Research helping build computers from DNA

Scientists have found a way to "switch" the structure of DNA using copper salts and EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) -- an agent commonly found in shampoo and other household products. IMAGE: Credit: University of East Anglia

New research from the University of East Anglia could one day help build computers from DNA. Scientists have found a way to 'switch' the structure of DNA using copper salts and EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) - an agent commonly found in shampoo and other household products. It was previously known that the structure of a piece of DNA could be changed using acid, which causes it to fold up into what is known as an 'i-motif'. But new research published on Tuesday 18 August in the journal Chemical Communications reveals that the structure can be switched a second time into a hair-pin structure using positively-charged copper (copper cations). This change can also be reversed using EDTA. The applications for this discovery include nanotechnology - where DNA is used to make tiny machines, and in DNA-based computing - where computers are built from DNA rather than silicon. It could also be used for detecting the presence of copper cations, which are highly toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms, in water. Lead researcher Dr Zoë Waller, from UEA's school of Pharmacy, said: "Our research shows how the structure of our genetic material - DNA - can be changed and used in a way we didn't realise. "A single switch was possible before - but we show for the first time how the structure can be switched twice. "A potential application of this finding could be to create logic gates for DNA based computing. Logic gates are an elementary building block of digital circuits - used in computers and other electronic equipment. They are traditionally made using diodes or transistors which act as electronic switches. "This research expands how DNA could be used as a switching mechanism for a logic gate in DNA-based computing or in nano-technology." Source: Article

Read More........→September 06, 2015

Human embryos genetically modified by Chinese scientists

In a world first, researchers at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China, admit to having edited the genome of live human embryos to see the effect on a fatal blood disorder, thalassaemia. The research is banned in Europe – but Chinese scientists have confirmed that they recently edited the DNA of human embryos for the very first time. Researchers at Sun Yat-sen University, led by Junjiu Huang, have tried to ease concerns by explaining that they used non-viable embryos, which cannot result in a successful live birth, that were obtained from local fertility clinics. Huang's team used a revolutionary new technique known as CRISPR/Cas9, discovered by scientists at MIT. A total of 86 embryos were injected with the Cas9 protein and left for two days while the gene-editing process took place. Of these, 71 survived and subsequent tests revealed that 28 were successfully spliced, but only a fraction contained the genetic material needed to prevent the fatal blood disorder thalassaemia. Unexpected mutations were also noticed in the genes. "I think that this is a significant departure from currently accepted research practice," said Shirley Hodgson, Professor of Cancer Genetics, St George's University of London. "Can we be certain that the embryos that the researchers were working on were indeed non-viable? Any proposal to do germline genetic manipulation should be very carefully considered by international regulatory bodies before it should be considered a serious research prospect." "This news emphasises the need for an immediate global ban on the creation of GM designer babies," comments Dr David King, director of UK watchdog Human Genetics Alert. "It is critical that we avoid a eugenic future in which the rich can buy themselves a baby with built-in genetic advantages. It is entirely unnecessary since there are already many ethical ways to avoid thalassaemia. This research is a classic example of scientific careerism – assuring one's place in the history books even though the research is unnecessary and unethical." "The study is a landmark, as well as a cautionary tale," says George Daley, a stem-cell biologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston. "Their study should be a stern warning to any practitioner who thinks the technology is ready for testing to eradicate disease genes." The research appears in the journal Protein and Cell after the prestigious journals Nature and Science refused to publish it on ethical grounds. Source: Article

Read More........→July 15, 2015

The Alien DNA

Scientists are nearing the next step in DNA technology, they have mapped almost the entire human genome. What did they find to be common in every human? ?Junk DNA.? They have not been able to find any function that this DNA provides, found that this DNA may not be junk at all, but could code for psychic abilities. This may sound like something out of a 50?s B movie, but it has been documented. The military and government have had programs focusing on telekinesis and remote viewing. The results were never made public of course, but they still conducted them. Many of the people who report to have these abilities happen to be abductees. This is what leads me to believe that the portions of our DNA that supposedly serve no function, control the other portions of our brain which we do not use. We currently use only 10% of our brains, so who is to say that other portions that have been dormant throughout our evolutionary advancement don?t control esp, telekinesis, remote viewing, etc? Why abductees? Simple, one of the current theories as to why the aliens are abducting people is to create an alien/human hybrid race that will have the abilities of both species. Many abductees have reported that the aliens do not speak with their mouths, but through telepathy. It seems that after repeat abductions, many people gain similar abilities. If the aliens are trying to make a change in human evolution, what better way that to reactivate these dormant traits so that human beings will be able to have a cosmic awareness instead of just a global one? Junk DNA that seems to have no function in our current state as a species may be in fact part of our creator?s original blue print. We have the ability to use other portions of our brains, instead our society has stunted our growth and prevented us from developing into a truly ideal society.  Source: Article, Image: flickr.com

Read More........→September 26, 2014