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China's Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen announced that it has mapped the entire genetic code for the giant panda using DNA sequencing and analysis equipment from San Diego-based Illumina. The project began in mid 2008 and was completed by Jan.2009.

The panda at the center of this discovery is Jingjing, who lives in China's Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center and was the mascot for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The genetic information from Jingjing is expected to be complemented in the future with genetic information from other pandas.

Scientists hope to use the data from the sequencing project to better understand panda biology and reproduction. Giant pandas are difficult to breed in captivity and are currently on the endangered species list.

In China, the panda's genome sequencing was ranked by the Chinese government as one of the top 10 technology achievements of the year, right up there with the nation's space shuttle and the completion of the Tibetan railway.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!

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In his book, “Free: The Future of a Radical Price” Chris Anderson, editor of Wired Magazine, asserts that the cost of DNA sequencing falls 50% each year. To that end, in February, a company called Complete Genomics based in Mountain View, California, announced it will read entire human genomes at $5000 a shot, starting in June this year. This will cost less than one-tenth of what companies charge today for genome sequencing. 

If you believe Anderson, in five years sequencing a human genome will be under $100. Based on these calculations, the window of opportunity for companies that sequence genomic DNA to make a profit is closing rapidly. So, if you were considering getting into the DNA sequencing biz, the right time may be now—before it is no longer a profitable biz model.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Sequencing!!!!!!!!!!!
 

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The long sought after cow genome has been sequenced. Heralded as a milestone in animal genetics, unraveling the cow genome will provide scientists with “tantalizing clues to explain the essence of bovinity.” Two papers describing the results of the project will appear in today's issue of the journal Science. 

The cow who donated its DNA for sequencing was a Hereford named LI Dominette 01449 and is one of the estimated 94 million bovines in the US. The project, led by researchers at National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was a gargantuan effort that spanned six years and involved more than 300 scientists from 25 countries and cost only $53 million. Based on sequence analyses, cows haver 22,000 genes as compared with 20,000 to 25,000 for humans. Some of the other findings include: 

• Cattle and humans have about 80 percent of their genes in common

• The organization of human chromosomes is closer to that of domestic cattle than to those of rats or mice, which are often used in lab tests of drugs intended for people.

• Cattle chromosomes, like those of humans and other mammals, contain segmental duplications, which are large, almost identical copies of DNA present in at least two locations in a genome.

• In domestic cattle, there are duplications related to immunity, metabolism, digestion, reproduction and lactation. Such duplications in humans have been related to a variety of disorders.

Researchers hope that elucidating the bovine genome will help them find ways to improve milk and meat production, develop new strategies to treat and prevent diseases and to reduce the carbon foot print of cows that release large amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

Great news to receive on National DNA Day! 

Science rocks.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!

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National DNA Day is a unique day when students, teachers and the public can learn more about genetics and genomics! The day commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003, and the discovery of DNA's double helix by Watson, Crick and Rosalind Franklin.

National DNA Day is usually observed on April 25 (it was created by the US Congress seven years ago), but this year the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) will hold most of its activities on Friday, April 24 to accommodate classroom schedules. Building upon the popularity of the online chatroom and ambassador programs, NHGRI and its DNA Day partners this year have expanded their outreach efforts even further by creating National DNA Day social networking pages on Facebook and Twitter.

National DNA Day is much more than a time to honor historical achievements. It's a day filled with opportunities for students, teachers and the public to learn how the exciting field of genome research affects our lives. NHGRI researchers, called DNA Day Ambassadors, are visiting dozens of high schools throughout the nation during April to give presentations and field questions from students. This year, NHGRI is particularly focusing on the southwest region of the United States, sending DNA Day ambassadors to high schools in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

No matter where they live, students and teachers can participate in National DNA Day through a live, moderated online chat with NHGRI researchers, which will be open for questions Friday, April 24, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. NHGRI experts will be available to answer questions on a wide range of topics, including basic science, clinical research, genomics careers and the ethical, legal and social implications of genome research. For those unable to participate in the live event, a transcript of the chat will be available on the DNA Day Web site at National DNA Day Online Chatroom.

You can also participate online on Facebook and @dnaday on Twitter

Happy Birthday DNA!

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A panel of eight judges at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania was asked to identify the top 20 life-altering technologies that were developed over the last 30 years. The survey was sponsored by Knowledge@ Wharton, U Penn’s business publication and the PBS’s “Nightly Business Report.” 

Not surprisingly, the Internet was voted the top innovation followed by computers, mobile phones and e-mail. Interestingly, DNA sequencing and testing was listed as number 5—one of five technologies from the life sciences and medical sectors—the others being MRI, laparoscopy, genetically-modified plants, biofuels and anti-retroviral (HIV) drugs. Finally, Internet social networking, a recent innovation, made a surprise appearance on the list at number 20!. The entire list is as follows:

1. Internet, broadband, WWW (browser and html)
2. PC/laptop computers
3. Mobile phones
4. E-mail
5. DNA testing and sequencing/Human genome mapping
6. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
7. Microprocessors
8. Fiber optics
9. Office software (spreadsheets, word processors)
10. Non-invasive laser/robotic surgery (laparoscopy)
11. Open source software and services (e.g., Linux, Wikipedia)
12. Light emitting diodes
13. Liquid crystal display (LCD)
14. GPS systems
15. Online shopping/ecommerce/auctions (e.g., eBay)
16. Media file compression (jpeg, mpeg, mp3)
17. Microfinance
18. Photovoltaic Solar Energy
19. Large scale wind turbines
20. Social networking via the Internet
21. Graphic user interface (GUI)
22. Digital photography/videography
23. RFID and applications (e.g., EZ Pass)
24. Genetically modified plants
25. Bio fuels
26. Bar codes and scanners
27. ATMs
28. Stents
29. SRAM flash memory
30. Anti retroviral treatment for AIDS

If your favorite technology wasn’t listed in the Top 30, please let me know and we can add it to the list!

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (try social networks)!!!!!!!

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Researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Kangaroo Genomics (KanGO), including University of Melbourne, ANU, WEHI, University of Sydney, University of UNSW and the Australian Genome Research Foundation (AGRF) announced today (yesterday in Oz) that they have built a framework to assemble the genome of a model kangaroo, the tammar wallaby.  DNA sequence data obtained by the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) with funding from the Victorian government will be arranged using the genome map.

KanGO Director Prof. Jenny Graves said “Australia’s weird and wonderful animals are making crucial contributions. The kangaroo has helped to consolidate Australia’s reputation in this important genomics era,” More importantly the map and DNA sequence may open up new areas of research into how genes are turned on and off during development of all mammals.

Those Aussies…you gotta love ‘em!

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In case you didn’t know, chocolate is big business. Do you know of anybody who doesn’t like to snack on a piece of chocolate from time to time? Because of the growing incidence of tropical diseases, pests and global climate change, Mars, the giant candy maker (M&Ms, Snickers), announced that it will sequence and analyze the cocoa genome (cocoa is the key ingredient in chocolate) to “to discover genetic building blocks of traits like disease and pest resistance, drought tolerance and perhaps flavor.” The likely long term goals of the project are to identify ways reduce cultivation costs and increase crop yields.

Another reason why Mars is keen on the project (at least according to the corporate press release) is to protect the livelihood of more than 6.5 million cocoa growers, mostly family-run farms,70% of which are in Africa. 

Mars is working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA, sequencing) and IBM (data analysis) on the project. The results of the research will be free through the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture.

I hope that the cocoa genome project is successful. What would the world be like without a copious supply of chocolate?????

Until next time…

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!

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The consolidation trend in the US life sciences industry continues. Carlsbad, CA-based Invitrogen, a provider of cells, molecular and biochemical probes and reagents used in life sciences research,announced on Thursday that it will acquire (merge) with automated DNA sequencer manufacturer Applied Biosystems (ABS).  Invitrogen will pay $6.7 billion in cash and stock to buy ABS which is an independent unit of Applera Corporation.

As most of you know, ABS supplied hundreds of automated DNA sequencing machines ($300,000 per machine) that were used to sequence the human genome. The advent of automated DNA sequencers in the mid to late 1990s helped (along with Craig Venter) to speed up efforts to complete the Human Genome project which officially began in 1990. The first draft of the human genome was published in 2001. Unfortunately for ABS, it was unable to refocus and adjust to changing business conditions after the government-sponsored human genome project ended in the early 2000s.  Attempts to reinvent the company included moving into commercial businesses like selling equipment to test food for pathogens or DNA from crime scenes.

The deal, if approved by regulators, would create a giant supplier of machines and materials used by academic and pharmaceutical industry research laboratories, with about $3.5 billion in annual sales. Although the deal makes sense from a business perspective, it is likely that there will be a “reallocation of corporate resources” once the merger is approved by European and US regulators.

Until next time….

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (try Carlsbad, it is a great place)!!!!!!!!

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Who can resist those adorable black and white Giant Pandas? Late last week, the International Giant Panda Genome Project was launched by Beijing Genomic Institute-Shenzhen, China. The goal of this project is to finish the sequencing and assembling of the draft sequence within six months. 

According to the news release:” The giant panda is a much loved animal all over the world and is considered a symbol of China, as illustrated by its being one of the mascots for the upcoming Olympics in Beijing. The excitement surrounding the launch of this ambitious project, however, has been built around how this new genomic information will have extensive impact in numerous scientific areas -- from ecology to evolution to sequencing technology. Such data will aid in understanding the genetic and biological underpinnings of this unique species, especially with regard to its very specific niche in the environment and the molecular mechanisms of its evolution.”

“Of special interest is that these data will be extremely useful for protecting and monitoring this endangered species and will provide information on the impact of captive breeding. In addition, it will have considerable use in controlling diseases that could devastate these fragile populations.” For those of you who don’t know, breeding pandas is not an easy thing. In fact, according to a guy I used to work with, who is a panda breeding expert, it is more art than science. However, it may not be as arcane as he makes it out to be considering that he had a sweet consulting gig for panda breeding with the Chinese government.

The giant panda project (GPP) will be conducted by Chinese scientists as well as scientist from other countries including, Canada, Wales, Denmark and the United States! It is truly an international collaboration!

Long live the pandas!

Until next time…

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (try GPP- China)!!!!!!

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