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Purdue is looking for dogs to participate in a national study on the health and wellness of dogs.(Photo: provided by Purdue)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue is looking for dogs. More specifically, your dog to volunteer as a participant in a national study that will be looking at the general health and wellness of dogs.

The Dog Aging Project is a collaboration between more than 40 scientists and researchers across the U.S. and will be looking at dogs of all breeds, mixes and ages. At Purdue, Audrey Ruple, an assistant professor of One Health Epidemiology in the College of Health and Human Sciences, is one the researchers leading the study and is hoping to recruit dogs from across Indiana.

Ruple, who is a veterinary epidemiologist specializing in dogs as a model of human health, said the goal of the study is to examine factors that maximize the health and longevity of dogs, which can be linked to the health and longevity of humans.

Humans and dogs have more in common than we might think sharing 650 million base pairs of genetic information with the canines which Ruple said makes the animals useful to study human disease processes. Dogs also have a sophisticated health care system, comparable to the human health care system.

Dogs are unique because they share our environment, Ruple said. They live in our homes, drink our water and sometimes eat our human food. We both have similarities, and we see a lot of similar diseases and health issues.

The Dog Aging Project will follow participating dogs to watch how different environmental and biological factors can affect longevity for the next 10 years, although the schedule could extend beyond that time. The research hopes to look at specifics that could affect longevity, including an individuals genome, proteome, microbiome, demographics and environmental factors.

Owners who nominate their dogs to participate in the study will complete a 200-question health and lifestyle survey as well as submit electronic medial records, likely through the dogs veterinarian. The study isnt limiting the types of dogs participating eitherdogs of all breeds, mixes and sizes are encouraged to participate.

Neither the dogs nor owners will be compensated for the research, butthere is no cost to participate. Researchers will be working closely with the primary care veterinarians of the dogs, who will be expected to visit for their regular annual examination.

Ruple said the study is a citizen scientist project, meaning the owners of participating dogs are considered to be research partners in the study.

The study is funded by a five-year grant from the National Institute of Aging, which is part of the National Institute of Health, as well as private donations.

The Dog Aging Project hopes to enroll tens of thousands of dogs to research by the end of 2020.

People can take a part in the scientific process, whether its for human health or dog health, Ruple said. Through this study, we can learn to not only be better stewards of their existence, but also for our own.

TO APPLY:For more information on the Dog Aging Project or to nominate your dog, visithttps://dogagingproject.org/

Emily DeLetter is a news reporter for the Journal & Courier. Contact her at (765) 420-5205 or via email at edeletter@jconline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @EmilyDeLetter.

Read or Share this story: https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2019/12/08/purdue-looking-dogs-participate-national-study/2620289001/

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Purdue is looking for your dog to participate in a national scientific study. Here's how. - Journal & Courier

Longer life expectancy is found among those who do a certain activity. Scientists say it not only boosts life expectancy but reduces the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, disability, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. It also improves aerobic endurance, heart function, balance and metabolism. Best of all it requires no equipment, free of charge and promises some stunning scenery along the way.

Numerous studies have proven that running has a lot of health benefits. In fact, running once a week could help a person live longer, according to a November 2019 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The study examined and analysed available data about the health benefits of running and found that running, even just 50 minutes per week, was associated with a 27 percent lower risk of death from all causes, a 30 percent reduced risk of death from heart disease and a 23 percent lower risk of death from cancer.

READ MORE: How to live longer: Following this diet once a month could increase your life expectancy

Researchers of the study noted: Increased rates of participation in running, regardless of its dose, would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity.

Fourteen studies were analysed with more than 232,000 people whose health was tracked between 5.5 and 35 years.

The collective data showed that any amount of running was associated with a reduce risk of death from heart disease or cancer.

DONT MISS

The reason behind how running helps reduce risk of deadly diseases and premature death is unclear and the study doesnt establish cause and effect.

Even so, the study proves that any amount of running has major benefits to the body and overall health.

Previous studies have found that fast walking also has a myriad of physical and cognitive health benefits.

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How to live longer: This activity has been proven to boost life expectancy - Express

Dan Buettner, the man who popularized the idea that there are five "Blue Zones" around the world where people live some of the longest, healthiest, happiest lives, says that people living in those zones all share five common traits.

"It is this interconnected web of characteristics that keep people doing the right things for long enough, and avoiding the wrong things," Buettner said.

Blue Zone residents, whether they're home in Loma Linda, California; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; or Nicoya, Costa Rica, all eat very little meat. Instead, they subsist on a largely plant-based diet filled with beans, nuts, and cruciferous vegetables, which Buettner has written about in a new cookbook.

But that diet is only, at best, about 50% of the Blue Zones longevity equation.

"It's the scaffolding, this collagen," Buettner told Insider. "That keeps people eating the right way for long enough."

Here are the other four core principles that sustain life in the Blue Zones.

Dan Buettner pioneered the idea that the world includes five "Blue Zones." Crystal Cox/Business Insider

Going to the gym is not a Blue Zones tradition.

"They don't exercise," Buettner said. Instead, people in Blue Zones are "nudged" into movement in little bursts throughout the day, by force of habit and, also, necessity.

"They're walking, or they're in their garden, or they're doing things by hand," he said.

In Buettner's home state of Minnesota, he credits shoveling the walks in winter, digging, weeding, and watering a garden in the summer with keeping him spry.

"I don't have a garage door opener, I open it by hand," he said. "To the extent that I can, I use hand-operated tools."

He's turned the inside of his house into a little mini Blue Zone, too, where he's getting up and moving all year round.

"I put the TV room on the third floor," Buettner told me, "So every time if I want a snack, I'd go up and down stairs."

The technique is one he's honed by studying life in the Blue Zones.

"It's being mindful of how to engineer little bursts of physical activity," he said.

Research has shown that such little energetic busts throughout the day can do a lot for overall fitness. One study published in January showed that even 20 second-long, vigorous stair-climbing exercise "snacks" spread out over the course of a day can improve fitness.

"It's a reminder to people that small bouts of activity can be effective," lead study author Martin Gibala told Insider when his team's research came out. "They add up over time."

Gallo Pinto ("spotted rooster") is a traditional breakfast meal in Costa Rica, made from leftover rice cooked with beans. Beans and rice are a complete protein. Kevin Schafer / Getty Images

In Japan they call it "ikigai," and in Costa Rica it's a "plan de vida." The words literally translate to "reason to live," and "life plan," respectively, and both concepts help residents of the Blue Zones feel there's a reason to get up and do what needs to get done each morning.

Studies also suggestthat a sense of purpose in life is associated with fewer strokes and less frequent heart attacks among people with heart disease, as well as more use of preventive care.

One 2017 investigation from researchers at Harvard concluded that a sense of purpose in life is associated with better "physical function among older adults," including better grip strength and faster walking.

Good health and happiness can be contagious, and obesity can too.

In Japan's Blue Zone, people form social groups called "moai" to help them get through life.

"Parents cluster their children in groups of five, and send them through life together," as Buettner explained in a recent video. "They support each other, and share life's fortunes and woes."

The trend is not unique to the Japanese. In Loma Linda, California, Blue Zoners (many of whom are Seventh-day Adventists) are more likely to share vegetarian potluck meals than meet each other over a Chipotle burrito or McDonald's fries.

Buettner has created Blue Zones "Projects" across the US, where cities and towns enact policies that change the entire environment that people live in.

"We're genetically hardwired to crave sugar, crave fat, crave salt, take rest whenever we can," Buettner said. "We've just engineered this environment where you don't have to move. You're constantly cooled down or heated up ... and you cannot escape chips and sodas and pizzas and burgers and fries."

In cities from Minnesota to Texas, he's helped create healthier communities where policies favor fruits and vegetables over junk food, people form walking groups to move around town and shed pounds together, and many quit smoking, too.

All of this, he said, adds up to troupes of "biologically younger" people, who not only weigh less, but suffer fewer health issues as they age.

"At every decade, you have more energy," he said.

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'Biologically younger' people who defy their real age often have 5 things in common - INSIDER

For marginalized people, the tech worlds constant barrage of innovations is getting exhausting. It seems like every week, science and tech pioneers are revealing new projects that pose a clear threat to anyone not white, cisgender, or malewhether its porn deepfakes or algorithms that judge womens boobs.

Enter Harvard Medical School, where researchers are creating a new dating app that matches people based on their DNA. The goal is to create a system that screens out matches that would result in a child with an inherited disease, according to a report aired Sunday night on 60 Minutes.

In other words, its a dating app for eugenicsthe disturbing ideological practice of systematically discriminating against people based on genetic qualities judged to be undesirable or inferior.

The app is being developed by a team of geneticists led by George Church, who, in the same interview, defended accepting money for his lab donated by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Churchs lab is most famous for its work on the gene-editing technology CRISPR/Cas9, and its researchers are looking at ways to make humans immune to viruses, reverse the effects of aging, and de-extinct animals. Its 7,000 diseases, its about 5 percent of the population, [and] about $1 trillion a year worldwide in medical expenses, Church told 60 Minutes.

But for anyone not white, cis, able-bodied, or male, its obvious where all this is going.

Eugenics has long been a fascination of Nazis and white supremacists, who dream of creating a white and genetically pure master race. Dystopian sci-fi tales like Gattaca have also warned of the horrifying dangers of organizing society based on the perceived desirability (or undesirability) of peoples genetic code.

For people who exist outside mainstream gender norms, these dangers are very real. Last week, Newsweek reported on a team of researchers at the University of Michigan who are attempting to identify regions of the brain associated with gender dysphoriathe discomfort which occurs when a persons gender does not match the sex they were assigned at birth.

Many, but not all transgender people experience gender dysphoria, and it has been used to establish a system of medical gatekeeping that pathologizes trans people and controls access to treatments like hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgeries. But even if scientists identified some hypothetical trait that causes people to be trans, choosing to edit out those traits would be an attempt to effectively erase trans people from existence.

Meanwhile, research into trans medical treatments remains severely underfunded. The federal government is also trying to make it legal for medical providers to refuse to treat trans patientswhether for gender dysphoria or a broken arm.

In other words, these cis researchers, funders, and policymakers seem more interested in curing or erasing trans people than finding better and cheaper ways of treating themor anyone else labeled as falling outside the norm of biologic desirability. Churchs lab, for example, recently received over $100 million for its work on gene-editing.

Church says he is being careful, and claims his lab has appointed a full-time ethicist on its staff to work toward the goal of genetic equitywhere all people have access to genetic technology, regardless of race or economic status.

But for marginalized people suffering under deeply unequal and discriminatory systems of power, that mission seems dangerously naive. If the people who risk being most harmed by these innovations arent intimately involved in their development, maybe its better toyou knownot make them at all?

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A Genetic Dating App Is a Horrifying Thing That Shouldnt Exist - Free

Our lives have been transformed by the information age. But what's coming next is likely to be more profound, call it the genetic information age. We have mapped the human genome and in just the last few years we have learned to read and write DNA like software. And you're about to see a few breakthroughs-in-waiting that would transform human health. For a preview of this revolution in evolution we met George Church, a world leading geneticist, whose own DNA harbors many eccentricities and a few genes for genius.

We found George Church in here.

Cory Smith: Most of these are frozen George. Little bits of George that we have edited all in different tubes.

Church threw himself into his work, literally. His DNA is in many of the experiments in his lab at Harvard Medical School. The fully assembled George Church is 6'5" and 65. He helped pioneer mapping the human genome and editing DNA. Today, his lab is working to make humans immune to all viruses, eliminate genetic diseases, and reverse the effects of time.

Scott Pelley: One of the things your lab is working on is reversing aging.

George Church: That's right.

Scott Pelley: How is that possible?

George Church: Reversing aging is one of these things that is easy to dismiss to say either we don't need it or is impossible or both.

Scott Pelley: Oh, we need it.

George Church: Okay. We need it. That's good. We can agree on that. Well, aging reversal is something that's been proven about eight different ways in animals where you can get, you know, faster reaction times or, you know, cognitive or repair of damaged tissues.

Scott Pelley: Proven eight different ways. Why isn't this available?

George Church: It is available to mice.

In lucky mice, Church's lab added multiple genes that improved heart and kidney function and levels of blood sugar. Now he's trying it in spaniels.

Scott Pelley: So is this gene editing to achieve age reversal?

George Church: This is adding genes. So, it's not really editing genes. It's, the gene function is going down, and so we're boosting it back up by putting in extra copies of the genes.

Scott Pelley: What's the time horizon on age reversal in humans?

George Church: That's in clinical trials right now in dogs. And so, that veterinary product might be a couple years away and then that takes another ten years to get through the human clinical trials.

Human trials of a personal kind made George Church an unlikely candidate to alter human evolution. Growing up in Florida, Church was dyslexic, with attention deficit, and frequently knocked out by narcolepsy.

Scott Pelley: What was it that made you imagine that you could be a scientist?

George Church: The thing that got me hooked was probably the New York World's Fair in 1964. I thought this is the way we should all be living. When I went back to Florida, I said, "I've been robbed," you know? "Where is it all?" So, I said, "Well, if they're not going to provide it, then I'm gonna provide it for myself."

With work and repetition, he beat his disabilities and developed a genius for crystallography, a daunting technique that renders 3D images of molecules through X-rays and math. But in graduate school at Duke, at the age of 20, his mania for the basic structures of life didn't leave time for the basic structure of life.

Scott Pelley: You were homeless for a time.

George Church: Yeah. Briefly.

Scott Pelley: Six months.

George Church: Six months.

Scott Pelley: And where were you sleeping when you were homeless?

George Church: Well, yeah. I wasn't sleeping that much. I was mostly working. I'm narcoleptic. So, I fall asleep sitting up anyway.

His devotion to crystallography was his undoing at Duke.

George Church: I was extremely excited about the research I was doing. And so, I would put in 100-plus hours a week on research and then pretty much didn't do anything else.

Scott Pelley: Not go to class.

George Church: I wouldn't go to class. Yeah.

Duke kicked him out with this letter wishing him well in a field other than biology. But, it turned out, Harvard needed a crystallographer. George Church has been here nearly 40 years. He employs around 100 scientists, about half-and-half men and women.

Scott Pelley: Who do you hire?

George Church: I hire people that are self-selecting, they see our beacon from a distance away. There are a lot of people that are a little, you know, might be considered a little odd. "Neuroatypicals," some of us are called.

Scott Pelley: "Neuroatypical?"

George Church: Right.

Scott Pelley: Unusual brains?

George Church: Right, yeah.

Parastoo Khoshakhlagh: One thing about George that is very significant is that he sees what you can't even see in yourself.

Parastoo Khoshakhlagh and Alex Ng are among the "neuroatypicals." They're engineering human organ tissue.

Cory Smith: I think he tries to promote no fear of failure. The only fear is not to try at all.

Cory Smith's project sped up DNA editing from altering three genes at a time to 13,000 at a time. Eriona Hysolli went to Siberia with Church to extract DNA from the bones of wooly mammoths. She's editing the genes into elephant DNA to bring the mammoth back from extinction.

Eriona Hysolli: We are laying the foundations, perhaps, of de-extinction projects to come.

Scott Pelley: De-extinction.

Eriona Hysolli: Yes.

Scott Pelley: I'm not sure that's a word in the dictionary yet.

Eriona Hysolli: Well, if it isn't, it should be.

Scott Pelley: You know there are people watching this interview who think that is playing God.

George Church: Well, it's playing engineer. I mean, humans have been playing engineer since the dawn of time.

Scott Pelley: The point is, some people believe that you're mucking about in things that shouldn't be disturbed.

George Church: I completely agree that we need to be very cautious. And the more powerful, or the more rapidly-moving the technology, the more cautious we need to be, the bigger the conversation involving lots of different disciplines, religion, ethics, government, art, and so forth. And to see what it's unintended consequences might be.

Church anticipates consequences with a full time ethicist in the lab and he spends a good deal of time thinking about genetic equity. Believing that genetic technology must be available to all, not just those who can afford it.

We saw one of those technologies in the hands of Alex Ng and Parastoo Khoshakhlagh. They showed us what they call "mini-brains," tiny dots with millions of cells each. They've proven that cells from a patient can be grown into any organ tissue, in a matter of days, so drugs can be tested on that patient's unique genome.

Scott Pelley: You said that you got these cells from George's skin? How does that work?

Alex Ng: We have a way to reprogram essentially, skin cells, back into a stem cell state. And we have technologies where now we can differentiate them into tissue such as brain tissue.

Scott Pelley: So you went from George's skin cells, turned those into stem cells, and turned those into brain cells.

Alex Ng: Exactly. Exactly.

Scott Pelley: Simple as that.

Organs grown from a patient's own cells would eliminate the problem of rejection. Their goal is to prove the concept by growing full sized organs from Church's DNA.

George Church: It's considered more ethical for students to do experiments on their boss than vice versa and it's good to do it on me rather than some stranger because I'm as up to speed as you can be on the on the risks and the benefits. I'm properly consented. And I'm unlikely to change my mind.

Alex Ng: We have a joke in the lab, I mean, at some point, soon probably, we're going to have more of his cells outside of his body than he has himself.

Church's DNA is also used in experiments designed to make humans immune to all viruses.

George Church: We have a strategy by which we can make any cell or any organism resistant to all viruses by changing the genetic code. So if you change that code enough you now get something that is resistant to all viruses including viruses you never characterized before.

Scott Pelley: Because the viruses don't recognize it anymore?

George Church: They expect a certain code provided by the host that they replicate in. the virus would have to change so many parts of its DNA or RNA so that it can't change them all at once. So, it's not only dead. But it can't mutate to a new place where it could survive in a new host.

Yes, he's talking about the cure for the common cold and the end of waiting for organ transplants. It's long been known that pig organs could function in humans. Pig heart valves are routinely transplanted already. But pig viruses have kept surgeons from transplanting whole organs. Church's lab altered pig DNA and knocked out 62 pig viruses.

Scott Pelley: What organs might be transplanted from a pig to a human?

George Church: Heart, lung, kidney, liver, intestines, various parts of the eye, skin. All these things.

Scott Pelley: What's the time horizon on transplanting pig organs into human beings?

George Church: you know, two to five years to get into clinical trials. And then again it could take ten years to get through the clinical trials.

Church is a role model for the next generation. He has co-founded more than 35 startups. Recently, investors put $100 million into the pig organ work. Another Church startup is a dating app that compares DNA and screens out matches that would result in a child with an inherited disease.

George Church: You wouldn't find out who you're not compatible with. You'll just find out who you are compatible with.

Scott Pelley: You're suggesting that if everyone has their genome sequenced and the correct matches are made, that all of these diseases could be eliminated?

George Church: Right. It's 7,000 diseases. It's about 5% of the population. It's about a trillion dollars a year, worldwide.

Church sees one of his own genetic differences as an advantage. Narcolepsy lulls him several times a day. But he wakes, still in the conversation, often, discovering inspiration in his twilight zone.

Scott Pelley: If somebody had sequenced your genome some years ago, you might not have made the grade in some way.

George Church: I mean, that's true. I would hope that society sees the benefit of diversity not just ancestral diversity, but in our abilities. There's no perfect person.

Despite imperfection, Church has co-authored 527 scientific papers and holds more than 50 patents. Proof that great minds do not think alike.

The best science can tell, it was about 4 billion years ago that self-replicating molecules set off the spark of biology. Now, humans hold the tools of evolution, but George Church remains in awe of the original mystery: how chemistry became life.

Scott Pelley: Is the most amazing thing about life, then, that it happened at all?

George Church: It is amazing in our current state of ignorance. We don't even know if it ever happened ever in the rest of the universe. it's awe-inspiring to know that it either happened billions of times, or it never happened. Both of those are mind boggling. It's amazing that you can have such complex structures that make copies of themselves. But it's very hard to do that with machines that we've built. So, we're engineers. But we're rather poor engineers compared to the pseudo engineering that is biological evolution.

Produced by Henry Schuster. Associate producer, Rachael Morehouse. Broadcast associate, Ian Flickinger.

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Harvard geneticist George Church's goal: to protect humans from viruses, genetic diseases, and aging - 60 Minutes - CBS News

In these waning days of the second decade of the twenty-first century, technologists and investors are beginning to lay the foundations for new, truly transformational technologies that have the potential to reshape entire industries and rewrite the rules of human understanding.

It may sound lofty, but new achievements from businesses and research institutions in areas like machine learning, quantum computing and genetic engineering mean that the futures imagined in science fiction are simply becoming science.

And among the technologies that could potentially have the biggest effect on the way we live, nothing looms larger than genetic engineering.

Investors and entrepreneurs are deploying hundreds of millions of dollars to create the tools that researchers, scientists and industry will use to re-engineer the building blocks of life to perform different functions in agriculture, manufacturing and medicine.

One of these companies, 10X Genomics, which gives users hardware and software to determine the functionality of different genetic code, has already proven how lucrative this early market can be. The company, which had its initial public offering earlier this year, is now worth $6 billion.

Another, the still-private company Inscripta, is helmed by a former 10X Genomics executive. The Boulder, Colo.-based startup is commercializing a machine that can let researchers design and manufacture small quantities of new organisms. If 10X Genomics is giving scientists and businesses a better way to read and understand the genome, then Inscripta is giving those same users a new way to write their own genetic code and make their own organisms.

Its a technology that investors are falling over themselves to finance. The company, which closed on $105 million in financing earlier in the year (through several tranches, which began in late 2018), has just raised another $125 million on the heels of launching its first commercial product. Investors in the round include new and previous investors like Paladin Capital Group, JS Capital Management, Oak HC/FT and Venrock.

Biology has unlimited potential to positively change this world, says Kevin Ness, the chief executive of Inscripta . Its one of the most important new technology forces that will be a major player in the global economy.

Ness sees Inscripta as breaking down one of the biggest barriers to the commercialization of genetic engineering, which is access to the technology.

While genome centers and biology foundries can manufacture massive quantities of new biological material for industrial uses, its too costly and centralized for most researchers. We can put the biofoundry capabilities into a box that can be pushed to a global researcher, says Ness.

Earlier this year, the company announced that it was taking orders for its first bio-manufacturing product; the new capital is designed to pay for expanding its manufacturing capabilities.

That wasnt the only barrier that Inscripta felt that it needed to break down. The company also developed a proprietary biochemistry for gene editing, hoping to avoid having to pay fees to one of the two laboratories that were engaged in a pitched legal battle over who owned the CRISPR technology (the Broad Institute and the University of California both had claims to the technology).

Originally posted here:
$125 million for Inscripta may usher in the next wave of genetic engineering - TechCrunch

Veritas Genetics had big plans to lower the price of sequencing the human genome, making it on par with the price of buying an Apple Watch or a fancy dinner.

The company, which was the first in the world to map out a person's DNA for less than $1,000 back in 2016, just shared with customers via email that it is ceasing operations in the U.S.

"Due to an unexpected adverse financing situation, we are being forced to suspend our operations in the U.S. for the time being," the email, which was viewed by CNBC, reads. "We are currently assessing all paths forward, including strategic options."

The company also laid off the bulk of its employees based in the U.S., about 50 people, earlier this week, according to a source familiar with the company. The source asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak for Veritas Genetics.

"I can clarify this temporarily affects U.S. operations only," a spokesperson for the company said. "All of the customers outside of the U.S. will continue to be served by Veritas Europe and Latin America."

Veritas, which made this year's CNBC Disruptor 50 list, hoped to expand to millions more consumers in the coming years by bringing down the price of whole genome sequencing to just a few hundred dollars. It raised more than $50 million in financing since it got its start in 2015.

But the company's investors, including Simcere Pharmaceutical and Lilly Asia Ventures, are based in China, at a time when the Trump administration is cracking down on Chinese firms making investments in U.S. companies. Earlier this year, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States,or CFIUS, forced a health-tech company called PatientsLikeMe to find a buyer after ordering its Chinese owner to divest its stake. PatientsLikeMe eventually sold to UnitedHealth.

For Veritas, it meant that new investors who were interested in the business got skittish because of the potential for oversight from CFIUS, according to the person familiar with the company. As a result, Veritas has also been in talks with potential acquirers in recent months, said the person.

If Veritas is able to figure out a path forward, it hopes to be competitive with companies such as Ancestry and 23andMe by offering more information for about the same price. 23andMe has dabbled with offering sequencing to its customers, but currently provides only genotyping services, meaning it looks at specific parts of the genome which are known to be associated with a certain condition or trait.

While 23andMe and Ancestry primarily sell tests for people interested in their ancestral composition and wellness traits, Veritas has long stressed that it's different because it provides potentially actionable insights into its users' health.

Veritas' decision to stop selling its tests in the U.S. comes as other consumer-facing DNA testing companies report that sales have slowed. One potential factor is that people have grown more concerned about protecting their privacy, especially in the wake of high-profile news events such as the Golden State Killer case. That stoked fears about whether individuals could be found and convicted for past crimes based on distant relatives' DNA.

But for Veritas, which bills itself as more of a medical company, sales of its tests have been increasing since it dropped its price in July, according to the person familiar.

Veritas in November experienced a security breach that included some customer information, the start-up confirmed to Bloomberg. The company stressed that only a handful of people were affected.

Follow @CNBCtech on Twitter for the latest tech industry news.

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Veritas Genetics, the start-up that can sequence a human genome for less than $600, ceases US operations and is in talks with potential buyers - CNBC

Its that time of year again an avalanche of ads urging us to drool into tubes so companies can spit back verdicts on our pasts, presents, and futures. Judging from my emails, those unceasing ads have inspired many questions about genetics in general.

Among the emails that pinged in recently:

So I started a list of my e-mails, with apologies to Hillary, and extracted three recurring themes: transgender identity, when a human life begins, and by far the largest group: interpreting DNA test results, either consumer or clinical.

What do you think about a new studythat found 20 genetic markers of transgender identity? asked a reporter from The Times of London In March 2018. Id suggested just such a study a year earlier, which hed found here.

Impressed with the study, I agreed to comment. But the reporter forgot to distinguish me from the researcher, and so throughout Europe, I was suddenly an expert on transgender genes. And that inspired some telling emails.

The first, from a trans woman born in 1948, shared her 70-page story:

As far back as I can remember I thought nothing of going into my mothers closet, pulling down her nightgowns, and putting them on. They were soft, they smelled of her, and they felt so perfect. This was me. Everything feminine fascinated me. Anything male repelled me. I wanted to emerge myself in the female world. But no matter what I did, I just couldnt look like Mommy.

Another transgender woman wrote:

I would love to have that degree of certainty that a genetic study would show. Parents would be able to perhaps work with their children instead of ignoring it either intentionally or out of ignorance.

A recent email from 58-year-old Edith brought up nature v nurture:

Two of my nine nieces and nephews are transitioning. My family has an overall fluid concept of gender identity, which we discussed with each other before either child made it known they were trans. I find myself wondering if this is true in other families.

Me too.

I repost 17 timepoints whenever womens reproductive rights are threatened, or I read or hear a comment that indicates ignorance of biology. The idea of the list came to me when considering that an embryos genome turns on at day 5, but it cant possibly exist at that point outside of a womans body.

One woman asked about fetal rights. Her ex had given her an herbal abortion tea without her knowledge when she was pregnant. Her baby so far is healthy, but she wants a court to recognize the tea-poisoning as child abuse. At what point in utero does a fetus have rights? It seems to vary state to state, she wrote.

Celia Collias, a statistics major at the University of North Carolina, offered a compelling perspective: distinguishing two types of viability. Natural ability to be physiologically independent for a human fetus is around 24 weeks. Technologically assisted viability for a human fetus is 21 weeks.

If we dont use natural viability as the cut off for reproductive rights, Ms. Collias argues, then those rights will erode as technology sets back the age of assisted viability:

Technologically assisted viability is not free. If we allow that to be the benchmark, its going to cost society a lot to care for all those fetuses where would that money come from?

Good question.

Is he really my brother? asked the woman who sent me scanned columns of genetic markers. I circled 16 of 38 that they share and sent it back: Yes.

I dont have mutations in BRCA1 or 2, so Im ok, right? I do have a mutation in ATM (or p53 or CHEK2 or PTEN or RAD51 or a few dozenothers). Inherited mutations for cancer risk go beyond the most common ones in the BRCA pair, and altogether they account for only 5 percent of cases. Yes, shes at high risk.

BRCA brings up the limited variant problem. Consumer DNA tests, for cancer or single-gene diseases, are likely to check for only the most common variants, such as a handful of mutations in the CFTR gene behind cystic fibrosis, which has more than 1,700. These health reports may provide a false sense of reassurance and should not be used for making any health decisions without confirmation testing, said Edward Esplin, MD, of Invitae, a clinical testing company, at the American Society of Human Genetics conference in October, catalyzing a flood of headlines.

I had a prenatal screen for 125 genes and one is a variant of uncertain significance. What the heck is a VUS? Do I have a mutation or not?

A VUS is a gene variant that isnt common, but hasnt shown up in someone with a disease and reported in the medical literature. Yet. I explain here.

My ethnicity estimate changed overnight. Huh? When an ancestry company adds a new group to its database of reference populations, the sections of those pie charts can shift, or a new one appear.

Im 20 weeks pregnant. The fetus has a microduplication of chromosome 18. Is that a problem? The healthy dad-to-be also had the tiny extra bit of DNA. So, no.

I just found out that I have an extra Y chromosome. Ive had severe acne since my early teens, and today Im 62 and weigh 295 pounds. Im a biker, football player, and served time for selling pot. Did my extra chromosome get me arrested?

Probably not. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, before decriminalization, was more likely at fault.

Because most of my email brings up medical matters, heres a short guide to getting help in making sense of DNA test results related to health. (For interpreting ancestry findings, the International Society of Genetic Genealogy is an excellent resource.)

Its important to distinguish consumer DNA tests, which anyone can take by purchasing a kit and spitting or swizzling a cheekbrush, from clinical DNA tests, which a health care provider orders and the FDAs Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulate.

Like mushrooms materializing after a warm rain, articles, websites, books and companies are springing up to help consumers navigate test-taking and interpretation.

Finding an expert specifically trained at the graduate level in genetics a genetic counselor, PhD geneticist, or MD with genetics/genomics training is challenging because their priorities are in clinical testing, not the entertainment/education space that the consumer companies so ceaselessly promote. Other scientists may be helpful molecular biologists, biochemists but genetics as a discipline transcends DNA, including developmental, transmission, and population and evolutionary genetics too. Ancestry testing in particular melds these levels of genetics.

Assuming a sit-down with an expert to intrepret consumer DNA data isnt happening easily, here are some places to turn.

A longstanding helpful website is Genetics Home Reference, from the NIH.

A newer resource is this report from ConsumersAdvocate.org. Their researchers recently sent DNA anonymously to 9 leading consumer DNA testing companies, interpreted the data, and then wrote a detailed, clear analysis that compares the services, privacy/security measures, online resources, and cost of tests.

Consumer DNA testing is a fast-growing industry with over 26 million users worldwide. That number is expected to grow to 100 million by 2021, Sam Klau, Community Outreach at the organization, told me.

An excellent new book is DNA Nation: How the Internet of Genes is Changing Your Life, by PhD molecular biologist Sergio Pistoi. And my human genetics textbook will be out in a new edition in September. Ive added a chapter called The Genetics of Identity, inspired by having my past rewritten recently thanks to ancestry testing.

The testing company websites, like that of 23andme, provide clear and well-written info on interpreting test results. But without any prior knowledge of genetics, misinterpretation and misplaced angst can arise.

Does the average person know the difference in significance between revealing a pattern of genome-wide single-base variations (SNPs) associated with elevated risk of a trait or illness, and detecting a well-studied mutation in a single gene?

The raw data dump from consumer DNA testing can be overwhelming, and to paraphrase Elizabeth Warren: Theres a company for that. A consumer can pay to avoid bushwhacking through dense SNP forests.

Strategene, for example, is a genetic reporting tool that uses 23andMe data to identify SNPs in a few dozen well-studied, health-related genes, and not every SNP under the sun. The $45 is a sound investment; it would take hours to sort through Google Scholar to DIY. But the client needs to know about the limited variant issue of checking only for common SNPs.

(I was briefly fooled into confusing the company with 1980s biotech giant Stratagene, but its off by one letter and one capitalization. The only person named on the company website is a naturopath referred to many times as Dr., which wouldnt necessarily denote a genetics expert.)

Im curious to see how soon the medical profession catches up. Right now, genetic counselors in the US number only about 5,000. But professional organizations are stepping in. The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, for example, offers online continuing medical education, ACMG Genetics 101 for Healthcare Providers.

But doctors Ive encountered recently still go deer-in-the-headlights when I ask a genetics question, just to be obnoxious. And so a company like ActXmakes sense in helping medical professionals keep pace with the growing tide of patients coming in waving consumer DNA test results. The company helps physicians and patients apply 23andMe raw data to select drugs, order clinical tests to help diagnose specific conditions, and to confirm carrier status for single-gene diseases.

When I started my career as a Drosophila geneticist, mutating flies to grow legs out of their heads, I never imagined at-home DNA testing. When I started my career as a science writer and textbook author, I still couldnt have predicted at-home DNA testing. Now that its here, Im thrilled that DNA science has become so much more tangible and practical. Yet we must use the information in our strings of A, C, T, and G wisely.

Ricki Lewis is the GLPs senior contributing writer focusing on gene therapy and gene editing. She has a PhD in genetics and is a genetic counselor, science writer and author of The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It, the only popular book about gene therapy. BIO. Follow her at her website or Twitter @rickilewis

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Does the 'genetics revolution' unsettle you? Here is a guide, and reasons to be hopeful - Genetic Literacy Project

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Dec. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Researchers atAmbry Genetics(Ambry), a leading clinical genetic testing lab, will announce new data showing that conducting RNA and DNA tests for hereditary cancer risk at the same time identifies more patients with mutations that increase cancer risk than DNA testing alone. To be presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) this week, the data come from a study of 746 patients with breast cancer that received +RNAinsight, paired RNA and DNA genetic testing for hereditary cancer risk.

Standard DNA testing for hereditary cancer risk excludes large portions of DNA, thereby missing some mutations. In addition, DNA testing can produce inconclusive results and fail to determine that an error in our DNA increases cancer risk. These limitations impact patients and their families because doctors may not have the information needed to recommend appropriate preventive, early detection, or therapeutic steps. Additionally, relatives may not be referred for genetic testing and obtain the care they would otherwise have gotten if they had learned they had mutations.

Adding RNA to DNA testing overcomes these limitations for a substantial number of patients as it provides considerably more evidence than DNA testing alone about whether our DNA has mutations.

The data showed that adding RNA genetic testing to DNA testing increased the diagnostic yield the number of people found to have a mutation that increases cancer risk across 16 hereditary breast and/or ovarian cancer genes. As a result of +RNAinsight, five breast cancer patients were identified to have mutations in clinically-actionable genes that would have otherwise been missed completely or the patient would have received inconclusive results if they had received DNA testing only. These findings included three women with mutations in BRCA1/2, one woman with a mutation in ATM, and one woman with a mutation in PMS2. Additionally, paired RNA and DNA genetic testing decreased the number of inconclusive results, giving patients more definitive answers about whether their breast cancers were hereditary. Additional results will be presented on an expanded breast cancer cohort at the meeting on Saturday, December 14th.

"These data further prove that paired RNA and DNA genetic testing for hereditary cancer should be the industry standard," said Holly LaDuca, MS, CGC, senior manager of Ambry's clinical affairs research. "Our research has consistently shown that +RNAinsight provides clinicians with more accurate results, better informing patient care."

Researchers from Ambry will also present at SABCS new data from a pre-and post-test clinician survey that assessed how genetic testing for hereditary cancer impacted medical management, such as screening recommendations. The survey found that positive genetic testing results frequently lead to changes in management recommendations in both high risk (e.g. BRCA1) and moderate risk (e.g. ATM) genes. Changes to mammogram, breast MRI, and/or preventive surgery options were reported in 77.3% of positive individuals. Moreover, medical management changes largely adhered to published guidelines, indicating that cliniciansare applying recommendations appropriately based on test results.

"With this survey data, clinicians are showing us that they truly do use genetic testing results to implement personalized recommendations, which can be life-saving for a patient," said Carrie Horton, MS, CGC, senior researcher in Ambry's clinical affairs team. "These data provide further evidence that genetic testing is essential to comprehensive cancer care. Continued study in this area will aid clinicians, laboratories, health plans, and ultimately patients."

Below are summaries of each of the four studies that Ambry will present at SABCS 2019.

Friday, December 13, 5:00- 7:00 PM CST

P5-07-06,Black M, et. al., Performance of Polygenic Risk Score Combined with Clinical Assessment for Breast Cancer Risk

Saturday, December 14, 7:00 9:00 AM CST

P6-08-35,Horton C, et. al., Impact of Multigene Panel Testing on Medical Management: Preliminary Results of a Pre- and Post- Test Clinician Survey

P6-08-08,LaDuca H, et. al., Concurrent DNA and RNA Genetic Testing Identifies More Patients with Hereditary Breast Cancer than DNA Testing Alone

P6-08-04,Yadav S, et. al., Germline Mutations in Cancer Predisposition Genes in Patients with Invasive Lobular Carcinoma of the Breast

ABOUT AMBRY GENETICS

Ambry Genetics, as part of Konica Minolta Precision Medicine, excels at translating scientific research into clinically actionable test results based upon a deep understanding of the human genome and the biology behind genetic disease. Our unparalleled track record of discoveries over 20 years, and growing database that continues to expand in collaboration with academic, corporate and pharmaceutical partners, means we are first to market with innovative products and comprehensive analysis that enable clinicians to confidently inform patient health decisions. We care about what happens to real people, their families, and the people they love, and remain dedicated to providing them and their clinicians with deeper knowledge and fresh insights, so together they can make informed, potentially life-altering healthcare decisions. For more information, please visitambrygen.com.

For more information on risk factors for hereditary cancer, please visit cancer.gov's fact sheet on hereditary cancer and genetic testing.

ABOUT +RNAINSIGHT

+RNAinsight, paired with Ambry Genetics' hereditary cancer DNA tests, uses next-generation sequencing to concurrently analyze a patient's DNA and RNA, another layer of genetic information. +RNAinsight identifies more patients who have mutations that increase their cancer risks than through standard DNA-only testing by overcoming limitations of DNA testing. +RNAinsight enables more accurate identification of patients with increased genetic risks for cancer, finds actionable results that may otherwise be missed, and decreases the frequency of inconclusive results. +RNAinsight is now available through doctors and genetic counselors around the country. For more information on +RNAinsight, please go toambrygen.com/RNAinsight.

Press Contact:Liz Squirepress@ambrygen.com (202) 617-4662

View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-data-from-ambry-genetics-showed-concurrent-rna-and-dna-testing-identified-more-patients-with-hereditary-breast-cancer-than-dna-testing-alone-300972165.html

SOURCE Ambry Genetics

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New Data from Ambry Genetics Showed Concurrent RNA and DNA Testing Identified More Patients with Hereditary Breast Cancer than DNA Testing Alone -...

Caris Life Sciences has announced it will begin offering Ambry Genetics 67- gene CancerNext Expanded panel to evaluate hereditary risks for cancer. That test will now be available combined with Caris somatic (tumor) tests that analyze a cancers detailed molecular makeup. In a release, Caris says this will be: The most comprehensive, clinically relevant molecular and genetic offering on the market today to guide treatment and management of cancer. The combined Caris and Ambry testing is already available nationwide.

We are committed to providing clinicians with high-quality information they can use to inform treatment decisions, said David D. Halbert, Caris Life Sciences Chairman, CEO and founder. By partnering with Ambry Genetics to better inform patient care, we are able to provide clinicians a greater ability to learn about a cancers molecular composition.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 10% of cancers are hereditary. Inherited cancers often occur at a relativelyearly age and involve pathogenic variants in one or more genes. The most common hereditary cancer syndromes in women include hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome, Lynch syndrome, LiFraumeni syndrome, Cowden syndrome, PeutzJeghers syndrome, and hereditary diffuse gastric cancer. A hereditary cancer risk assessment identifies patients and families who may be at increased risk of developing certain types of cancer.

Caris currently offers clinicians Caris Molecular Intelligence, a proprietary, comprehensive tumor profiling approach that assesses DNA, RNA, and proteins that are unique to an individuals cancer, among other products. The Molecular Intelligence test reveals a molecular blueprint aimed to guide more precise and individualized treatment decisions.

Through the partnership, Caris will now also offer Ambrys CancerNext-Expandedhereditary cancer panel, which analyzes 67 genes associated with an increased hereditary risk of cancer, including brain, breast, colon, ovarian, pancreatic, prostate, renal, uterine, and many other cancers. This test identifies inherited risks for cancer in order for clinicians to accurately diagnose, treat, and manage cancer risks for each patients needs.

To best diagnose and treat cancer, clinicians must understand whether patients have mutations in genes associated with an increased risk for hereditary cancer, said Aaron Elliott, Chief Executive Officer of Ambry. Caris molecular tests combined with Ambrys germline genetic testing, give clinicians the most comprehensive, clinically relevant molecular profile on the market to guide treatment and management.

Being able to simultaneously conduct comprehensive tumor genomic testing and multi-gene germline sequencing is invaluable, especially for sick patients at the beginning of their cancer journey, said Michael J. Hall, M.D., and chair, Department of Clinical Genetics at Fox Chase Cancer Center. This is information I can immediately begin using for my patients to more accurately diagnose them and to better individualize their treatments.

In further news from Caris, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) updated their treatment guidelines for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), which stress the importance ofRNA profilingand noteDNA-based next-generation sequencing may under-detectNTRK1andNTRK3fusions.Caris offers a suite of molecular profiling offerings, including whole transcriptome sequencing with MI Transcriptome which they say provides themost comprehensive and unique RNA analysis available and covers all 22,000 genes.

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Caris Life Sciences, Ambry Genetics Team on New Hereditary Cancer Panel - Clinical OMICs News

Test tube with DNA moleculeon abstract background,3d rendering,conceptual image.

Genomics has been playing a role within healthcare policy in the last month, with Matt Hancock, Secretary for Health and Socal Care in the U.K., announcing a "healthcare revolution". But what role should genomics play in providing health and social care?

As reported in theDaily Telegraph, Hancock confirmed that in the future tests would be "routinely offered" alongside standard checks on newborns as a way to identify any risk of genetic diseases. Addressing the Genomics England Research Conference on November 4, 2019, the minister said that this sort of testing would also pave the way for predictive, personalised care.

Genomic, also known as DNA, testing has also seen success with consumers. According to KPMG, there are already over 250 companies offering customers DNA tests in applications including forensics, ancestry, health, pharmacogenomics, fitness and nutrition. By 2020, the market value is expected to be valued more than $1 billion (approximately 761 million).

So when I was approached by Genomics company, Circle DNA, to try out its DNA testing kit, initially, I had my doubts. I posed the question to them, "What makes you different from all the other kits out there?"

As it turns out, the company, which launched its DNA testing kit in the U.K. this week, claims to have the most "accurate" consumer DNA testing kit out there. It is owned by Southeast Asian company Prenetics Limited, which, to date, has performed more than 300,000 DNA tests.

According to the company's website, its DNA testing kit uses advanced Whole Exome Sequencing (also known as WES) technology to sequence DNA to over 99.9 percent analytical accuracy. This method has been externally validated by The Croucher Laboratory for Human Genomics (CLHG), CUHK. In terms of what it means for providing information, the WES technology covers over 31 million data points that may contribute to a person's or their family's health. Other companies in the marketplace use older technology known as genotyping, which according to Circle DNA, missing approximately 98 percent of mutations for breast cancer. They also analyse around one million data points.

Avi Lasarow, chief executive officer at Circle DNA, leads the company and comes with a wealth of knowledge of the U.K. market. "I have worked in life sciences for many years and always had a clear vision of making the latest science available to benefit the consumer like never before," he explains. "We are at a very exciting time in the world of genomics and genomic medicine; the U.K. Minister of Health is pushing precision health into the NHS, and the Genome 100k project is making the U.K. a global dominant leader in the space."

Circle DNA's premium DNA kit provides 500 reports, with 20 categories, and comes with a hefty price tag of 499. Even its "Vital" testing kit has a price tag of 199, which is higher than competitor 23andMe. But as Lasarow explains, these prices have fallen dramatically since DNA testing went mainstream. For example, purely for a paternity test in the U.K., a person would be looking at spending between 239 and 350.

There is also the question around governance. The Science and Technology Committee started conducted an enquiry into commercial genomic testing in March 2019, to establish what safeguards need to be adhered to so people and their data are protected. Lasarow attended a committee meeting to give evidence, alongside Carla Newell, chief legal officer and chief risk officer, Ancestry.com, and Kathy Hibbs, chief legal and regulatory officer, 23andMe.

"[The government] is looking at areas around accuracy, data protection and the impact to the NHS," the Circle DNA CEO tells me. "Together with 23andMe and Ancestry, we called for regulation and better, more advanced technology, exactly that of which Circle provides - Whole Exome Sequencing."

And what does Lasarow think of Hancock's vision to use genome sequencing at birth? Genome Sequencing at birth is not a matter of if but when; countries like Estonia are starting to lead the way in terms of advancing health care that is underpinned by mass genomics sequencing of the entire population (now at 15 percent).

"Following the introduction of genetic screenings from birth in 2001, Estonia has an advanced personalised healthcare system, with doctors having access to unparalleled genetic information on patients, which ultimately means they can tailor care plans with exact precision on a daily basis.

"The genetic genie is out of the bottle, and it's not going back in.

Continue reading here:
Is It Time To Let Out The Genetic Genie Out Of Its Bottle? - Forbes

mutilated corpses, forensic pathologists brandishing scalpels can be found there. So its no surprise that Robin Cook has set 12 of his medical thrillers at the facility, including his latest, Genesis.

As the novel begins, its business as usual at OCME, but it all changes when Dr. Aria Nichols arrives to spend a month there as part of her training. The young woman is bright, and she possesses an encyclopedic knowledge of pathology, but her superiors and co-workers cant stand her. Thats because she ignores rules and orders and cant open her mouth without uttering profanities.

One day, Aria autopsies the body of a social worker who was found rotting in her apartment after an apparent drug overdose. To her surprise, Aria finds an embryo lodged in the corpses uterus.

Aria cant forgive the unknown man who got the social worker pregnant and then abandoned her. She wants to find him and learn what role he played in the tragedy.

The deceased womans colleague and best friend, Madison Bryant, suggests that they look for him in genetic genealogys DNA databases. Since the DNA of the mother and her fetus are already known, identifying the father couldnt be difficult, she says.

Aria agrees, but the next day, Madison is pushed under a subway car, and while she is in the hospital, shes murdered.

The familiar protagonists of Cooks OCME series, Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton, appear in Genesis, but they are mired in family problems, so they do little to make the novel suspenseful.

Scaring his readers silly isnt what Cook is aiming at. With his thrillers, he clearly hopes to educate the public about a major scientific topic of the day. With Genesis, he successfully sheds light on genetic genealogy and some privacy concerns involving its ever-expanding DNA databases.

Originally posted here:
Review: Cooks new thriller sheds light on genetic genealogy - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Australian agriculture is rapidly breeding out diversity within farmed animals, genetics which could one day be the key to stopping diseases and adapting to changing environments.

The University of Western Australia's Catie Gressier said while extinction and biodiversity were issues often associated with native species, heritage and rare breeds of agricultural animals were also under threat, and many had already been lost.

"It's really quite alarming," she said.

"Globally, since the early '90s, we've been losing a breed a month it's a really massive issue.

"With the industrialisation of agriculture, there's been a really strong focus on profitability and there's been a real shift towards a small number of productive hybrids that now dominate the industry almost totally worldwide."

Wessex Saddleback pigs are 'at risk' of extinction in Australia.

(Supplied: James Bennett)

Wessex Saddleback pigs are 'at risk' of extinction in Australia.

Dr Gressier said most breeds had been lost over the past 30 years with market forces dominating what breeds were farmed for meat.

And she said that could be to the peril of agriculture's long-term sustainability.

"Having a biodiverse environment is so critical in order to have a responsiveness and an adaptability to unforeseen changes occurring climatically [and] economically, in terms of consumer preferences, and also in terms of profitability," she said.

Dr Gressier pointed to the current threat of African Swine Fever on the pig industry as a global disease where a range of genetics within existing breeds could be examined for naturally occurring tolerance or resistance.

British White cattle is known for its high eating quality but it is listed as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

(ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky)

British White cattle is known for its high eating quality but it is listed as "at risk" by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

ABC Central Victoria: Larissa Romensky

"Different genetic pools have different capabilities to demonstrate resistance to various diseases," she said.

"We need to have that agility for these new risks.

"In terms of improving stock, a diversity of genetics is really valuable but [so is] mitigating against some of the risks around disease and climate changes that are occurring."

Poultry breeders say it is becoming very difficult to get new genetics for some types of ducks and chickens.

(Contributed: Pip Rumble)

Poultry breeders say it is becoming very difficult to get new genetics for some types of ducks and chickens.

Dr Gressier said Australia had no cryo-conservation facilities to collect and store sperm and embryos and laws for some species, such as pigs, did not permit the importation of genetic material.

"The whole conservation effort is in the hands of individual farmers, volunteer organisations, and rare breed societies such as the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia," she said.

She urged consumers to buy meat from rare breed animals in order to support continued commercial production.

"For example, pork that's coming from Hampshires or Tamworths or Wessex Saddlebacks [pig breeds] that are in a really endangered states," she said.

"If you can support farmers that are growing these breeds that's a really positive step.

"To preserve these animals in our economic situation, it really is about finding how they can have some sort of economic viability."

In the West Australian wheatbelt, Linton and Kerry Batt have run a commercial herd of Berkshire pigs for the past 10 years.

Berkshires produce fewer pigs per litter and are slower to grow in comparison to the Landrace or Large White breeds which dominate commercial piggeries.

Mr Batt said he marketed his Berkshire pork as being the wagyu of the pork sector.

Linton Batt supplies a boutique market with his Berkshire pork, which he says competes on flavour.

(Supplied: Linton Batt)

Linton Batt supplies a boutique market with his Berkshire pork, which he says competes on flavour.

"Our production is aimed at a very small niche; it's a domestic market for super premium pork," he said.

"We've done the numbers, and we know that we need a price premium for our production.

"There is only a small market of people who will pay that price but for us, we're small enough to fill that gap, along with some other excellent Berkshire breeders, and it's worth doing."

Mr Batt said in order for his operation, and his pigs' genetics to survive, he is careful to keep the business viable but is concerned about the agricultural sector losing genetics.

"It should be a concern for everybody; we're seeing gene pools shrink and the loss of diversity," he said.

"We're always looking at the numbers to make sure they are viable and that the business stands on its own merit."

Tina the Wessex saddleback pig. Her breed is listed as "at risk" of extinction by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

(ABC Hobart: Damien Peck)

Tina the Wessex saddleback pig. Her breed is listed as "at risk" of extinction by the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia.

Dr Gressier said the Rare Breeds Trust of Australia had a comprehensive list of animals lost, critical, endangered, or vulnerable.

It lists six breeds of sheep as lost, four of pigs, and 10 of cattle.

"In Australia we used to have a really diverse dairy industry with a number of breeds producing milk," she said.

"Now it's about 70 per cent Holstein which produce milk in the kinds of volumes of scale required to meet market demands.

"Chickens are also faring really poorly, particularly meat birds.

"There are very few farmers who are managing to commercially produce meat chickens that aren't the Ross or the Cobb breed."

Dr Gressier is about to lead a UWA-based study of rare breeds being farmed across Australia to understand why farmers stick with rare breed farming and how their work can be better supported.

Excerpt from:
Extinction of farm animals threatens food security and genetic diversity - ABC News

Japan will drastically expand its clinical study on genetic screenings of fertilized eggs to cover several thousand women, the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology has said.

More than 3,500 women at dozens of medical institutions will take part in the expanded study on preimplantation genetic screenings, which check eggs fertilized in vitro for chromosome abnormalities and put back into the uterus only eggs without abnormalities.

The medical society long banned the screenings, which are often criticized on ethical grounds. But it eased the rule to accept only clinical studies, including those to check their effects in reducing the risk of miscarriage.

The society has started a small-scale clinical study involving 80 women at four institutions. For comparison, the society created another group of women and transplanted into them fertilized eggs that were not put through the screenings.

In the upcoming large-scale study, the society will gather more than 3,500 women by easing participant qualifications.

A paper on the small-scale study said the screenings did not lead to a decrease in miscarriages.

The society says the expansion is needed to evaluate the effects of the screenings more accurately. Meanwhile, critics say the expansion is an effective full lifting of the ban on the screenings.

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Clinical study on genetic screenings of fertilized eggs to involve several thousand women - The Japan Times

What happened

Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) stock had a pretty great day on Monday, shooting up 16% by the closing bell. Credit for that goes to Morgan Stanley, which yesterday initiated coverage of the space tourism stock with an overweight rating and a $22 price target.

Today, Virgin Galactic shares are up again -- rising 12.2% by 10:20 a.m. And I suspect credit for this spike in share price goes to the media, which reported on Morgan Stanley's rating.

Image source: Getty Images.

Just a glance at news reports on the stock "initiation" will tell you why: Morgan Stanley urged investors to "buy the stock," said Barron's. Virgin Galactic "stock can jump 203%," reported Business Insider. Virgin Galactic "shares to triple," predicted CNBC. And who wouldn't want to buy a stock that's set to triple?

I mean, if Virgin Galactic stock is set to go up "203%" but gained "only" 16% yesterday, that means there's still another 187% to go, right?

Well, not so fast.

Yes, Morgan Stanley said that it thinks Virgin Galactic shares could triple en route to its target price of $22. But Morgan Stanley also called the company a "biotech-type" stock -- the kind that can produce amazing returns...or go to zero if disaster strikes in the form of a spaceship crash.

Moreover, it's crucial to understand that Morgan Stanley built its buy thesis on the theory that even if all goes well with its space tourism business, Virgin Galactic will eventually evolve into a provider of an entirely different service -- point-to-point hypersonic commercial air travel. That's a technology that could take a decade or more to develop, however, so even if Morgan Stanley is ultimately proven right about the company's long-term future, investors might have to wait a very long time to find that out.

In the meantime, expect Virgin Galactic shares to wobble wildly, because the future is uncertain, and -- so long as there's the risk of a potential spaceship crash -- Virgin Galactic's end is always near.

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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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Why Virgin Galactic Stock Just Jumped Another 11% - Nasdaq

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) ----- Celebrating success as the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford honors its students at the Master of Science in Medical Biotechnology graduation on Saturday.

Twenty-six students received their degrees in a subject that focuses on the research and development of medical therapies, ranging from drugs and vaccines to diagnostic tests and medical devices.

As they prepare to enter the workforce, those with the school say these hardworking grads are set up for success.

"As the reputation of the program has expanded and individuals have been getting jobs all over the country and all over the world, we're getting more and more students," said Dean Alex Stagnaro-Green.

"My expectations are to essentially just further give back to the community and continue the work I've done here and the work I'm going to do in the future," said graduate Adijan Kuckovic.

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Medical Biotechnology master's students celebrate their graduation at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford - WIFR

Brokerages predict that Vir Biotechnology (NYSE:VIR) will report ($0.47) earnings per share for the current quarter, Zacks reports. Zero analysts have issued estimates for Vir Biotechnologys earnings. The firm is scheduled to announce its next earnings report on Tuesday, February 18th.

On average, analysts expect that Vir Biotechnology will report full-year earnings of ($1.81) per share for the current financial year. For the next year, analysts forecast that the company will post earnings of ($1.97) per share, with EPS estimates ranging from ($2.05) to ($1.93). Zacks EPS calculations are a mean average based on a survey of sell-side analysts that follow Vir Biotechnology.

Vir Biotechnology (NYSE:VIR) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 19th. The company reported ($4.60) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the Thomson Reuters consensus estimate of ($3.71) by ($0.89). The business had revenue of $1.40 million for the quarter.

VIR has been the topic of several analyst reports. Barclays initiated coverage on Vir Biotechnology in a report on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued an overweight rating and a $25.00 target price on the stock. Cowen started coverage on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued an overweight rating and a $25.00 price objective on the stock. Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research note on Tuesday, November 5th. They issued a buy rating and a $37.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of Vir Biotechnology in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. They set a neutral rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Vir Biotechnology currently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $29.00.

Shares of NYSE VIR traded down $0.40 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $12.62. The company had a trading volume of 178,796 shares, compared to its average volume of 158,772. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $13.53. Vir Biotechnology has a 12 month low of $11.65 and a 12 month high of $16.50.

In related news, major shareholder Endurance (Cayman) Ltd Svf acquired 950,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, October 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $14.22 per share, for a total transaction of $13,509,000.00. Also, insider Abu Dhabi Investment Authority bought 1,000,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 16th. The shares were bought at an average price of $14.41 per share, for a total transaction of $14,410,000.00.

About Vir Biotechnology

Vir Biotechnology, Inc, a clinical-stage immunology company, develops therapeutic products for the treatment and prevention of serious infectious diseases. It develops VIR-2218 and VIR-3434 for the treatment of hepatitis B virus; VIR-2482 for the prevention of influenza A virus; VIR-1111 for the prevention of human immunodeficiency virus, and VIR-2020 for the prevention of tuberculosis.

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-$0.47 Earnings Per Share Expected for Vir Biotechnology (NYSE:VIR) This Quarter - Riverton Roll

CEO Vered Caplan says the move would enable the development and delivery of cell and gene therapies onsite at HYGEIA's hospitals in Greece

Inc (), a developer of advanced cell therapies, revealed Friday that it struck a strategic partnership agreement between the Theracell joint venture and the large HYGEIA Group which runs three hospitals in Greece.

In a statement, the Germantown, Maryland-based company said that under the terms of the agreement, the joint venture will implement point-of-care cell therapy platform for clinical development and commercialization of cell and gene therapies within the HYGEIA Groups network of hospitals in Greece.

and TheraCell Advanced Biotechnology earlier formed a joint venture to advance point-of-care platform in Greece, the Balkan region and some Middle Eastern countries.

The point-of-care platform is designed to collect, process and supply cells within the patient care setting for various treatments.

The main goal is to reduce the cost and complexity of supplying cell and gene therapies, said , as well as boostquality by integrating automated processing units and proprietary technologies.

Significantly, HYGEIA is the first hospital network in the region to implement Orgenesis point-of-care cell therapy platform. The partnership aims to provide the HYGEIA Group with resources to advance clinical development and deliver personalized, advanced therapies across its network for a range of diseases in oncology, hematology, orthopedics, nephrology, dermatology and diabetes.

This partnership with the HYGEIA Group further validates the significant value proposition of our point-of-care platform, as it enables the development and delivery of cell and gene therapies onsite at hospitals, said Orgenesis CEO Vered Caplan.

We believe this platform has the potential to transform the cell and gene therapy market, by bringing life-saving therapies to market in a much more time and cost-effective manner, she added.

The Orgenesis boss said Theracell had proved to be an ideal partner with extensive experience and capabilities in autologous cell therapy and regenerative medicine, and strong operations in Greece and relationships in the region.

We are in active discussions to establish PoCare locations and partnerships with hospitals and healthcare networks in other countries and regions across the world, said Caplan.

Greeces HYGEIA Group operates three hospitals with a capacity of 1,261 beds, 52 operating rooms, 19 delivery rooms and 10 intensive care units.

HYGEIA Group CEO Andreas Kartapanis said thanks to the partnership with Theracell and Orgenesis it would be the first hospital network in Greece to provide advanced cell and gene therapies.

We believe this partnership will provide us a strong competitive advantage in this rapidly developing field. More importantly, this partnership will benefit patients that will now have greater access to these important therapies, said Kartapanis.

For the fiscal third quarter ended September 30, Orgenesis generated meaningful revenue, over $1 million, through its rapidly advancing point-of-care cellular therapy platform.

Meanwhile, TheraCell has experience in the isolation, processing and application of adipose-derived stem cells, as well as somatic cells. It has developed a patented platform for tissue engineering and cell therapies in the areas of dermatology, articular cartilage defects, and chronic kidney injury.

Contact Uttara Choudhury at[emailprotected]

Follow her onTwitter:@UttaraProactive

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Orgenesis and Theracell to launch point-of-care cell and gene therapy centers in HYGEIA Group"s hospitals - Proactive Investors USA & Canada

PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 03, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PDS Biotechnology Corporation (Nasdaq: PDSB), a clinical stage immuno-oncology company with a broad pipeline of novel products based on the companys proprietary Versamune T-cell activating technology, today announced that Dr. Frank Bedu-Addo, President and Chief Executive Officer, is scheduled to present the company's upcoming clinical trials and recent clinical data demonstrating the potential of the Versamune-based products to overcome key limitations of current cancer immunotherapy at the 12th Annual LD Micro Main Event being held on December 10-12, 2019 at the Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

Event: 12th Annual LD Micro Main EventFormat: Presentation & 1x1 MeetingsDate: Wednesday, December 11, 2019Time: 1:40pm PTLocation: Luxe Sunset Boulevard Hotel, Los Angeles, CA: Track 3

About PDS Biotechnology

PDS Biotechnology is a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company with a broad pipeline of novel products based on the companys proprietary Versamune T-cell activating technology. The Versamune platform effectively delivers tumor-specific antigens for in-vivo uptake and processing, while also activating a critical immunological pathway, the type 1 interferon pathway, thus resulting in the production of potent tumor-specific killer T-cells. Using Versamune, PDS Biotechnology is engineering therapies designed to better recognize cancer cells and break down their defense systems to effectively attack and destroy tumors. PDS Biotechnologys pipeline combines the Versamune technology with tumor-specific antigens across several cancer types. To learn more, please visit http://www.pdsbiotech.com or follow us on Twitter @pdsbiotech.

Forward Looking StatementsThis communication contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning PDS Biotechnology Corporation (the Company) and other matters. These statements may discuss goals, intentions and expectations as to future plans, trends, events, results of operations or financial condition, or otherwise, based on current beliefs of the Companys management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as may, will, should, would, expect, anticipate, plan, likely,believe,estimate,project,intend,and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: the ability of the Company to integrate Edge and PDS Biotechnology following the merger; the Companys ability to protect its intellectual property rights; competitive responses to the completion of the merger; potential adverse reactions or changes to business relationships resulting from the completion of the merger;the Companys anticipated capital requirements, including the Companys anticipated cash runway and the Companys current expectations regarding its plans for future equity financings; the timing for the Company or its partners to initiate the planned clinical trials for its lead assets, PDS0101 and PDS0102; the Companys interpretation of the results of its Phase 1 trial for PDS0101 and whether such results are sufficient to support additional trials or the future success of such trials;the successful implementation of the Companys research and development programs and collaborations, including any collaboration studies concerning PDS0101 and the Companys interpretation of the results and findings of such programs and collaborations and whether such results are sufficient to support the future success of the Companys product candidates; the acceptance by the market of the Companys product candidates, if approved;the timing of and the Companys ability to obtain and maintainU.S. Food and Drug Administrationor other regulatory authority approval of, or other action with respect to, the Companys product candidates;and other factors, including legislative, regulatory, political and economic developmentsnot within the Companys control. The foregoing review of important factors that could cause actual events to differ from expectations should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with statements that are included herein and elsewhere, including the risk factors included in the Companys annual and periodic reports filed with the SEC. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Media & Investor Relations Contacts:

Tram Bui / Alexander LoboThe Ruth GroupPhone: +1-646-536-7035 / +1-646-536-7037Email: tbui@theruthgroup.com / alobo@theruthgroup.com

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PDS Biotechnology to Present at the 12th Annual LD Micro Main Event - BioSpace

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has released the details of the entrance exam through which candidates will be shortlisted for admission into BSc and MSc courses. According to the details, AIIMS BSc Nursing, BSc Nursing (Post-Basic) and BSc (paramedical courses) admission entrance exam are scheduled for June 6, 20 and 28.

The exam for the admission to MSc Nursing, MSc Biotechnology and other MSc courses will be held on June 6 and July 4. The registration window for the MSc course will open on December 13 and for the BSc courses on December 12.

Candidates who have passed class 12th exams are eligible for the BSc programs and graduates are eligible for the MSc programs.

For the BSc nursing post-basic course candidates with Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery from any institution recognized by the Indian Nursing Council and Registration as a nurse, RN, RM (registered nurse, registered midwife) with any State Nursing Council along with 10+2 qualification are eligible to apply.

The registration for both the courses will close on January 16, 2020.

Tags: Aiims Aiims Nursing Exam Aiims Biotechnology Exam Aiims Paramedical Admission Aiims Bsc Nursing Bsc Paramedical Courses

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Admission details available for the AIIMS Nursing, Biotechnology and Paramedical admissions - Brainbuxa