SUBWAY created its restaurant locator (http://www.subway.com/Applications/locator/index.aspx) where you can spot various SUBWAY locations along your route so you don’t end up eating less-healthy greasy burgers or gas station food. And the restaurant locator is world-wide so wherever you go, you’ll find some SUBWAY restaurants to choose healthy foods from!

And, in the spirit of road trips, SUBWAY teamed up with National Geographic for the “Taste for Adventure” sweepstakes. Starting July 1, kids age 6-14 can tell about their most exciting journey (past, present or future dream adventure) in 100 words or less, for a chance to win an unforgettable Alaskan Family Adventure! Kids can enter online at kids.nationalgeographic.com (beginning July 1) or www.Subwaykids.com (beginning July 6) OR in-store!

So to start the ball rolling, SUBWAY sponsored a give-away at Genetics and Health! One winner will get the chance to win a SUBWAY car kit*! The kits will include: an insulated lunch tote for healthy snacks, a $10 SUBWAY gift card, car games, etc. (approximate value = $35-40).

Check out the contest rules after the cut…

For a chance to win a SUBWAY car kit*, briefly share in the comments your most recent family road trip!

• One entry per person per day.
• It’s open to residents of the US only.
• Contest ends 11:59 midnight EST on July 14, 2009 (Tuesday)
• One winner will be randomly chosen and announced via blog and email the week after.
• If the winner does not reply within 3 days, he/she forfeits her winnings and an alternate entry will be chosen.
• REMINDER #1 : In previous contests, I have had several winners forfeited for failure to reply to my emails.  Please make sure your settings don’t put my email into the junk folder, otherwise you’ll have no idea you won. Better yet, please check this blog for the winners’ list after the contest ends. Best bet, come back often and stay a reader!

Have fun and stay safe this summer!

*NOTE: Colors and exact games/accessories of the SUBWAY car kit may vary but each kit is valued at approximately $40 including the SUBWAY gift card”

Image: Subway

Post from: Genetics & Health

The current method for prenatal genetic testing involves either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to get embryo fluids or placenta cells from a pregnant woman’s abdomen. The placenta or placental fluids contain cells generated by the fetus. These cells are used to identify chromosomal abnormalities that can affect a baby’s survival or capacity at birth. Prenatal genetic tests are mainly used to provide information to the parents about their unborn child’s genetic condition before birth, so they can make informed decisions and manage the pregnancy better.

Unfortunately, the current methods are invasive and tests can take up to a month before results are known. And these tests don’t provide information about other genetic conditions that don’t show up on chromosome changes.

Today, a BBC report reveals that a “universal embryo test” may soon provide information on 15,000 genetic conditions… at least and for the meantime, in theory. The test is called “Karyomapping” which looks for abnormalities in the fetus’ DNA by comparing his genome with the parents. The technique maps all of the fetal chromosomes, so it can check for any gene before the baby is born, or even years after birth. The technique can potentially identify non-life-threatening genetic conditions, and so open a possibility for creating “designer babies”. Hence, once the test is approved for use, only a number of conditions – usually life-threatening -  will be allowed to be tested using karypmapping. For now.

Image: sxc

Post from: Genetics & Health

One million Americans infected with (H1N1) swine flu virus.

“The novel H1N1 influenza is continuing to spread here in the United States and around the globe.  What we’re seeing is varying by region in the United States and in different countries.  The key point is that this new infectious disease is not going away.  In the U.S., we’re still experiencing a steady increase in the number of reported cases. (CDC)

Of the reported 27,717 lab-defined cases, 127 have died. Most of those who have gotten sick were people under 50 years old, and the median age of those who died is 37 years old, which too young for someone to be dying of flu. And according to Anne Schuchat of the CDC, there may actually be more than one million cases of the swine flu in the US, but the agency is “not tracking every single one of them”.

Although the vast majority have been very mild cases of swine influenza, having that many number of people sick is still a grave concern. At any given day, that’s the number who can also transmit the virus to someone else. And unfortunately, a flu virus can be transmitted anytime between one day before any symptoms appear to a week after.

I had a scary bout with the flu last week when my 18-month old had a 102-degree fever over three days and then started to have chills that night. We rushed him to the emergency room at 2 a.m. and asked for a flu test. That God he was negative for any virus, but it was scary because I couldn’t know for certain what his symptoms were about.

Image: sxc

Post from: Genetics & Health

The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday leaves Creve Coeur-based Monsanto with two options. It can appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court or hope for regulatory approval after the Agriculture Department completes a comprehensive environmental review. (stltoday.com)

Environmental groups and alfalfa-seed farmers sued the government in 2007 over its decision to release GM alfalfa without reviewing how the crop can potentially affect the environment. According to this news, the case marks the “first time a thorough environmental review has been required for regulatory approval of a genetically modified crop”.

And I am surprised that there wasn’t a thorough review in the first place, before Monsanto even invested acres of land on planting GM alfalfa. Isn’t it breeding 101 to test the impact of introduced crops or animals? I mean, the US Customs is so strict about bringing live plants, fruits and animals on board planes from overseas, and yet the Department of Agriculture did not have measures in place to test for this new technology.

Image: sxc

Post from: Genetics & Health

So beginning June 30 and every Tuesday night at 9pm ET/PT, NOVA at PBS will feature “Super-Science Tuesdays” with new stories from genetics (!!), technology, science and medicine. Check out a couple of these episodes -

June 30 (Tuesday) Episode 1.

Remember the anthrax scare after 9-11 that took months to solve? Well now scientists are using genetic “fingerprinting” to trace the source of the strain, and other microbes responsible for epidemics or poisonings.

And then, there’s a secret “diamond farm” that engineers artificial diamonds that can fool even the diamond experts! I wonder if it’s cheaper too?

July 7 (Tuesday) Episode 2.

Watch a lady scientist study the cannibalistic behavior of the Australian redback spider! And then check out a telescope that’s looking for “Planet Earth 2.0”. On the genetics segment, a scientist hunts for the elusive autism genes.

July 14 (Tuesday) Episode 3.

Two new drugs are now approved by the FDA that can potentially help children with muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition that weakens the muscles. But could these drugs also be abused by athletes?  And also dinosaurs! Or in this episode, how they might have been wiped out by parasitic pandemics.

July 21 (Tuesday) Episode 4.

Picky eaters, anyone? It looks like a scientist is about to show that receptors on taste cells are not only found in the mouth! And… we know sea lions are smart, but can walruses really talk? Good time to find out.

July 28 (Tuesday) Episode 5.

They’re called “moon smashers”, and NASA scientists are going to unleash them on the moon’s surface to see understand more about building a permanent base on the moon. Plus, the songs of zebra finches may help us understand human language. Scientists think the way finches learn to sing is the same way that babies learn to speak. How cool is that?

Images: sxc; sxc

Post from: Genetics & Health

Genetically modified plants or animals are known to have genomes bearing foreign genes. One such example is the GloFish, which has a set of genes from other organisms that have been combined to create a new set of genes that make the fish glow. Another example is the transgenic maize Bt corn, which has a bacterial gene inserted into its genome.

Transgenic organisms like these need to be tested for bio-safety and ecological impact in the field because of the potential risk that these foreign genes may have.

But scientists at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in New Delhi say their carp is different. The carp is auto-transgenic, meaning the inserted genes are modified using inherent carp genes from within the species. There are no “foreign genes” to speak of and so there is no need to test its biosafety.

India’s department of biotechnology will test the fish but a scientist cautiously commented that there is no likely toxic protein produced from this modified carp.

via: Livemint

Image: Flick

Post from: Genetics & Health

According to a quote through the Examiner, Russian scientists secretly warned Prime Minister Putin about a “critical link” between the H1N1 Influenza virus and genetically modified amylopectin potatoes which are sold in Western countries as french fries.

The report goes on to say that the genetically changed protease enzyme in the potatoes is so stored in the host cells (that’s us, humans who eat the fries) that our cells’ contact with an H1N1 virus creates an explosion in the viral envelope. The protein causes an acidic environment for the virus that explodes its envelope and releases the H1N1 RNA and core proteins into the host cell.

Majority of cases of H1N1 infections have been found in Western countries such as the US, Canada, UK and Australia, where genetically modified french fries are consumed the most. Moreover, the young adult population is worst hit by the swine flu; the same segment of population that loves to consume fries.

At least that’s what the report claims.

So, what do you think? Are you buying this?

It smells like a sack of rotten potatoes to me.

Image: flick

Post from: Genetics & Health

I had quite a small discovery when my mother drew our family tree some years back. We found distant relations to the wife of a national hero, and though it sounds shallow, that’s become a source of family pride. Ha-ha, indulge me. But other than this, and a possibility that we may have come from some Portuguese immigrant, nothing really pops up about my past.

At least nothing quite like the family history of Sir Paul Maxime Nurse, the noted biochemist, Nobel Laureate, Knight Bachelor and president of Rockefeller University in NYC.

In this humorous storytelling, Paul Nurse recounts how he discovered the source of his exceptional talents. Nurse begins by saying he’s always felt like the oddball of the family. He was the only one to pursue academic excellence while the rest of his family had left school at 15.

The mystery started to unravel with his daughter’s school project – tracing the family tree and his mother’s ashen-face confession that she and Nurse’s father were born out of wedlock. So there was no way to trace back Nurse’s lineage.

But the shock of his life came when Nurse was 58 years old, at the height of his career, and rejected for a US Green Card. He dug up a secret that his family has kept from him for half a century.

Here is the full story as told by Paul Nurse at the World Science Festival on June 12.

Image: Newscom/ HT: The Scientist

Post from: Genetics & Health

Two actually, and maybe more…

First – investments and second, spouses.

This week, Google invested $2.6 million in 23andMe on top of the $7 million invested so far. No surprise there, since Google’s co-founder Sergey Bring is the spouse of 23andMe’s co-founder Anne Wojcicki. But as CNN remarked, it’s one the perks of marrying Google.

In another news, biotech giant Illumina has launched a personal genome sequencing service. That is, you can have your entire genome sequenced – all 3 billion DNA - for a hefty price of $48,000. Unlike 23andMe and other genome-testing services where only genotypes are provided, Illumina will provide your entire DNA sequence.

But you need a prescription and a physician’s OK to get the ball rolling. AND, you still need one of the other personal genomics companies such as 23andMe to interpret the sequence and tell you your risks.

image: Newscom

Post from: Genetics & Health

Well, recent studies show that dad’s sperm contains a set of instructions that make certain the embryo develops properly, and specifically that his genes get turned on at the right time.

But let’s do a short tutorial first…

Each chromosome is really just a single long DNA molecule, that can stretch out to an average 1 meter long. Those 23 long strands of human DNA must be packaged and coiled into a tiny nucleus. The proteins responsible for packaging them are called histones. Histone molecules repeatedly fold and coil the DNA strand into the more visible (through microscope) chromosome. Histones also regulate which portions of the DNA can unravel so that genes can be replicated and expressed at the right timing for the embryo to develop normally. Histones are also highly conserved in evolution, meaning they are identical from one organism to another and likely have the same functions in all organisms.

A new study published at Nature found that specially-modified histones are strategically found in different areas of the sperm chromatin. In some areas, the father’s genes that need to be turned on early in an embryo’s development are marked with modified histones different from those genes that are needed later in the development.

What’s the implication for this finding? Bradley R. Cairns, senior researcher of the team, remarked that a man’s age and lifestyle could affect the sperm chromatin in such a way that impacts fertility or development of the embryo. Cairns also expressed hope that a diagnostic test could be developed based on his results that will help couples with fertility issues.

Read more about the study in “Sperm’s Genes Packaged with Instructions for Development”.

Image: Newscom

Post from: Genetics & Health