Posts tagged ‘DNA’
Canadian Discovery Becomes a World-Wide Sensation
Back in 2003, Canadian Paul D. N. Herbert from the University of Guelph’s Zoology department, penned a paper suggesting the creation of a DNA barcode database to identify species taxonomy. The method utilized the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) to serve as the core of a global bioidentification system for animals. Herbert claimed that the COI identification system would provide a reliable, cost-effective and accessible solution to the current problem of species
identification. Its assembly would also generate important new insights into the diversification of life and the rules of molecular evolution.
Fast forward eight years later and the Barcode of Life project now contains genomic information on more than 167,000 species.
Last week, the University of Adelaide hosted the first-ever Southern Hemisphere barcode conference, co-organized by Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) and co-hosted by several biodiversity institutions and initiatives in Australia. Among other topics, the conference focused on DNA barcoding applications in:
- restaurant ingredients
- medical ingredients
- food chain analysis
For more great information visit www.wired.com.
Biotechnology News
Har Gobind Khorana Dies at 89
Nobel Prize winning biologist who first decoded how a triplet of nucleic acids encoded an amino acid passed away this month.
Har Gobind Khorana, professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, won the Nobel Prize in 1968 along with Robert Holley and Marshall Nirenberg for discoveries leading to an understanding of how DNA encodes information needed to make proteins. He died earlier this month (November 9) of natural causes.
“He left an amazing trail of technical achievement,” Thomas Sakmar, a professor at Rockefeller University and a former student of Khorana’s told The New York Times.
CLINK: http://the-scientist.com/2011/11/18/har-gobind-khorana-dies-at-89/
New Feature: Treasure from Deep Diving the Biotechnology Web
Dr. Simone Browne, Departments of Sociology and African American Studies, University of Texas at Austin
published this paper in 2010
Biotechnology at the Border: DNA, Democratic Surveillance and the Case of Suaad Hagi Mohamud
Clink to see the PDF: http://www.queensu.ca/genderstudies/events/simonebrownlecture/biotechnologyattheborderbrowne.pdf
Canadian scientists contribute to international genome sequencing project
Canadian scientists have helped sequence part of the genome of canola. Results from the international collaboration were published online this week in the peer-reviewed science journal Nature Genetics.
Determining the DNA sequence of crops allows researchers to understand the mechanisms of the plant, and to map traits of interest.
The authors included National Research Council-Plant Biotechnology Institute scientists Andrew G Sharpe and Chushin Koh, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) scientists Isobel A P Parkin and Matthew G Links. They contributed to an international consortium that has sequenced the genome of Brassica rapa (B. rapa), sometimes known as “Polish canola”. As with many modern plants, canola was formed from a hybridization event between two founder species, one of which is B. rapa.
Great week for British Columbia scientists
Genome BC has had a great week announcing over $33 million in funding for research programs across the province.
Earlier this week, Genome BC announced that the Province is providing $25 million to Genome BC in support of its ongoing research in the areas of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, human health, bioenergy, mining and the environment.
The second announcement, released yesterday concerned five projects funded through Genome BC’s Proof of Concept (POC) Program. Genome BC’s program promises close to $9 million to accelerate the commercialization process for technological innovations in the life sciences. The program is intended to provide bridge funding to move innovations further down the development path towards potential commercialization and real-world applications.
For more information visit the Genome BC website.
