DNA News
Edinburgh University’s Coronagenes study needs your help
The MRC Human Genetics Unit at Edinburgh University are looking for volunteers to help with their new CoronaGenes study, an international volunteer project to help understand the Genetics of susceptibility to and symptoms of the Coronavirus: why some people get sick and others don’t. Volunteers only have to complete an online questionnaire, which takes about…
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The UK government assemble £20m alliance – the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium – to map the spread of coronavirus
The consortium will include the NHS, Public Health Agencies, Genomes and data centre Wellcome Sanger Institute, and other academic institutions. The aim of the alliance, which was announced by the UK government and the country’s Chief Scientific Adviser, will be to understand and control the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The collaboration between expert groups in…
Oxford scientists develop rapid testing technology for COVID-19
Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Engineering Science Department and the Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research (OSCAR) have developed a rapid testing technology for the novel corona virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). The team, led by Prof Zhanfeng Cui and Prof Wei Huang, have been working to improve test capabilities as the virus spreads internationally. The…
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VIKING II DNA study is looking for volunteers
Do you have 2 or more grandparents from Orkney or Shetland? If the answer is yes then join VIKING II, the fastest growing Viking Genetics study in the UK, led by Prof. Jim Flett Wilson, University of Edinburgh. The research teams behind Orkney Complex Disease Study (ORCADES) and the VIKING Health Study – Shetland (VIKING) are the…
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DNA from Stone Age 'chewing gum' reveals incredible story
For the first time, archaeoGeneticists used 5,700-year-old saliva to sequence the complete human Genome of an ancient hunter gatherer, as well as the world of microbes that lived inside her. Thanks to the tooth marks she left imprinted in ancient ‘chewing gum’, archaeoGeneticists were able to obtain DNA, which they used to decipher her Genetic…
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‘Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey’ leads both to a Viking age warrior
Legendary Geordie presenting duo Ant and Dec, real names Anthony McPartlin OBE and Declan Donnelly OBE, traced their family histories for the new ITV (UK) two-part show, Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey. In an emotional final episode, they discover their connection goes much deeper than first imagined. It was only through DNA that their natural…
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Whole genome sequencing for UK babies to ‘save thousands of lives’
The National Health Service in the United Kingdom has announced a potentially groundbreaking DNA project to test babies’ DNA at birth to protect them from inherited diseases. The NHS pilot will initially sequence the DNA of 20,000 babies but may develop into a world-first national routine screening programme. DNA doctors hope they can spot signs…
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DNA reveals stray puppy most likely dropped by a bird is rare endangered dingo
Weeks after a stray puppy was discovered in a backyard in rural Australia, DNA tests revealed that the adorable pup is not a dog at all but an Australian alpine dingo. The news was a welcome surprise for conservationists. Australian alpine dingoes are an endangered species vulnerable to extinction because of inbreeding, hunting and government eradication…
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Pictish “Rosemarkie Man” may have genetic links to Orkney
A high-status Pictish man, who was brutally killed 1,400 years ago and buried in a Highland cave, may have had links to Orkney. The “Rosemarkie Man,” named so because his remains were found in a recess of a cave near Rosemarkie three years ago, has recently undergone Genetic testing. New Genetic analysis has been undertaken…
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Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey
Legendary Geordie presenting duo Ant and Dec, real names Anthony McPartlin OBE and Declan Donnelly OBE, traced their family histories for the new two-part show, Ant and Dec’s DNA Journey, which will air during November on ITV (UK). “They quickly established themselves as the kings of British TV – but during the making of the…