The ability to authenticate premium and rare varieties would encourage growers to maintain cacao biodiversity rather than depend on the most abundant and easiest to grow trees.
Researchers have found ways to verify through genetic testing the authenticity of many other crops including cereals fruits olives tea
Applying the most recent developments in cacao genomics they were able to identify a small set of DNA markers called SNPS (pronounced snips) that make up unique fingerprints of different cacao species. The technique works
#Ants protect acacia plants against pathogensthe biological term symbiosis refers to what economists and politicians usually call a win-win situation:
Its inhabitants are ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex. The ants depend completely on their host plants for nectar
#Ramularia and the 4 Rsthe gene that has provided spring barley with resistance to powdery mildew for over 30 years increases susceptibility to newly-important disease Ramularia leaf spot.
Since 1980 the mlo gene has transformed mildew from the most important disease of barley to an occasional nuisance in wetter areas of the UK.
However the research also paves the way for barley lines to be bred that are resistant to both diseases by selecting for multiple genes.
It has struck us that plant breeding relying on the successful use of a single major resistance gene can increase susceptibility to another disease said R&d breeder Peter Werner from KWS UK.
and now that we know what is happening on a genetic level we can do something about it.
The study also broke new ground for the speed of the genetic analysis carried out at the James Hutton Institute.
Using maps of genetic markers the scientists were able to quickly find the precise location for important traits within days rather than years.
The above story is provided based on materials by Norwich Bioscience Institutes. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length h
or C. The findings published in Royal Society Journal Biology Letters are based on two premises:
Many cattle producers feedlot operators and researchers strive to use genetics and modern feedlot technologies to continuously improve that efficiency.
and if there is a potential genetic component to it as well. Advice for feedlot operatorsthomson said that he is very pro-technology.
They then observed a strong induction of the expression of genes and enzymes responsible for the synthesis of glucose in the intestine.
The researchers repeated the experiment with mice whose intestine's ability to produce glucose had been suppressed by genetic engineering.
These two very different personas are remarkable adaptations of a single genome to distinct environments.
The work out in Current Biology looked into the mechanism that allowed gregarious locusts to change their diet surprisingly fast--just a few hours after solitarious locusts are crowded they are eating toxic plants
The research provides new insights on how the environment can affect gene expression and on insects'extraordinaire adaptability.
#More to biofuel production than yieldwhen it comes to biofuels corn leads the all-important category of biomass yield.
In the current issue of the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences Michigan State university researchers show that looking at the big picture allows other biofuel crops such as native perennial grasses to score higher
We believe our findings have major implications for bioenergy research and policy said Doug Landis MSU entomologist and one of the paper's lead authors.
Biomass yield is obviously a key goal but it appears to come at the expense of many other environmental benefits that society may desire from rural landscapes.
Landis and a team of researchers from the Great lakes Bioenergy Research center compared three potential biofuel crops:
In addition the team found that the grass crops'ability to harbor such increased biodiversity is linked strongly to the fields'location relative to other habitats.
but with the exception of biomass yield all other services were greater in the perennial grass crops Landis said.
The interaction between the proteins can be modified in a number of ways including by conventional plant breeding methods and by biotechnology techniques.
The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological sciences Research Council and is published in the journal Developmental Cell.
It is the subject of pending patent applications and commercial rights are available from Plant Bioscience Limited Durham's commercialisation partner for this technology.
Corresponding author Dr Ari Sadanandom Associate Director of the Durham Centre for Crop Improvement Technology in Durham University's School of Biological and Biomedical sciences said the finding could be an important aid
in crop production. Dr Sadanandom said: What we have found is a molecular mechanism in plants
#Walden Pond trees leafing out far earlier than in Thoreaus timeclimate-change studies by Boston University biologists show leaf-out times of trees and shrubs
The spring growing season is of increasing interest to biologists studying the effects of a warming climate
Different genetic strains of cow emit different amounts of methane. There are three issues: diet genetics and the microbiology of the cow's rumen.
We think that animal genetics may well influence their gut microbiology. However this link has not been proved
and we are still in the data collection phase explains Lorenzo Morelli director of the faculty of agriculture at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Piacenza Italy who is a microbiologist and a project scientist.
Until now the European cattle industry was interested mainly in improving aspects of livestock such as their fertility and their overall shape.
So if we can find the right genetic mix we can find cattle that are less polluting more productive
but better genotypes alongside better diets will create a positive synergy for lower emissions. Over the longer term better genotypes will mean lower cost
if special diets are needed not. But Garnsworthy warns that the project which has two years to run is not a simple one.
What makes it new is its approach to linking genetics and microbiology according to John Mcewan a senior scientist at Agresearch New zealand based at Invernay near Dunedin.
He thinks that commercial applications of its findings could begin in 3-5 years if it is scaled up fast enough.
and member of the Institute for Genomic Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who led the research published in the Journal of Heredity.
Their DNA was very similar to neighboring populations of East African savanna elephants but with very low genetic diversity
The markers also revealed that these Eritrean elephants have no genetic ties to forest or Asian elephants as other authorities have suggested.
For MITOCHONDRIAL DNA (mtdna) the genetic information is passed from mother to offspring and is transmitted not by males.
and their closest relatives the East African savanna elephants to provide an influx of genetic diversity.
Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genetic Patterns was published in the Journal of Heredity and is available online.
The late Jeheskel Shoshani an evolutionary biologist and world-renowned elephant specialist was instrumental in this research.
The above story is provided based on materials by Institute for Genomic Biology University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
#Genetic testing to produce more offspringthe Fleckvieh is breed a of cattle that originated in the Alpine region.
Their genomes can be traced back to a small number of key ancestors explains Prof. Ruedi Fries Chair of Animal breeding at TUM.
Infertility caused by a single gene This practice is fraught with risk however: If the genetic make-up of any animal contains an unidentified defect this characteristic will be passed on to future generations.
TUM researchers have discovered now that a mutation in the TMEM95 gene on cattle chromosome 19 makes bulls effectively infertile with a success rate for insemination of less than 2 percent.
Otherwise the animals are perfectly healthy and normal points out Dr. Hubert Pausch lead author of the study.
i e. they are homozygous for the defective gene. It is only in this case that the animals should be excluded from breeding.
Routine genetic testing for all breeding bulls has been underway since August 2012. Findings of interest for human medicineas part of their study the researchers compared the genome of 40 subfertile animals with 8000 breeding bulls with normal fertility levels.
They discovered that the genetic defect can be traced back to one Fleckvieh animal born in 1966.
The TMEM95 gene encodes a protein on the surface of the sperm heads. The protein probably mediates the binding process between the sperm and egg cells.
If it is missing fertilization will not occur. Our findings indicate that genetic defects in TMEM95 could also cause infertility in men elaborates Pausch.
During their investigation of the sperm of infertile breeding bulls the TUM scientists collaborated with Prof.
Genetic analysis for healthier animalsscientists have been systematically studying the cattle genome since 2009. Unlike in humans a small number of loci explain a large proportion of characteristics.
This allows the genetic profile of breeding bulls to be mapped in detail --and individual weaknesses can be taken into account for breeding says Pausch.
Genetic analysis highlights the undesirable characteristics and also the diseases that animals pass on. With this knowledge we can
and quality but also improve animal health by identifying pathogenic gene variants and ensuring that they are passed not on to future animals.
One example is a genetic defect which causes a blood clotting malfunction in the homozygous state.
Consider Genetic counseling. For those with a family history of certain cancers information about our genes can offer choices in dealing with our genetic destiny.
A woman who carries the BRCA breast cancer gene for example who has watched families members die at an early age may choose preventive mastectomy rather than risk extremely high odds of developing the same illness.
For other cancers such as colorectal cancer the presence of a gene may signal the need for increased vigilance with more frequent screenings to catch any abnormality early.
Genetic screening took center stage last year as actress Angelina jolie shared her decision to have a preventive mastectomy in response to her own genetic risk.
Genetic counselor at SLU Cancer Center Suzanne Mahon says that In deciding whether or not to have the screening patients should ask'Is this something
I really want to know about myself. If I know I am at high genetic risk of developing cancer am I going to do something with this information?'
'Genetic counseling and testing can clarify your risk of cancer. If you underestimate your risk you might not have the information you need to make good decisions about prevention and early detection.
If we prove you don't have the risk it can be a big relief. TAKE ACTION:
Genetic counseling isn't recommended for everyone; rather it's an option for those with family history of certain cancers.
whether you could benefit from more knowledge about your genetic risk. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Saint louis University Medical center.
although the total number of honeybee colonies increased in some European countries the demands for the pollination services supplied by these pollinators has increased much faster due to the increasing demand for biofuel feedstocks.
Dr Tom Breeze who conducted the research said This study has shown that EU biofuel policy has had an unforeseen consequence in making us more reliant upon wild pollinators like bumblebees and hoverflies to meet demands forthis
#Life scientists, colleagues differentiate microbial good and evilto safely use bacteria in agriculture to help fertilize crops it is vital to understand the difference between harmful and healthy strains.
The bacterial genus Burkholderia for example includes dangerous disease-causing pathogens--one species has even been listed as a potential bioterrorist agent
Yes UCLA life scientists and an international team of researchers report Jan 8 in the online journal PLOS ONE.
which have just been discovered in the last 12 years as plant-growth promoting bacteria are said not pathogenic the study's senior author Ann Hirsch a professor of molecular cell and developmental biology in the UCLA College of Letters and Science.
These species the scientists discovered lack those genes that make other Burkholderia species harmful agents of infection.
For their study the UCLA life scientists performed a bioinformatics analysis of four symbiotic Burkholderia species all of
They found a strong distinction between genes in these beneficial strains and in pathogenic strains.
They searched for genes typically involved in infection--for attaching to and invading cells or for secreting toxins.
Unlike their dangerous cousins the four symbiotic Burkholderia species did not have associated genes with the virulence systems found in the pathogenic species. Burkholderia were discovered first as plant pathogens in 1949 by Walter Burkholder who identified them as the agent causing
B. pseudomallei which causes melioidosis is classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a potential bioterrorist agent.
Paulina Estrada-de Los santos of the department of microbiology at Mexico's Instituto Politã cnico Nacional Prolongaciã n de Carpio y Plan de Ayala;
They are important for a variety of reasons including the region's biology the mixing
First author Theodore R. Holford professor of biostatistics and member of Yale Cancer Center and six other researchers who are part of the National Cancer Institute's Cancer Intervention
The new paper featured in the January issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology looks for the first time at the reaction of free-living nitrogen-fixing microorganisms called diazotrophs to the deforestation.
Jorge Rodrigues an assistant professor of biology at The University of Texas at Arlington organized the work.
Our next step is to measure how the rates of biological nitrogen fixation are influenced by community changes.
The team used DNA analysis specifically the nifh gene that is characteristic of diazotrophs to measure the communities in the samples.
and the dynamic techniques biologists utilize to ensure the survival of threatened animals. Often scientists study biodiversity at all levels--from genes to entire ecosystems.
Currently researchers at the University of Missouri are employing genotyping to study movement patterns of African forest elephants in protected and unprotected regions of Gabon to better understand how human occupation of these areas might affect elephants on the African continent.
Genotyping is helping conservation biologists determine the best course of action to ensure biodiversity and the preservation of various species in the U s. and abroad.
Many times analyzing dangerous animals with a hands-on approach is risky so genetic samples and traces collected through hair samples fecal samples
and other noninvasive means offer a safer technique to examine species said Lori Eggert associate professor of biological sciences in the College of Arts & Science at MU.
In Africa protected areas are designed often around sites that support endangered species such as large mammals.
Eggert and fellow researchers from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) as well as other international scientists were tasked with determining movement between two of the parks that were separated by an unprotected area
Her study Using genetic profiles of African forest elephants to infer population structure movements and habitat use in a conservation
and development landscape in Gabon was published in Conservation Biology in collaboration with Jesus Maldonado Alfonso Alonso Rob Fleischer and Francisco Dallmeier with the Smithsonian Institution and colleagues at the University of Groningen the University of Oxford and the Centre
#Temperature most significant driver of worlds tallest treesunderstanding forest biodiversity and how carbon dioxide is stored within trees is an important area of ecological research.
and biodiversity could be affected negatively. Overuse can be avoided by redirecting water from larger bodies of water via pipes and distribution networks.
but such information is useful to forest management focused on restoring biodiversity and resilience to these ecosystems.
The dendritic cell vaccines are produced by the biotechnology company Immunocellular Therapeutics Ltd . which funded this study.
The research by the Schools of Psychology and Biosciences at The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) is comparing two different health drinks.
Dr Brigitte A Graf a nutrition scientist and an expert in bio-availability of active food ingredients has designed the intervention product--the smoothies.
#New study may aid rearing of stink bugs for biological controlmany people think of stink bugs as pests especially as the brown marmorated stink bugs spreads throughout the U s
. However certain stink bugs are beneficial such as Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) a predatory stink bug that is considered an important biological control agent for various insect pests of cotton soybean tomato
Now a new study appearing in Annals of the Entomological Society of America called Effect of Egg Rearing Temperature and Storage Time on the Biological Characteristics of the Predatory Stink Bug Podisus
Our goal was to evaluate the effect of low temperatures on the biological characteristics of P. nigrispinus with the aim of optimizing mass-rearing programs for this potential biological control agent the authors wrote.
and that the eggs could be stored for up to 17 days without significantly affecting most of the biological characteristics analyzed in the study.
Our results suggest that low temperatures can be used to store eggs for mass rearing of this potential biological control agent the authors write.
when flowering plants were changing the face of the Earth forever adding beauty biodiversity and food.
In Cretaceous flowers we've never before seen a fossil that shows the pollen tube actually entering the stigma said George Poinar Jr. a professor emeritus in the Department of Integrative Biology at the OSU College of Science.
and adding further insights into the biodiversity and biology of life in this distant era. At that time much of the plant life was composed of conifers ferns mosses and cycads.
The evolution of flowering plants caused an enormous change in the biodiversity of life On earth especially in the tropics
The newly-described genus and species of flower was named Micropetasos burmensis. Story Source: The above story is provided based on materials by Oregon State university.
and fertility is affected partially by a deletion of a simple gene sequence. The presence and effects of this mutation have recently been discovered by scientists from Aarhus University University of Liã ge MTT Agrifood Research Finland in collaboration with the Danish Agricultural Advisory Service and the Nordic Cattle Genetic Evaluation.
Scientists farmers and advisors have assumed generally that the reduction in fertility is primarily due to the negative energy balance of high-producing cows at the peak of their lactation
but now the scientists have also found a genetic explanation. We have discovered a deletion encompassing four genes as the causative variant
and shown that the deletion is a recessive embryonically lethal mutation explains Goutam Sahana. This means that the calves die while they are still embryos
and pass the genes on to their calf for the calf to be affected. The bulls carrying the deletion can be identified routinely in on-going genomic selection program
The reason that the deleted gene sequence causing embryo mortality has become relatively widespread is that it has such as strong positive effect on milk yield.
and that associated positive effects on milk yield may account for part of the negative genetic correlation.
This is at least the seventh example in livestock of an allele that is deleterious in the homozygous state being maintained at high frequency in the populations because of the selective advantage it confers to heterozygotes.
We've enabled biometrics, but the one we haven't done is the iris reader.
Reynier told CNN they had looked also at biomass and other renewable technologies for the business before opting for biogas.
No numbers were given on just how high the emissions for the $6. 5 billion whisky industry are.
Beverage giant Diageo is also currently constructing a $150-million bioenergy plant in Fife to capitalize on their whiskey waste
A Scottish university has entertained even the possibility for whisky-powered cars by converting pot ale and draff to a butanol additive for gasoline.
This information helps biologists build airfield habitats that are unfriendly to the types of birds causing problems.
But when wildlife biologists and the U s. Department of agriculture killed nearly 400 geese this summer because they lived in Brooklyn Prospect Park â too close to New york La Guardia
Scientists at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGEN) looked at nearly 140 samples taken from 80 brands of beef, chicken, pork and turkey.
and re-circulate this with additives and nutrients that are beneficial for plant matter. You mentioned Europe is ahead of the game on hydroponics,
The owner is a former marine biologist. He always steering me toward what most sustainable,
For its togo orders, Poste uses biodegradable corn-based utensils, containers and straws from Bio-Plus Earth.
Just Tuesday, the U s. Geological Survey released a report saying government programs encouraging biofuel production caused corn acreage in the Mississippi Delta to grow 288 percent in 2007,
in biology, designers and architects seek answerswhen a shimmering, 600-foot glass tower was erected in London in 2004,
scientists and designers are digging ever deeper into the natural world--even to microscopic levels--to seek answers to vexing design questions by mimicking biological systems that have solved already them,
This movement in search of biomimetic architecture has forged increasingly unlikely alliances between synthetic biologists, botanists and other scientists with artists,
Colo. who works on infusing biomimetic principles into efficiency projects for corporate and industrial clients.
Right now, biomimetic innovations have provided already revolutionary ideas for how new buildings are cooled and heated, one of the most energy intensive systems in a structure.
Unlocking these biological secrets--how an animal cools itself, such as using its body to absorb water in a hot,
a senior biologist at Biomimicry 3. 8. Mead works with designers and architects to translate the biological world into building projects.
REFORESTING CITIES Biomimetic principles are already transforming public spaces in the most densely populated areas of the U s.
so some architects are working with synthetic biologist to create building materials that could be applied to the walls of existing buildings that could suck greenhouse gases from the air,
Dollens has developed a biomimetic architecture iphone app called Biodesign which explores in a comic-book like fashion the engineering and modeling of the buildings of the future.
THE BUILDINGS ARE ALIVE While today biomimetic architecture incorporate pieces of nature into buildings design,
English physician and synthetic biologist Rachel Armstrong and architect Neil Spiller head of the School of architecture and Construction at the University of Greenwich in London, are working together to develop these kinds of materials,
The tools of synthetic biology are galvanizing the development of new forms of architecture that respond to environmental change by incorporating the dynamic properties of living systems, such as growth, repair, sensitivity and replication,
pushing architects, designers, biologists and other scientists to rethink how are cities and buildings mesh with the natural world.
the way people are looking to biology for changing a transistor or a chip, Dollens said.
And biomass, particularly wood pellets from the U s.,is needed critically to meet those targets. But this massive export opportunity for the U s. is being held up for a lack of infrastructure, policy incentives
Burgeoning demand At Infocast's Biomass Trade and Transport Summit in Charlotte, North carolina last week,
Sean Ebnet is the director of biomass origination for the UK utility Drax Power, whose 4, 000-megawatt coal-fired power plant generates about 7 percent of the UK's electricity.
and ultimately rely on biomass for the majority of its fuel. According to Jonathan Rager of Georgia-based Poyry Management Consulting, a 50 Mt gap will open between global supply and demand for pellets by 2020.
Seth Walker, Associate Bioenergy Economist, RISI A large part of that supply could come from the Southeast,
which is expected to grow to 10 Mt in 2017, according to Seth Walker, an economist with global biomass information provider RISI.
Seth Walker, Associate Bioenergy Economist, RISI However, it's still woefully undersized to meet European demand.
Due to its policy of producing ethanol biofuel from the crop, there is evidence that this is contributory to cereal tripling in price over the last decade.
resource control and competition Bioengineering e coli to turn seaweed into fuel Fatty foods cause brain scarring, study shows
Our health records will have an enormous value in the future as genetic profiles are added, Tien said. So whatever rules we have for privacy and security,
Once genetic profiles are added routinely to the mix, access to electronic health data may predetermine who can get jobs
While genetic information may help physicians fend off severe diseases earlier than ever it may also be used to stigmatize people who will be stripped of opportunity based on some familial history of disease.
rounding out the top three is petroleum and chemical engineering, with a nine percent gain for the year.
Petroleum & Chemical engineering: 42,304 patents in 2010; up 9%from 2009. Domestic Appliances: 36,816 patents in 2010;
Petroleum and Chemical engineering It's all about chemical engineering in this industry, which represents 70 percent of all patents and the most active, with a 14 percent boost from last year.
Now Co. Exist reports on transgenic goats that produce milk with breast milk enzymes and proteins.
UC Davis scientists created the transgenic goats by transferring human genes for breast milk enzymes and proteins into goat embryos.
The transgenic dairy goats can make milk with up to about 60%of the lysozyme and lactoferrin found in mother's milk,
Human breast milk gives human babies unique immunological defenses that they can't get from other animal's milk.
milk from these transgenic goats could provide the next-best alternative. The UC Davis team has been studying the engineered goats'milk for a number of years now to perfect the formula (no pun intended.
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