MAPPING GENOMES ,DATA AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.

The human body is basically made up of million of cells that are packed with vital information about a person,their health status,disease tendencies and preferences. Genes have been the basis of existence of living creatures,providing information as regards the entity,much of the potential hidden in each entity were never fully utilized,because the level of information available at that time and what many believe was possible. Today,the story is very different with genome mapping,creating a new approach to disease diagnosis,treatment options and prevention of genetic diseases. This mapping of genomes provides us a wide range of data for health protocols, strategic planning and advanced understanding of what makes a man,who he is,what he feels and loves to do and eat. Beijing Genomics CEO Ye Yin, explains that a huge amount of information is locked in each of us and decoding it all could unlock big secrets. He spoke at Wired health , that there are around 100 trillion cells in the human body, each one containing three billion base pairs of DNA. If stretched in a line, they would cover the distance from Earth to the Moon more than 8,000 times. Despite the information density of the human genome, the actual genetic diversity between species isn't that wide. Yin pointed out that we share 63 per cent of our genes with fish and up to 96 per cent with chimpanzees. Even between two humans, the individual genetic variance is only around 0.5 per cent, yet it can result in pronounced differences. Yin said You can grow tall or short and there are maybe only a few base pairs difference in certain genes but genes determine many variable obvious phenotypes. For example, double or single eyelids, whether you can bend your thumbs back or not, if you can roll your tongue, even how much alcohol you can drink. Yin said if genes can be accurately mapped, then this will be a "big data revolution for healthcare". There is already, non-invasive prenatal tests that tests in-utero babies' DNA for Down's Syndrome, and Yin sees "gene tech" becoming like vaccines – a public health shield. Yin's company ,BGI Genomics is one of the world's leading genomics companies. They have recorded outstanding successes ,among which are decoding the Sars virus and creating the first detection kit; sequencing the first ancient human's genome; and serving as a key sequencing centre in the 1000 Genomes Project. Widespread genetic sequencing also has the potential to reflect population-wide health trends. Ying showed heatmaps generated from sequencing data depicting rates of likelihood of disease-causing mutations across China, contrasted against Europe. If this practice became common, the information could even reveal health differences between towns, potentially highlighting local-scale problems. The wealth of information in our cells is just a tip of the iceberg , Yin points to another genomic factor that can impact our health which is the bacteria in our guts. "There are always two to three kilograms of gut microbials in every person," he said . "It's another genome in our body and its even called a second breed. If you feel hungry, maybe it's your bacteria that feels hungry, not you. They're saying 'you must give us some cultures we want'." Even though it's all coming from the same gene background ,the human body the different microgenomics can have huge effects. Experiments on mice have shown that swapping bacteria can affect weight gain and retention. The results are a brand new way of rethinking various nutritional elements, and how to correct them . The phenomenal amount of data in our bodies can, and eventually will be mapped, right down to the individual and microgenomic levels,but human behavior and choices will remain a major influence on our health. materials from wired

HIV RESISTS CRISPR GENE EDITING.

A recent study shows that the HIV virus can overcome new efforts to defeat it using gene-cutting CRISPR technology and that the act of editing the virus's genome could even introduce mutations that help it resist future attacks . The method to tackle HIV using CRISPR have been popular since the rise of the technique, but recent studies have found that HIV quickly continued replicating even after being treated with the gene-cutting enzyme and that mutations introduced by the cutting process rendered new HIV cells unrecognisable to the enzyme. The research indicates that editing human genes to make HIV-resistant T cells would probably be more effective than directly editing the virus. Some researchers aim to edit genes made by the immune cells that HIV usually infects — called T helper cells — so that the virus cannot find a way in. Others take a different tack: equipping the T cells with gene-editing tools so that they can seek and destroy any HIV that infects them. When HIV infects a T cell, its genome is inserted into the cell’s DNA and hijacks its DNA-replicating machinery to churn out more copies of the virus. But a T cell equipped with a DNA-shearing enzyme called Cas9, together with customized pieces of RNA that guide the enzyme to a particular sequence in the HIV genome, could find, cut and cripple the invader’s genome. This seemed to work when a team led by virologist Chen Liang, at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, infected T cells that had been given the tools to incapacitate HIV. But two weeks later, Liang’s group saw that the T cells were pumping out copies of virus particles that had escaped the CRISPR attack. DNA sequencing revealed that the virus had developed mutations very near the sequence that CRISPR’s Cas9 enzyme had been programmed to cut. The team think that the problem can be surmounted, for instance by inactivating several essential HIV genes at once, or by using CRISPR in combination with HIV-attacking drugs. Gene-editing therapies that make T cells resistant to HIV invasion (by altering human, not viral, genes) would also be harder for the virus to overcome. A clinical trial is under way to test this approach using another gene-editing tool, zinc-finger nucleases. source;Nature news

THE ROLE OF GENETICS IN AGING AND DISEASES.

Scientists at the University of Georgia have shown that a hormone instrumental in the aging process is under genetic control, introducing a new pathway by which genetics regulates aging and disease. Earlier studies have found that blood levels of growth differentiation factor 11(GDF), decrease over time. Restoration of GDF11 reverses cardiovascular aging in old mice and leads to muscle and brain rejuvenation, a discovery that was listed as one of the top 10 breakthroughs in science in 2014. The discovery that GDF11 levels are under genetic control is of significant interest since it allows detection of genes responsible for GDF11 levels and its changes with age.The study confirmed results from previous experiments showing that GDF11 levels decrease over time and also showed that most of the depletion occurs by middle age. In addition, the study examined the relationship between GDF11 levels and markers of aging such as lifespan in 22 genetically diverse inbred mice strains. Of note, the strains with the highest GDF11 levels tended to live the longest. Gene mapping, was used by the team ,and they identified seven candidate genes that may determine blood GDF11 concentrations at middle age, demonstrating for the first time that GDF11 levels are highly heritable. Excerpts from the study "Circulating Concentrations of Growth Differentiation Factor 11 are heritable and correlate with life span,"

Similar proteins protect the skin of humans and turtles.

A new study shows the similarities between the skin of turtles and man. The turtle shell is a highly successful concept of evolutionary development and its defensive function clearly distinguishes turtles and tortoises from other reptiles. In the study, the working group led by Leopold Eckhart investigated the genes responsible for the skin layers of the shell of the European terrapin and a North American species of turtle, in order to compare them with the genes of human skin. The study findings suggest that a hard shell was formed as the result of mutations in a group of genes known as the Epidermal Differentiation Complex (EDC). Comparisons of genome data from various reptiles suggest that the EDC mutations responsible occurred when turtles split off from other reptiles around 250 million years ago. This new study shows that evolutionarily related genes have a protective function both in humans and also in tortoises and turtles. It is hoped that comparing the skin of humans and animals will provide a better understanding of the interaction of proteins. In future, the knowledge derived from this may lead to medical applications, for example to improved treatment for psoriasis, in which EDC gene mutations are found. read more here;http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/11/151125104911.htm

GENE THAT MAKES BACTERIA IMMUNE TO LAST RESORT ANTIBIOTICS HAS POTENTIAL TO SPREAD.

A newly identified gene that renders bacteria resistant to polymyxin antibiotics—drugs often used as the last line of defense against infections—has the potential to be shared between different types of bacteria.

The finding raises concern that the transferable gene could make its way into infectious bacteria that are already highly resistant to drugs, thereby creating strains of bacteria immune to every drug in doctors’ arsenal.Researchers fear it could move to new bacteria and create unstoppable superbugs. The gene, dubbed mcr-1, exists on a tiny, circular piece of DNA called a plasmid.

These genetic elements, common among bacteria, are mobile; bacteria can make copies of them and share them with whatever bacteria happens to be nearby. Though scientists have previously discovered genes for polymyxin resistance, those genes were embedded in bacterial genomes, thus were not likely to easily spread.

 Read more;http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/11/gene-that-makes-bacteria-immune-to-last-resort-antibiotic-can-spread/

GENETICS AND FOOD SECURITY.

I have always been fascinated about genes ,mapping,cloning and isolation. The fact that you can completely erase certain traits from a line and add desired traits to a line simply blows my mind.

 The fact that new strains,varieties and offspring's can actually be produced by gene manipulation is just awesome and its even more interesting as i believe this holds the key to food security.

 Every living form; plants,animals and even micro organisms have codes called genes, which are information about what that living form.These genes represent traits about that living form that cannot be easily recognized by looking at the organism.

Welcome to genetic engineering!!!. The work on genes dates back to sir Mendel; who explained how traits can be transferred and also what traits to expect in selective breeding both in plants and animals.This method was adopted to produce desired progeny.

 The work has progressed over the years with enormous technological development....resulting in biotechnology in agriculture.

 Agriculture has evolved over the years with many innovations to solve pressing issues such as food scarcity, diseases, environmental factors (such as flood,drought and arid region ),food preservation and lower yields.

These issues have been identified as major causes of lack of food security thus various solutions have been proffered typically biotechnology; which is the use of genetically engineered strains of plants and animals to produce better strains with higher yield and enhanced flavors.

 Farmers have been improving plants and animals through selection and breeding desirable traits.Bio technology enhances breeders ability to make improvement in crops and livestock,this is achieved through various techniques used to improve plants and animals.

Bio technology use gene modification,genetic improvement and genetic engineering

.Crops improved with transferred traits referred to as genetic improvement have been developed to aid farmers to increase productivity . 

Biotechnology holds the key to food security with higher yield and better products.