Issue 60 of the Genetics Society Newsletter
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Dolly the Sheep – the First Cloned Adult Animal
DOLLY THE SHEEP – THE FIRST CLONED ADULT ANIMAL NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVING LIVESTOCK From Squidonius via Wikimedia Commons In 1996, University of Edinburgh scientists celebrated the birth of Dolly the Sheep, the first mammal to be cloned using SCNT cloning is the only technology adult somatic cells. The Edinburgh team’s success followed available that enables generation of 99.8% its improvements to the single cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) genetically identical offspring from selected technique used in the cloning process. individuals of adult animals (including sterilized animals). As such, it is being Dolly became a scientific icon recognised worldwide and exploited as an efficient multiplication tool SCNT technology has spread around the world and has been to support specific breeding strategies of used to clone multiple farm animals. farm animals with exceptionally high genetic The cloning of livestock enables growing large quantities of value. the most productive, disease resistant animals, thus providing more food and other animal products. Sir Ian Wilmut (Inaugural Director of MRC Centre for Regeneration and Professor at CMVM, UoE) and colleagues worked on methods to create genetically improved livestock by manipulation of stem cells using nuclear transfer. Their research optimised interactions between the donor nucleus and the recipient cytoplasm at the time of fusion and during the first cell cycle. Nuclear donor cells were held in mitosis before being released and used as they were expected to be passing through G1 phase. CLONING IN COMMERCE, CONSERVATION OF AGRICULTURE AND PRESERVATION ANIMAL BREEDS OF LIVESTOCK DIVERSITY Cloning has been used to conserve several animal breeds in the recent past. -
Mating Patterns in a Hybrid Zone of Fire-Bellied Toads
Heredity (2005) 94, 247–257 & 2005 Nature Publishing Group All rights reserved 0018-067X/05 $30.00 www.nature.com/hdy Mating patterns in a hybrid zone of fire-bellied toads (Bombina): inferences from adult and full-sib genotypes BNu¨ rnberger1, NH Barton2, LEB Kruuk2 and TH Vines1,2,3 1Department Biologie II, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universita¨tMu¨nchen, Grosshaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; 2Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JT, Scotland We present two novel methods to infer mating patterns from The second approach is based solely on the offspring genetic data. They differ from existing statistical methods of genotypes and relies on the fact that a linear relation exists parentage inference in that they apply to populations that between associations among the offspring and those in the deviate from Hardy–Weinberg and linkage equilibrium, and population of breeding pairs. We apply both methods to a so are suited for the study of assortative mating in hybrid sample from the hybrid zone between the fire-bellied toads zones. The core data set consists of genotypes at several Bombina bombina and B. variegata (Anura: Disco glossidae) loci for a number of full-sib clutches of unknown parentage. in Croatia. Consistently, both approaches provide no Our inference is based throughout on estimates of allelic evidence for a departure from random mating, despite associations within and across loci, such as heterozygote adequate statistical power. Instead, B. variegata-like indivi- deficit and pairwise linkage disequilibrium. In the first duals among the adults contributed disproportionately to the method, the most likely parents of a given clutch are offspring cohort, consistent with their preference for the type determined from the genotypic distribution of the associated of breeding habitat in which this study was conducted. -
Genetics Society News
July 2008 . ISSUE 59 GENETICS SOCIETY NEWS www.genetics.org.uk IN THIS ISSUE Genetics Society News is edited by Steve Russell. Items for future issues should be sent to Steve Russell, preferably by email to • Genetics Society Epigenetics Meeting [email protected], or hard copy to Department of Genetics, • Genetics Society Sponsored Meetings University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EH. The Newsletter is published twice a year, with copy dates of 1st June and • Travel, Fieldwork and Studentship Reports 26th November. • John Evans: an Appreciation Cocoons of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia vestalis on cabbage leaf in Taiwan. From the • Twelve Galton Lectures fieldwork report by Jetske G. de Boer on page 36. • My Favourite Paper A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor ow soon until the $1000 based on the results of tests we genome is actually with barely understand! Here in the Hus and individual UK there is currently a sequencing is widespread? The moratorium, adhered to by publication of increasing most insurers, on the use of numbers of individual human genetic testing information for genome sequences suggests assessing life insurance that we should start to consider applications. It is important some of the implications that this remains in place and associated with the availability its effectiveness is reviewed of personal genetic well before the current information. In this issue we moratorium expires in 2011. present two articles reflecting The Human Genetics on his issue: a report from a Commission Genetics Society sponsored (http://www.hgc.gov.uk) meeting recently held in monitor issues relating to Cambridge organised by The genetic discrimination in the Triple Helix, an international UK and are a point of contact undergraduate organisation, as for those with any concerns in the Millennium Technology Prize. -
3718 Issue63july2010 1.Pdf
Issue 63.qxd:Genetic Society News 1/10/10 14:41 Page 1 JULYJULLYY 2010 | ISSUEISSUE 63 GENETICSGENNETICSS SOCIETYSOCIEETY NENEWSEWS In this issue The Genetics Society NewsNewws is edited by U Genetics Society PresidentPresident Honoured Honoured ProfProf David Hosken and items ittems for future future issues can be sent to thee editor,editor, preferably preferably U Mouse Genetics Meeting by email to [email protected],D.J.Hosken@@exeter.ac.uk, or U SponsoredSponsored Meetings Meetings hardhard copy to Chair in Evolutionary Evoolutionary Biology, Biology, UniversityUniversity of Exeter,Exeter, Cornwall Cornnwall Campus, U The JBS Haldane LectureLecture Tremough,Tremough, Penryn, TR10 0 9EZ UK.UK. The U Schools Evolutionn ConferenceConference Newsletter is published twicet a year,year, with copy dates of 1st June andand 26th November.November. U TaxiTaxi Drivers The British YeastYeaste Group Group descend on Oxford Oxford for their 2010 meeting: m see the reportreport on page 35. 3 Image © Georgina McLoughlin Issue 63.qxd:Genetic Society News 1/10/10 14:41 Page 2 A WORD FROM THE EDITOR A word from the editor Welcome to issue 63. In this issue we announce a UK is recognised with the award of a CBE in the new Genetics Society Prize to Queen’s Birthday Honours, tells us about one of Welcome to my last issue as join the medals and lectures we her favourite papers by Susan Lindquist, the 2010 editor of the Genetics Society award. The JBS Haldane Mendel Lecturer. Somewhat unusually we have a News, after 3 years in the hot Lecture will be awarded couple of Taxi Drivers in this issue – Brian and seat and a total of 8 years on annually to recognise Deborah Charlesworth are not so happy about the committee it is time to excellence in communicating the way that the print media deals with some move on before I really outstay aspects of genetics research to scientific issues and Chris Ponting bemoans the my welcome! It has been a the public. -
1 Genomic Analysis of Family Data Reveals Additional Genetic Effects On
bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/106203; this version posted February 6, 2017. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. Genomic analysis of family data reveals additional genetic effects on intelligence and personality W. David Hill1,2*†, Ruben C. Arslan3,4†, Charley Xia†5, Michelle Luciano1,2, Carmen Amador5, Pau Navarro5, Caroline Hayward5, Reka Nagy5, David J. Porteous1,6,8, Andrew M. McIntosh1,9, Ian J. Deary1,2, Chris S. Haley5,10, and Lars Penke1,3,4 1 Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK 2 Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK 3 Georg Elias Müller Institute of Psychology, Georg August University Göttingen, Germany 4 Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany 5 MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK 6 Generation Scotland, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK 8 Medical Genetics Section, Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh 9 Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh EH10 5HF 10 The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK * Corresponding author † These authors contributed equally Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK, T: +44 (131) 650 8405, E: [email protected] 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/106203; this version posted February 6, 2017. -
DNA Evidence: Probability, Population Genetics, and the Courts David H
Penn State Law eLibrary Journal Articles Faculty Works 1993 DNA Evidence: Probability, Population Genetics, and the Courts David H. Kaye Penn State Law Follow this and additional works at: http://elibrary.law.psu.edu/fac_works Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Evidence Commons, and the Science and Technology Law Commons Recommended Citation David H. Kaye, DNA Evidence: Probability, Population Genetics, and the Courts, 7 Harv. J.L. & Tech. 101 (1993). This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Works at Penn State Law eLibrary. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal Articles by an authorized administrator of Penn State Law eLibrary. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Volume 7, Fall Issue, 1993 DNA EVIDENCE: PROBABILITY, POPULATION GENETICS, AND THE COURTS David H. Kaye* INTRODUCTION Courts, attorneys, scientists, statisticians, journalists, and government 4 agencies have been explaining,' examining, 2 promoting,3 proselytizing, denigrating,5 and otherwise struggling with DNA identification evidence at least since 1985.6 In the first wave of cases, expert testimony for the * Regents' Professor, Arizona State University College of Law, Box 877906, Tempe, AZ 85287-7906 (602 965-2922, [email protected]). A version of this paper was presented at the 1992 Joint Statistical Meetings of the American Statistical Association, the Biometric Society, and the Institute of Mathematical Statistics. I am grateful to Herman Cheroff for comments on that paper and to Colin Aitken, Richard Lempert, Bruce Weir, and especially Bernard Devlin for comments on later drafts. The errors that remain despite this guidance are entirely my own. -
Papers Will Be Uploaded in Due Course
THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH BUSINESS FOR MEETING OF THE UNIVERSITY COURT to be held in the Raeburn Room, Old College on Monday, 9 December 2013 at 2.00 p.m. A buffet lunch will be available at 1.00 p.m. in the Lord Provost Elder Room, Old College This meeting of Court will be preceded by a presentation on the Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) delivered by Mrs Tracey Slaven, Deputy Secretary, Strategic Planning. A FORMAL BUSINESS 1. Minute of the meeting held on 4 November 2013 A1 2. Senate Assessor A2 B PRINCIPAL'S BUSINESS 1. Principal’s Communications B1 2. Vice-Principal update B2 C SUBSTANTIVE ITEMS 1. Report of the Finance and General Purposes Committee .1 Comments on the Report of the Central Management Group C1.1 .2 Report on Other Items C1.2 2. EUSA President’s Report C2 3. Risk Management Committee year end report C3 4. Risk Management – post year end Assurance Statement C4 5. Audit Committee Annual Report C5 6. Reports and Financial Statements .1 Annual Report and Accounts for year ended 31 July 2013 C6.1 .2 Letter of Representation C6.2 .3 Review of 2012/2013 Outturn versus Forecast C6.3 7. 2014-2017 Draft Outcome Agreement C7 8. Strategic Plan: Targets and KPIs Progress Report C8 9. Annual Review 2012-2013 C9 10. Report from Remuneration Committee C10 11. Report from Knowledge Strategy Committee C11 D ITEMS FOR FORMAL APPROVAL OR NOTE 1. Draft Resolutions D1 2. Risk Management Committee – Terms of Reference D2 3. Donations and Legacies D3 4. -
Evolution Is a Quantitative Science
Book Review/Science in the Media Evolution Is a Quantitative Science John F. Y. Brookfield* Institute of Genetics, School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom Evolutionary genetics is a mature field ing in evolutionary genetics must be of endeavour, and some of biology’s included in all bioinformatics and geno- greatest minds have contributed to the mics courses. Educators will find that theory of population genetics. Initially, foundation in Elements of Evolutionary Genet- they faced a problem, in that following the ics, by Brian and Deborah Charlesworth. rediscovery of Mendel’s results in the early This thorough and accurate textbook years of the 20th century, some saw an represents a remarkable achievement. The unbridgeable gulf between the sudden rigour of the approach is impeccable changes in appearance seen in the mutant throughout, and the text makes clear just forms of peas studied by Mendel, and the how many areas of biology, such as sex, gradual and subtle changes to evolving genome structure, migration and popula- populations envisaged by Darwin. The so- tion variation, and adaptive evolution called Neo-Darwinian synthesis linked itself, can be understood only through these ideas by considering the likely effect the application of formal models in which of Darwinian natural selection on varia- evolutionary processes are considered in a tions in Mendelian genes, variations which precise way. Most telling, however, is the would not necessarily have major effects consistently quantitative approach to data on organisms’ phenotypes. Unusually, for and their interpretation. While a full biology, this theory was developed, pri- appreciation of the book will require some marily by Fisher, Haldane and Wright, mathematical understanding, the steps prior to the existence of data sets to which required are clearly dealt with in appen- it could realistically be applied. -
Cloning: a Select Chronology, 1997-2003
Order Code RL31211 Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Cloning: A Select Chronology, 1997-2003 Updated March 10, 2003 Mary V. Wright Information Research Specialist Information Research Division Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress Summary This is a selected chronology of the events surrounding and following the cloning of a sheep from a single adult sheep cell by Scottish scientists, which was announced in February 1997. The project was cosponsored by PPL Therapeutics, Edinburgh, Scotland, which has applied for patents for the techniques used. This chronology also addresses subsequent reports of other cloning experiments, including the first one using human cells. Information on presidential actions and legislative activities related to the ethical and moral issues surrounding cloning is provided, as well as relevant Web sites. More information on cloning and on human embryo research can be found in CRS Report RL31015, Stem Cell Research and CRS Report RS21044, Background and Legal Issues Related to Stem Cell Research. This report will be updated as necessary. Contents Chronology .......................................................1 1997 ........................................................1 1998 ........................................................2 1999 ........................................................3 2000 ........................................................4 2001 ........................................................5 2002 ........................................................6 -
1 Chapter 1.6. Evolution While You Are Watching Chapter 1.6
Chapter 1.6. Evolution While You Are Watching Chapter 1.6 describes more or less direct observations of evolution. Although Macroevolution which results in really profound changes of living beings occurs too slowly for such observations, substantial changes in a lineage can and do occur at the time scale of thousands or even hundreds of generations. Fast evolution is usually driven by strong selection and can involve numerous allele replacements. Direct observations of evolution come from data of four kinds. Section 1.6.1 treats observations of rapid evolution of nature. Here we will understand the concept of observation broadly, and include data on changes of phenotypes in continuous paleontological records and on local adaptation. However, under some circumstances evolution proceeds so rapidly that substantial changes occur in the course of decades, and, thus, can be literally observed. Section 1.6.2 considers domestication, a phenomenon which became common after the origin agriculture ~12,000 years ago, and evolution of domesticated plants and animals. Due to artificial selection and to natural selection under new environment, important phenotypes of many domesticated species are currently way outside the range of their natural variation, and the diversity of varieties is astonishing. Thus, domesticated species provide a rich source of data on evolution at a relatively small scale. Section 1.6.3 reviews data on experimental evolution in controlled populations of a variety of organisms. Such experiments are an important tool of evolutionary biology, which made it possible to directly observe a number of key phenomena. However, a limitation of evolutionary experiments is that they must deal with organisms with short generation times. -
Antony John Clark OBE, FRSE This Obituary First Appeared in The
Antony John Clark OBE, FRSE This obituary first appeared in The Guardian on 25 August 2004 http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2004/aug/25/obituaries.health The sudden death of Professor John Clark, at the age of 52, has robbed Britain of a world leader in animal science and biotechnology, and an individual whose commitment to science was based on a genuine concern for others. A visionary, energetic and resolute leader, he made outstanding contributions not only in research, but also in translating it to the commercial environment. Clark was director of the Roslin Institute, near Edinburgh, one of the world's leading centres for research on farm and other animals, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Science Council. He pioneered the development of techniques for the genetic modification of livestock that led to the cloning techniques and the birth, in 1996, of Dolly the sheep, the first animal to be cloned from an adult cell. This event created entirely new opportunities in research and regenerative medicine. Appointed to the then Animal Breeding Research Organisation in 1985, Clark soon assumed leadership of a project to produce human proteins in the milk of sheep. Its success required an understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the functioning of genes, the technical ability to manipulate DNA sequences and methods for the introduction of gene sequences into sheep embryos. While these are now commonplace, this was not the case at the time, and the project was technically challenging. The birth, in 1990, of Tracy, the first sheep to produce very large quantities of human protein in her milk - alpha-1-antitrypsin for the treatment of cystic fibrosis - was a milestone in the field, and a success that laid the foundation for the continuing reputation of the Roslin Institute (as it became in 1993) as pioneers in transgenic technology. -
Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate in Heliconius Melpomene
Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate in Heliconius melpomene The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you. Your story matters Citation Keightley, Peter D., Ana Pinharanda, Rob W. Ness, Fraser Simpson, Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra, James Mallet, John W. Davey, and Chris D. Jiggins. 2014. “Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate in Heliconius melpomene.” Molecular Biology and Evolution 32 (1): 239-243. doi:10.1093/molbev/msu302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ molbev/msu302. Published Version doi:10.1093/molbev/msu302 Citable link http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13890662 Terms of Use This article was downloaded from Harvard University’s DASH repository, and is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Other Posted Material, as set forth at http:// nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:dash.current.terms-of- use#LAA Estimation of the Spontaneous Mutation Rate in Heliconius melpomene Peter D. Keightley,*,1 Ana Pinharanda,2 Rob W. Ness,1 Fraser Simpson,3 Kanchon K. Dasmahapatra,3,4 James Mallet,3,5 John W. Davey,2 and Chris D. Jiggins2 1Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom 2Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom 3Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom 4Department of Biology, University of York, York, United Kingdom 5Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University *Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]. Associate editor:JohnParsch Abstract We estimated the spontaneous mutation rate in Heliconius melpomene by genome sequencing of a pair of parents and 30oftheiroffspring,basedontheratioofnumberofdenovoheterozygotes to the number of callable site-individuals.