[In the world of Harry Potter,] magic appears to follow some of the same rules as other traits that are inherited, but what could be the genetic factors that explain why someone is born a witch or a wizard or without any magical ability at all?

A roomful of people at Future Con got a crash course in wizarding DNA and the basic workings of genetics on June 17, at a talk hosted by Eric Spana, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Duke University, in North Carolina.

Eric Spana describes wizard DNA at the Future Con panel, Harry Potter and the Genetics of Wizarding. Credit: M. Weisberger/Live Science

Is the wizarding gene recessive? Hagrid, the half-giant-half-wizard groundskeeper at Hogwarts, proves that it isnt, according to Spana. Giants have no magical ability, and Hagrid was born to a giant mother and a wizard father. For him to be born a wizard with only one copy of the wizard gene in his DNA, magical ability would have to be a dominant trait, said Spana.

If the wizarding gene is working correctly, it makes a certain type of protein. The phenotypeis magical ability. But if theres amutation in that gene Spana suggested calling it the SQUIB mutation a different type of protein turns the magic gene off. If one parents DNA carries a copy of the SQUIB mutation, it can turn off the wizarding protein, which cancels a childs ability to do magic.

We do this in fruit flies all the time, Spana said, referring to manipulation of heritable traits in general.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post:Genetics of Wizardry: Were Harry Potters Magical Powers Written in His DNA?

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Genetics of Harry Potter: What wizardry can tell us about our DNA - Genetic Literacy Project

July 5, 2017 Comparison of growth differences in wild-type (left) and growth-repressor mutant (right) Arabidopsis plants. Credit: Dr Nick Pullen

You might think that plants grow according to how much nutrition, water and sunlight they are exposed to, but new research by Dr Nick Pullen and a team from the John Innes Centre, UK shows that the plant's own genetics may be the real limiting factor.

"This could have potentially big implications for the agricultural industry," says Dr Pullen, "Our model plant is in the same family as cabbages, so it's easy to imagine creating giant cabbages or growing them to the desired market size faster than at present."

It was previously assumed that plant growth was generally resource-limited, meaning that plants would only grow as large and fast as they could photosynthesise. However, Dr Pullen and his team present evidence that plant growth is actually "sink-limited", meaning that genetic regulation and cell division rates have a much bigger role in controlling plant growth than previously thought: "We are proposing that plant growth is not physically limited by Net Primary Productivity (NPP) or the environment, but instead is limited genetically in response to these signals to ensure they do not become limiting."

By genetically altering the growth repressors in Arabidopsis, Dr Pullen and his team were able to create mutant strains. They identified the metabolic rates of the different plant strains by measuring rates of photosynthesis and respiration, as well as comparing the size and weight of the plants to monitor differences in physical growth.

Dr Pullen and the team also grew the mutant plant strains at different temperatures to see if this changed their results: "When grown at different temperatures we still find a difference in size of our plants between wildtype and the mutants. This suggests our results should be applicable in different climates."

The impact of these results is wide-reaching, and Dr Pullen suggests that it may even change how we think about global climate data: "Climate models need to incorporate genetic elements because at present most do not, and their predictions would be much improved with a better understanding of plant carbon demand."

Explore further: Revealed: New step in plant mastermind hormone's pathway

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Scientists have identified a new mutant plant that accumulates excessive amounts of starch, which could help to boost crop yields and increase the productivity of plants grown for biofuels.

New research from an Iowa State University scientist identifies a genetic mechanism that governs growth and drought tolerance in plants, a development that could lead to better performing traits in crops.

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When exposed to potential predators as an embryo, the invasive American bullfrog becomes harder to kill when it becomes a tadpole, according to a new study by Oregon State University researchers.

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Genetics may lie at the heart of crop yield limitation - Phys.org - Phys.Org

An announcement is expected on Thursday, and the companies hope to complete the transaction by the end of the year. Ambry Genetics declined to comment.

The Japanese government is helping to drive the diversification efforts. A state-backed investment fund, the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan, is teaming up with Konica Minolta in the Ambry acquisition. According to the people familiar with the deal, Konica Minolta would take a 60 percent share in Ambry, with the rest to be acquired by the fund.

Ambry, which is privately held, would retain its current leadership, these people said. The management team includes the company founder and chairman, Charles L. M. Dunlop, who has said his own experience with prostate cancer now in remission influenced his decision to make public anonymized information from Ambrys database.

Pooling data from many people is considered crucial to finding genetic elements that contribute to illnesses.

For Konica Minolta, the acquisition would confirm the acceleration of efforts to diversify beyond photocopiers and printers, areas where revenue and profit have been shrinking.

The Japanese company has identified health care, and cancer screening in particular, as a possible mainstay of business. It has been developing its own cancer-detecting technology using light-emitting nanoparticles to mark proteins that are drawn to cancer cells.

Other Japanese businesses have tried similar expansions. Fujifilm, for instance which, like Konica Minolta, built a name decades ago in photography has established a profitable health care and cosmetics division, helping it survive the end of the analog film era.

Other Japanese groups health care ventures have been less successful, however.

Follow Jonathan Soble on Twitter @jonathan_soble.

Chad Bray contributed reporting from London.

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Konica Minolta, With Eye on Health Care, Nears Deal for U.S. ... - New York Times

Welcometo the University of Wisconsin-Madison Laboratory of Genetics. The Laboratory of Genetics is comprised of two sister departments that function as one. The Department of Genetics in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences was founded in 1910 and is the oldest genetics department in the country. The Department of Medical Genetics, which recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, is housed within the School of Medicine and Public Health. Our mission is to address fundamental problems in genetics as they relate to medicine, agriculture, and basic knowledge of biology.

The Laboratory of Genetics is also home to the Genetics Training Program, with over 80 faculty trainers from diverse departments on campus that together provide graduate students diverse opportunities in modern genetics research. Please visit our pages to find out more about us.

John Doebley Chair, Laboratory of Genetics

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Cancer is triggered by mutations (changes) in the genes of a cell. These changes cause cells to reproduce in an unstructured, abnormal way. Most cancers occur by chance or sporadically. Gene changes may result from a random mistake when cells are dividing. Genes may also change in response to lifestyle habits and/or environment exposures or injuries.

A small portion of cancers have been identified as resulting from genetic changes that are inherited. Individuals with an inherited gene mutation tendency have an increased risk of developing cancer in their lifetime. However, not everyone who is born with a tendency for a gene mutation will develop cancer.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) we offer genetic testing to help determine if your cancer was due to an inherited gene mutation and if you are at an increased risk of developing a second cancer.

Our Cancer Genetics Program consists of genetics education, counseling and testing services. You will learn about the role of genes and hereditary in the development of cancer and which of your family members may be affected. Before and after your test, you will meet with a genetic counselor to discuss your questions and concerns.

CTCA also offers genomic tumor assessment to help uncover genetic changes occurring within the tumor itself. Identifying these changes may help determine whats driving the growth of cancer. With this information, our physicians can better understand whats driving the growth of the cancer and find treatment options not previously considered.

The terms genetics and genomics may seem similar. Both refer to the genes in an individual. But genetics looks only at the traits you inherited from your parents, while genomics is focused exclusively on whats happening to the genes of an individual tumor.

Watch our video above to learn more about the difference.

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Genetics | CTCA

The largest clinical genetics clinic in the country, Texas Children's Hospital Genetics Clinic strives to stay at the forefront of genetic research while offering families the latest diagnostic and clinical resources available.

Our physicians are faculty in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine.

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Genetics | Texas Children's Hospital

Dive Brief:

Interleukin Genetics attempted to restructure its debts back in April, entering into a rejiggered agreement with Horizon Technology Finance which deferred the principal amount owed to the lender on April 1, May 1 and June 1. The deferral could have continued each month through September, but the borrower had to lock down by June 15 a "clinical services agreement" that had the approval of Horizon Technology Finance.

That didn't happen, and now Interleukin Genetics is doing whatever it can to gain capital.

"While this decision was extremely difficult, it is important to preserve capital as we assess our options," Interleukin Genetics CEO Mark Carbeau said in a July 3 statement. The company did not immediately respond to BioPharma Dive request for comment.

Interleukin Genetics also said in the statement it had about $925,000 in cash on hand as of June 30. Due to the strategic evaluation, its second quarter financial filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission will be coming in late.

Horizon Technology Finance initially loaned $5 million to the borrower back in late 2014. The parties agreed that Interleukin Genetics would repay the loan over 45 months, with the first 15 months being only interest payments and the latter 30 being equal payments of the total principal plus interest. The revamped agreement from earlier this year offered Interleukin Genetics a few months of deferred payments in exchange for an estimated 5.5 million to 11 million shares of the company's common stock.

Even if the borrower had secured a clinical services partnership and been able to keep the payment deferrals going a few more months, it has had trouble generating revenue.

Interleukin Genetics garnered nearly $200,000 in total revenue during the first quarter, down from almost $961,000 during the same period in 2016, which the company attributed to a decline in contracted research projects. A $2.3 million loss from operational costs led the company to have a net loss of $2.5 million for the first three months of 2017.

Moving forward, the company expects its main assets will be its Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified testing and the intellectual property for its diagnostic programs, including Ilustra and the Inherent Health brand. It also expects the current restructuring efforts will cost $245,000.

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Interleukin Genetics slashes workforce, explores options - BioPharma Dive

Similar to the human eyes, nose, and lips, the earlobes also have special features. Although the human ears look similar, there are minor structural differences that make each ear different from the other.

The major form of the gene that determines the shape of the earlobe is known as an allele. An allele is a gene which is found at a specific position on a chromosome. It has been established that all genes in our body have two copies; one from each parent.

Image Credit: Thiti Sukapan / Shutterstock

An earlobe is made up of connective tissues combined with a mixture of areola tissues and fat cells. Earlobes have a good blood supply which help in keeping them warm and maintaining balance. Majorly, there are two types of earlobes found in humans - free earlobes and attached earlobes.

Free Earlobes: Free earlobes are the most common form of lobes found. This type of earlobe is often large and hangs below the point of attachment to the head. This happens due to the influence of a dominant allele. If the genes from the parents get expressed by the dominant allele, then the child will be born with free earlobes.

In most cases, the allele is regnant to the free lobes compared to attached lobes. The free earlobe parents can also give birth to an attached earlobe child, depending on the reaction of the allele gene. If parents with free earlobes give birth to a baby with attached earlobes, it is certain that both of them had both a copy of the dominant and recessive allele.

Attached Earlobes: These types of earlobes are not rare, but are also not commonly found. Earlobes of such type are small in size and do not have hangs. They are attached directly to the side of the head. The structural formation of this kind of lobe is due to the absence of the dominant allele in the chromosomes. The recessive allele is expressed instead in the chromosomes to form an attached earlobe. It is not necessary that parents with attached earlobes should give birth only to the attached earlobe child.

Traits are the major factors that result from chromosome pairs and which, in turn, determine ones overall physical appearance. When alleles combine, some exert stronger influence down sythan the others. The stronger allele is responsible for the dominant traits. Dominant alleles are said to be found throughout an organism. If the dominant allele fails to show its presence, the recessive allele will be expressed. These are known as recessive traits. Although the traits vary, the size of the earlobes for both the traits remain the same. An average mans ear measures 6cm, while for a woman it is about 5cm, in which the earlobe size measures about 2cm.

Genetic conditions play an important role in the birth of a human being. People born with abnormal growth of organs are considered to be affected by the traits before their birth. The major conditions that cause irregular or abnormal growth include:

Birth disorders may be minor or severe and may occur at any stage during pregnancy. Most disorders affect the baby while in the womb, before the formation of the organs; however, not all genetic defects are caused by the transfer of gene from the parents. In many cases, the baby may be born with genetic disorders that the parents gene does not contain. Some defects are considered to be harmless, while some may require prolonged medical treatment.

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Genetics of Earlobes - News-Medical.net

By: IANS | New York | Published:July 4, 2017 10:51 pm Mutations in the gene called GDF5 resulted in shorter bones that led to a compact body structure while reducing the risk of bone fracture from falling. Thus, it also favoured early humans to better withstand frostbite. (Source: File photo)

A genetic change associated with shorter stature and increased risk of arthritis might have helped our ancestors survive the Ice Age, a study has showed. The findings showed that mutations in the gene called GDF5 resulted in shorter bones that led to a compact body structure while reducing the risk of bone fracture from falling. Thus, it also favoured early humans to better withstand frostbite as well as helped them migrate from Africa to colder northern climates between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago.

These advantages in dealing with chilly temperatures and icy surfaces may have outweighed the threat of osteoarthritis, which usually occurs after a prime reproductive age, the researchers said. The variant that decreases height is lowering the activity of GDF5 in the growth plates of the bone.

Interestingly, the region that harbours this variant is closely linked to other mutations that affect GDF5 activity in the joints, increasing the risk of osteoarthritis in the knee and hip, said Terence Capellini, Associate Professor at the Harvard University. For the study, published in the journal Nature, the team examined gene GDF5 first linked to skeletal growth in the early 1990s to learn more about how the DNA sequences surrounding GDF5 might affect the genes expression.

They identified a single nucleotide change that is highly prevalent in Europeans and Asians but rarely occurs in Africans. Introducing this nucleotide change into laboratory mice revealed that it decreased the activity of GDF5 in the growth plates of the long bones of foetal mice. The potential medical impact of the finding is very interesting because so many people are affected, said David Kingsley, Professor at the Stanford University.

This is an incredibly prevalent, and ancient, variant. Many people think of osteoarthritis as a kind of wear-and-tear disease, but theres clearly a genetic component at work here as well. Now weve shown that positive evolutionary selection has given rise to one of the most common height variants and arthritis risk factors known in human populations, Kingsley said.

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Genetics causing arthritis possibly helped humans survive Ice Age - The Indian Express

A new era of genome-based personalised medicine for cancer could be in place within five years under plans unveiled by the Chief Medical Officer.

The genomics dream outlined by Professor Dame Sally Davies would see millions of patients having all their DNA tested as genome sequencing becomes as routine as MRI or CT scans.

Ultimately, the future goal is for every cancer patient to have his or her whole genome sequenced, making the procedure as standard as blood tests and biopsies. People with rare diseases are also expected to benefit from having greater access to the technology, ending the years-long diagnostic odyssey of multiple tests and visits to different specialists.Whole genome sequencing involves unscrambling the entire book of genetic instructions that make us what we are, encompassing 3.2 billion letters of code.

Research suggests that in 60 per cent of cases, the genomes of cancer patients reveal actionable data personal mutations that can shape future treatment.

Tens of thousands of NHS patients have already had their DNA mapped, but the recommendations set out in Dame Sallys Generation Genome report aim to multiply the numbers many times over.

Dame Sally said: The age of precision medicine is now and the NHS must act fast to keep its place at the forefront of global science .

This technology has the potential to change medicine forever but we need all NHS staff, patients and the public to recognise and embrace its huge potential.

Genomic medicine has huge implications for the understanding and treatment of rare diseases, cancer and infections.

Currently, genetic testing of NHS patients in England is conducted via 25 regional laboratories and a plethora of smaller units operating along the lines of a cottage industry, Dame Sally said.

Her chief recommendation is to centralise all the labs and establish a national network providing equal access to the tests across the country.

Within government, a new National Genomics Board would be set up, chaired by a minister, to oversee the expansion and development of genomic services, taking into account new advances within the rapidly evolvingtechnology.

The Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said he welcomed the report, pointing out that the UK had established itself as a world leader in genomics medicine. He added: Tens of thousands of patients across the country have already benefited from quicker diagnosis, precise treatment and care, and we will support the NHS to continue its relentless drive to push the boundaries of modern science.

Part of what made greater access to whole genome sequencing feasible was the rapidly falling cost of the tests, which has dropped from several thousand pounds to 680.

Reporting by John von Radowitz, Press Association

Achieving the genomics dream could make a huge difference to the 3.5 million adults and children with one of the 7,000 recognised rare diseases that could be treated far more quickly and more effective with genome testing.

Every persons genome contains 3.2 billion letters of genetic code, amounting to two terabytes of data. If it was printed your genome would fill a stack of books 61 metres high. Although officials now talk about personalised medicine, what they are trying to deliver is diagnosis and treatment related to the genomic signature of a particular patient.

This means giving the most effective drugs against cancer, using drugs which will cause fewer side effects, seeking new drugs and treatments and moving to personalised prevention. There will also be other applications, many of which we are not yet aware of, the report says.

In the case of cancer, tumour cells develop a different genome to normal cells. Comparing a patients normal and cancerous DNA can provide valuable clues about the best form of treatment, although this information is not set in stone. Cancers evolve rapidly and alter their DNA, which can make them resistant to treatments.

This is still much more to learn about genomes and their relation with treatment response, but once that knowledge base expands there should be much faster diagnosis of rare diseases which currently take on average four years to diagnose.

Paul Gallagher

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NHS to offer personal cancer care based on patients' genetics - iNews