ScienceDaily: Cloning News

Advanced biological computer developed

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

Using only biomolecules, scientists have developed and constructed an advanced biological transducer, a computing machine capable of manipulating genetic codes, and using the output as new input for subsequent computations.

Scientists produce cloned embryos of extinct frog

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:10:10 EDT

As part of a "Lazarus Project" to try to bring the Australian gastric-brooding frog back from extinction scientists have succeeded in producing early stage cloned embryos containing the DNA of the frog, which died out 30 year ago. Gastric-brooding frogs were unique in incubating their young in their stomachs.

Generations of cloned mice with normal lifespans created: 25th generation and counting

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:29:29 EST

Using the technique that created Dolly the sheep, researchers have identified a way to produce healthy mouse clones that live a normal lifespan and can be sequentially cloned indefinitely.

Plant scientists demonstrate new means of boosting maize yields

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:56:56 EST

Plant geneticists have successfully demonstrated what it describes as a "simple hypothesis" for making significant increases in yields for the maize plant.

Cheating, and getting away with it: Works for amoeba

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:27:27 EST

We would all like to believe that there is a kind of karma in life that guarantees those who cheat eventually pay for their bad behavior, if not immediately, then somewhere down the line. But a study of a new gene in the amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum suggests that, at least for amoebae, it is possible to cheat and get away with it. Scientists have found a gene that allows amoebae to pass on more than their fair share of their genes but doesn’t make them less fit in other ways.

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 awarded for discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 08:29:29 EDT

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 has been awarded jointly to John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. The two scientists discovered that mature, specialized cells can be reprogrammed to become immature cells capable of developing into all tissues of the body. Their findings have revolutionized our understanding of how cells and organisms develop.

A new light shed on genetic regulation's role in the predisposition to common diseases

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 14:32:32 EDT

Scientists have discovered several thousands new genetic variants impacting gene expression some of which are responsible for predisposition to common diseases, bringing closer to the biological interpretation of personal genomes.

How plants make cocaine

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:26:26 EDT

Cocaine is one of the most commonly used (and abused) plant-derived drugs in the world, but we have almost no modern information on how plants produce this complex alkaloid. Researchers have just discovered a key reaction in cocaine formation in the coca plant from South America, and identified the responsible enzyme. This enzyme was shown to belong to the aldo-keto-reductase protein family revealing some exciting new insights into the evolution of cocaine biosynthesis.

Sex: It's a good thing, study of primroses shows

Thu, 31 May 2012 14:55:55 EDT

Way more than fun and games, sexual reproduction appears to give an evolutionary advantage, biologists have discovered.

Genetic discovery unlocks biosynthesis of medicinal compound in poppy

Thu, 31 May 2012 10:21:21 EDT

Scientists have discovered a complex gene cluster responsible for the synthesis of the medicinal compound noscapine.

World's first handmade cloned transgenic sheep born in China

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:24:24 EDT

Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in animal cloning. The world's first transgenic sheep produced with a simplified technique, handmade cloning, was successfully born on March 26, 2012.

Mating has long-term benefits: Courtship can take effort, but now scientists know why it might be worth it

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 13:39:39 EDT

Courtship rituals can be all-consuming, demanding time and effort – but now scientists have discovered why it might be worth it.

Key to growth differences between species

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:26:26 EST

The tiny, little-noticed jewel wasp may provide some answers as to how different species differ in size and shape. And that could lead to a better understanding of cell growth regulation, as well as the underlying causes of some diseases.

Gene affecting the ability to sleep discovered in fruit flies

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:10:10 EST

On the surface, it's simple: when night falls, our bodies get sleepy. But behind the scenes, a series of complex molecular events, controlled by our genes, is hard at work to make us groggy. Now, research suggests that a newly identified gene known as insomniac may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in fruit flies researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism by which sleep is regulated.

Researchers develop gene therapy that could correct a common form of blindness

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:34:34 EST

A new gene therapy has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults. The technique works by replacing a malfunctioning gene in the eye with a normal working copy that supplies a protein necessary for light-sensitive cells in the eye to function. Several complex steps remain before the gene therapy technique can be used in humans, but once at that stage, it has great potential to change lives.

Saving the snow leopard with stem cells

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:47:47 EST

The survival of the endangered snow leopard is looking promising thanks to scientists who have, for the first time, produced embryonic stem-like cells from the tissue of an adult leopard.

Why does the same mutation kill one person but not another?

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:23:23 EST

The vast majority of genetic disorders (schizophrenia or breast cancer, for example) have different effects in different people. Moreover, an individual carrying certain mutations can develop a disease, whereas another one with the same mutations may not. This holds true even when comparing two identical twins who have identical genomes. But why does the same mutation have different effects in different individuals?

Genetic buzzer-beater genes may save fish

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 12:35:35 EST

Two distinct populations of rainbow trout -- one in Alaska, the other in Idaho -- share a genetic trait that could have huge implications for fisheries conservation and management, an eight-member research team reports.

Fertilized oocytes digest paternal mitochondria

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:35:35 EDT

During fertilization, the entire spermatozoon enters the oocyte. However, most of its organelles, including mitochondria, are not transmitted to the offspring. A new study demonstrates for the first time how the spermatozoon organelles are digested by the oocyte shortly after fertilization. These findings could improve cloning and medically-assisted reproductive technology and help to better understand the evolutionary origin of the elimination of paternal mitochondria.

Inadequate supply of protein building blocks may explain pregnancy failures in bovine cloning experiments

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 11:36:36 EDT

Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, are essential to support the normal growth of a developing embryo and the placenta. An insufficient supply of amino acids in the mother’s uterus caused by abnormal maternal-embryo interactions may explain the developmental abnormalities and complications of pregnancy that result in the death of cloned bovine embryos, according to a new article.

Scientists first to characterize barley plant-stem rust spore 'communication'

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:38:38 EDT

Scientists have established that a barley plant recognizes an invader and begins to marshal its defenses within five minutes of an attack. The discovery, along with the scientists' successful cloning of disease-fighting genes and the pathogen signal recognized by the plant, could help to revolutionize the battle against cereal crop enemies, such as stem rust.

A better test for a potato pest

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 13:00:00 EDT

Scientist have created a new weapon in the war being waged against the potato cyst nematode -- a diagnostic test that identifies the type of nematode infesting a grower's field.

DNA construction software saves time, resources and money

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 13:31:31 EDT

Scientists have developed the first software package for automating DNA construction that not only makes the process faster and more efficient but -- with an eye on the economics of scientific discovery -- also identifies which construction strategy would be the most cost-effective.

Why plant 'clones' aren't identical

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 21:29:29 EDT

A new study of plants that are reproduced by 'cloning' has shown why cloned plants are not identical. Scientists have known for some time that 'clonal' (regenerant) organisms are not always identical. Now researchers believe they have found out why this is the case in plants: the genomes of regenerant plants carry relatively high frequencies of new DNA sequence mutations that were not present in the genome of the donor plant.

Scientists sequence potato genome

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:28:28 EDT

An international consortium has successfully sequenced and analyzed the potato genome. The consortium's work turned up more than 39,000 genes and is expected to speed potato research and breeding projects around the globe.

Student publishes case for faster, less expensive DNA analysis

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:39:39 EDT

A student's undergraduate research is challenging a widely held assumption on the best way to analyze old DNA in anthropological and forensic investigations. At issue is the best way to sequence "ancient" DNA, bits of genetic code pulled from remains up to 800,000 years old.

Consumer views on eating cloned animals: Americans more accepting than Europeans, study suggests

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:41:41 EDT

Not all consumers share the same attitudes toward animal cloning, but the latest research shows that Americans may be more accepting of consuming cloned animal products than Europeans.

Marine organisms with eternal life can solve the riddle of aging

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:26:26 EDT

Animals that reproduce asexually by somatic cloning have special mechanisms that delay aging provide exceptionally good health. Scientists in Sweden have shown how colony-forming ascidians (or sea squirts) can activate the enzyme telomerase, which protects DNA. This enzyme is more active also in humans who attain an advanced age.

Vanilla: Preserving a world favorite flavor

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:33:33 EDT

Vanilla is one of the world's best-loved flavors, and demand for it is increasing all the time. But now its future in the global food industry could be more secure, thanks to new research in Malaysia.

Tiny antibody fragments raised in camels find drug targets in human breast cancer cells

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:26:26 EDT

A new discovery promises to help physicians identify patients most likely to benefit from breast cancer drug therapies. If the compound, called "Nanobody," proves effective in clinical trials, it would represent a significant advance for breast cancer drug therapy.

An ancestral link between genetic and environmental sex determination

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:17:17 EDT

Researchers have found a highly significant connection between the molecular mechanisms underlying genetic and environmental sex determination. The scientists report the identification of a gene responsible for the production of males during environmental sex determination in the crustacean Daphnia.

Odd corn plant provides insight into how corn makes hormones

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 12:50:50 EST

It's a corn plant only a geneticist could love. Its ears -- if it makes them at all -- resemble small, chubby, lime-green caterpillars, not exactly something you want to dig your teeth into. To top it off, the corn plant stands only about three feet tall, at full maturity, and has few leaves. By using a positional cloning technique and molecular markers, scientists were able to pinpoint the absent gene in this plant, which they named vanishing tassel2 or vt2. The gene encodes an enzyme, called tryptophan aminotransferase, important for making auxin, an important growth hormone in plants.

Scientists generate pluripotent stem cells from horses

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 09:02:02 EST

Pluripotent stem cells have now been generated from horses. The findings will help enable new stem-cell based regenerative therapies in veterinary medicine, and because horses' muscle and tendon systems are similar to our own, aid the development of preclinical models leading to human applications.

Plants cloned as seeds: Hybrids that breed true would be major advance for crop plants

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 14:13:13 EST

Plants have for the first time been cloned as seeds. The research is a major step towards making hybrid crop plants that can retain favorable traits from generation to generation.

Faster, scalable method for producing AAV-based gene transfer vectors

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:11:11 EST

A new, simplified method for producing large amounts of viral vector cassettes capable of shuttling genes into host cells will help advance the promising field of gene therapy as applications move into large animal studies and human clinical trials. The novel adeno-associated virus (AAV) production method is described in a new article.

Why a cloned cat isn't exactly like the original: New statistical law for cell differentiation

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 08:29:29 EST

Why does a cloned cat look different from the original? Using computer simulations and theoretical calculations researchers discovered a new statistical law that explains it. It explains the simplest and therefore probably the most widespread mechanism, by which a growing population of genetically identical cells forms groups performing different functions.

Scientists 'clone' human virus responsible for congenital malformations and other life-threatening diseases

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:11:11 EDT

Scientists have successfully cloned a human virus, offering new hope for the treatment of potentially life-threatening diseases. Human cytomegalovirus is a major infectious cause of congenital malformations worldwide. The virus is also known to cause life-threatening disease in transplant patients and people with HIV/AIDS.

Twins are intriguing research subjects for biometircs researchers

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:03:03 EDT

Researchers are examining how iris discrimination performs in twins to confirm prior claims that biometrics is capable of differentiating between twins.

Human embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed cells virtually identical

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 14:29:29 EDT

Human embryonic stem cells and adult cells reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state -- so-called induced pluripotent stem or iPS cells -- exhibit very few differences in their gene expression signatures and are nearly indistinguishable in their chromatin state, according to researchers. Contrary to some recent research, the current findings rekindling hopes that, under the proper circumstances, iPS cells may hold the clinical promise ascribed to them earlier.

Fungi's genetic sabotage in wheat discovered

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:14:14 EDT

Using molecular techniques, scientists have shown how the subversion of a single gene in wheat by two fungal foes triggers a kind of cellular suicide in the grain crop's leaves.

Why some plants flower in spring, autumn and some in summer

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:31:31 EDT

Scientists have uncovered a new piece in the puzzle about why some plants flower in spring/autumn and some in summer. They have isolated a gene responsible for regulating the expression of CONSTANS, an important inducer of flowering, in Arabidopsis. This knowledge will enable more predictable flowering, better scheduling and reduced wastage of crops.

First cloned horse using oocytes from a live mare

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:41:41 EDT

Researchers have achieved another cloning first with the successful delivery of a foal using oocytes from a live mare, the first such clone in the world.

Breakthrough in stem cell culturing

Mon, 31 May 2010 08:29:29 EDT

For the first time, human embryonic stem cells have been cultured under chemically controlled conditions without the use of animal substances, which is essential for future clinical uses. The method has been developed by researchers in Sweden.

Traces of early Native Americans -- in sunflower genes

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:01:01 EDT

New information about early Native Americans' horticultural practices comes not from hieroglyphs or other artifacts, but from a suite of four gene duplicates found in wild and domesticated sunflowers. Scientists learned duplications of the gene flowering locus T, or FT, could have evolved and interacted to prolong a flower's time to grow. A longer flower growth period means a bigger sunflower -- presumably an attribute of value to the plant's first breeders.

DNA molecules in moss open door to new biotechnology

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:52:52 EST

Plasmids, which are DNA molecules capable of independent replication in cells, have played an important role in gene technology. Researchers have now demonstrated that plasmid-based methods, which had been limited to single-cell organisms such as bacteria and yeasts, can be extended to mosses, opening the door to applications of a number of powerful techniques in plant research.

Small Mechanical Forces Have Big Impact On Embryonic Stem Cells

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:16:16 EDT

Applying a small mechanical force to embryonic stem cells could be a new way of coaxing them into a specific direction of differentiation, researchers report. Applications for force-directed cell differentiation include therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine.

Zebrafish Cloning Methods Improved

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:20:20 EDT

Researchers have developed a new, more efficient way of cloning zebra fish, a breakthrough that could have implications for human health research.

Artificial Life One Step Closer: Scientists Clone And Engineer Bacterial Genomes In Yeast And Transplant Genomes Back Into Bacterial Cells

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:57:57 EDT

Scientists have developed new methods in which an entire bacterial genome was cloned in a yeast cell by adding yeast centromeric plasmid sequence to the bacterial chromosome and modified it in yeast using yeast genetic systems. This modified bacterial chromosome was then isolated from yeast and transplanted into a related species of bacteria to create a new type of cell.

Sex In The Caribbean: Environmental Change Drives Evolutionary Change, Eventually

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:30:30 EDT

Hungry, sexual organisms replaced well-fed, clonal organisms in the Caribbean Sea as the Isthmus of Panama arose, separating the Caribbean from the Pacific, report researchers. The fossil record shows that if a species could shift from clonal to sexual reproduction it survived. Otherwise it was destined for extinction, millions of years later.

Researchers Rapidly Turn Bacteria Into Biotech Factories

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:08:08 EDT

Using a novel cell programming method that retools evolution to generate genetic diversity at an unprecedented rate, a research team turned self-serving bacteria into efficient factories for making a variety of compounds, accomplishing in just three days a feat that would take biotech companies many months -- or years. The transformed bacteria produced five times more lycopene (an anticancer antioxidant) than the original bacteria.

Breakthrough In Transgenic Animal Production Enables Development Of New Human Disease Models

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:17:17 EDT

Scientists have announced the creation of the first genetically modified mammals developed using zinc finger nuclease technology.

Researchers Look To Imprinted Genes For Clues To Fetal Growth Restriction In Cloned Swine

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:37:37 EDT

Researchers have found that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), which results in low birth weight and long-term deleterious health effects in cloned swine, is linked to a type of gene -- known as an imprinted gene -- found only in placental mammals.

Stem Cells Created From Pigs' Connective Tissue Cells

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:15:15 EDT

Scientists have developed the ability to take regular cells from a pig's connective tissues, known as fibroblasts, and transform them into stem cells, eliminating several of the hurdles associated with stem cell research.

STAT3 Protein Found To Play A Key Role In Cancer

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:15:15 EDT

A protein called STAT3 has been found to play a fundamental role in converting normal cells to cancerous cells, according to a new study. The study found that STAT3, in addition to its role in the cell nucleus regulating gene expression, is also present in mitochondria, and regulates the activity of the electron transport chain in tumors cells.

Mice Cloned In Spain

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 11:54:54 EDT

Researchers in Spain have cloned mice. Cloe, Cleo and Clona are three female brown-colored mice and were born respectively on May 12, June 3 and June 10. The cloning of mice is part of a research being carried out to study new ways to improve the efficiency of the cloning process.

Deadly Parasite's Rare Sexual Dalliances May Help Scientists Neutralize It

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:22:22 EDT

For years, one microbiologist has tried to get the disease-causing parasite Leishmania in the mood for love. In a new study, he and colleagues report that they may have finally found the answer: cram enough Leishmania into the gut of an insect known as the sand fly, and the parasite will have sex.

Turning Back The Clock To Save The Bramley Apple

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:16:16 EDT

The world’s most famous cooking apple celebrates its 200th birthday this year, and the unique flavour of the original Bramley Apple is thriving, thanks to scientists.

Animal Eggs Not Suitable Substitutes To Produce Stem Cells, Study Demonstrates

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:50:50 EST

Since the cloning of Dolly the Sheep over a decade ago, somatic cell nuclear transfer has been considered a promising way to generate human, patient-specific stem cells for therapeutic applications. The shortage of human donor eggs has led to efforts to substitute animal oocytes. However, a new study demonstrates that animal oocytes lack the capacity to fully reprogram adult human cells.

Single Adult Stem Cell Can Self Renew, Repair Tissue Damage In Live Mammal

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 19:09:09 EST

The first demonstration that a single adult stem cell can self renew in a mammal was reported by scientists. The transplanted adult stem cell and its differentiated descendants restored lost function to mice with hind limb muscle tissue damage.

New Path Found To Antibiotics In Dirt

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:14:14 EST

A teaspoon of dirt contains an estimated 10,000 species of bacteria, but it's only one percent of these microbial bugs -- the ones that can be grown easily in a lab -- that have brought us antibiotics, anticancer agents and other useful drugs.