Spreading the wealth: scientists are making groundbreaking discoveries in the national parks--but what's in it for the parks?
No one could have guessed how much money a thermal pool in Yellowstone National Park was worth when Thomas Brock took a tiny sampling in 1966 that yielded the microbe Thermus aquaticus. More than a decade later, scientists extracted an enzyme from that microbe that revolutionized DNA analysis; applications...

The genetic key to public health: strides in genetics research are making a difference in public health.
Of mice and men. Scientists often study mice to understand human diseases. At Harvard Medical School, for example, they have discovered genetic variations in mice that protect against anthrax. Finding similar characteristics in humans could lead to better treatment of the disease. And that's lust one example. In the...

Many diseases still elude genetic risk prediction.
VIENNA -- Genetics has been enthusiastically oversold as a potential predictor of individual future risk of developing serious common diseases, Nicholas Hastie, Ph.D., declared at the annual meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research. "Some people have the impression that genetic prediction is going to be...

Should We?
The slippery slope of medical ethics in the age of technology. A couple who is unable to conceive and unwilling to adopt could clone a baby from the cells of either partner. What are the ramifications? Genetic tests can indicate a list of diseases you're...

The science and politics of genetically modified humans: will new genetic technologies be carefully controlled for their benefits--or will they inadvertently destroy civil society? Say hello to the post-human ideology.
The new human genetic technologies are arguably the most consequential technologies ever developed. Many applications have great potential to prevent disease and alleviate suffering, but others would open the door to a new, high-tech eugenics that could destabilize human biology and undermine the foundations of civil society. ...

'Faulty lifestyle lead to ailments'.
LUCKNOW: "Diseases affecting 90 per cent of people today are curable, provided there is a proper treatment procedure followed." This was said by Dr Pankaj Bharti, holistic consultant, Vivekanand Polyclinic at a lecture on holistic health management at Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeo-botany on Friday. Bharti summed up the...

Private cord blood banking: skepticism remains: the likelihood of having to use the cord blood is very low in families with no history of genetic disorders.
After nearly a decade, private umbilical cord blood banks still aren't getting widespread support from the physician community. Neither the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists nor the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends private storage of cord blood. ACOG, in its 1997 policy, advises physicians...

Queen Mary's Hospital celebrates.
LUCKNOW: Queen Mary's Hospital (QMH) celebrated its platinum jubilee on Sunday. The day began with a workshop on foetal monitoring. Besides, importance of cardio-tocography (CTG) too was explained. Briefing reporters about CTG, HoD Dr Vinita Das said CTG stands for cardio-tocography. This electronic device constantly monitors the...

Guilt by association: whole-genome scans yield disease clues.
In a sweeping demonstration of the power of the new biology, researchers have linked two dozen genetic variations to six major diseases. The study, which scanned the genomes of 16,179 British citizens, is "unprecedented in scope and scale, says Anne Bowcock of the Washington University School of...

Important discovery: Quebec City research team identifies a gene that protects against breast cancer.
MONTREAL, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ - A team of Quebec researchers, led by Dr. Francois Rousseau of the Human and Molecular Genetic Research Department (HMGRD), Hopital Saint-Francois d'Assise Research Centre, Centre hospitalier universitaire de Quebec (CHUQ), has made a major breakthrough in the field of breast cancer by...