Regulatin’ Genes Video

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted March 18, 2009 in DNA Fun, DNA Podcasts and Videos

With a cameo from my favorite Stanford professor, Robert Siegel.

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Eye on DNA Links for 9 January 2009

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted January 9, 2009 in Eye on DNA Headlines

Thanks to the following sites for linking to Eye on DNA recently! It’s good to be back.

• Technology Review BioTech News
• Blogging to Get Girls Interested in Science at Murray Women’s Center Graduate Women, a New Jersey Institute of Technology blog
• Uncertain or Uninformed and An Extra Layer at Genome Technology’s Daily Scan
• Tracing the Tribe: The Jewish Genealogy Blog
• The Decision Tree, a new blog from Thomas Goetz that is sort of a rough draft for his upcoming book about predictive medicine

Also, congratulations to Dr. Val on her move to Better Health. Check out her interview with Dr. Joanne Armstrong, senior medical director for Aetna, and assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, about the current state of genetic testing. Here’s an excerpt:

Dr. Val: In your view, what are some legitimate and appropriate genetic tests?

Dr. Armstrong: There are about 1200 genetic tests available now, and most of them are not medically appropriate or clinically valid. “Medically appropriate” tests have a few common characteristics: 1) they have to be useful for the direct treatment or prevention of an illness. Some tests on the market are medically trivial – they test for things like eye color for example. 2) The information from the test should affect the course of treatment of the disease or condition, and 3) treatment should improve the outcome of the disease.  Those are the characteristics of a genetic test that would be useful or appropriate in a healthcare setting.

There are 100s of useful and appropriate tests, and they’re used for the prediction of diseases like hereditary colon cancer, breast cancer and its recurrence, and metabolic diseases that affect people as infants.

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Genetically Engineered HTC Touch Diamond Phone

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted November 12, 2008 in In Your DNA

Fantastic! A phone “genetically engineered for your thumbs.” I’d like one genetically engineered for my brain, please.

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My Son, The Genetic Epidemiologist

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted September 16, 2008 in DNA Fun, DNA and Disease

My six-year-old’s reading and mark-up (in purple) of a paper in Nature Genetics authored by my friend, Dr. Linda Kao.

Press Release - New gene variant identified for nondiabetic end stage renal disease in African-Americans

Scientists at Johns Hopkins schools of Public Health and Medicine have, for the first time, identified variants in the gene MYH9 that are associated with increased risk for non-diabetic end stage renal disease (ESRD,) which is the near-loss of kidney function leading to either dialysis of transplant. MYH9, located on the 22 chromosome, is the first gene identified for common forms of kidney disease. The study was published online September 14 in the journal Nature Genetics and will be published in the October print edition. In a separate study published in the same issue, researchers at the National Institutes of Health reported similar findings.

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Digitized DNA Blasting Off Into Space

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted September 5, 2008 in DNA Fun, Personalities with DNA

Three Silicon Valley celebrities are set to send their digitized DNA into space via NCsoft’s Operation Immortality project. Game designer Richard Garriott will deliver the DNA to the International Space Station on October 12. A digital time capsule is being created that includes “messages from people around the world along with the digitized DNA samples from some of Earth’s brightest minds, musicians, and athletes.”

The Silicon Valley celebrities participating are:

• Kevin Rose of Digg
• Robert Scoble of Scobleizer
• Tim Draper of Draper Fisher Jurvetson

Draper’s desire for his DNA:

My hope is that aliens get a hold of my DNA so my clones can spread entrepreneurship to galaxies throughout the universe.

Some might wish for peace throughout the universe but I guess entrepreneurship ain’t too bad.

Photo credit: feastoffools

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Geeky DNA T-Shirt: XX Chromosomes

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted June 27, 2008 in Geeky DNA T-shirts

Noelle of XENOTEES writes to tell us she has a new tee available with XX chromosomes on the front. Stylin’!

Available at Etsy for $20.

(1 comment)

Eye on DNA Headlines for 30 April 2008

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted April 30, 2008 in Eye on DNA Headlines

• Scienceblogs Gene Expression hosts Gene Genie #30.
• Thank you to the Missouri State Genealogical Association (MoSGA) Messenger for sharing Eye on DNA with its readers!
• DNA inspires not just scientists but artists too. Check out Digital 3d Art created by a “quantum theoretician involved in studying life at a molecular particle level.”
• Are we in for another Myriad genetic test ad uproar? Identigene (more from Eye on DNA), sellers of over-the-counter paternity tests, have hired STG Media Corp to create TV, print, and radio ads that will “not only inform consumers that the product is out there, but that will also demonstrate that the product actually works.”
• A “major television network” (I can vouch for their authenticity) is looking for people to interview. Here’s what they sent me:

  For an upcoming series on genetic testing, a major television network would like to interview a person who has ordered an online gene test to assess their future risk of getting certain diseases. Twelve complaints have been filed with the california Dept of Health and the New York State Dept of Health has sent letters explaining the legal ramifications of testing New York residents without the proper clinical laboratory permit. Most of these complaints are anonymous. Would anyone speak on-camera to their issues and share their personal experience ordering one of these tests and getting the results? Please call 917 991 3689 or write to Theodora12@gmail.com.

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Geeky DNA T-Shirts from the San Francisco Exploratorium

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted April 29, 2008 in Geeky DNA T-shirts

For the 2007 National DNA Day, San Francisco’s Exploratorium Explainers mocked up some DNA t-shirts.

Seen any t-shirts for last week’s 2008 National DNA Day?

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What’s in your DNA? #28

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted April 27, 2008 in In Your DNA

The DNA Restaurant in Old Montreal, Quebec Canada isn’t really named after the DNA we like best.

Though the name may have you conjuring up medical reports and murder trials, DNA actually stands for Derek ‘n’ Alex, Derek being Dammann, and Alex being Alex Cruz, the suave maitre d’ and resident wine expert. (The Gazette)

Lee at Tokyo Times reports from Japan on a collection of coasters that tell people you’re not into downing alcoholic drinks in one gulp. One of the coasters says:

I can’t drink - it’s not in my DNA.

Danielle Parsons at Am I There Yet? is challenging herself to accomplish 101 things in 1001 days:

So no more someday (which, presumably, is the day that I’ll get there). I may not be able to radically overhaul of my life, and quit procrastinating on everything that I want to do (anyone who knows me well knows procrastination is embedded in my DNA) – but I am going to do 101 things in 1001 days.

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Happy DNA Day!

by Dr. Hsien-Hsien Lei
Posted April 25, 2008 in DNA Fun

Be a nerd and celebrate National DNA Day with us!

DNA Diagnostics Center has two DNA Day eCards–Happy DNA Day Helix Flower and Do The Twist on DNA Day–in honor of the event. (HT: DNA Network member The DNA Testing Blog’s Top Ten Things to Do on DNA Day!)

The National Human Genome Research Institute has more activities planned for National DNA Day including a live online chatroom and DNA Day speaker presentations.

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