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First Whole Cancer Genome Sequenced
dooling writes "A paper detailing the sequencing of the first human cancer genome will be published in the 6 November 2008 issue of Nature. This is not only the first cancer genome published, it is the first female genome as well. You can read the paper's abstract, DNA sequencing of a cytogenetically normal acute myeloid leukaemia genome, or the story in Science News. This issue of Nature also has articles on the sequencing of the first African and Asian genomes. The sequencing in all three articles was done using the Illumina Genome Analyzer, one of the massively parallel, next-generation genome sequencing platforms."
Just wait until nanopore sequencing really takes off. Now that shit is awesome.
We figured out a long time ago that it's easier to elect seven judges than to elect 132 legislators.
There's always a "but." They sequenced an FAB classification M1 AML. That's nice, but these things tend to have a heterogenous genetic makeup. It'd be nice if they sequenced more of those things and compared them as well.
Umm, no.
Cancer, in general, happens to people well past the age of reproduction. Which means it has little, if any, effect on population growth rates.
If there are diseases you'd like to keep around to prevent overpopulation, may I suggest lobbying to return Smallpox to the wild instead? Or just become a pro-AIDS activist, since the latter seems to be doing a good job of cutting into African population growth.
Seriously, some of you people scare me....
"I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
I realize that birth control education/legislation/etc. brings up an entirely new conversation (one I'm not trying to start here) but I'd pretty much support anything that would have kept friends and family from dying a slow, painful death.
We figured out a long time ago that it's easier to elect seven judges than to elect 132 legislators.
Seriously?
People that are no longer able to reproduce still consume resources and are definitely still considered part of the population. The point is that if you curb dieoff you are contributing to population growth.
Moderation: +1 pwnage
But at most linearly, and not much - because of increase survival times, as opposed to the geometric effect of birth rates.
On that note, countries with long lives tend to need to support a fair amount of old people, which makes kids expensive, and keeps birth rates down.
Countries where birth rates are high and where life spans are short have a strong correlation. And they keep growing.
Compare, say, any European country or Japan or coastal US vs any sub-Saharan African country.
And as someone with a spouse with cancer, I have to say go fuck yourself.
Expanding a vast wasteland since 1996.
The Science News article says that they sequenced both a cancer cell and a non-cancer cell from this woman. So we can specifically say "these are the bases that are different" and from there (with luck) to "this is the mutation that happened".
That should prove quite illuminating.
All the lab has to do now is patent the gene sequence and then sue mother nature for everything she's worth every time someone expresses this gene!
There's your above the fold headline: Lawyers cure cancer!
Women are like electronics: you don't know how damaged they are until you try to turn them on.
Okay, so... are you volunteering yourself as the first to be killed in the name of population control?
How about a random lottery? Every couple years, we chose one in a hundred thousand people, and kill them.
Or what about shutting down hospitals? If we get rid of all the doctors, I'm sure the reduction in population growth will make you very happy.
While we're at it, instead of incarcerating murderers, how about we reward them? After all, they're helping curb population growth.
Or you know what? Fuck you.
or just raise education levels. Japan has negative population growth, and it's not due to government intervention.
Remember northern blots?
Honestly? No, I've BLOTTED it out.
It's so rare you get to make a molecular-biology related pun, you have to take every opportunity you get, even if they are that bad. I'm sorry.
It's not that rare - heck the Northen blot itself is a pun:
Southern Blot - developed by Ed Southern
Northern Blot - see what they did there...
Western Blot - yes, yes - very funny. Now get back to work.