http://www.physorg.com/ en-us Physorg.com internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Technological advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing have opened up the possibility of determining how living things are related by analyzing the ways in which their genes have been rearranged on chromosomes. However, inferring such evolutionary relationships from rearrangement events is computationally intensive on even the most advanced computing systems available today. http://www.physorg.com/news177690411.html Technology Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:27:37 EST news177690411 (PhysOrg.com) -- A study of the genetic structure of viruses in an Antarctic lake has revealed an astonishing genetic richness in the large number of viral families discovered. http://www.physorg.com/news177147268.html Biology Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:40:01 EST news177147268 Over the last 20 years, the sequencing of the human genome, along with related organisms, has represented one of the largest scientific endeavors in the history of mankind. The information collected from genome sequencing will provide the raw data for the field of bioinformatics, where computer science and biology meet. http://www.physorg.com/news177009481.html Biology Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:18:51 EST news177009481 (PhysOrg.com) -- Until recently, the genetic code of canola was a mystery. Australian researcher Dr David Edwards, in collaboration with Bayer CropScience and Keygene N.V., is the first in the world to have solved the code, discovering the sequence of the canola genome. http://www.physorg.com/news176727844.html Biology Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:30:02 EST news176727844 The whole genome sequence of the domestic horse has been completed by the genome-sequencing center of The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, in collaboration with an international team of researchers that includes scientists at the University of California, Davis. http://www.physorg.com/news176654326.html Biology Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:10:02 EST news176654326 (PhysOrg.com) -- A team of geneticists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, together with a consortium of international researchers, has recently proposed a set of standards designed to elucidate the quality of publicly available genetic sequencing information. The new standards could eventually allow genetic researchers to develop vaccines more efficiently or help public health or security personnel more quickly respond to potential public-health emergencies. http://www.physorg.com/news175364662.html Biology Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:25:11 EST news175364662 (PhysOrg.com) -- An international team of researchers from the United States, Korea, and France has sequenced and analyzed the genomes of two important laboratory strains of E. coli bacteria, one used to study evolution and the other to produce proteins for basic research or practical applications. The findings will help guide future research and will also open a window to a deeper understanding of classical research that is the foundation of our understanding of basic molecular biology and genetics. http://www.physorg.com/news175272772.html Biology Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:53:30 EST news175272772 Although the human genome sequence faithfully lists (almost) every single DNA base of the roughly 3 billion bases that make up a human genome, it doesn't tell biologists much about how its function is regulated. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute provide the first detailed map of the human epigenome, the layer of genetic control beyond the regulation inherent in the sequence of the genes themselves. http://www.physorg.com/news174744415.html Medicine & Health Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:07:22 EST news174744415 (PhysOrg.com) -- Viruses such as HIV and influenza take safe harbor in cells, where they cannot be recognized directly by the immune system. The immune response relies on infected cells announcing the presence of the virus by studding their exterior with fragments of the virus lurking within. http://www.physorg.com/news174553425.html Medicine & Health Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:04:04 EST news174553425 In 1996, researchers from major genome sequencing centers around the world convened on the island of Bermuda and defined a finished genome as a gapless sequence with a nucleotide error rate of one or less in 10,000 bases. This effectively set the quality target for the human genome effort and was quickly applied to other genome projects. If a genome sequence didn't meet this stringent criterion, it was simply considered a "draft." http://www.physorg.com/news174231814.html Biology Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:20:01 EST news174231814 In research published today by Nature, an international team describes the finest map of changes to the structure of human genomes and a resource they have developed for researchers worldwide to look at the role of these changes in human disease. They also identify 75 'jumping genes' - regions of our genome that can be found in more than one location in some individuals. http://www.physorg.com/news174140287.html Medicine & Health Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:22:35 EST news174140287 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-funded research, published this week in Chemical Communications, describes how scientists have discovered molecules that could confuse insects' ability to detect plants by interfering with their sense of smell. This could reduce damage to crops by insect pests and contribute to food security. http://www.physorg.com/news173002938.html Chemistry Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:22:48 EST news173002938 (PhysOrg.com) -- In a study published in the September 24th issue of Nature, an international team describes how they harnessed modern genomic technology to explore the ancient history of India, the world's second most populous nation. http://www.physorg.com/news172931737.html Medicine & Health Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:36:45 EST news172931737 UBC researchers have helped developed a cheaper, faster way to compile draft genome sequences that could advance the fight against mountain pine beetle (MPB) infestation and improve cancer research. http://www.physorg.com/news172247541.html Biology Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:33:41 EST news172247541 (PhysOrg.com) -- A newly designed computational method has proven its usefulness in counting copies of duplicated genome sequences and in doing initial assessments of their contents, according to a study to be published Aug. 30 in Nature Genetics. The number of copies of particular DNA segments can differ from one person to the next. http://www.physorg.com/news170860501.html Medicine & Health Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:16:37 EST news170860501 A research team led by Associate Professor Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) has developed a sensitive and accurate way of identifying gene copy number variations (CNVs). The method, which is described in a paper published online ahead of print in Genome Research, uses new DNA sequencing technologies to look for regions of the genome that vary in copy number between individuals in the population. Capable of detecting a wide range of different classes of CNVs, large and small, this method allows researchers to extract more genetic information from the complete genome sequence of an individual. http://www.physorg.com/news170342066.html Medicine & Health Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:30:01 EST news170342066 Scientists have shown that E. coli - one of the best known and extensively studied organisms in the world - remains an enigma that may hold the key to human diseases, such as cancer. http://www.physorg.com/news166704056.html Biology Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:30:05 EST news166704056 The Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute (JGI) announced today that they will sequence the genomes of four species of labyrinthulomycetes. These little-known marine species were selected for sequencing as the result of a proposal submitted to the competitive JGI Community Sequencing Program by a team of microbiologists led by Dr. Jackie Collier, assistant professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University. http://www.physorg.com/news165498490.html Biology Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:48:47 EST news165498490 (PhysOrg.com) -- Nestled within the twisting fungus gardens of leaf-cutter ants exists a complex symbiotic web that has evolved over millions of years. Now, with the help of a major genomic sequencing grant from Roche Applied Science, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be able to analyze these interactions at the molecular scale. http://www.physorg.com/news165243479.html Biology Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:58:41 EST news165243479 A tiny plant with a long name (Arabidopsis thaliana) helps researchers from over 120 countries learn how to design new crops to help meet increasing demands for food, biofuels, industrial materials, and new medicines. The genes, proteins, and other traits of this fast-growing, tiny mustard plant reside in a vast database dubbed the Arabidopsis Information Resource (TAIR), which has over 1.6 million page hits each month. The TAIR group, headed by Dr. Eva Huala at Carnegie's Department of Plant Biology, just released a new version of the genome sequence of this model plant, which includes an array of improvements and novel features that promise to accelerate this critical research. http://www.physorg.com/news164891769.html Biology Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:17:02 EST news164891769 A collaboration of researchers, which includes scientists at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) and Virginia Tech, have completed the genome sequence of Azotobacter vinelandii, uncovering important genetic information that will contribute to a more complete understanding of the biology of this versatile, soil-living bacterium. The work will help advance research on A. vinelandii's role as a model study organism for investigation of nitrogen fixation and other biochemical processes. It will also pave the way for new applications in biotechnology, including the possible use of A. vinelandii as a "factory" for the production of other proteins, in particular those that may be damaged by the presence of oxygen. http://www.physorg.com/news164461475.html Biology Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:44:55 EST news164461475 Are you a man or a mouse? A new paper, published in this week's issue of PLoS Biology, explores exactly what distinguishes our genome from that of the lab mouse. In the first comprehensive comparison between the genes of mice and humans, scientists from institutions across America, Sweden and the UK reveal that there are more genetic differences between the two species than had been previously thought. One-fifth of mouse genes are new copies that have emerged in the last 90 million years of mouse evolution. These large differences between genes in humans and the mouse are likely to reflect many of the differences that distinguish human and mouse biology. http://www.physorg.com/news162622136.html Biology Wed, 27 May 2009 05:49:28 EST news162622136 An international research collaboration coordinated by UCD (University College Dublin) researchers and involving scientists at 21 institutes including the genome sequencing centres in the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, UK and the Broad Institute at MIT and Harvard, USA have defined six new genome sequences in the Candida fungus family and identified genetic differences in species that cause disease. http://www.physorg.com/news162454480.html Biology Mon, 25 May 2009 07:17:23 EST news162454480 Researchers report today in the journal Science that they have sequenced the bovine genome, for the first time revealing the genetic features that distinguish cattle from humans and other mammals. http://www.physorg.com/news159715395.html Biology Thu, 23 Apr 2009 14:23:57 EST news159715395 Researchers have unveiled the evolutionary origin of the different chromosomal architectures found in three species of Agrobacterium. A comprehensive comparison of the Agrobacterium sequence information with the genome sequences of other bacteria suggests a general model for how second chromosomes are formed in bacteria. http://www.physorg.com/news157302586.html Biology Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:10:21 EST news157302586 An international consortium of researchers has begun an effort to sequence the genome of the domesticated turkey, Meleagris gallopavo. The genome sequence will be obtained using the Roche GS-FLX(TM) sequencing platform and the recently launched Roche GS FLX Titanium PicoTiterPlate device and reagents. http://www.physorg.com/news146746718.html Biology Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:58:38 EST news146746718 (PhysOrg.com) -- North Carolina State University scientists and colleagues have completed the genome sequence and genetic map of one of the world's most common and destructive plant parasites - Meloidogyne hapla, a microscopic, soil-dwelling worm known more commonly as the northern root-knot nematode. http://www.physorg.com/news141321252.html Biology Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:54:12 EST news141321252 (PhysOrg.com) -- Resembling a smudge more than an animal, a mysterious life form known as a placozoan has now joined other obscure and primitive creatures whose genomes are providing insight into how animals first arose more than 650 million years ago. http://www.physorg.com/news138981858.html Biology Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:04:18 EST news138981858