Monthly Archives: November 2010

New genomic technique reveals obesity gene variants

Obesity is highly heritable, but so far genetic association studies have only explained a small fraction of this heritability. Now, in a study published in Genome Biology, researchers have identified DNA variants in two nervous system genes that are associated with an excessively high BMI. Kelly Frazer and colleagues from UC San Diego, Scripps Translational… Read more »

Biology

Exome sequencing reveals second hits in cancer

A recent article published in Genome Biology by Qi Zhao and colleagues explores the roles of allele specific expression and loss of heterozygosity in the initiation of cancer. The ‘two hit’ model for malignancy has been the dominant paradigm for tumorigenesis for nearly 40 years, after first being formulated by Alfred Knudson. The hypothesis states… Read more »

Biology

Common ancestry of life – Q.E.D?

The proposition that “all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth descended from some one primordial form”, first put forward by Darwin, and central to modern evolutionary theory, is a commonly held biological view. An attempt by Douglas Theobald, described in a letter to Nature as a ‘formal test’ of the universal… Read more »

Biology

Indian population genetics study published in Genome Biology

Population genetics have revolutionized human anthropology, with differences in the DNA sequences between existing populations allowing for the retracing of human migration over time. In a new population genetics study published in Genome Biology, the labs of Lynn B Jorde and Fuli Yu present evidence for an ancient northern migration route out of Africa taken… Read more »

Biology

4th European Congress of Virology, 7-11 April 2010, Cernobbio – Italy

The 4th European Congress of Virology was held on April 7th through 11th at Villa Erba in Cernobbio (Italy). The Conference has been the first combined event organized by the newly established European Virology Society. More than 1’300 participants gathered in Cernobbio and several aspects of Virology have been discussed spanning from H1N1-2009 epidemiology to viral oncogenesis. A… Read more »

Biology

19th International “AIDS, Cancer and Public Health” Conference at St. Petersburg State University, 24-26 May 2010

The 19th International “AIDS, Cancer and Public Health” Conference was held at St. Petersburg State University on the 24th through 26th of May 2010. The meeting has been organized annually by Professor Andrei Kozlov, director of the Biomedical Center in St. Petersburg, to consolidate efforts of leading Russian and international scientists and experts engaged in different aspects of… Read more »

Biology

12th International Conference on Malignancies in AIDS and Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies (ICMAOI)

The 12th International Conference on Malignancies in AIDS and Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies (ICMAOI) was held at the Lister Hill Center Auditorium on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland on April 26–27, 2010. The International Conference on Malignancies in AIDS and Other Acquired Immunodeficiencies is the only forum that is solely focused on… Read more »

Biology

Cell Division to receive first Impact factor in June 2011

Launched in 2006, Cell Division is now accepted for tracking by Thomson Reuters and the first official Impact Factor for the journal will be announced next year. We would like to extend our congratulations to the Editors-in-Chief of Cell Division,  Philipp Kaldis (IMCB) and Michele Pagano (NYU), on their success in bringing this ground-breaking research… Read more »

Biology

Biology of Sex Differences launches with BioMed Central

Biology of Sex Differences, a new open access journal, has recently launched with BioMed Central as the official journal of the Organization of the Study of Sex Differences. Sex and gender differences are created by an intricate reciprocal interaction of numerous biological and environmental forces. Biology of Sex Differences aims to serve as a platform… Read more »

Biology