Genome fanatics to post own DNA sequences on Web

A group of scientists and researchers fascinated with the human genome said Monday they will post online their most private personal information - their medical records and DNA sequence of some of their own genes - all for the sake of research.

Genome fanatics share their DNA sequences

A group of scientists and researchers fascinated with the human genome said Monday they will post online their most private personal information — their medical records and DNA sequence of some of their own genes — all for the sake of research.

Begley: How We Should Fix Biomedical Research

Scientists call the gulf between a biomedical discovery and new treatment 'the valley of death.'

Gene mutations linked to lung cancer found

Researchers in China and the United States have identified mutations of two genes which appear to make ethnic Chinese more susceptible to lung cancer, they wrote in the journal Cancer.

UK researchers give robot a "biological brain"

It looks like a group of researchers from the University of Reading are making a solid run at the title of mad scientists of the year (in the best sense, of course), with them now boasting that they've developed a robot that's controlled by a "biological brain." That's not quite the sci-fi sight you may be imagining, however (though it's close), with it instead made up of some 300,000 neurons taken from the neural cortex of a rat fetus, which are contained in multi electrode array that packs 60 electrodes to pick up the signals generated by the cells and in turn control the robot. According to the researchers, they are particularly interested in using the robot to study how memories are formed in the brain, and how the brain stores specific data, which they hope will lead to a better understanding of Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, stokes, and other brain injuries. [Via Emerging Tech, New Scientist] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Can illegal drugs help depression?

Many people will enjoy some yoga or meditation this weekend. Both practices have proven health benefits, but for some people knowing that it works is never enough. They have to know why it works - what is really happening in the brain - and they will stop at nothing to find out, even if it means initiating and funding the research themselves.