Tag Archive: genetics
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Your Daddy was a Sub-Species
The early years of kissing cousins
From Discovery News:
Modern humans are known to have left Africa in a wave of migration around 50,000 years ago, but another, smaller group — possibly a different subspecies — left the continent 50,000 years earlier, suggests a new study.
While all humans today are related to the second “out of Africa” group, it’s likely that some populations native to Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia retain genetic vestiges of the earlier migrants…
And by “earlier migrants” they mean that some of them were messing around with Neanderthals.
This follows a story not so long ago that Neanderthals were possibly red-heads. In my case this would explain a lot.
Researchers discover gene that blocks HIV
Where’s the Party?
Given that this hasn’t been a major headline, it must not have the potential for hope that you would expect. It is interesting nonetheless:
A team of researchers at the University of Alberta has discovered a gene that is able to block HIV, and in turn prevent the onset of AIDS.
Stephen Barr, a molecular virologist in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, says his team has identified a gene called TRIM22 that can block HIV infection in a cell culture by preventing the assembly of the virus.
Video: Meet The Supercow
A Muscle Bound Monster
The extraordinary result of 100 years of selective breeding.
Short but Long Lived
If finally pays off to be short.
Long-life’ genes found in 100-year-old humans
It’s not quite the elixir of life, but researchers have at last identified gene variants that make people live longer. Men may miss out, as all carriers identified so far are women. They are also slightly shorter than average.
Yes! Finally the odds are tipped in my favour.
It’s interesting to note the mechanism affected by by the genes.
Both mutations affect the receptor for insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), a driver of bodily growth and maturity, especially during puberty. By making the receptor slightly faulty, the mutations may disrupt IGF1 binding and decelerate the process of maturation and ageing.
