http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/genetics/ en-us Tue, 5 Jan 2010 08:54:26 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2421200/posts Two neuroscientists say that a now-extinct race of humans had big eyes, child-like faces, and an average intelligence of around 150, making them geniuses among Homo sapiens. The history of evolutionary studies has been dogged by the intuitively attractive, almost irresistible idea that the whole great process leads to greater complexity, to animals that are more advanced than their predecessors. The pre-Darwin theories of evolution were built around this idea; in fact, Darwin&#x92;s (and Wallace&#x92;s) great and radical contribution was to throw out the notion of &#x93;progress&#x94; and replace it with selection from among a set of random variations. But... discovermagazine.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2421200/posts#comment Tue, 5 Jan 2010 08:54:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2421182/posts Obesity is a disease of excess, but a new study suggests that a few obese patients are actually lacking something--a piece of one of their chromosomes. The loss might remove a gene that helps the body manage blood sugar and appetite. Obesity runs in families, and researchers have identified several genetic variants that seem to boost the odds of becoming obese. However, these variants only explain a minority of cases. In the last decade, researchers have discovered that genetic differences among people can stem from lost or duplicated sections of chromosomes, called copy number variants (CNVs). Because of CNVs, for... ScienceNOW Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2421182/posts#comment Tue, 5 Jan 2010 07:24:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418795/posts Uncommon version seems to lessen risk of lung disease in smokers People who carry a variant form of a gene that encodes a protein called MMP-12 are in luck. This uncommon form of the gene appears to provide some protection against emphysema and asthma, researchers report online December 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the study, an international team of researchers analyzed data on lung function and genetics from seven studies that included more than 5,000 people and found that 7 to 13 percent of people harbored the beneficial variant of MMP-12. In four of the studies,... Science News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2418795/posts#comment Fri, 1 Jan 2010 04:28:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416655/posts UCLA scientists have identified a molecular switch that prevents Huntington&#x27;s disease from developing in mice. Published in the Dec. 24 edition of the journal Neuron, the discovery suggests a new approach to treating the genetic disorder, which ultimately leads to death in as little as 10 years. Affecting one out of every 10,000 Americans, Huntington&#x27;s progressively deprives patients of their ability to walk, speak, think clearly and swallow. People who inherit the disorder don&#x27;t show symptoms until mid-life, after many have had children and unknowingly passed on the disease. Currently, there is no effective treatment to prevent the onset or... University of California - Los Angeles via biologynews.net http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2416655/posts#comment Tue, 29 Dec 2009 01:43:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412464/posts The University of PennsylvaniaSarah Tishkoff, professor in the departments of genetics and biology at University of Pennsylvania, is collecting samples in Africa. Collaboration by University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University PHILADELPHIA &#x96;- People who identify as African-American may be as little as 1 percent West African or as much as 99 percent, just one finding of a large-scale, genome-wide study of African and African-American ancestry released today. An international research team led by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University has collected and analyzed genotype data from 365 African-Americans, 203 people from 12 West African populations and... University of Pennsylvania http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412464/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:41:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411881/posts Dedicated scientists are working hard to close the gaps, fix the errors and finally complete the human genome sequence. ...Deanna Church has few distractions from the job that lies before her. On her computer sit 888 open &#x27;tickets&#x27;, or outstanding problems with the human genome sequence. Although that number fluctuates, it&#x27;s a not-so-subtle reminder that she and her team at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) have a long way to go... --snip-- By April 2003, the sequencing had surpassed the international project&#x27;s technical definition of completion &#x97; the sequence contained fewer than 1 error per 10,000 nucleotides and... Nature News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2411881/posts#comment Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:57:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405822/posts New Delhi: A genetic study has found that Indians are the ancestors of the Chinese and other East Asian populations. The study, a joint project of 10 Asian countries, found that India received a wave of migration from Africa 60,000-70,000 years ago and these early humans subsequently moved to East and Southeast Asia. The earlier belief was that humans from Africa reached India and East and Southeast Asia separately. The study has important implications, especially in the understanding of human migratory patterns and in the investigation of genetics and disease. The findings of the five-year study -- conducted by a... DNA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405822/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:39:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404719/posts The evidence on one gene, known as MAO-A (monoamine ozidase A, an enzyme that breaks down chemicals in the brain), proved particularly persuasive for the judge: a growing body of work shows that the variant displayed by Bayout is correlated with violence, aggression and gang membership. Its persistent association with violence has even earned it a nickname among scientists: the warrior gene. The Bayout trial is thought to be the first time that violent genes have been invoked to amend a sentence. It shows that, rather than being the stuff of some futuristic dystopia, the controversial field of behavioural genetics... Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2404719/posts#comment Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:10:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400817/posts Autism and schizophrenia may be two sides of the same coin, suggests a review of genetic data associated with the conditions. The finding could help design complementary treatments for the two disorders. Though autism was originally described as a form of schizophrenia a century ago, evidence for a link has remained equivocal. One theory puts the conditions at opposite ends of a developmental spectrum. To investigate, Bernard Crespi, an evolutionary biologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada, and colleagues gathered data on all known genetic variants associated with each condition, then looked for patterns of co-occurrence. The researchers found... New Scientist. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400817/posts#comment Sat, 5 Dec 2009 08:38:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399950/posts Human geneticists have reached a private crisis of conscience, and it will become public knowledge in 2010. The crisis has depressing health implications and alarming political ones. In a nutshell: the new genetics will reveal much less than hoped about how to cure disease, and much more than feared about human evolution and inequality, including genetic differences between classes, ethnicities and races. About five years ago, genetics researchers became excited about new methods for &#x93;genome-wide association studies&#x94; (GWAS). We already knew from twin, family and adoption studies that all human traits are heritable: genetic differences explain much of the variation... The Economist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2399950/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 04:54:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399789/posts Human geneticists have reached a private crisis of conscience, and it will become public knowledge in 2010. The crisis has depressing health implications and alarming political ones. In a nutshell: the new genetics will reveal much less than hoped about how to cure disease, and much more than feared about human evolution and inequality, including genetic differences between classes, ethnicities and races... The Economist http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2399789/posts#comment Fri, 4 Dec 2009 00:24:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398124/posts Need evidence for Darwinian evolution? Just make it up. That&#x92;s the lesson of Donald Prothero&#x92;s book, Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters (New York: Columbia University Press, 2007). Prothero is a professor of geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles. On November 30, he teamed up with atheist Michael Shermer (founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine) to debate Stephen Meyer and Richard Sternberg of the Discovery Institute. Shermer wrote the foreword to Prothero&#x92;s book, calling it &#x93;the best book ever written on the subject.&#x94; In fact, &#x93;Don&#x92;s visual presentation of the fossil and genetic evidence for evolution is... Evolution News & Views http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2398124/posts#comment Wed, 2 Dec 2009 02:39:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395693/posts &#x3C;p&#x3E;The blueprint of a small organism&#x27;s cellular machinery has been unveiled, offering the most comprehensive view yet of the molecular essentials of life. But the research also shows just how far biologists have to go before they understand the complete biochemical basis of even the simplest of creatures.&#x3C;/p&#x3E; Nature News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2395693/posts#comment Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:54:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392286/posts Boosting the level of a brain chemical reverses learning impairments in a mouse model of Down syndrome, researchers report. The work adds to emerging evidence that cognition-enhancing drugs may one day help humans with Down syndrome lead more independent lives. Down syndrome is the most common cause of mental retardation, affecting approximately one in 800 babies at birth. People with the disorder have an extra copy of chromosome 21, giving them additional copies of hundreds of genes. This somehow alters brain development and causes mild to severe learning disabilities. To investigate what goes wrong in the brain of someone who... ScienceNOW Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2392286/posts#comment Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:51:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391718/posts ScienceDaily: &#x93;Slowing Evolution to Stop Drug Resistance&#x94; --snip-- For years, evolutionists have pointed to antibiotic resistance as proof of evolution in action. The argument often amounts to this (in simplified form): the fact that certain organisms grow resistant to certain antibiotics is evidence for the evolutionary idea that all animals must have descended from a single ancestor. Collapsing the argument does make it seem a bit silly, but that&#x92;s our point. We certainly don&#x92;t want to belittle the very real threat of dangerous organisms becoming immune to the best drugs we now have (though the vast majority of microbes are... AiG http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391718/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:32:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391574/posts Scientists have watched as a new species is &#x93;born&#x94;&#x97;or is that &#x93;evolved&#x94;?&#x97;on one of the Galapagos Islands, home of Darwin&#x92;s famous finches... AiG http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391574/posts#comment Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:59:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389033/posts Tufts University researchers have identified a gene-diet interaction that appears to influence body weight and have replicated their findings in three independent studies. Men and women carrying the CC genotype demonstrated higher body mass index (BMI) scores and a higher incidence of obesity, but only if they consumed a diet high in saturated fat. These associations were seen in the apolipoprotein A-II gene (APOA2) promoter. &#x22;We believe this is the first time a gene-diet interaction influencing BMI and obesity has been replicated in as many as three independent study populations,&#x22; says corresponding and senior author Jose Ordovas, PhD, director of... Tufts University via physorg.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2389033/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:41:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388609/posts A $200 million genetic research facility planned for Fairfax County could bring with it thousands of jobs over the next decade and spur spinoff businesses that would focus on the fast-growing field of personalized medicine, Virginia officials and researchers said Monday as they announced the move. Enticed by millions of dollars in tax breaks and a location close to universities and federal agencies, officials with the Ignite Institute for Individualized Health, a nonprofit organization specializing in DNA research, announced that the center&#x27;s facility would be in a 300,000-square-foot campus in the Northern Virginia suburb. A location has not been selected.... WP http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2388609/posts#comment Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:30:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387168/posts US researchers have genetically modified bacteria to eat carbon dioxide and produce isobutyraldehyde - a precursor to several useful chemicals, including isobutanol, which has great potential as a fuel alternative to petrol.&#xA0;The modified bacteria are highly efficient and powered by sunlight, so a future goal is to set up colonies near to industrial plants. This would allow greenhouse gases to be recycled into useful chemical feedstock - supplying several hydrocarbons that are typically obtained from petroleum.&#xA0; Liao and his team used genetically modified cyanobacteria to produce isobutyraldehyde from carbon dioxide Cyanobacteria and microalgae that consume CO2 have been identified for... Chemistry World http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2387168/posts#comment Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:10:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2380116/posts Why Evolutionary-Based Science Is A Menace To Scientific Research, Discovery, and Progress Evolutionary-based research always begins with the inaccurate and unscientific presupposition that the Theory of Evolution, i.e. the Big Bang, the spontaneous generation of life, and common descent, is true. Due to this systemic problem, scientific discovery and progress is severely hampered, not to mention the hundreds of millions of research dollars that are squandered every year. In a time in which almost ANY alternative thought is given a platform, the evolution industry is silencing dissenting scientific evidence, even when it&#x92;s from fellow evolutionists! See the growing list of... WHO IS YOUR CREATOR? http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2380116/posts#comment Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:39:16 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378504/posts &#x93;Junk&#x94; DNA Discovered to Have Both Cellular and Microevolutionary Functions Evolutionists have long sought mechanisms for the origin of reproductive barriers between populations, mechanisms which are thought to be key to the formation of new species. A recent article in ScienceDaily finds that &#x93;Junk DNA&#x94; might be the &#x93;mechanism that prevents two species from reproducing.&#x94; Basically, so-called &#x93;junk&#x94;-DNA is involved in helping to package chromosomes in the cell. If two species have different &#x93;junk&#x94; DNA, then this prevents the proteins in the egg from properly packaging the chromosomes donated by the sperm. The organism does not develop properly. As the... Evolution News & Views http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2378504/posts#comment Wed, 4 Nov 2009 18:46:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377619/posts SANTA ANA, Calif., Nov. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- While many people continue to believe in Charles Darwin&#x27;s theory of evolution, a group of scientists will present overwhelming scientific evidence against Darwin&#x27;s speculations. &#x22;If Charles Darwin knew 150 years ago what we know today, he likely would not have published Origin of the Species,&#x22; said John Baumgardner, Ph.D., whose organization, Logos Research Associates, will lead the two-day &#x22;Darwin Was Wrong&#x22; conference Nov. 13-14 at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. &#x22;We can perhaps excuse Darwin, given his ignorance about the true complexity of living organisms and about genetics,&#x22; said Dr. Baumgardner, a geophysicist... ChristianNewsWire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2377619/posts#comment Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:45:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375318/posts (See all these news nuggets and more by clicking the excerpt link below): 1. BBC News: &#x93;Darwin Teaching &#x91;Divides Opinion&#x92;&#x94; Darwinism is a controversial topic, and many believe creation should be taught in the classroom. But why is that news? 2. ScienceDaily: &#x93;Junk DNA Mechanism that Prevents Two Species from Reproducing Discovered&#x94; Has the U.S. government finally supported creationist research? Alas, no, but the results of a National Institutes of Health study fit squarely within the young-earth creation framework. 3. PhysOrg: &#x93;Charles Darwin Really Did Have Advanced Ideas about the Origin of Life&#x94; Charles Darwin was convinced that life&#x92;s origin... AiG http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2375318/posts#comment Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:19:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371729/posts Enlarge ImageCancer fighter. The naked mole rat isn&#x27;t much to look at, but it has an effective way of combating cancer. Credit: Trisha M. Shears With its wrinkled skin and bucked teeth, the naked mole rat isn&#x27;t going to win any beauty contests. But the burrowing, desert rodent is exceptional in another way: It doesn&#x27;t get cancer. The naked mole rat&#x27;s cells hate to be crowded, it turns out, so they stop growing before they can form tumors. The details could someday lead to a new strategy for treating cancer in people. In search of clues to aging, cell... Science</em>NOW Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371729/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:33:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371614/posts Experimental Data Force Researchers to Admit There&#x92;s &#x93;No Such Thing As Junk RNA&#x94; Originally, proponents of neo-Darwinian evolution lauded &#x93;junk&#x94; DNA as functionless genetic garbage that showed life is the result of blind and random mutational events. Then &#x93;junk&#x94; DNA was disproved by the discovery that the vast majority of DNA is being transcribed into RNA. Did the failure of this Darwinian assumption cause evolutionists to terminate their love affair with biological &#x93;junk&#x94;? Of course not. They just shifted their argument back, claiming that the cell is full of &#x93;junk RNA&#x94;&#x97;DNA that is being transcribed into RNA but still does... Evolution News & Views http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2371614/posts#comment Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:57:10 GMT