MetaFilter posts tagged with DNA and genome

Jurrassic World

Brandon Blatcher — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 19:56:33 -0800

We get you real woolly mammoth, very cheap, good quality.

Personal Genome Project

thatbrunette — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:20:31 -0800

Volunteers from the general public working together with researchers to advance personal genomics. 10 volunteers, among them noted author and cognitive psychologist Stephen Pinker, have open sourced (so to speak) their genetic information. The belief is that current privacy issues surrounding genetic information is leading to a decline in research. With a hoped for 100,000 participants the idea is to give a boost to medical research involving the human genome. Pinker and the 9 other volunteers have posted up their medical history, and will add information such as tastes and preferences, ethnic backgrounds. Future volunteers will do the same, along with photographs, allergies- even television habits. Want to join?

Down

chuckdarwin — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:08:33 -0800

The Genius of Charles Darwin Warning: Dawkins haters, click away now. And, yes: eponysterical.

Synthetic life is now just around the corner.

geeknik — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:02:22 -0800

Scientists have built the first synthetic genome by stringing together 147 pages of letters representing the building blocks of DNA.

Genome

i_am_a_Jedi — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 05:08:13 -0800

The Diploid Genome Sequence of J. Craig Venter. (Previous MeFi)

The human genome and the new eugenics

homunculus — Fri, 24 Oct 2003 11:27:23 -0800

"We are becoming the masters of our own DNA. But does that give us the right to decide that my children should never have been born?" John Sundman is a science fiction novelist and the father of two children with severe medical conditions. In this two-part article he shares his experiences and thoughts on bioethics, the Human Genome Project and whether genetics research is paving the way for a resurgent eugenics movement.

so what's in that 0.1%?

shoos — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 00:30:14 -0800

DNA used to ascertain race of unidentified serial killer. Florida company DNAPrint Genomics claims their test can identify the race (ie, African, Caucasian, East Asian or American Indian) of a person from their DNA. CEO Tony Frudakis says that "of over 2,200 blind samples tested, the test is yet to get one wrong."

homunculus — Tue, 26 Feb 2002 13:40:23 -0800

Genome liberation. "Life science researchers -- even those who work in academic settings -- are finding that corporations are just as eager to patent the tools as they are the data, and in many cases, universities are bending over backward to let the private sector have its way. As a result, a growing number of bioinformatics researchers are beginning to look to the free-software and open-source software movements for inspiration in their quest for bio freedom."

martk — Fri, 25 Jan 2002 07:35:16 -0800

Why Genetic Engineering Is So Dangerous Environmentalist/biologist Barry Commoner's essay in the February issue of Harper's magazine warns about the unknown dangers of genetic engineering. "...billions of transgenic plants are now being grown with only the most rudimentary knowledge about the resulting changes in their composition. Without detailed, ongoing analyses of the transgenic crops, there is no way of knowing what hazardous consequences may arise. But, given the failure of the Central Dogma, there is no assurance that they will not. The genetically engineered crops now being grown represent a huge uncontrolled experiment; its outcome is inherently unpredictable. Our project is designed to help develop effective public understanding of the dangerous implications of this critical predicament." He asserts that the "Central Dogma", the basis for the Human Genome Project, was known to be flawed prior to the inception of the $3 billion program. Should we be amused/impressed or very worried when we read about pig/spinach crosses and the like? Related article here.

Sal Amander — Tue, 01 May 2001 08:30:14 -0800

Last week I was watching a Nova program on PBS called 'Cracking the Code of Life', which brought to my attention a disturbing fact about the process of mapping the Human Genome; private companies have applied for patents for gene sequences that they've mapped. Many of these patents were applied for before the government began the Human Genome Project. Although the patent office has put these applications on hold until it figures out what to do with them, many drug companies an researchers won't work with a gene sequence if there is a patent application outstanding. You can get involved yourself by petitioning against patents on life.

Steven Den Beste — Tue, 19 Sep 2000 09:05:39 -0800

Soon you can get your own copy of the Human Genome. (Funny, I thought I already had one.)