Author Archives: biod25utsc

There are forensic methods to predict the age of a donor from a blood sample. AI- algorithms now build upon these methods to predict the age of a donor with greater accuracy via complex pattern recognition.

New Staphylococcus aureus strains are causing severe skin infections that are difficult to overcome with traditional antibiotics. Malacidins, antibiotics discovered in dirt, may be the solution to cure skin infections and combat antibiotic resistance. Is the arms race of antibiotics finally coming to an end?

Genetic disorders are hard to cure because they are caused by a defect in the genes of the patient. Gene therapy promises to give patients a second chance by changing their genes. Recently, a new gene-replacement therapy was approved for the Spinal Muscular Atrophy 1, but what does it mean how does it work?

Bacteria can be found everywhere, but did you know we each have different bacterial colonies living on our skin? With the help of their distinctive qualities, perhaps they can aid us in solving crimes.

Identity, parentage, innocence. These are some of the things that can be determined with even just a small amount of DNA. But what if… we can do more? What if I can infer what you look like without ever having met you, just by looking at your DNA? Scientists strive to do just that.

The organs in pigs can be suitable for human transplantation. They are nearly identical to human organs in terms of activity and size. However, every animal’s genome is loaded with integrated viruses. The viruses that are present in pigs are mostly harmless to them, but could lead to tumor growth and defects in the immune system if they were to be passed on to humans. A recent research paper tried to tackle these problems with the use of molecular scissors to edit the viruses out of the pig genome.

The secret to a long life has always been a topic of intrigue and fascination. Genome-wide studies of people with different life spans have revealed key genes that contribute to a longer life. Moreover, genes involved in longevity were found to be correlated with coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes and father’s age at death.

Viruses are more prevalent than once thought, with a significant role in development of humanity. A recent consensus approach based on whole genome and whole transcriptome sequencing reveals which human cancers are caused by viral infections.

A growing problem doctors face is that the primary cell type that produces cancer is sometimes undetermined. This leaves patients with generalized treatment options and a lower survival chance. However, with the use of neural networks and DNA sequencing, there seems to be hope for identifying these primary sites and providing specialized treatment. But what aspects of the genome gives us the best clues and why might some cancer types be harder to identify?

Recent studies in genomics have made a step towards personalized care for cancer patients. Loss of essential genes may limit the effectiveness of treatments that activate the immune system to fight cancer.