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UC Berkeley’s Jennifer Doudna discovered that an enzyme used by bacteria to defend against viruses makes a simple, precise and cheap method of cutting DNA in order to insert new genes. The technique, now proved to work in human cells, could revolutionize genome engineering and transform gene therapy.
Tag: genetics
NSF grant to help unlock corn’s genetic mysteries
August 9, 2012:
Damon Lisch of UC Berkeley’s Department of Plant and Microbial Biology has been awarded $1.3 million of a $3.4 million shared NSF grant to answer some fundamental questions about genetic inheritance in plants.
Diet may treat some diseases due to genetic mutations
April 10, 2012:
Some genetic diseases, such as homocystinuria, are caused by a variety of genetic mutations, some causing worse symptoms than others. Jasper Rine and colleagues in QB3 have shown how to identify those mutations whose effects can be ameliorated by vitamin supplementation, which could help doctors tailor treatment to the individual patient.
Rita Colwell to deliver Regents’ lectures
March 10, 2011:
BERKELEY — Rita Colwell, a widely respected environmental microbiologist and educator and a former director of the National Science Foundation, is set to deliver a pair of Regents’ lectures during the coming week. Colwell, who holds the title of Distinguished University Professor both at the University of Maryland at College Park and at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Health, [...]
The brazen new world of home genetic testing
January 12, 2011:
The still-young science of genetic risk prediction has spawned the growth of commercial at-home genetic tests. These “direct-to-consumer” kits raise many practical and ethical questions, say the editors of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter.
Third human species discovered in Siberian cave
December 22, 2010:
The discovery of a finger bone in a Siberian cave has led researchers, including UC Berkeley’s Montgomery Slatkin, to conclude that there were three species of humans living 40,000 years ago. The new species, dubbed Denisovans, were neither modern humans nor Neanderthals, though they apparently bred with our ancestors.
More detailed mapping of the fruit fly genome
December 22, 2010:
LBNL and UC Berkeley researchers have gone beyond the mere genetic sequence of the fruit fly to reveal the RNA and chromatin structures that tell us how cells work. The new analysis of the fruit fly and roundworm genomes was performed by the modENCODE team.
Tempest in a spit cup
September 10, 2010:
A decision by the deans of the College of Letters & Science to offer students the opportunity to find out about three of their genes ignited a nationwide discussion of genetic privacy issues – exactly the kind of discussion organizers hope will take place on campus.
Researchers expand yeast’s sugary diet to include plant fiber
September 9, 2010:
Yeast cells don’t normally eat complex sugars or carbohydrates, only simple sugars like glucose and sucrose. UC Berkeley’s Jamie Cate and colleagues have now added genes to yeast that allow it to eat more complex sugars, called cellodextrins. These yeast could find use in the biofuels industry, which hopes to use cellulosic plant fibers to make alcohol.
