PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Sep-2014

Contact: Jim Sliwa jsliwa@asmusa.org 202-942-9297 American Society for Microbiology

Researchers have synthesized a molecule that can silence the gene responsible for severe antibiotic resistance in some bacteria. The research, presented at the 54th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), an infectious disease meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) could be a viable new strategy for treating resistant infections.

The focus of this new molecule is NDM-1 (New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase-1) a gene carried by some bacteria that allows them to produce an enzyme called carbapenemase.

"NDM-1 confers bacterial resistance to all classes of beta-lactam (penicillin type) antibiotics including carbapenems, powerful antibiotics used when others fail," says Bruce Geller of Oregon State University and author on the study. "NDM-1 has spread rapidly to many bacterial pathogens, including E. coli, Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Many of these pathogens are resistant to multiple antibiotics, which limits treatment options."

Molecule known as a peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PPMO) are synthetic analogs of DNA or RNA that have the ability to silence the expression of specific genes. In this study Geller and his colleagues at Oregon State University and the University of Texas Southwestern have design, synthesized and tested a PPMO that is complimentary to the NDM-1 gene, allowing it to bind specifically to NDM-1 mRNA, essentially silencing the gene.

"When the NDM-1 PPMO was added to growing cultures of multidrug-resistant E. coli, A. baumannii or K. pneumoniae that express NDM-1, it restored susceptibility to carbapenems at therapeutically relevant concentrations," says Geller.

NDM-1 infection was first identified in 2009 in people who resided in or traveled to the India and Pakistan. The first cases in the United States were identified in 2010, and the number of cases is growing. The concern is that these highly resistant bacteria carrying NDM-1 could supplant more antibiotic-sensitive strains.

"There is a critical need to find new treatments for antibiotic-resistant pathogens and using a gene-silencing approach, such as with a PPMO, could be one viable strategy for new antimicrobial development," says Geller.

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New antimicrobial strategy silences NDM-1 resistance gene in pathogens

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Sep-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, September 8, 2014Highly valuable for modeling human diseases and discovering novel drugs and cell-based therapies, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are created by reprogramming an adult cell from a patient to obtain patient-specific stem cells. Due to genetic variation, however, iPSCs may differ from a patient's diseased cells, and researchers are now applying new and emerging genomic editing tools to human disease modeling, as described in a comprehensive Review article published in Stem Cells and Development, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Stem Cells and Development website until September 30, 2014.

In "Genomic Editing Tools to Model Human Diseases with Isogenic Pluripotent Stem Cells," Ihor Lemischka, Huen Suk Kim, Jeffrey Bernitz, and Dung-Fang Lee, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY), provide a detailed overview of the development of patient-specific iPSCs for modeling a disease. The authors describe the many factors that need to be considered when generating an iPSC-based disease model comprised of cells that are genetically identical, and they discuss the advantages and limitations of the three leading genomic editing tools: zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and the most recent, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) system.

"As our appreciation of iPSCs as primarily therapeutic screens and disease models matures, we look to advanced gene editing tools to assist in appropriate experimental design. Ihor Lemischka and colleagues provide a much needed examination of the advantages and shortcomings of such techniques," says Editor-in-Chief Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI.

###

About the Journal

Stem Cells and Development is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published 24 times per year in print and online. The Journal is dedicated to communication and objective analysis of developments in the biology, characteristics, and therapeutic utility of stem cells, especially those of the hematopoietic system. Complete tables of content and a free sample issue may be viewed on the Stem Cells and Development website.

About the Publisher

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New genomic editing methods produce better disease models from patient-derived iPSCs

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Sep-2014

Contact: Raeka Aiyar, Ph.D. raeka.aiyar@gmail.com 202-412-1120 Genetics Society of America

BETHESDA, MD The Genetics Society of America (GSA) and the yeast genetics research community are pleased to announce the winners of the GSA poster awards at the 2014 Yeast Genetics Meeting, which took place in Seattle, WA, July 29August 3, 2014. These awards were made to undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral scientists in recognition of the research they presented at the conference. Their projects examined the molecular basis of several processes governing the inheritance of traits using yeast as a model organism.

"The breadth and depth of the science presented at this meeting was impressive and inspiring," remarked Adam Fagen, PhD, GSA's executive director. "We are very proud to see these significant contributions to genetics research from these early career scientists and look forward to following their continued success throughout their careers."

Nearly 400 research posters were presented at the meeting, and the winning posters were selected by a panel of leading yeast genetics researchers. The winners of the 2014 Yeast Genetics Meeting GSA Poster Awards are as follows:

First Place: Joseph Sanchez (PhD student, University of Washington) Advisor: Dr. Bonny Brewer Title:: "The human Meier-Gorlin Syndrome mutation in ORC4 reduces replication initiation and rDNA copy number in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"

Second Place: Jinglin Xie (PhD student, University of Toronto) Advisor: Dr. Leah Cowen Title: "Dissecting the role of calcineurin and protein kinase C signalling in Hsp90-dependent caspofungin tolerance"

Third Place: Mark Rutledge (PhD student, Princeton University) Advisor: Dr. Jim Broach Title: "Chromatin organization in quiescent yeast"

Fourth Place: Erica Hildebrand (PhD student, Fred Hutchinson Research Center) Advisor: Dr. Susan Biggins Title: "Regulation of centromeric nucleosome localization by the E3 ubiquitin ligase Psh1"

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Seven researchers awarded for work presented at yeast genetics conference

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Researchers may have found a way to switch off auto-immune diseases
British researchers were able to target the aggressive immune system cells that attack healthy tissue and convert them into cells that could protect against ...

By: CBSNews.com Web Extras

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Researchers may have found a way to switch off auto-immune diseases - Video

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UofL pediatric spinal cord injury research program garners support
Helmsley Charitable Trust provides $1.5 million grant to help children battle paralysis.

By: University of Louisville

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Newswise La Jolla, Calif., September 7, 2014Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have developed a novel technique to promote tissue repair in damaged muscles. The technique also creates a sustainable pool of muscle stem cells needed to support multiple rounds of muscle repair. The study, published September 7 in Nature Medicine, provides promise for a new therapeutic approach to treating the millions of people suffering from muscle diseases, including those with muscular dystrophies and muscle wasting associated with cancer and aging.

There are two important processes that need to happen to maintain skeletal-muscle health. First, when muscle is damaged by injury or degenerative disease such as muscular dystrophy, muscle stem cellsor satellite cellsneed to differentiate into mature muscle cells to repair injured muscles. Second, the pool of satellite cells needs to be replenished so there is a supply to repair muscle in case of future injuries. In the case of muscular dystrophy, the chronic cycles of muscle regeneration and degeneration that involve satellite-cell activation exhaust the muscle stem-cell pool to the point of no return.

Our study found that by introducing an inhibitor of the STAT3 protein in repeated cycles, we could alternately replenish the pool of satellite cells and promote their differentiation into muscle fibers, said Alessandra Sacco, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Development, Aging, and Regeneration Program at Sanford-Burnham. Our results are important because the process works in mice and in human muscle cells.

Our next step is to see how long we can extend the cycling pattern, and test some of the STAT3 inhibitors currently in clinical trials for other indications such as cancer, as this could accelerate testing in humans, added Sacco.

These findings are very encouraging. Currently, there is no cure to stop or reverse any form of muscle-wasting disordersonly medication and therapy that can slow the process, said Vittorio Sartorelli, M.D., chief of the Laboratory of Muscle Stem Cells and Gene Regulation and deputy scientific director at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). A treatment approach consisting of cyclic bursts of STAT3 inhibitors could potentially restore muscle mass and function in patients, and this would be a very significant breakthrough.

Revealing the mechanism of STAT3 STAT3 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 3) is a protein that activates the transcription of genes in response to IL-6, a signaling protein released by cells in response to injury and inflammation. Prior to the study, scientists knew that STAT3 played a complex role in skeletal muscle, promoting tissue repair in some instances and hindering it in others. But the precise mechanism of how STAT3 worked was a mystery.

The research team first used normally aged mice and mice models of a form of muscular dystrophy that resembles the human disease to see what would happen if they were given a drug to inhibit STAT3. They found that the inhibitor initially promoted satellite-cell replication, followed by differentiation of the satellite cells into muscle fibers. When they injected the STAT3 inhibitor every seven days for 28 days, they found an overall improvement in skeletal-muscle repair, and an increase in the size of muscle fibers.

We were pleased to find that we achieved similar results when we performed the experiments in human muscle cells, said Sacco. We have discovered that by timing the inhibition of STAT3like an on/off light switchwe can transiently expand the satellite-cell population followed by their differentiation into mature muscle cells.

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Researchers Discover a Key to Making New Muscles

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New ACMG Video Encourages Med Students to Consider a Residency/Combined Residency in Medical Genetics

There has never been a more exciting and extraordinary time to consider a residency and career in medical genetics. Genetics and genomics are changing how we practice medicine and will increasingly guide day-to-day healthcare decisions. This fast-paced and engaging new video features current and recent medical genetics residents in interviews, in patient care situations, in group discussions and team meetings in a variety of settings.

From diagnosis to management and from rare diseases to the most common conditions, medical genetics is moving the practice of medicine forward. The future of medicine lies in a better understanding of the human genome and how to apply it to every aspect of medical practice - this new video from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) lets medical students know the variety of ways that they can play a role in this fascinating effort.

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American College of Medical Genetics - ACMG_HOME

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

7-Sep-2014

Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center

A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The mutation occurs in a gene called KNSTRN, which is involved in helping cells divide their DNA equally during cell division.

Genes that cause cancer when mutated are known as oncogenes. Although KNSTRN hasn't been previously implicated as a cause of human cancers, the research suggests it may be one of the most commonly mutated oncogenes in the world.

"This previously unknown oncogene is activated by sunlight and drives the development of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas," said Paul Khavari, MD, PhD, the Carl J. Herzog Professor in Dermatology in the School of Medicine and chair of the Department of Dermatology. "Our research shows that skin cancers arise differently from other cancers, and that a single mutation can cause genomic catastrophe."

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common cancer in humans. More than 1 million new cases are diagnosed globally each year. The researchers found that a particular region of KNSTRN is mutated in about 20 percent of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas and in about 5 percent of melanomas.

A paper describing the research will be published online Sept. 7 in Nature Genetics. Khavari, who is also a member of the Stanford Cancer Institute and chief of the dermatology service at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, is the senior author of the paper. Postdoctoral scholar Carolyn Lee, MD, PhD, is the lead author.

Lee and Khavari made the discovery while investigating the genetic causes of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. They compared the DNA sequences of genes from the tumor cells with those of normal skin and looked for mutations that occurred only in the tumors. They found 336 candidate genes for further study, including some familiar culprits. The top two most commonly mutated genes were CDKN2A and TP53, which were already known to be associated with squamous cell carcinoma.

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Ultraviolet light-induced mutation drives many skin cancers, Stanford researchers find

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Let #39;s Play The Sims 3: Perfect Genetics pt 21
I created this video with the YouTube Video Editor (http://www.youtube.com/editor)

By: Simmerlover3

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Let's Play The Sims 3: Perfect Genetics pt 21 - Video

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#484 GENETICS
Proven Genetic of 2014 Heifer, Sired by Dr. Too, out of a Just Push Play daughter.

By: SpearWbuckingbulls

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#484 GENETICS - Video

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Personalized Medicine in Psychiatry
Published on September 5, 2014 Presented on September 3, 2014 "Prediction of Disease Vulnerability and Treatment Response in Mood Disorders: Personalized Med...

By: UMN Psychiatry

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wheelchair power assit-servekid
Servekid Dongdaemun Design Plaza indoor driving. He is a severe spinal cord injury. Dongdaemun Design Plaza is located in South Korea. Create SERVEKID also in Korea.

By: kim sung sub

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wheelchair power assit-servekid - Video

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wheelchair power assist-Servekid
Servekid separation in a wheelchair He is a severe spinal cord injury.

By: kim sung sub

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wheelchair power assist-Servekid - Video

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Gordon Keller, Ice Bucket Challenge (Sept. 5, 2014)
Gordon Keller, Director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University Health Network in Toronto accepts the Ice Bucket Challenge and nominates former ISSCR president Janet...

By: Mark Gagliardi

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Gordon Keller, Ice Bucket Challenge (Sept. 5, 2014) - Video

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Stem Cell Therapy for Chronic Illness and So Called untreatable Diseases
Stem Cell Therapy with Mesenchymal stem cells are pluripotent and adult cells with fibroblastoid morphology and plasticity, toward various cell lineages such as chondrocytes, osteocytes and...

By: enjades

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Human trials on the effectiveness of using adult stem cells in the fight against cornea transplant rejection could be under way within the next five years.

Corneal eye disease is the fourth most common cause of blindness in the world and affects more than 10 million people worldwide. New research from NUI Galway has found that transplant rejection rates could be reduced to as low as 10% by administering a stem cell grown from the bone marrow of adult donors.

Although 100,000 people worldwide undergo cornea transplants each year, about 30% are unsuccessful due to rejection by the patients own immune system.

An unhealthy cornea affects vision by scattering or distorting light and causing glare and blurred vision.

Corneal transplants are the most widely used treatments where the diseased or scarred cornea is replaced with healthy tissue from an organ donor.

Researchers from NUI Galways Regenerative Medicine Institute previously found that mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) release chemicals capable of adjusting the immune system balance in the body.

The cells can be readily obtained and grown from the bone marrow of adult donors and the finding led them to study their usefulness in combating cornea transplant rejection.

The teams lead scientist, Dr Oliver Treacy, said the model system they developed led to an increase in cells called regulatory T-cells, which dampen down inflammation, and a decrease in the number of natural killer cells, key players in the rejection process.

Consultant ophthalmologist at Galway University Hospital, Gerry Fahy, who was involved in the study, said corneal transplant rejection could result in blindness and was not uncommon in high-risk patients.

This important research presents a potentially new avenue of treatment to prevent transplant rejection and save vision in this vulnerable group of patients, said Mr Fahy.

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Stem cells could cut high rate of cornea transplant rejection

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Durham, NC (PRWEB) September 05, 2014

A study published in STEM CELLS on August 30, 2014, details a new, simple, and highly efficient way to convert cells taken from an adults skin into stem cells that have the potential to differentiate into white blood cells.

Stem cells are the keystone of regenerative medicine due to their ability to be coaxed into becoming nearly any cell in the body. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are of particular interest because they can be generated directly from adult cells and thus many of the controversies associated with embryonic stem cells are avoided.

However, a major problem with iPSCs is their propensity to differentiate into immature cells. This is particularly true of hematopoietic (blood) cells, and the ability to generate long-term, re-populating hematopoietic stem cells has long eluded researchers.

In terms of potential clinical applications, the hematopoietic system represents one of the most suitable tissues for stem cell-based therapies as it can be relatively easily reconstituted upon bone marrow or umbilical cord blood cell transplantation. However, and even though much effort has focused on the derivation of hematopoietic cells from iPSCs, their grafting and differentiation potential remains limited, said Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif.

He and his colleagues at the Salk Institute, the Center of Regenerative Medicine in Barcelona, and the Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Madrid, decided to tackle this problem using a gene called Sox2 and a gene-regulating molecule called miRNA 125b. The Sox2 gene was used as a primer to coax human fibroblasts (the most common cells of connective tissue in animals) into differentiating into CD34+ cells, which are primitive blood- and bone marrow-derived progenitor cells. The miRNA 125b was then added to facilitate the differentiation of these CD34+ stem cells into more mature, hematopoietic-like stem cells.

To our knowledge this is the first time human skin cells have been converted into white blood-like cells with reconstitution and migratory potential, able to further mature in vivo and, more importantly, to graft into distant hematopoietic sites Dr. Belmonte said. Our results indicate this strategy could help circumvent obstacles to reprogramming human cells into blood cells that have clinical potential.

Jan Nolta,Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS, said, we are proud to feature this interesting work that shows that miRNA 125b facilitates the differentiation of fibroblast-derived progenitors into more mature, hematopoietic-like stem cells. This is exciting for future research into the blood-forming system. ###

The full article, Conversion of Human Fibroblasts into Monocyte-Like Progenitor Cells, can be accessed at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/stem.1800/abstract.

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New Study Shows Simple Conversion of Skin Cells Into White Blood-Like Cells

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From the perspective of a community physician, the stem cell research, at this point, is not a priority. Given the daunting task of not only curing the present crop of diseases but also preventing them, and of course, building the human resource as the backbone of the health care system these should be the priority. Joseph Carabeo, convenor, Rx Abolish Pork Barrel Movement

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL Bulatlat.com

MANILA Eleazar Sobinsky, president of the Lung Center of the Philippines Employees Association-Alliance of Health Workers cannot decipher how the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) has helped the poor. Of the P115 million ($263,822) DAP funds received by LCP, P70 million ($160,587) was spent for the stem cell research project and the rest was spent for the procurement of equipment.

He said if the DAP has helped the poor, why are there more indigent patients waiting in line at the LCPs out-patient department?

Joseph Carabeo, convenor of the Rx Abolish Pork Barrel Movement and a community doctor for the past 28 years, said that the stem cell research project does not even help solve the longtime health problems of Filipinos.

The stem cell research in LCP is a mispriority, said Carabeo in an interview with Bulatlat.com. There are many problems in the health sector that has to be addressed. We think, the DOH is merely riding the bandwagon on the stem cell research intervention in health care, wellness and primarily rejuvenation, Carabeo said.

Eleazar Sobinsky, union president of the Lung Center Employees Union said if the DAP has helped the poor, why are there more indigent patients waiting in line at the LCPs out-patient department? (Photo by A. Umil/ Bulatlat.com)

Stem cells according to http://www.stemcellnetwork.ca are the precursors of all cells in the human body.

Stem cells are very special, powerful cells found in both humans and non-human animals. They have been called the centerpiece of regenerative medicine medicine that involves growing new cells, tissues and organs to replace or repair those damaged by injury, disease or aging, the website said.

In the Philippines, Carabeo said, the medical community is not even united in the use of stem cell therapy in curing diseases. He said it is still under research in the Philippines. The Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM) for one has even warned the public on the use of stem cell therapy as treatment for diabetes.

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DAP-funded stem cell research a wrong priority

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WASHINGTON -- An inspection of an orchard of experimental, genetically modified apples in central Washington last year turned up a troubling finding gene-altered trees flowering less than 100 feet from conventional apple trees.

The grower, Gebbers Farms of Brewster, Wash., previously had been cited for conducting a field trial too near conventional apples, failing to keep good records and making no effort to keep animals away from the plot.

So last November, the federal Animal Plant Health Inspection Service did what it seldom does slapped Gebbers with a civil penalty of $19,250 for failing to comply with rules governing field trials of genetically modified crops.

The apple experiment, one of just a handful in the United States, drew extra scrutiny because the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering legalizing genetically modified "non-browning apples."

The prospect of gene-altered apples entering the market is a worry in Washington's $2.5 billion apple industry amid fears that consumers will reject tinkering with the genes of a fruit that stands as a symbol of healthy eating.

Until now, the location of the experimental apple plot in Washington which Gebbers says was abandoned this year had not been publicly known.

Details of Gebbers' field trials and hundreds of inspections of field trials with genetically modified plants were obtained by Hearst under Freedom of Information laws.

The inspection reports and other Agriculture Department records present a picture of the vast outdoor experimentation with genetically modified crops, which is expanding swiftly from common field crops like corn and soybeans into the realm of whole foods and plants with industrial uses. The documents show how the obscure Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), part of the government agency charged with promoting and protecting agriculture, takes an industry-friendly approach to regulating as it seeks to prevent contamination or economic harm from field trials.

Among the findings of Hearst's investigation:

Inspection reports show the many problems that can occur with field trials, including bad weather. Dozens of times, heavy rains washed out or otherwise damaged test plots, raising the specter of unwanted dispersal of GMOs.

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Gene-altered apple tested in Washington state

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

4-Sep-2014

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

New Rochelle, NY, September 4, 2014--Imagine a non-rigid, shape-changing robot that walks on four "legs," can operate without the constraints of a tether, and can function in a snowstorm, move through puddles of water, and even withstand limited exposure to flames. Harvard advanced materials chemist George Whitesides, PhD and colleagues describe the mobile, autonomous robot they have created in Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the Soft Robotics website.

In "A Resilient, Untethered Soft Robot," Michael Tolley, PhD and a multidisciplinary team of coauthors from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, and Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), and the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University (Ithaca, NY), detail the innovative composite materials, design features, and fabrication methods they used to develop a soft robot capable of functioning for several hours using a battery pack or for longer periods with a light-weight electrical tether, and able to carry payloads of up to 8 kg.

"This paper marks the emergence of soft robot technology from the research lab into the real world," says Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD, who directs the Neuromechanics and Biomimetic Devices Laboratory at Tufts University (Medford, MA).

###

About the Journal

Soft Robotics, a peer-reviewed journal published quarterly online with Open Access options and in print, combines advances in biomedical engineering, biomechanics, mathematical modeling, biopolymer chemistry, computer science, and tissue engineering to present new approaches to the creation of robotic technology and devices that can undergo dramatic changes in shape and size in order to adapt to various environments. Led by Editor-in-Chief Barry A. Trimmer, PhD and a distinguished team of Associate Editors, the Journal provides the latest research and developments on topics such as soft material creation, characterization, and modeling; flexible and degradable electronics; soft actuators and sensors; control and simulation of highly deformable structures; biomechanics and control of soft animals and tissues; biohybrid devices and living machines; and design and fabrication of conformable machines. Tables of content and a sample issue can be viewed on the Soft Robotics website.

About the Publisher

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Harvard and Cornell researchers develop untethered, autonomous soft robot

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COLUMBUS, Ohio - Cancer research goes beyond medicine at The Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital.

Doctors conduct genetic testing at Ohio State, unraveling the genetic code of a specific cancer.

"The idea is can we identify what these cancers are, what's wrong with these cancers, and what's the right therapy for them?" said Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury.

Roychowdhury leads the precision cancer medicine program at the James. The focus of the program is just that precision.

Doctors have been analyzing tumors for years, but now it's so specific down to the genetic mutation.

"So if we saw 100 patients with breast cancer, we could literally find 100 different types of breast cancer," Roychowdhury said.

Getting to the genetic heart of the cancer, knowing what drives it and makes it grow and spread, is the key to finding the cancer, stopping it, and saving lives.

"It's going to be much more focusedon the exact gene that's disruptive," Roychowdhury said.

For example, Jared Gordon was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer at age 51.

The father of three was told that he had six months to live.

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Ohio State Gene Testing Could Unlock Key To Curing Cancer

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Hereditary Genetics | Lewin | Steve Adubato | One on One
Sharyn N. Lewin, MD, FACS, Director, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Holy Name Medical Center talks about hereditary genetics and educating viewers on how to screen for ovarian and breast...

By: Steve Adubato

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Hereditary Genetics | Lewin | Steve Adubato | One on One - Video

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Mouse Genotyping Service at Garvan Molecular Genetics
See https://www.garvan.org.au/research/capabilities/molecular-genetics/mouse-genotyping for more information about our mouse genotyping service.

By: Garvan Institute of Medical Research

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Let #39;s Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge: Cowgirl and Horse Edition Episode 46
Come join me on my latest journey into the complex world of sims 3 genetics, as I try to get perfect foals and perfect children. Will I succeed in getting perfect genetics in both? Can I keep...

By: GamerGirlsNetwork

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Let's Play The Sims 3 - Perfect Genetics Challenge: Cowgirl and Horse Edition Episode 46 - Video

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MOUNTAIN VIEW -- In less than a decade, biotech company 23andMe has turned a refrigerator full of spit into one of the largest databases of personal genetics information in the world.

The brainchild of Anne Wojcicki, the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin, 23andMe began in 2006 as a startup mailing DNA testing kits to customers' front doors and asking them to mail back a vial of saliva. Eight years later, the company is the gatekeeper of a database of hundreds of thousands of people's DNA -- a self-described Google for genetics information.

"It's actually bigger than anything else I can think of, way bigger," said Lisa Brooks, program director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

23andMe has begun selling that genetics data to researchers and pharmaceutical companies to conduct large-scale medical studies, making it an emerging leader in a largely underexplored, and at times hotly debated, area of scientific research. In the last couple of months, 23andMe has announced a joint effort with Pfizer to research inflammatory bowel disease, released findings from a joint study of more than 100,000 people that made new discoveries on Parkinson's disease, and received a $1.4 million grant from the NIH.

But as the guardian of a very lucrative set of data -- the accuracy of which has come under question -- critics say the Mountain View company also may pose a threat to consumers' privacy.

Most medical studies take months or years to solicit enough volunteers. But 23andMe puts the genetic information of 700,000 people at researchers' fingertips, allowing medical studies to be fast-tracked and new treatments to make their way into hospitals sooner, experts say, giving patients with chronic diseases a better quality of life.

"Instead of actually having to do clinical trials the old-fashioned way, we can enable researchers to get their answers instantaneously," Wojcicki said in an interview with this newspaper. "And they pay us for that."

But some experts worry 23andMe users have no idea where their own genetic information will end up. Because the company is relying on data sales to become profitable -- selling $99 home genetic testing kits doesn't pull in the big-dollar revenue -- 23andMe may disseminate consumers' genetic information not only to government agencies and research institutions, say legal and bioethics experts, but also to big pharmaceutical companies, marketers and advertisers.

"There are a lot of people who would want to use that data. There's a lot of money potentially locked up in that data," said Charles Seife, a professor at New York University and longtime science writer.

Indeed, in a 2013 interview with The New York Times, Wojcicki said, "I remember in the early days of Google, Larry (Page) would say, 'I just want the world's data on my laptop.' I feel the same way about health care. I want the world's data accessible."

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23andMe aims to be Google for genetic research

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