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Who Owns the Ocean? One Company Has Registered Half of All Marine Gene Patents
A single corporation has registered nearly half of all existing patents associated with genes from marine organisms, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of British Columbia and the Stockholm Resilience Centre examined the patents associated with marine species and found that BASF, the world’s largest chemical manufacturer, has registered 47 per cent of the 12,998 genetic sequences from 862 marine species.
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New Technique Views 10,000 Genes at Once
A breakthrough new technique enables scientists to image 10,421 genes at once within individual cells. The new technique, dubbed intron seqFISH (sequential fluorescence in situ hybridization), is a major advance in being able to identify what goes on across the genome in hundreds of different cells at once.
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The World's Oldest Bubonic Plague Bacteria Have Been Sequenced
A pair of 3,800-year-old skeletons buried together in Russia have tested positive for a strain of the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis, outbreaks of which caused historical plagues such as the Black Death. An analysis of the genome of these bacteria has given clues to bubonic plague's origins.
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Ancient American Populations Split and Then Reconverged
A new genetic study of ancient individuals in the Americas and their contemporary descendants finds that two populations that diverged from one another 18,000 to 15,000 years ago remained apart for millennia before mixing again. This historic “reconvergence” occurred before or during their expansion to the southern continent.
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Next-Generation Sequencing Sheds Light on Rotavirus in Indonesia
Rotavirus A causes acute diarrhea in young children, and infects both animals and humans worldwide. A Japanese research group has found that the acute gastroenteritis infecting children in Indonesia between 2015 and 2016 was caused by dominant strains of rotavirus, genetically different from human strains of the virus.
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Improved Ape Genome Assemblies Give Human Evolution Insights
New, higher-quality assemblies of great ape genomes have now been generated without the guidance of the human reference genome. The effort to reduce "humanizing" discovery bias in great ape genomes provides a clearer view of the genetic differences that arose as humans diverged from other primates.
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Coral Genome Study Reveals Surprising Twist
A new study puts a surprising twist—one might even say a double spiral—into our understanding of how coral reefs react to ocean warming and acidification. It also offers the possibility of an early warning system for the warmth-induced bleaching events that are increasingly harming coral reefs worldwide.
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Blood Test Predicts Premature Birth
Measuring RNA fragments in a pregnant woman’s blood gives a reliable estimate of the baby’s due date and can predict if the baby will arrive prematurely, a Stanford-led team has shown.
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Telomerase: Highest Level of Detail Ever Seen
Researchers report the deepest scientific understanding yet of this once-mysterious enzyme, whose catalytic core -- where most of its activity occurs -- can now be seen in near atomic resolution. Telomerase is especially active in cancer cells, which enables cancer to grow and spread.
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Alzheimer's Breakthrough: Tau accumulation activates transposable elements, cell death
New evidence suggests a mechanism by which progressive accumulation of Tau protein in brain cells may lead to Alzheimer’s disease
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