DNA
OK, first of all, what’s a light mill? It’s a simple rotary motor consisting of four flat vanes mounted to a central axis, which spins when subjected to light. Light mills have been around since 1873, mostly just as novelty items, and have pretty much always been at least a few inches tall. Less than a week ago, however, scientists at California’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory announced the creation of a light mill just 100 nanometers in size. Unlike its bigger brothers, this tiny device might actually have some very practical applications. Read More
Genetic fingerprinting using DNA is such a staple of TV cop shows that it’s easy to take such technology for granted. But it wasn’t all that long ago that DNA fingerprinting was cutting edge technology that was horrendously expensive. However, as the cost of such technology has plummeted, the DNA-based applications available to common folk have multiplied. Aside from using DNA testing to uncover ones genealogy, we’ve even got dating sites making matches based on DNA. Now man’s best friend can benefit from DNA technology with a DNA Breed Identification Kit that can identify the breeds that come together to make up your lovable pooch. Read More
A research team, led by Craig Venter of America’s J. Craig Venter Institute, has produced the first cell controlled by a synthetic genome. The team had previously synthesized a bacterial genome, and transplanted the genome from one bacteria to another, but this is the first time they have combined the two techniques to create what they call a “synthetic cell” - although only its genome is actually synthetic. They now hope to be able to explore the machinery of life, and to engineer bacteria designed for specific purposes. Read More
Scientists from Columbia University, Arizona State University, the University of Michigan, and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have created a robot that’s just 4 nanometers wide. And no, it doesn’t have flashing lights, video cameras or wheels. It does, however, have four legs, and the ability to start, move, turn, and stop. Descendants of the molecular nanobot, or “spider,” could someday be used to treat diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Read More
If you’re looking for love online you can forget listing your hobbies and favorite books. Dating sites can now find your perfect match based on DNA. Numerous studies have revealed that chemistry, in particular body odor, plays a big part in the art of attraction, but such physical chemistry is usually impossible to identify when searching for partners online. Dating sites such as ScientificMatch and sense2love.com say they can bring chemical attraction back into the mix to increase the chances of finding someone genetically compatible with your DNA. Read More
Analyzing the huge amounts of data involved in mapping DNA sequences requires formidable computing resources, but not every scientist working in the field has access to a large network or supercomputer, making genomics the perfect candidate for cloud-computing. Applied Biosystems and Geospiza have announced the launch of a genetic analysis solution using cloud-computing that aims to put the tools required for this important field of study into more hands. Read More
Along with daughter Lucy, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking is planning to send his digitized DNA into space as part of NCsoft’s Operation Immortality. The pair hopes the exercise will help publicize the Archon X PRIZE for Genomics; a competition that will award $10 million to the first person or team that can sequence 100 human genomes within 10 days or less. Read More
