DNA Video: DNA and Your Roots by Gina Paige

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 24, 2007 in DNA Podcasts and Videos, DNA and Genealogy

Learn more about genetic genealogy from Gina Paige, president and co-founder of African Ancestry.

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, genealogy, african ancestry, gina paige

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DNA Quote: BF Skinner

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 23, 2007 in DNA Quotes and Excerpts

A person is not an originating agent; he is a locus, a point at which many genetic and environmental conditions come together in a joint effect.

~ BF Skinner, About Behaviorism, New York: Knopf, 1974

Tags: behaviorism, bf skinner, genetics, genes, dna, quote

(2 comments)

Turkey DNA

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 22, 2007 in DNA Fun, DNA Quotes and Excerpts, DNA and the Law

No Thanksgiving for us here in London but that doesn’t meant there isn’t turkey. Some people have a few more turkeys than they’re allowed, though. People like Justin Michael Jones who was convicted of wild turkey poaching in the first ever case of its kind using DNA evidence. DNA from five wild turkeys in Jones’s freezer was compared to a wild turkey DNA database established by wildlife geneticist Karen Mock at Utah State University.

And I leave you with an excerpt of an interview with Dr. Jonathan Wells who talks about turkey DNA and dinosaur bones. The interview is from Lee Strobel’s book – The Case for a Creator.

“So these people said they found turkey DNA in a dinosaur bone–and it actually got published in Science magazine! This is just incredible to me! The headline in the magazine said with a straight face: ‘Dinos and Turkeys: Connected by DNA?’”

The last story begged the next question: “How in the world do you explain how turkey DNA got in there?”

Shaking his head, Wells said, “Maybe someone dropped a turkey sandwich in the dig or there was lab contamination.”

NB: Yes, I’m aware that Lee Strobel’s book argues for intelligent design but how can I pass up a story about turkey DNA? We can talk about who’s the turkey here another day.

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, turkey, turkeys, wild turkey

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DNA Video: Craig Venter at Google

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 21, 2007 in DNA Podcasts and Videos, Personalities with DNA

J. Craig Venter visits Google’s Mountain View, CA headquarters to discuss his book, “A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life.” This event took place on November 12, 2007 as part of the Authors@Google series.

I wanted my sister to ask Dr. Venter if he had ever read Eye on DNA but she had a meeting to go to afterwards.

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, j craig venter, google, authors@google

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How to Clean DNA Off a Knife

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 21, 2007 in DNA and the Law

As most of us are now aware from many episodes of CSI, you can get DNA off of most anything. Because this is the case, if you’re contemplating a crime, you should think twice. Chances are, DNA can catch a thief. And a murderer.

Three suspects accused of murdering British exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy thought they’d gotten rid of the evidence by cleaning the alleged murder weapon, a kitchen knife, with bleach. But it wasn’t good enough. DNA could still be recovered from the tip and handle of the knife.

Juliet Lapidos, Slate’s Explainer, says bleach is very effective at destroying DNA but you have to be very thorough.

So, why did Knox and Sollecito’s bleaching gambit fail? It’s difficult to swab a knife thoroughly. Dried blood can stick to the nooks and crannies in a wood handle, to the serrated edge of a blade, or become lodged in the slit between the blade and the hilt. With help from a Q-tip, it’s possible to eliminate most stains, but what’s not visible to the naked eye might still be visible to a microscope, and sophisticated crime labs need only about 10 cells to build a DNA profile.

DNA specialist Dr. Karen Rudolph has been able to extract one speck of dried blood from the hinge of a folding knife that had been boiled. The suspect was later convicted.

This all begs the question: Why don’t the suspects destroy the murder weapons rather than cleaning them? If there’s enough time to bleach and boil, surely there’s enough time to find a way to dispose of the knife. Not that I would know, of course!

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, crime, murder, amanda knox, meredith kercher, raphael sollecito, knives

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DNA Network Members Discuss Personal Genomics Service Providers 23andMe, deCODEme, and Navigenics

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 20, 2007 in DNA Products, DNA Testing

What’s so special about 23andMe, deCODEme, and Navigenics? What makes them stand out of the crowd? After all, DNA testing is nothing new. The company I work for, DNA Direct, has been offering consumers a whole slate of different tests for several years complete with genetic counseling and informative reports.

What makes the latest entrants into the field of personal genomics interesting:

1. Whole genome SNP analysis vs specific, single, limited number of gene variants
2. Interactive, fun websites that are meant to be always up-to-date with the latest information and enable you to make contact with others who have similar genetic profiles
3. A combination of genetic genealogy with human genetics
4. 23andMe and deCODEme de-emphasize their involvement in medical genetics with deCODEme claiming that the information they give you is not meant to help you make “medical decisions.”
5. Strong PR push which is especially important for companies that operate only on the Internet
6. Investors with deep pockets

While I understand the excitement surrounding the launch of these companies (mainly engineered by the media), I don’t get why we should be any more excited by their offerings than by what’s already available on the market.

First of all, I’m not all that interested in what kind of gene causes my sticky ear wax because as Kathy Hudson, founder and director of the Genetics and Public Policy Center, pointed out, we’ve got q-tips for that. Info on the genes encoding my boring brown eyes can’t be all that interesting either.

Secondly, what am I supposed to do with the knowledge that certain SNPs in my genome are associated with an increased risk in complex diseases such as heart disease, etc.? Common sense tells me that everyone should be eating less fat and exercising more. That’s the commons sense part of prevention. As for treatment, if I needed it, my cholesterol and blood pressure, along with other biomarkers, would have given me away already. And, isn’t this kind of gene-disease information at the heart of nutrigenomic companies like Sciona and Suracell (for more info, see my interview with Suracell Chief Information Officer Derek Hornby) except that Sciona doesn’t sell nutritional supplements like Suracell?

Thirdly, if you’re an early adopter of whole genome scan technology, you should be aware that the data you get on your genealogy won’t be very different than other companies that offer genetic genealogy services at substantially lower prices ($1,000 for whole genome scan vs a couple hundred dollars for genealogy DNA testing alone). Also, the SNP approach employed by these companies may yield different results than the STR marker and mtDNA sequencing analyses used by others. In fact, if you’re looking to fill in your family tree/ancestry by making connections with other people of the same genetic profile, you may have to wait some time for the company database to accrue enough data from a sufficient number of customers. There are also many people who are interested in genetic genealogy but don’t want to know anything about genes that might predispose them to disease. DNA can be fun and scary.

On top of all this, remember that personal genomics doesn’t necessarily mean individualized genomics. DNA from you and other customers is analyzed using the same chip and the information you get is the same as any other customer with your SNP genotype and family history. As far as I can tell, there are no follow-up analyses beyond what the company offers on these microarray chips so if, for example, you have a SNP in the BRCA gene for breast and ovarian cancer that is linked to increase risk, you’re on your own in selecting which other genetic testing company or health service for further genetic testing.

But don’t just listen to me, DNA Network members are definitely the ones to turn to for commentary on the developing field of personal genomics.

• Sandra Porter at Discovering Biology in a Digital World – Step right up, get your very own DNA profile only $999
• David Hamilton at VentureBeat Life Sciences – 23andMe: Will the personal-genomics company need Big Pharma to make money?
• Ricardo Vidal at My Biotech Life – 23andMe uses the new gold standard from DNA Genotek
• Ramunas Janavicius at Cancer Genetics – deCODE’ing Predisposition to Cancer
• Deepak Singh at business|bytes|genes|molecules – Your personal health: Social networking XY.0 revisited and some killer video
• Blaine Bettinger at The Genetic Genealogist – 23andMe Launches Their Personal Genome Service
• Lisa Lee at DNA Direct Talk – deCODEme: First “Genetic Scan” Launches
• Steve Murphy at Gene Sherpas – Staying Positive
• Bertalan Mesko at ScienceRoll – Personalized Genetics: It has begun!
• Thomas at The Seven Stones – Personal genomics for a fistful of dollars

Also, please welcome new DNA Network members Yann Klimentidis, Eric Olivares, and Deepak Singh. We now number 38 in the Network!

NB: Proving that The Issue is up-to-date on the issues of the day, The Genetic Revolution was the subject of discussion earlier this week with posts from Gene Sherpa, The Genetic Genealogist, Little Blue Pill, and Eye on DNA.

Tags: genetics, genes, dna, navigenics, 23andme, decodeme, personal genomics, health, medicine

(31 comments)

Get Your Personal Genome Decoded Here

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 18, 2007 in DNA Products, DNA Testing

The shutters are up, the neon open sign is lit, and the cash register has been polished. Personal genomics is open for business:

• 23andMe
• deCODEme
• Knome
• Navigenics (not quite but almost)

Where else can you get your personal genome “decoded”*?

I’m technically supposed to be taking a break (what is the meaning of that word anyway?!) so I’ll continue brewing my comments for now. Until then, check out the following for more:

• Thomas Goetz at Wired and Epidemix
• Amy Harmon at The New York Times
• Jonathan Eisen at The Tree of Life
• New DNA Network member Deepak Singh at business|bytes|genes|molecules
• Kevin Kelly in KK’s lifestream

If you’ve signed up for one of these services or are planning to do so, let us know why in the comments!

*These companies offer whole or partial genome sequencing and/or genomewide SNP analysis.

Photo: Gene pool: Your jeans in a petri dish from Wellcome Images under Creative Commons

Tags: personal genome, 23andme, knome, navigenics, decodeme, genomics, genetics, genes, dna

(6 comments)

What’s in your DNA? #18

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 18, 2007 in In Your DNA

Scott Adams of The Dilbert Blog says it all for this week’s In Your DNA.

When you see people who are struggling in life, you probably feel an urge to help. You might talk yourself out it, because you have your own problems, or you don’t know how to help in any lasting way, or there are just too many people in need. But you have the urge to help those less fortunate. It’s in your DNA. You’re good people.

On the flip side, when you see people who are happier than you, your natural urge is to guide them back to the average. For example, if you have a coworker who breezes through his own workload and uses the spare time to enjoy himself, your natural impulse is to ruin his day by dumping some of your work on him. You call it “teamwork,” and there’s no denying it boosts productivity, but that’s not your motivation. At some fundamental human level, you want the people who are happier than you to dial it back a notch. It’s in your DNA. Sometimes you’re not good people.

Read more….

Tags: scott adams, dilbert, genetics, genes, dna, in your dna

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DNA Video: DNA Testing with Chris Haley

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 17, 2007 in DNA Podcasts and Videos, DNA and Genealogy, Personalities with DNA

Chris Haley, nephew of Alex Haley, shows us what it’s like to use a buccal cotton swab to take a sample of DNA from the inside of your cheek. Not only is it not painful, it’s hilarious!

The Genetic Genealogist has the results of Chris Haley’s Y-DNA test.

via Megan’s Roots World

Tags: chris haley, alex haley, genetics, genes, genealogy, dna, dna collection, buccal swab, cotton swab

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DNA Quote: Philosopher Olivier Abel

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 16, 2007 in DNA Quotes and Excerpts

Genetics do not tell us everything about an individual. No matter what means are applied, we will never have a complete and definitive idea of who we are. There will always be an element of mystery. Seeking to evacuate this incertitude is running the risk of sliding towards eugenics.

~Olivier Abel, professor of ethical philosophy at the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Paris, in an interview with Laurent Grzybowki

Tags: olivier abel, ethical philosophy, genetics, genes, dna, ethics, eugenics

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