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BREAKING
NEWS:
Geneticists have identified a gene which causes breast
cancer to metastasise, the deadly process by which the disease
spreads to other organs. The SATB1 gene alters the behavior of at
least 1,000 other genes within tumor cells and makes cancer cells
proliferate. The findings could pave the way to diagnostic tools
that show the likelihood of the disease spreading and to drugs that
prevent or treat metastasis in breast cancer as well.
US Researchers Sequence the Genome of Corn
Researchers have sequenced the genome of corn. Scientists now will
be able to accurately and efficiently probe the corn genome to find
ways to increase crop yields and resistance to drought and disease.
The genome will help unravel the basic biology of corn, and that
information can be used to look for genes that make corn more nutritious
or more efficient for ethanol production. The only other crop plant
to have its genome sequenced is rice.
The sequence information is freely available online at maizesequence.org
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President Bush Signs Genetic Information Nondiscrimination
Act of 2008
Wed., May 21 2008 — The President has signed into law the
Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) that will protect
Americans against discrimination based on their genetic information
when it comes to health insurance and employment. The bill had passed
the Senate unanimously and the House by a vote of 414 to 1. The
long-awaited measure, which has been debated in Congress for 13
years, will pave the way for people to take full advantage of the
promise of personalized medicine without fear of discrimination.
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