat-derived stem cell therapies, he became the first physician in the U.S. to utilize stem cells from fat for soft tissue reconstruction in October 2009, combining water-assisted fat-harvesting, fat transfer and adult stem cell technologies.

Matthew J. Mick, MD, is a triple board-certified interventional cardiologist. After attending the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Mick completed his Cardiovascular Disease and Interventional Fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Mick participated as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator in more than 20 cardiac clinical trials. He was a leader in developing trans-radial cardiac catheterization and holds several patents for cardiac catheters. Dr. Mick has performed over 15,000 diagnostic procedures in his 22 years of practice.

As the Director of Nursing managing a medical team which now numbers 10, Gretchen Dezelick oversees all of the clinical operations and maintains the superior cleanliness and safety standards that help make Okyanos a center of excellence. With more than 25 years of nursing experience progressing from bedside nursing to administrative and management positions in a variety of healthcare settings, Gretchen was a Certified Critical Care Nurse (CCRN) for more than 20 years and has been a Certified Peri-Operative Nurse (CNOR) for more than three years as well as being a Licensed Health Care Risk Manager (LHCRM).

Okyanos is also very proud to include several Bahamian medical staff such as Anesthesiologist Dr. Vincent Burton, Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, UK (FRCA), a Certified Critical Care Nurse, cardiology tech, sonographer, surgical scrub tech and a facilities tech, to deliver well-rounded expert patient care. The team also includes a Certified Cardiovascular Nurse, a BSN RN and a cardiovascular tech, providing more than 88 years of combined experience.

Okyanos follows the treatment guidelines laid out in clinical trials such as PRECISE and others which have demonstrated positive results from adult stem cell therapy. Okyanos cell therapy is performed in their newly constructed surgery center built to U.S. surgical standards and which also includes a state-of-the-art Phillips cath lab.

Adult stem cell therapy has emerged as a new treatment alternative for those who are restricted in activities they can no longer do but are determined to live a more normal life. Okyanos cell therapy uses a unique blend of adult stem cells derived from a patients own fat tissue, thereby helping the bodys own natural biology to heal itself.

Just 50 miles from US shore, Okyanos cell therapy is available to patients with severe heart disease including coronary artery disease (CAD) and congestive heart failure (CHF) as well as patients with autoimmune diseases, tissue ischemia, neurological and orthopedic conditions.

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Okyanos Expands World-Class Cell Therapy Medical Team

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December 17, 2014

Credit: Thinkstock

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

In a new proof of concept experiment, scientists have managed to edit the genome of sperm-producing adult stem cells, creating a break in the DNA strands of a mutant gene in mouse cells then repairing it by replacing flawed segments with corrected ones.

The process utilized in the study is known as homologous recombination, and researchers from Indiana University, Stanford University and the University of Texas used spermatogonial stem cells (the building blocks for the production of sperm and the only adult stem cells that contribute genetic information to the next generation) to demonstrate their technique.

By repairing flaws in these cells, the study authors said that experts could prevent mutations from being passed onto to future generations. The technique, which is detailed in a recent edition of the journal PLOS One, has tremendous potential for gene therapy as well as basic research.

We showed a way to introduce genetic material into spermatogonial stem cells that was greatly improved from what had been previously demonstrated, co-author Christina Dann, an associate scientist in the Indiana University (IU) Department of Chemistry, said in a statement Monday. This technique corrects the mutation, theoretically leaving no other mark on the genome.

Dann, lead author and former IU research associate Danielle Fanslow, and their colleagues had to overcome a number of difficulties in their research including the fact that spermatogonial stem cells are difficult to isolate, culture and work with. They were only able to create the correct conditions in which to maintain and propagate the cells following years worth of work by scientists at multiple laboratories.

A primary hurdle was to find a way to make specific, targeted modifications to the mutant mouse gene without the risk of disease caused by random introduction of genetic material, the university explained. The researchers used specially designed enzymes, called zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator-like effector nucleases, to create a double strand break in the DNA and bring about the repair of the gene.

Stem cells that were modified in the laboratory were then transplanted into the testes of sterile mice where they grew or colonized, indicating that the stem cells were viable. However, the researchers were unable to breed the mice, though they are do not know if it was abnormalities in the transplanted cells or the recipient testes led to the rodents failure to produce sperm.

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Scientists take step forward in "editing" human genetic mutations

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Contact: David March david.march@nyumc.org 212-404-3528 NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine @NYULMC

Chemical modifications to DNA's packaging -- known as epigenetic changes -- can activate or repress genes involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and early brain development, according to a new study to be published in the journal Nature on Dec. 18.

Biochemists from NYU Langone Medical Center found that these epigenetic changes in mice and laboratory experiments remove the blocking mechanism of a protein complex long known for gene suppression, and transitions the complex to a gene activating role instead.

Researchers say their findings represent the first link between this role reversal and the presence of an important protein whose encoding gene -- autism susceptibility candidate gene 2 or AUTS2 -- has long been tied to ASDs. They also say their study offers a novel theory about how ASDs develop through widespread unraveling of traditional brain pathways.

Specifically, researchers showed that AUTS2 converts polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) -- one of a group of proteins involved in transcriptional regulation during development -- to a gene-activating role, during which it prevents a chemical modification change to histone H2A, a main DNA-packaging protein in all cells with a nucleus.

According to senior study investigator Danny Reinberg, PhD, a professor at NYU School of Medicine and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, his team's latest findings "offer strong supporting evidence that if ASDs can be tied to widespread disruption of gene networks from multiple genetic lesions, then finding potential therapies could rest on research into repairing these gene network interruptions."

Among the study's other key findings, researchers found that disrupting the function of AUTS2 in mice led to behaviors that were comparable to the neurologically delayed autistic behaviors observed in people. Researchers have already estimated that nearly half of all people with AUTS2 mutations have been diagnosed with some form of the syndrome.

Additional experiments found that AUTS2 proteins were dominant in the cortex region of the mouse brain -- the part of the brain involving memory, attention, and learning -- and were more present in the first few weeks of life than after mice reach adulthood.

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'Master regulator' gene -- long tied to autism disorders -- stimulates other genes in early brain development

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Newswise Chemical modifications to DNAs packaging known as epigenetic changes can activate or repress genes involved in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and early brain development, according to a new study to be published in the journal Nature on Dec. 18.

Biochemists from NYU Langone Medical Center found that these epigenetic changes in mice and laboratory experiments remove the blocking mechanism of a protein complex long known for gene suppression, and transitions the complex to a gene activating role instead.

Researchers say their findings represent the first link between this role reversal and the presence of an important protein whose encoding gene -- autism susceptibility candidate gene 2 or AUTS2 -- has long been tied to ASDs. They also say their study offers a novel theory about how ASDs develop through widespread unraveling of traditional brain pathways.

Specifically, researchers showed that AUTS2 converts polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) -- one of a group of proteins involved in transcriptional regulation during development -- to a gene-activating role, during which it prevents a chemical modification change to histone H2A, a main DNA-packaging protein in all cells with a nucleus.

According to senior study investigator Danny Reinberg, PhD, a professor at NYU School of Medicine and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, his teams latest findings offer strong supporting evidence that if ASDs can be tied to widespread disruption of gene networks from multiple genetic lesions, then finding potential therapies could rest on research into repairing these gene network interruptions.

Among the studys other key findings, researchers found that disrupting the function of AUTS2 in mice led to behaviors that were comparable to the neurologically delayed autistic behaviors observed in people. Researchers have already estimated that nearly half of all people with AUTS2 mutations have been diagnosed with some form of the syndrome.

Additional experiments found that AUTS2 proteins were dominant in the cortex region of the mouse brain the part of the brain involving memory, attention, and learning and were more present in the first few weeks of life than after mice reach adulthood.

To further affirm their findings on the role of AUTS2 in controlling the syndrome, researchers genetically interrupted AUTS2 expression in mice and measured behavioral and motor-reflex effects. Mice with disrupted AUTS2 were slow to react, taking twice as long to right themselves after being placed on their backs, and making fewer than half as many calls after their mothers were taken away, than mice whose AUTS2 production was not impaired. Most AUTS2-deficient mice were also significantly shorter and had lower birth weights than mice producing AUTS2.

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Giant Biodynamic Tomato Plant Refutes Genetic Engineering - Monsanto
In this video, Biodynamic gardener L.A. Rotheraine explains the superiority of the Biodynamic tomato seed making process over those methods used by genetic e...

By: L.A. Rotheraine

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Dec-2014

Contact: Megan McRainey megan.mcrainey@emory.edu 404-727-6171 Emory Health Sciences @emoryhealthsci

Many genetic mutations in visual pigments, spread over millions of years, were required for humans to evolve from a primitive mammal with a dim, shadowy view of the world into a greater ape able to see all the colors in a rainbow.

Now, after more than two decades of painstaking research, scientists have finished a detailed and complete picture of the evolution of human color vision. PLOS Genetics is publishing the final pieces of this picture: The process for how humans switched from ultraviolet (UV) vision to violet vision, or the ability to see blue light.

"We have now traced all of the evolutionary pathways, going back 90 million years, that led to human color vision," says lead author Shozo Yokoyama, a biologist at Emory University. "We've clarified these molecular pathways at the chemical level, the genetic level and the functional level."

Co-authors of the PLOS Genetics paper include Emory biologists Jinyi Xing, Yang Liu and Davide Faggionato; Syracuse University biologist William Starmer; and Ahmet Altun, a chemist and former post-doc at Emory who is now at Fatih University in Istanbul, Turkey.

Yokoyama and various collaborators over the years have teased out secrets of the adaptive evolution of vision in humans and other vertebrates by studying ancestral molecules. The lengthy process involves first estimating and synthesizing ancestral proteins and pigments of a species, then conducting experiments on them. The technique combines microbiology with theoretical computation, biophysics, quantum chemistry and genetic engineering.

Five classes of opsin genes encode visual pigments for dim-light and color vision.

Bits and pieces of the opsin genes change and vision adapts as the environment of a species changes.

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A clear, molecular view of how human color vision evolved

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18-Dec-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, December 18, 2014--Internet addiction is an impulse-control problem marked by an inability to inhibit Internet use, which can adversely affect a person's life, including their health and interpersonal relationships. The prevalence of Internet addiction varies among regions around the world, as shown by data from more than 89,000 individuals in 31 countries analyzed for a study published in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website until January 18, 2015.

In the article "Internet Addiction Prevalence and Quality of (Real) Life: A Meta-Analysis of 31 Nations Across Seven World Regions," Cecelia Cheng and Angel Yee-lam Li, The University of Hong Kong, present 164 Internet addiction prevalence figures, with an overall global prevalence estimate of 6.0%. Prevalence ranged from a low of 2.6% in Northern and Western Europe to a high of 10.9% in the Middle East. The authors describe factors associated with higher Internet addiction prevalence and how it relates to individuals' quality of life.

"This study provides initial support for the inverse relationship between quality of life and Internet Addiction (IA). It, however, finds no support for the hypothesis that high Internet accessibility (such as the high penetration rates in northern and western Europe), promote IA," says Editor-in-Chief Brenda K. Wiederhold, PhD, MBA, BCB, BCN, Interactive Media Institute, San Diego, California and Virtual Reality Medical Institute, Brussels, Belgium.

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About the Journal

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with Open Access options and in print that explores the psychological and social issues surrounding the Internet and interactive technologies, plus cybertherapy and rehabilitation. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking website.

About the Publisher

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Internet addiction affects 6 percent of people worldwide

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Dec-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kryan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, December 17, 2014--Recognized for her pioneering work to develop gene therapy for hemophilia spanning several decades, taking it from the laboratory into human clinical trials, is Katherine A. High, MD, Spark Therapeutics. Also recognized for their demonstration of successful clinical applications of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector-based gene therapy for hemophilia B are Amit C. Nathwani, MD, PhD, UCL Cancer Institute, and Arthur W. Nienhuis, MD and Andrew M. Davidoff, MD, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Human Gene Therapy, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, is commemorating its 25th anniversary by bestowing this honor on the leading pioneers in the field of cell and gene therapy selected by a blue ribbon panel* and by publishing a Pioneer Perspective by the award recipients. The Perspectives by Dr. High and Drs. Nathwani, Nienhuis, and Davidoff are available free on the Human Gene Therapy website at http://www.liebertpub.com/hgt.

In the Perspective entitled "Gene Therapy for Hemophilia: The Clot Thickens", Dr. High recounts why hemophilia was an attractive early target for gene therapy research and describes the genetic and physiological basis of the disease. She reviews early efforts using gene-based therapy to treat hemophilia B and provides a detailed account of her group's approach using an adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector to deliver the Factor IX gene, which encodes the clotting factor missing in patients with hemophilia B. Dr. High recalls the reasons for selecting skeletal muscle as the injection site for drug delivery, and she describes the limitations and unexpected obstacles that arose, such as patients' immune responses to the AAV vector and evidence of vector genetic material in the semen of the male patients, creating the risk of germline transmission.

In "Our Journey to Successful Gene Therapy for Hemophilia B", Drs. Nathwani, Nienhuis, and Davidoff present a detailed overview of their many years of collaborative research that has included a comparison of the safety and efficacy of different gene therapy delivery sites. The researchers also developed a sensitive assay system to enable detection of low levels of Factor IX and demonstrated stable therapeutic expression of the clotting factor. Over the years, they experimented with AAV vector types to achieve higher gene transfer levels and enable a therapeutic effect using lower and potentially safer doses. They describe the current status of their clinical research program and their early efforts in the development of gene therapy for hemophilia A.

"Hemophilia B has served as the model by which in vivo gene therapies have been evaluated," says James M. Wilson, MD, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Human Gene Therapy, and Director of the Gene Therapy Program, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia. "Kathy was there from the beginning and has contributed to every major advance in hemophilia B gene therapy. Art, Andy, and Amit came together as a team soon after the turn of the century to eventually launch a clinical trial with a second generation AAV vector that served as a true milestone in the field of gene therapy. These pioneers are well-deserving of this recognition for their tenacity and courage to stay the course."

*The blue ribbon panel of leaders in cell and gene therapy, led by Chair Mary Collins, PhD, MRC Centre for Medical Molecular Virology, University College London selected the Pioneer Award recipients. The Award Selection Committee selected scientists that had devoted much of their careers to cell and gene therapy research and had made a seminal contribution to the field--defined as a basic science or clinical advance that greatly influenced progress in translational research.

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About the Journal

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Pioneer Award winners Katherine High, Amit Nathwani, Arthur Nienhuis, and Andrew Davidoff honored

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Dec-2014

Contact: Kathryn Ryan kyan@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News @LiebertOnline

New Rochelle, NY, December 17, 2014-The Sunni Islamist terror organization known as the Islamic State, or ISIS, uses extreme violence and brutality against anyone it perceives as a threat to its goal of expansion and restoration of an Islamic Caliphate. The significant behavioral aspects of this unparalleled violence and its implications for the future are explored in a compelling Review article published in Violence and Gender, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Violence and Gender website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/vio.2014.0037 until January 17, 2015.

In the article "The Violence of the Islamic State of Syria (ISIS): A Behavioral Perspective", coauthors Thomas Neer and Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, both retired FBI Agents, describe the growth of ISIS, its membership, and how gratuitous violence has become the organization's "brand." Other topics discussed in their article include violence and psychopathy, personality traits, use of propaganda, ISIS recruitment methods of young men and women, and strategies to counter ISIS.

These authors bring a unique and important perspective to understanding ISIS - a behavioral perspective. Both Mr. Neer and Dr. O'Toole worked for years as Profilers in the FBI's elite Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) where they analyzed violent offenders and their crimes. Mr. Neer's perspectives are also based on operational assignments throughout the world where he conducted behavioral and risk assessments of known and suspected terrorists. Dr. O'Toole lends her expertise in psychopathy and psychopathic behaviors of individuals and groups to ISIS leadership.

"ISIS is a global concern on many levels, and its grandiose display of extreme and ruthless violence is stunning," says Violence and Gender Editor-in-Chief Dr. O'Toole. "In this article, my colleague and I provide a behavioral assessment of this dangerous and evolving group comprised largely of young men in a vulnerable age group - late teens and twenties. I am sure you will find this unique and timely perspective both fascinating and enlightening, and extremely relevant for policy development."

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About the Journal

Violence and Gender is the only peer-reviewed journal focusing on the understanding, prediction, and prevention of acts of violence. Through research papers, roundtable discussions, case studies, and other original content, the Journal critically examines biological, genetic, behavioral, psychological, racial, ethnic, and cultural factors as they relate to the gender of perpetrators of violence. Led by Editor-in-Chief Mary Ellen O'Toole, PhD, Forensic Behavioral Consultant and Senior FBI Profiler/Criminal Investigative Analyst (ret.), Violence and Gender explores the difficult issues that are vital to threat assessment and prevention of the epidemic of violence. Violence and Gender is published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, and is the official journal of The Avielle Foundation. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Violence and Gender website at http://www.liebertpub.com/vio.

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Behavioral analysis of ISIS brutality presented in Violence and Gender journal

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

17-Dec-2014

Contact: George Hunka ghunka@aftau.org 212-742-9070 American Friends of Tel Aviv University @AFTAUnews

Premature ovarian failure, also known as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI), affects 1% of all women worldwide. In most cases, the exact cause of the condition, which is often associated with infertility, is difficult to determine.

A new Tel Aviv University study throws a spotlight on a previously-unidentified cause of POI: a unique mutation in a gene called SYCE1 that has not been previously associated with POI in humans. The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, was led by Dr. Liat de Vries and Prof. Lina Basel-Vanagaite of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Schneider Children's Medical Center and conducted by a team of researchers from both TAU and Schneider.

While the genes involved in chromosome duplication and division had been shown to cause POI in animal models, this is the first time a similar mutation has been identified in humans.

A new insight

"Researchers know that POI may be associated with Turner's syndrome, a condition in which a woman has only one X chromosome instead of two, or could be due to toxins like chemotherapy and radiation therapy," said Dr. de Vries. "However, in 90% of the cases, the exact cause remains a mystery."

The idea for the study surfaced when Dr. de Vries was asked to treat two POI patients, daughters of two sets of Israeli-Arab parents who were related to each other. The girls presented with typical POI symptoms: one had the appearance of puberty but had not gotten her period, and the other one had not started puberty at all. After ruling out the usual suspects (toxins, autoimmune disease, and known chromosomal and genetic diseases), the researchers set out to identify the genetic cause of POI in the two young women.

"One of my main topics of interest is puberty," said Dr. de Vries. "The clinical presentation of the two sisters, out of 11 children of first-degree cousins, was interesting. In each of the girls, POI was expressed differently. One had reached puberty and was almost fully developed but didn't have menses. The second, 16 years old, showed no signs of development whatsoever."

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Genetic mutation found to cause ovarian failure

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

18-Dec-2014

RJ Taylor 647-228-4358 rj.taylor@utoronto.ca

Lindsay Jolivet Writer & Media Relations Specialist Canadian Institute for Advanced Research 416-971-4876; lindsay.jolivet@cifar.ca

In the decade since the genome was sequenced in 2003, scientists and doctors have struggled to answer an all-consuming question: Which DNA mutations cause disease?

A new computational technique developed at the University of Toronto may now be able to tell us.

A Canadian research team led by professor Brendan Frey has developed the first method for 'ranking' genetic mutations based on how living cells 'read' DNA, revealing how likely any given alteration is to cause disease. They used their method to discover unexpected genetic determinants of autism, hereditary cancers and spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of infant mortality.

Their findings appear in today's issue of the leading journal Science.

Think of the human genome as a mysterious text, made up of three billion letters. "Over the past decade, a huge amount of effort has been invested into searching for mutations in the genome that cause disease, without a rational approach to understanding why they cause disease," says Frey, also a senior fellow at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. "This is because scientists didn't have the means to understand the text of the genome and how mutations in it can change the meaning of that text." Biologist Eric Lander of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology captured this puzzle in his famous quote: "Genome. Bought the book. Hard to read."

What was Frey's approach? We know that certain sections of the text, called exons, describe the proteins that are the building blocks of all living cells. What wasn't appreciated until recently is that other sections, called introns, contain instructions for how to cut and paste exons together, determining which proteins will be produced. This 'splicing' process is a crucial step in the cell's process of converting DNA into proteins, and its disruption is known to contribute to many diseases.

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Machine learning reveals unexpected genetic roots of cancers, autism and other disorders

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Psyclops #39; Genetics CheeseDog x JackPotRoyale x pre90AK47
These frostitutes are a creation from my brother Psyclops,he did a great job and I #39;m looking forward to running these again 18+ Medical Marijuana Caregivers or Patients Only please.

By: FARMER BIRDLEY

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Psyclops' Genetics CheeseDog x JackPotRoyale x pre90AK47 - Video

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Mower Genetics pesazen zku
Strain - LAConfidential pesazen do 1l potu zemina : vlastn mix.

By: Mower Genetics

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Mower Genetics pesazen zku - Video

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Myriad Genetics Inc. (MYGN) lost its bid to block competing DNA tests to determine risk for breast and ovarian cancer as a U.S. appeals court said three patents on the tests never should have been issued.

The patents cover products of nature that arent eligible for legal protection, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said in an opinion posted yesterday on its docket. The court upheld a trial judges decision to allow the competing tests, including those made by Ambry Genetics Corp., to remain on the market.

The tests check genes known as BRCA to determine whether theres a hereditary risk of developing the diseases. Myriad was the only company offering the tests until the U.S. Supreme Court last year limited the ability to obtain patents on human genetic sequences. Some patent claims in this case were similar to those invalidated by the high court, a three-judge panel ruled.

They are structurally identical to the ends of DNA strands found in nature, U.S. Circuit Judge Timothy Dyk wrote for the panel. A DNA structure with a function similar to that found in nature can only be patent-eligible as a composition of matter if it has a unique structure, different from anything found in nature.

Other claims, involving diagnostic methods, do nothing more than spell out what practitioners already knew -- how to compare gene sequences using routine, ordinary techniques, Dyk said in the opinion.

Ambry, based in Aliso Viejo, California, and other testing companies have accused Myriad of antitrust violations, claiming it filed the patent suits to prevent competition.

The appeal is University of Utah Research v. Ambry Genetics Corp., 14-1361, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Washington).

The Ambry case is University of Utah Research Foundation v. Ambry Genetics, 13-cv-00640, and the combined case is In Re: BRCA1 and BRCA2-based Hereditary Cancer Test Patent Litigation, 14-md-02510, U.S. District Court, District of Utah (Salt Lake City).

Kudelski SAs (KUD) OpenTV unit lost a patent case it brought against Netflix Inc. (NFLX), the streaming video service for watching television shows and movies, PC World reported.

The District Court of the Hague tossed out the suit, finding that the patent at issue was invalid, according to PC World.

More:
Myriad, Omaha Steaks, Abbott Healthcare: Intellectual Property

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Myriad Genetics Inc. (MYGN) cant block competitors DNA tests to determine risk for breast and ovarian cancer after a U.S. appeals court said three patents on the tests never should have been issued.

The patents cover products of nature and ideas that arent eligible for legal protection, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said in an opinion posted today on the courts docket. The court upheld a trial judges decision to allow the competing tests, including those made by Ambry Genetics Corp., to remain on the market.

The tests check genes known as BRCA to determine if there is a hereditary risk of developing the diseases. Myriad had been the only company offering the tests until the U.S. Supreme Court last year limited the ability to obtain patents on human genetic sequences. Some patent claims in this case were similar to those invalidated by the high court, a three-judge panel ruled.

They are structurally identical to the ends of DNA strands found in nature, Circuit Judge Timothy Dyk wrote for the panel. A DNA structure with a function similar to that found in nature can only be patent eligible as a composition of matter if it has a unique structure, different from anything found in nature.

Other claims, involving diagnostic methods, do nothing more than spell out what practitioners already knew -- how to compare gene sequences using routine, ordinary techniques, Dyk said in the opinion.

Myriad said it was disappointed in the decision.

We are currently reviewing the decision and will consider all of our options, Ron Rogers, a Myriad spokesman, said.

Public awareness of the tests has grown since Academy Award-winning actress Angelina Jolie said she had a double mastectomy after Myriads product showed she had a mutation linked to the cancer that killed her mother at 56. Myriad gets the majority of its revenue from the tests, though it has been expanding into other types of tests, such as one for prostate cancer.

In saying the patents are invalid, the Federal Circuit panel went beyond what it was asked -- whether the trial judge was correct to deny Myriads request to block competing sales.

It also illustrates how once cutting-edge steps in diagnosing diseases have become routine, said Matthew Dowd, a patent lawyer with Wiley Rein in Washington who has represented James Watson, the co-discoverer of DNAs double helix.

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Myriad Loses Appeals Court Bid to Block Breast Cancer Tests

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