Cell Biology

Postdoctoral Research Associate job with DURHAM UNIVERSITY | 193376 – Times Higher Education (THE)

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on a project entitled

"Skin model engineering by harnessing the biomechanical forces exerted on skin cell nuclei".

As a collaboration between Drs Akis Karakesisoglou and Martin Goldberg, Department of Biosciences, Durham University and Steven Hyde, Oxford University we have designed new methodology to generate high quality in vitroskin models. The methodology works through using genetic engineering tools that re-program the biomechanical properties of skin cells.

We have gained funds from the Northern Accelerator (a research commercialisation collaboration between four North East Universities) to further develop the in vitro skin model and to commercialise the underlying technology.

The role of the post holder is to research and implement solutions in the fields of skin tissue engineering, skin tissue/cell biology and microscopy. The project will involve the creation and development of skin equivalent cell culture models using novel methods, then testing and analysing their structural and functional properties. The postholder will be helped by Drs Karakesisoglou, Goldberg and Hyde to find solutions and the candidate will need experience in the above fields to implement the solutions.

The post requires good skills in reporting research progress verbally, and in writing.

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Postdoctoral Research Associate job with DURHAM UNIVERSITY | 193376 - Times Higher Education (THE)

Cell Biology

Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution – News-Medical.net

Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study finds.

Led by NYU Grossman School of Medicine researchers and published online January 23 in Cell, the study focuses on a mystery of biology: human sperm cells activate by far the largest number of genes (90 percent), a pattern also seen in other species like mice, birds, and even fruit flies. Cells in most organs express about 60 percent of their genetic code, or just the subset of genes needed for a cell type to do its particular job.

It now seems obvious that sperm activate so many more genes as they develop because doing so runs them through a DNA repair process, and protects the integrity of messages about to be inherited.

We also found that such repair in sperm is less active in genes that are activated, or transcribed, less often. This supports the theory that evolution is using transcription frequency as a lever, dialing it up to preserve the DNA code in some genes, but turning it down to enable changes elsewhere when it contributes to survival."

Itai Yanai, PhD, senior author, director of the Institute for Computational Medicine, professor in Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine

An example of genes not activated, not repaired, and free to accumulate changes in sperm were those related to immunity, which must continually evolve if the body is to recognize and attack ever-changing bacterial and viral invaders.

To conduct the new study, the authors analyzed gene expression patterns during sperm maturation at single-cell resolution. They first collected samples of human testes tissue, biopsied from consented volunteers. Using microfluidics, they then passed all cells in the samples down a tube just large enough for them to flow through in single file.

Within the tube each cell was pushed into its own water droplet, which acted like a mini-test tube in which enzymes opened the cells and then attached cell-specific barcodes to each transcribed snippet of genetic material. The labeled transcripts were then used to create maps of which genes were turned on at each point during sperm maturation. The team then cross-referenced these findings with known DNA variations in human population databases to estimate how often repair occurred in a given gene.

Surprisingly, researchers found that genes activated even a few times during sperm cell development contained 15-20 percent fewer DNA code errors than unexpressed genes, with the difference attributed to transcription-coupled repair (TCR). This process replaces faulty DNA patches just before the instructions they contain are converted into a related genetic material, RNA, during transcription, the first step in gene expression. RNA transcripts are then read to build proteins that make up cell structures and signals.

Cellular processes, including transcription, along with toxins in the environment, continually introduce errors into DNA chains, with TCR weeding out some of the altered code. The difference, the researchers say, is that sperm cells appear to apply TCR to more genes than is normal, but then to halt gene expression by mechanisms unknown before proteins are made.

Moving forward, the research team will seek to confirm whether sperm-derived genetic changes occur more often in genes not expressed during the maturation of sperm.

This may reveal insights into the causes of many genetic diseases linked to changes in the sperm of aging fathers. Male reproductive cells are known to divide and multiply throughout a person's life, with errors introduced each time. The authors say this may provide a rationale for the existence of widespread scanning uniquely in sperm, because egg cells received by each female in the womb do not multiply for the rest of her life.

Furthermore, the team will determine whether cells in the brain, which also express a large percentage of their genes, employ "transcriptional scanning" like sperm cells, and whether the scanning fails with age to increase risk for neurodegenerative diseases. Embryonic stem cells also display the high-transcription, low-mutation signature that could indicate the presence of such scanning during development.

"Survival of the fittest is a foundation of evolutional theory, but what if other mechanisms bias which gene types are more susceptible to change before natural selection can act on them?" asks first author Bo Xia, a PhD candidate in Yanai's lab. "Such a bias in the testes would have a dramatic effect, but only over evolutionary time scales, say millions of years."

Source:

Journal reference:

Xia, B., et al. (2020) Widespread Transcriptional Scanning in the Testis Modulates Gene Evolution Rates. Cell. doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.12.015.

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Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution - News-Medical.net

Cell Biology

Does coffee affect your biology? Yes, more than just waking you up – ThePrint

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Youre reading this with a cup of coffee in your hand, arent you? Coffee is the most popular drink in many parts of the world. Americans drink more coffee than soda, juice and tea combined.

How popular is coffee? When news first broke that Prince Harry and Meghan were considering Canada as their new home, Canadian coffee giant Tim Hortons offered free coffee for life as an extra enticement.

Given coffees popularity, its surprising how much confusion surrounds how this hot, dark, nectar of the gods affects our biology.

The main biologically active ingredients in coffee are caffeine (a stimulant) and a suite of antioxidants. What do we know about how caffeine and antioxidants affect our bodies? The fundamentals are pretty simple, but the devil is in the details and the speculation around how coffee could either help or harm us runs a bit wild.

The stimulant properties of caffeine mean that you can count on a cup of coffee to wake you up. In fact, coffee, or at least the caffeine it contains, is the most commonly used psychoactive drug in the world. It seems to work as a stimulant, at least in part, by blocking adenosine, which promotes sleep, from binding to its receptor.

Caffeine and adenosine have similar ring structures. Caffeine acts as a molecular mimic, filling and blocking the adenosine receptor, preventing the bodys natural ability to be able a rest when its tired.

This blocking is also the reason why too much coffee can leave you feeling jittery or sleepless. You can only postpone fatigue for so long before the bodys regulatory systems begin to fail, leading to simple things like the jitters, but also more serious effects like anxiety or insomnia. Complications may be common; a possible link between coffee drinking and insomnia was identified more than 100 years ago.

Also read:Coffee lovers have 50% less chance of developing most common type of liver cancer: Study

Different people respond to caffeine differently. At least some of this variation is from having different forms of that adenosine receptor, the molecule that caffeine binds to and blocks. There are likely other sites of genetic variation as well.

There are individuals who dont process caffeine and to whom drinks like coffee could pose medical danger. Even away from those extremes, however, there is variation in how we respond to that cup of coffee. And, like much of biology, that variation is a function of environment, our past coffee consumption, genetics and, honestly, just random chance.

We may be interested in coffee because of the oh-so-joyous caffeine buzz, but that doesnt mean that caffeine is the most biologically interesting aspect of a good cup of coffee.

In one study using rats, caffeine triggered smooth muscle contraction, so it is possible that caffeine directly promotes bowel activity. Other studies, though, have shown that decaffeinated coffee can have as strong an effect on bowel activity as regular coffee, suggesting a more complex mechanism involving some of the other molecules in coffee.

What about the antioxidants in coffee and the buzz that surrounds them? Things actually start out pretty straightforward. Metabolic processes produce the energy necessary for life, but they also create waste, often in the form of oxidized molecules that can be harmful in themselves or in damaging other molecules.

Antioxidants are a broad group of molecules that can scrub up dangerous waste; all organisms produce antioxidants as part of their metabolic balance. It is unclear if supplementing our diet with additional antioxidants can augment these natural defences, but that hasnt stopped speculation.

Antioxidants have been linked to almost everything, including premature ejaculation.

Are any of the claims of positive effects substantiated? Surprisingly, the answer is again a resounding maybe.

Coffee wont cure cancer, but it may help to prevent it and possibly other diseases as well. Part of answering the question of coffees connection to cancer lies in asking another: what is cancer? At its simplest, cancer is uncontrolled cell growth, which is fundamentally about regulating when genes are, or are not, actively expressed.

My research group studies gene regulation and I can tell you that even a good cup of coffee, or boost of caffeine, wont cause genes that are turned off or on at the wrong time to suddenly start playing by the rules.

The antioxidants in coffee may actually have a cancer-fighting effect. Remember that antioxidants fight cellular damage. One type of damage that they may help reduce is mutations to DNA, and cancer is caused by mutations that lead to the misregulation of genes.

Studies have shown that consuming coffee fights cancer in rats. Other studies in humans have shown that coffee consumption is associated with lower rates of some cancers.

Interestingly, coffee consumption has also been linked to reduced rates of other diseases as well. Higher coffee consumption is linked to lower rates of Parkinsons disease and some other forms of dementia. Strikingly, at least one experimental study in mice and cell culture shows that protection is a function of a combination of caffeine and antioxidants in coffee.

Higher coffee consumption has also been linked to lower rates of Type 2 diabetes. Complexity, combined effects and variation between individuals seems to be the theme across all the diseases.

At the end of the day, where does all this leave us on the biology of coffee? Well, as I tell my students, its complicated. But as most reading this already know, coffee will definitely wake you up in the morning.

Also read:Now, drink coffee without milk to cut your carbon footprint, Starbucks says

This is an updated version of a story originally published on Jan. 19, 2020. The original story called coffee the worlds most popular beverage. The term most popular can be defined differently. Retail sales of coffee outpace tea globally, but tea is the most consumed beverage after water.

Thomas Merritt, Professor and Canada Research Chair, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laurentian University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

ThePrint is now on Telegram. For the best reports & opinion on politics, governance and more, subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram.

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Does coffee affect your biology? Yes, more than just waking you up - ThePrint

Biochemistry

CBD And The Advancement of Sleep Science – Magazine of Santa Clarita

Are you one of the 68 percent of Americans that struggle with sleep? If so, you have probably spent your fair share of money trying to get relief. You are not alone. Its projected that Americans will spend 52 billion dollars on sleep aids and remedies in 2020. The issue is that most solutions dont work as well as you expect and as they claim to work. The Problem: No two people are exactly alike, and neither is their body chemistry. What our body needs one day, it may not need the next and for this reason, you may find that supplements work for you sometimes, while other times they dont have the same impact. Differences in the biochemical makeup of one individual is another reason why a particular supplement may work well for one individual but not for another.Sleep supplements and synergistic formulations: As you may know, medicines produced in laboratories often have a blend of compounds that work more effectively when paired with one another. This formulation process is similar to natural supplements as well. Combining multiple supplements that work synergisticly to one another, can achieve an outcome thats more effective on many different people, with different body chemistry.CBD and Sleep: Many people these days are turning to CBD in their search for better sleep. That said, it is true, CBD can help to promote and maintain a state of calmness, which can help, but may not be enough for some people.Advancements in Sleep Science: bZen Organics new CBD Advanced Sleep Formula is a proprietary blend of natures most potent ingredients designed to give you the optimal opportunity to get a good nights rest. Ingredients: 25mg of CBD per capsule, Melatonin, Passion Flower, Linden Flower, Ginkgo Biloba, Lemon Balm, Skullcap Root, Hops Flower, and Vitamin E & D.Dr. Crawford joins the bZen Organics Team with over 10 years of experience working as a Formulation Chemist and Supplement Formulator. She has a doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine, a Masters in Human Nutrition and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.

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CBD And The Advancement of Sleep Science - Magazine of Santa Clarita

Biochemistry

Putting wildlife at top of agenda: Liz Bonnin talks ahead of Planet Earth II live show coming to Birmingham – shropshirestar.com

The series was announced by the BBC in 2013 and focused on Islands, Mountains, Jungles, Desserts, Grasslands and Cities. More than 11 million people tuned in.

Sir David Attenborough closed the series by saying: Now, over half of us live in an urban environment. My home, too, is here, in the city of London. Looking down on this great metropolis, the ingenuity with which we continue to reshape the surface of our planet is very striking. But its also sobering. It reminds me of just how easy it is for us to lose our connection with the natural world. Yet, its on this connection that the future of both humanity and the natural world will depend. And surely, it is our responsibility to do everything within our power to create a planet that provides a home not just for us, but for all life on Earth.

The series was described as being undoubtedly the greatest TV nature documentary to date and theres a strong case for it being one of the best TV series full stop. It won numerous awards and is now being recreated live in concert with Planet Earth Live II.

BBC Studios and the acclaimed BBC Natural History Unit has announced a UK & Ireland arena tour for Spring 2020. Fans can experience sensational footage from the BAFTA and EMMY award winning BBC series, with the show promising to bring audiences closer to the planets spellbinding animals, landscapes and wildlife dramas than ever before.

Following on from the recent success of the 2019 Blue Planet II Live In Concert tour, the live concerts will feature breathtaking, specially-selected footage shown in 4K ultra high-definition on a gigantic LED screen, as the City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Freeman, play the remarkable music by Oscar winner Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea & Jasha Klebe for Bleeding Fingers Music.

The arena tour will visit Birminghams Resorts World Arena on April 3.

Zimmer is renowned for his work on the likes of Gladiator, Interstellar and Blade Runner 2049, but said that the landmark BBC series stood out amongst his work. Planet Earth II is one of the most amazing things Ive ever been involved in: some of the greatest action scenes ever put on film, some of the most emotional, epic, fragile scenes Ive ever witnessed. Filmmaking at its absolute peak.

In the spectacular live show, audiences across the UK will get to rub shoulders with our acrobatic primate cousins in the steaming jungles of Madagascar, race alongside fearsome hunting lions in the remote sandy deserts of Namibia, face stormy Antarctic seas with a family of penguins and feel the raw tension as a baby iguana tries to escape the clutches of deadly racer snakes. And they will no doubt tap their toes along with dancing grizzly bears and be swept away by the bravery of a mother snow leopard.

The Planet Earth II Live in Concert arena tour will be hosted by wildlife and natural history TV presenter Liz Bonnin. With a masters in wild animal biology, Bonnin has presented over 40 primetime programmes including Blue Planet Live, Super Smart Animals, Galapagos and Horizon.

With her recent landmark BBC One documentary Drowning in Plastic, she investigated the ocean plastic crisis, with her hard-hitting environmental reporting raising the level of public debate on this important topic. Bonnin also regularly speaks at and hosts science and natural history events across the country, including the National Science + Engineering Competition, the Natural History Museums Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, New Scientist Live and Blue Dot Festival.

She said: I am so honoured to have the role of host on the Planet Earth II Live in Concert arena tour. The TV series included some absolutely breathtaking sequences who can ever forget the marine iguana fighting for its life as it escaped those racer snakes? I will be just as thrilled as the audience to relive such magnificent scenes on the giant screen, accompanied by a spectacular 80-piece orchestra it will certainly be an experience to remember.

Mat Way, Global Director, Live Entertainment at BBC Studios, added: After the very successful Blue Planet II tour we are delighted to partner with FKP Scorpio once again and bring Planet Earth II Live In Concert to the UK & Irish arenas, an incredible production bringing the BBCs ground breaking footage to the stage for fans to enjoy

Bonnin had always been interested in biology and chemistry at school, and she went on to study Biochemistry at University. After graduating, she started a career as a TV presenter working on such shows as BBC Ones Top of the Pops, before returning to her first love, science, and completing a Masters in Wild Animal Biology and Conservation. Bonnins main interests during her studies were animal behaviour and intelligence and big cat conservation. She set up and carried out a research project on the diet of tigers in Bardia National Park, Nepal, which saw her come first in her class.

Bonnins TV career has drawn heavily on her academic expertise. Recently, Bonnin has co-presented BBC Ones Blue Planet Live and the ground-breaking documentary Drowning in Plastic. She has also presented Should We Close Our Zoos in the latest series of Horizon and Big Animal Surgery, both for BBC Two.

She has previously been on our screens presenting the BBC One series Galapagos and Wild Alaska Live following the hugely successful Big Blue Live series in Monterey, California for the BBC, and for PBS in the USA.

Bonnin has also appeared in the series of Who Do You Think You Are? on BBC One and presented a wildlife series for BBC One about animal migrations called Natures Epic Journeys. Other TV credits include wildlife and animal behaviour programmes Super Smart Animals, Animals in Love, Animals through the Night: Sleepover at the Zoo, Operation Snow Tiger and Animal Odd Couples; science series Horizon, Stargazing Live and Bang Goes the Theory; documentaries Egypts Lost Cities, Museum of Life and Science Friction; and ITVs popular Countrywise.

In addition to her TV work, Bonnin has hosted various high profile events, including the UKs National Science and Engineering Competition Awards and the Natural History Museums prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards. She was also recently awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association.

When I got the call to do this, I jumped at the chance. I was onboard immediately. Quite selfishly, Im looking forward to the experience myself just as much as other members of the audience will be.

The thought of seeing that footage on such a big screen and having a live 70-piece orchestra will be magnificent. Ive seen some of the programmes on big screen and its a complete game changer. For me, its a kind of spiritual experience. For people who dont work in wildlife, these creatures remind us of our connection to nature. Then to see that while hearing music from Hans Zimmer is emotional. Its one of those rare occasions where we can celebrate the plant and humanity itself.

Bonnins role is to take the audience by the hand and keep the talking to a minimum. She wants the music and visuals to work their magic.

So Ill put into context the scenes and Ill give them new unexpected information about the scenes. And then the exec producer of Planet Earth II will come on every now and then to give them insights into what it took the make the scene work. Therell be little fun facts and well have 16 sequences, some are compilations that weve prepared that work well together. Of course they include the racer snake and iguana. We have hummingbirds, penguins, snow leopards. Weve cherry picked stuff that lends itself to them.

Bonnin describes hosting the show as a dream gig. She fell into a career that she adores and hopes to effect change. I do feel theres a very good quote going round. If youre not part of the solution youre part of the problem. The younger generation are making their voices heard more loudly than mine. Considering whats happening to the planet we should all be environmentalists. My role is to spell out what conservationists are doing. So when Im making programmes like Drowning in Plastic, Im a human being who has to play a part in being part of the solution.

This concert plays a role in that. It will really move us all to feel inspired and feel motivated to play our part. I dont need to preach, the images will remind us of the magic of the wildlife. I want to leave the audience with messages of hope and inspiration. We can save our wildlife and ourselves and become better custodians.

Bonnin is a communicator who wants to spell out inconvenient truths. In addition to Planet Earth II Live, she has recently finished a documentary on the impact of meat production on our environment.

These are reminders that we need to think about how much we consume. Its about all of these resources that we take for granted.

Given her success, its remarkable that Bonnin didnt want to do TV. Its been a wonderful blessing but it wasnt part of the plan. Im extending myself without going back to school. I really hope some of my work opens peoples eyes as much as it did mine.

Bonnin grew up amid nature, living in the mountains in the south of France, above Nice. She played outdoors all the time and spotted hedgehogs and snakes and spiders. She fell in love with nature.

I was plonked in the middle of it. Nature worked its magic around me. I always wanted to understand how that everything worked, down to the smallest layer. When I discovered chemistry and biology and biochemistry in school, I was thrilled. You can understand everything down to the atoms. When I listen to the processes in the human body, you realise were extraordinary, the way cells do things is incredible.

I did a bit of telly after uni, then went back to school. After biochemistry neuro degenerative diseases was going to be my PHD. I had done some zoology by then and knew I was passionate about wanting to protect wildlife. My masters set me off on a different path.

Bonnin doesnt see her work as being a job. Instead, she feels very privileged to continue to learn from all the scientists and conservations working night and day to save our planet. I do a lot of talks in schools and its important to care and to play their role in protecting the planet. I feel very lucky to be doing it.

Theres never been a time in our history when people like Greta Thunberg and people who organise protests like Extinction Rebellion have not tried to make their voices heard. Theres a zeitgeist there and so people are more aware and more conscious than ever before.

Greta is a hero of mine, no question. She sat outside parliament in Sweden on her own and she has galvanised millions of people to make their voices heard. For the first time in human history on a global level we are impassioned enough to say enough is enough. I feel ashamed as an adult that young children are doing this. We should have taken better care of their future. Among all the pretty dire news about climate, plastic and biodiversity I am hugely inspired that the beauty of the human spirit can turn this around. But my God have we left it late.

Greta isnt Bonnins only hero. There are others she admires. Sir David Attenborough is my absolute hero. Sylvia Earle, the marine biologist and author, and Alexandra Cortez, a congresswoman in New York who ran with no corporate funding, are also heros. Alexandra is a powerhouse of a woman who stood by the strength of her convictions. Just like Bonnin.

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Putting wildlife at top of agenda: Liz Bonnin talks ahead of Planet Earth II live show coming to Birmingham - shropshirestar.com

Immunology

How airports around the US are bringing awareness to coronavirus – FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

Officials at Jacksonville International Airport (JIA) and Orlando International Airport are on stand-by after two cases of coronavirus were confirmed Friday in the United States.

Across the world, the death toll is now 41 in China with hundreds more sickened. Authorities believe the virus came from an infected animal at a Wuhan market in China.

The virus, which has flu-like symptoms according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has major airports like JFK, LAX and San Francisco screening passengers.

Any close space, theres a better chance for a viral infection to spread, said Dr. Mobeen Rathore, the chief of pediatric infectious disease and immunology for Wolfson Childrens Hospital.

The CDC says airport screenings may expand to more airports. However, JIA and Orlando are not included in that group. Both airports say they are waiting for more information from the CDC and state department of health.

RELATED: Second US case of Wuhan coronavirus confirmed, France reports 1st Europe cases

Rathore said he's concerned about the rapid spread of the new coronavirus.

While much is unknown about the disease, Rathore says officials are working to learn more.

From the birds to humans, but now we know it can spread from human to human, Rathore said.

Symptoms can be similar to a cold, such as a runny nose or sore throat, but severe cases have caused pneumonia or death.

When traveling, Rathore says practicing good hygiene such as washing hands and covering coughs will help whether it's preventing the spread of the new coronavirus or any others.

Its a legitimate concern that yes theres a potential of infection, taking a flight if you will, it will get to the US faster, he said.

RELATED: Shanghai Disneyland closes amid coronavirus concerns

In the meantime, CDC officials are asking the TSA to post health alerts about the virus at 14 airports, the closest one being Atlanta:

CDC officials said, as of Friday, the risk to the U.S. public remains low. For those two U.S. cases, symptoms started appearing several days after they returned home.

The CDC is also recommending travelers avoid going to the Chinese city of Wuhan.

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How airports around the US are bringing awareness to coronavirus - FirstCoastNews.com WTLV-WJXX

Immunology

University of Iowa professor has studied coronavirus – KCRG

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP/ABC News) - There's now a second-confirmed case of coronavirus in the U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the patient is in isolation at a Chicago hospital. They've only identified her as a woman in her sixties who flew from Wuhan to Chicago on Jan. 13.

The woman was not ill while traveling and health authorities don't think she spread the virus during that time. They say she's had limited contact with others since returning to Chicago.

So far, health officials say sixty-three people from 22 states are under investigation for the virus.

A man in his 30s in the Seattle area was confirmed to have coronavirus earlier in the week.

"It's certainly a confirmation of something we worried about," Dr. Stanley Perlman, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Iowa who has done research on SARS and MERS, told ABC News of the human-to-human transmission cases.

Perlman told ABC News while it made sense that the outbreak started in a Chinese fish market, if there was no person-to-person transmission, it should have ended quickly, once the market was closed and fumigated.

Perlman cautioned that experts don't yet have a good read on how severe the virus is.

"It's a concerning development, but we don't know the level of contagiousness or the number of cases," he said to ABC News.

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Genetics

23andMe just laid off 100 employees as the DNA-testing ‘fad’ ends – Business Insider – Business Insider

DNA-testing giant 23andMe is laying off about 14% of its staff, the latest sign of a slump in the business.

About 100 employees have been let go in departments across the organization in an effort to scale back on work that isn't core to the consumer testing and therapeutics businesses that 23andMe operates, a spokesman told Business Insider. The therapeutics team was not impacted by the layoffs, he said.

CNBC's Christina Farr reported on the layoffs earlier on Thursday.

23andMe will also be scaling back on its work recruiting for clinical trials, the spokesman said.

Over the past few years, genetic tests have grown in popularity. That's helped consumer genetics companies like 23andMe grow to 10 million users who've shipped off their spit with the hopes of learning more about their family trees, genetic traits, or even some health information.

Along the way, there have been beenflags raised about ethics and privacy, along with a slew of tough questions about identity and family.

Still, for years, it seemed like interest in genetic testing was only increasing. But in 2019, the companies started to run into a slowdown.

Read more: The DNA-testing 'fad' is over, and one company just halted operations. The CEOs of Ancestry and 23andMe reveal how they're fighting back.

The first warning was raised by Illumina, the company that makes all the tech that's used to read info about your genes. On an earnings call in July, the company noted "softness" in the market.

And in December, Veritas Genetics, a company that provides whole-genome sequencing for $600, said it had suspended its US operations, citing issues raising additional funding.

"It's a new technology, and I think it's hit a lull," 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki told Business Insider in an October interview on the sidelines of a conference.

She attributed that in large part to privacy concerns coming in from the tech industry, or what she calls the "Facebook Effect."

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23andMe just laid off 100 employees as the DNA-testing 'fad' ends - Business Insider - Business Insider

Genetics

Genetics and lifestyle can be obesity risks – Coshocton Tribune

Emily Marrison, Columnist Published 11:00 a.m. ET Jan. 25, 2020

For better and for worse, we all inherit particular characteristics from our parents.

Maybe its our mothers eyesor maybe our fathers temper. Some of that is directly the result of the DNA weve receivedand some of it comes from the influence they exerted in our environment.

Emily Marrison(Photo: Submitted)

When it comes to our health and wellness, it can be challenging to determine whether nature or nurture has more of an impact. In some cases, it may not really matter. But when it causes you to feel powerless or apathetic about how much you can change your condition, it definitely matters.

Results of a long-term study were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association of Cardiology. The study tracked data on more than 2,500 Americans who were followed for decades from young adulthood in 1985 to 2010. One of their findings is that body mass index (BMI) in youth appears to be the best predictor of long-term obesity risk.

There have been other studies in recent years that have identified certain genes that are believed to be responsible for a person becoming overweight and obese. There are rare inherited causes of obesity, but this is not the case for the majority of the population. This study suggests that daily lifestyle is the more important factor for determining our weight.

When we look at the BMI of children, this is showing the result of genetics as well as environment. The genes we inherit can certainly make us more susceptible to weight gain, but that doesnt mean it is inevitable. Hopefully, this research can empower people to know that being obese doesnt have to be someones destiny. Their healthy lifestyle choices the foods they eat, their portion sizesand physical activity can result in a better quality of life.

According to the National Heart, Lungand Blood Institute, being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, gallstones, breathing problems and certain cancers. A European study linked obesity to a nearly six-fold increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

If you are looking for ways to learn more about healthy lifestyle choices while managing diabetes, theOSU Extension has some great resources available. I am pleased that we will be partnering with the Coshocton Regional Medical Center this April to offer Dining with Diabetes. This is a cooking school and nutrition education program designed for people with diabetes and their family members or caregivers.

Dining with Diabetes will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays April 6 to 27 at Coshocton Regional Medical Center, 1460 Orange Street, Coshocton. The cost of the program is $20 per person and includes all four classes, educational handoutsand small-sized meals that feature a variety of recipes. You are encouraged to also register a support person to attend with you for an additional $5. You can find more details and registration information at coshocton.osu.edu.

Today, Ill leave you with this quote from Billy Graham, When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.

Emily Marrison is an OSU Extension Family & Consumer Sciences Educator and may be reached at 740-622-2265.

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Genetics and lifestyle can be obesity risks - Coshocton Tribune

Genetics

Genetic test developed to predict onset of glaucoma – The Siasat Daily

Washington: A group of researchers from Australia has formulated a genetic test that could detect peoples susceptibility towards developing glaucoma, which is a debilitating ocular disease that can potentially make its sufferers go blind.

The team of scientists suggests that there are 107 genes that are responsible for the onset of this condition.

They are looking forward to 20,000 peoples participation in their Genetics of Glaucoma Study in order to help them find more genes involved in the disease.

Glaucoma is characterised by progressive damage and degeneration of the optic nerve which also causes gradual loss of vision. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and is predicted to affect 76 million people by 2020.

There is still no proven cure for the disease, but treatment can reliably slow or halt deterioration in most cases. Up to 50 percent of those affected are not even aware.

Stuart MacGregor, lead researcher and the head of QIMR Berghofers Statistical Genetics Group, Associate Professor, said that identifying new genes allowed them to develop a glaucoma polygenic risk score (PRS) that can predict who is likely to get the eye disease.

Glaucoma is a genetic disease and the best way to prevent the loss of sight from glaucoma is through early detection and treatment, MacGregor defined.

Our study found that by analysing DNA collected from saliva or blood, we could determine how likely a person was to develop the disease and who should be offered early treatment and/or monitoring, he added.

He also feels that unlike existing eye health checks that are based on eye pressure or optic nerve damage, the genetic test can be done before damage begins so that regular screening can be put in place.

Clinical lead researcher and academic head of the Department of Ophthalmology at Flinders University, Professor Jamie Craig, said that the study results gave hope that mass screening for glaucoma could be offered in the future.

There are Australians who, if theyd had appropriate treatment a few years earlier, wouldnt have gone blind, said Professor Craig, who is also a consultant ophthalmologist.

One in 30 Australians has glaucoma, but most people only find out they have it when they go to the optometrist because they are losing vision, or for a general eye check, shares Craig, continuing, Early detection is paramount because existing treatments cant restore vision that has been lost, and late detection of glaucoma is a major risk factor for blindness.

He said that glaucoma can arise at any age but most of those affected are in their 50s or older, so their aim is to offer blood tests to people of that age to find out if they are at risk, and then hopefully act on it.

This test is likely to be helpful in identifying those who would benefit from a more aggressive intervention such as surgery rather than simple eyedrops.

The researchers are hoping to get in touch with people with a family history of the disease. We want to know who will get glaucoma, and for those who are susceptible, we want to be able to pinpoint at what age theyre going to get it, said Associate Professor MacGregor.

The researcher concluded, That would allow us to develop a personalised approach for earlier treatment of high-risk individuals, and means people at lower risk could have less intensive monitoring and treatment. This would have benefits for patients, doctors and the health care system with reduced interventions and reduced costs.

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Genetic test developed to predict onset of glaucoma - The Siasat Daily