Aboriginal DNA dates Australian arrival - Dani Cooper - ABC News - on RichardDawkins net -

"...Sebastian Greiss and Jason Chin have re-engineered the nematode worm's gene-reading machinery to include a 21st amino acid, not found in nature."

Most astonishing bit of technology that has been pointing out to me (by @fcw):

Some geek posts his genome to github. A smartass makes changes and issues a pull request.

I heartily approve.

Genotyping from short reads using cloud computing

The genetic code of the Argentine ant has been unlocked, revealing the secrets of their success. #science #genetics

Human Malaria Parasite Arose from Gorillas, Not Chimps

Bowlby wld have loved this amazing Nature feature on behav epigenetics & scepticism of traditional molecular biologists:

Scientists successfully use human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat Parkinson's in rodents

Gene variant role in Parkinson's uncovered

Transcription LIVE - the great gig in the nucleus @ Nature Methods. Plus youtubes @ The Scientist

The 1000 Genomes Project, an international public-private consortium to build the most detailed map of human genetic variation to date, has completed three pilot projects and announced the deposition of the final resulting data in freely available public databases for use by the research community...n addition to distributing the results on the Project’s own web sites, the pilot data set is available via the Amazon Web services (AWS) computing cloud to enable anyone to access this unprecedentedly large data set, even if they do not have capacity to download it locally.

Discovery that some humans are part-Neanderthal reveals the promise of comparing genomes old and new.

Fragile X syndrome gene's role in shaping brain uncovered

The protein that has long been suspected by scientists of being the master switch allowing brains to function has now been verified by an Iowa State University researcher.
Yeon-Kyun Shin, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology at ISU, has shown that the protein called synaptotagmin1 (Syt1) is the sole trigger for the release of neurotransmitters in the brain.

A genetic switch that causes memory impairment in ageing mice when it goes into "off" mode has been flicked on, restoring failing brains to a more youthful state.

If a similar switch can be found in people, it might provide a new way to keep ageing human brains young.

Traumatic experiences can scar for life, both mentally and physically. Now it seems they even leave chemical marks on DNA – in areas responsible for immune functions and memory.

The result could help explain why people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including some soldiers and victims of rape or earthquake, often have poorer physical health years later, as well as memory problems. It could also lead to a new method for diagnosing the disorder.

Genetic link between both types of ALS discovered

Newly discovered RNA steers brain development

Gene that changes the brain’s response to stress identified

Patents on genes associated with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer are invalid, ruled a New York federal court today. The precedent-setting ruling marks the first time a court has found patents on genes unlawful and calls into question the validity of patents now held on approximately 2,000 human genes. The ruling follows a lawsuit brought by a group of patients and scientists represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), a not-for-profit organization affiliated with Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

For the first time, researchers describe a new type of human ancestor on the basis of DNA rather than anatomy

Mosquitoes: flying vaccinators of the future? #science #vaccine #malaria #health #news #mosquito #genetics #scidev

Hitting PPAR on the course of cystic fibrosis: correcting PPAR-gamma signaling defect limits CF severity in mouse model

How to make a snake - "you start with a lizard". evolution seen through the lens of Hox genes; brilliant #biology

The genes that make codeine and morphine have been sequenced. #science #news #drugs #opium #biology #genetics #health

King Tut has DNA test solves death mystery: malaria did it #science #archeo #egypt #genetics #health #medical #news

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, found in everything from cosmetics to sunscreen to paint to vitamins, caused systemic genetic damage in mice, according to a comprehensive study conducted by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK, have shown how plants can protect themselves against genetic damage caused by environmental stresses. The growing tips of plant roots and shoots have an in-built mechanism that, if it detects damage to the DNA, causes the cell to 'commit suicide' rather than pass on its defective DNA.

Longevity tied to genes that preserve tips of chromosomes http://ow.ly/161JZX

'Spoonful Of Sugar' Makes The Worms' Life Span Go Down http://ow.ly/15ZA64

Life is not so sweet (sadly)! Glucose Shortens Life Span in C. elegans - molecular mechanism uncovered http://bit.ly/1Zv9xe

New Genomic Zoo to Collect DNA of 10,000 Vertebrate Species http://bit.ly/2CjdFJ

The Beginings of Optogenetics, new video lecture about optically controlling neural activity http://bit.ly/26RVQb

Is there genetic evidence that humans and Neanderthals had sex? http://bit.ly/3KaGey

Right Place, Right Time: Regulation of Drosophila IAP1 turnover determines caspase life or death function http://bit.ly/O7jQN

Possible Link Between Autism And Oxytocin Gene Via Non-DNA Sequence Mutation http://ow.ly/15Wu1a

Optogenetics continues to be a hot topic. This emerging set of research tools combines genetic engineering and sophisticated optics to image or stimulate neural activity. The neural circuits that mediate things like mood, memory, and behavior are assembled from different types of cells--and optogenetics gives researchers a way to manipulate one cell type at a time to figure out what role it plays in the circuit.

Link Between Genetic Defect And Brain Changes In Schizophrenia Demonstrated http://ow.ly/15VwP0

Mythbusting Personalized Genomics: Bunnie Huang explains why gene sequencing is NOT like reverse engineering a chip:

Researchers discover RNA repair system in bacteria: The novelty of the newly discovered bacterial RNA repair sy.. http://bit.ly/wSSpU