Dna

Mind in Motion: A biography of Francis Crick balances his life with science

A balanced yet probing biography traces Francis Crick's brilliant scientific leaps and human flaws, revealing the mind behind DNA's discovery without fully interrogating his more troubling ideas

James Watson, who helped discover DNA structure, passes away at 97

He died on Nov 6 in East Northport on New York's Long Island. Watson had been transferred to a hospice this week from a hospital where he had been treated for an infection

DNA test of child in face of mother's admission an insult to her: HC

The Orissa High Court has maintained that directing the DNA test of a child on the face of admission of the mother would be an insult to her motherhood and against the law. This was observed by Justice BP Routray, the single bench judge of the Orissa High Court, which rejected a petition to direct DNA test of an opponent party in a property partition case. The opposition party had challenged the trial court's judgment, which rejected to direct the DNA test of a person. "I do not see this as a fit case to be directed for DNA test of the man in this case. No infirmity is seen in the order of the learned trial court refusing the prayer of the petitioner. Resultantly, the Civil Miscellaneous Petition (CMP) is dismissed," Justice Routray said in a judgment on September 1. The court also said that the man in question is now 58 years old. So the trial court has rightly observed that direction for DNA test at this stage would not bring any fruitful result, the order said. In the case at ha

Air India crash: British families await update on DNA-matched remains

British families, waiting for the remains of relatives aboard the London-bound Air India 171 plane that crashed soon after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport, are expecting confirmation on DNA matches after high-level India-UK government talks, their legal team has said. Keystone Law, which has been working with aviation experts to assist many of the families who lost loved ones in the June 12 crash, called for urgency in the process this week. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's UK visit last week, Downing Street had confirmed that Prime Minister Keir Starmer had discussed the Air India plane crash during their bilateral talks against the backdrop of UK media reports of mislabelling of some remains repatriated to Britain. The UK and Indian governments have held high-level talks, as a result of the international media coverage of this problem, said James Healy-Pratt, Aviation Partner at Keystone Law. It is believed that some matched DNA remains may now have been located in India. ...

Air India crash: DNA tests reveal UK victims' bodies were misidentified

British families say they were sent the wrong bodies after the Air India crash. DNA tests showed mix-ups. Investigations are underway

Air India crash: 208 victims identified by DNA, 170 bodies handed over

Authorities are carrying out DNA tests to establish the identity of the victims as many bodies were charred beyond recognition

Air India crash: 177 DNA matches confirmed, says Gujarat HM Sanghavi

On the day of the crash, 71 injured individuals were admitted to the Civil Hospital, with 42 subsequently discharged and currently, nine patients remain admitted, while two succumbed to their injuries

Alcohol consumption, vaping affect fertility in men and women: Experts

With the rising fertility problems among women, doctors say that tobacco, alcohol consumption and vaping are silently harming the reproductive health and raising chances of miscarriages. While smoking increases the risk of a miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy, it also causes DNA damage in sperm, which can lead to miscarriage and birth defects, they say. Fertility problems are rampant in women and also in men. They are not only affected due to age, stress or reproductive health problems, but also due to smoking, drinking and vaping, Motherhood Hospitals, Kharghar, consultant-obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Anuja Thomas told PTI. "These vices are often seen as personal choices, but they impact fertility as well. Many people believe that reducing or pausing these habits only when planning a pregnancy is enough," she said. However, it is necessary to completely avoid these vices as these substances can cause damage to the reproductive organs, hormones, and even the health of future .

Reborn, but ethically torn: The real debate behind de-extinction

The debate over de-extinction isn't really about wolves or mammoths or cheetahs. Or even science. It's about us, about who we are, and who we wish to become

Metropolis Healthcare, Roche team up to launch HPV DNA testing in India

"The HPV test will be rolled out on February 4 to coincide with World Cancer Day," an official with Metropolis said

Union minister Bhupender Yadav launches facility for Pashmina certification

The NGS facility is expected to bolster ongoing projects and enable new research avenues, including the study of genetic adaptation to climate change, pathogen-host interactions, and the development

Telegram CEO says he has 100 biological kids; Elon Musk gives this reaction

Telegram founder Pavel Durov said that he plans to 'open-source his DNA' so that his biological children can find each other more easily

Tech tycoon who wants to 'live forever' edits his own DNA on secret island

Bryan Johnson, CEO of Kernel, a leading neurotechnology firm, previously made waves by infusing his son's plasma to rejuvenate himself

From ecosystems to economics: The potential of a 'species stock exchange'

Creating interdependence between funding and ecological outcomes can establish an accountable framework, augmenting the efficacy of conservation initiatives

Pak collects DNA samples from 200 families of those missing after boat sank

Pakistan has collected DNA samples from more than 200 families following last week's sinking of an overcrowded smuggling vessel off Greece that left more than 500 migrants missing, including scores of Pakistanis, authorities said Thursday. The families had approached authorities, saying they suspect their loved ones were on the boat, spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch of the Foreign Ministry told a news conference in the capital of Islamabad. Pakistani police, meanwhile, arrested 10 more suspected traffickers, bringing the number of traffickers detained in the nationwide crackdown to 17, she said. Nearly three dozen other suspects have also been taken into custody in connection with the case. However, she said the government still cannot verify the number of Pakistanis among the dead or missing from the sinking. The crackdown followed orders from Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for security forces to dismantle human smuggling networks in the country. The overcrowded fishing trawler ..

Researchers take closer look at DNA repair scheme for cancer therapy

Researchers from Rice University and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, have taken a closer look at one of the ways cells repair broken strands of DNA.They discovered details that could help make a particular enzyme a promising target for precision cancer therapy.Not unlike patching a tire, the job of DNA polymerase theta (aka Pol theta) is to fix double-strand breaks in DNA, bridging the hanging single-stranded ends and catalyzing DNA synthesis across the break, a process known as microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ).MMEJ is complementary to two other processes -- homologous recombination and non-homologous end joining -- that repair DNA double-strand breaks, but with lower fidelity because Pol theta is prone to mutation, insertion, and deletion errors.But therein lies the advantage: MMEJ needs Pol theta to repair a double strand.A new study by Rice and St. Jude's researchers in the journal Nucleic Acids Research reveals for the first time the ...

Noise launches Air Buds 2 wireless earbuds at Rs 1,799: Know specs and more

The Noise Air Buds 2 will be available in clear white and clear black colours on Noise's official website, Amazon, and Flipkart from November 24

300-year-old system of naming bacteria revised on scientific advances

A new way to name bacteria: 300-year-old system revised thanks to scientific advances

Ancient viral DNA in human genome protects against infections: Research

According to new research, viral DNA embedded in human genomes from ancient infections acts as antivirals, protecting human cells from certain modern viruses.The paper "Evolution and Antiviral Activity of a Human Protein of Retroviral Origin," published in the journal Science, demonstrates the effect in principle.Previous research has shown that endogenous retroviruses, fragments of ancient viral DNA found in the genomes of mice, chickens, cats, and sheep, provide immunity against modern viruses that originate outside the body by preventing them from entering host cells. Despite the fact that this research was done on human cells in culture, it shows that endogenous retroviruses have an antiviral effect on humans.The study is significant because it could discover a pool of natural antiviral proteins that could lead to treatments without autoimmune side effects. The research suggests the existence of a genome defence system that has yet to be identified but could be quite ...

Nobel Prize win for Swede who unlocked secrets of Neanderthal DNA

Swedish scientist Svante Paabo won the Nobel Prize in medicine Monday for discoveries on human evolution that unlocked secrets of Neanderthal DNA that helped us understand what makes humans unique and provided key insights into our immune system, including our vulnerability to severe COVID-19. Techniques that Paabo spearheaded allowed researchers to compare the genome of modern humans and that of other hominins the Denisovans as well as Neanderthals. Just as you do an archeological excavation to find out about the past, we sort of make excavations in the human genome, he said at a news conference held by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. While Neanderthal bones were first discovered in the mid-19th century, only by understanding their DNA often referred to as the code of life have scientists been able to fully understand the links between species. This included the time when modern humans and Neanderthals diverged as a species, around 800,000 years a