Feb 22, 2017 02:12 AM
Eating mercury-rich seafood may up ALS risk
http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/he...67427.html
RELEASE: Seafood lovers, take note! Eating fish rich in mercury may put you at risk of developing motor neurone diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), scientists have warned. People who eat food items such as sharks and swordfish - that are very high in mercury - are at increased risk of developing the incurable disease that takes away the ability of nerve cells to interact with the body's muscles. The exact cause of ALS is unknown but some previous studies suggest mercury might be a risk factor, researchers said....
Egg-free surrogate chickens produced to save rare breeds
http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/sc...66463.html
RELEASE: Hens that do not produce their own chicks have been developed by researchers for use as surrogates to lay eggs from rare breeds using new gene-editing techniques.
The advance could help to boost breeding of endangered birds, as well as improve production of commercial hens, researchers said.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland used a genetic tool called TALEN to delete a section of chicken DNA. They targeted part of a gene called DDX4, which is crucial for bird fertility.
Hens with the genetic modification were unable to produce eggs but were otherwise healthy, the team found.
DDX4 plays an essential role in the generation of specialised cells - called primordial germ cells - which give rise to eggs.
Researchers said that donor primordial germ cells from other breeds could be implanted into the gene-edited chickens as they are developing inside an egg.
The surrogate hens would then grow up to produce eggs containing all of the genetic information from the donor breeds.
The surrogate chickens are the first gene-edited birds to be produced in Europe.
"These chickens are a first step in saving and protecting rare poultry breeds from loss in order to preserve future biodiversity of our poultry from both economic and climate stresses," said lead researcher Mike McGrew from the University of Edinburgh.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/he...67427.html
RELEASE: Seafood lovers, take note! Eating fish rich in mercury may put you at risk of developing motor neurone diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), scientists have warned. People who eat food items such as sharks and swordfish - that are very high in mercury - are at increased risk of developing the incurable disease that takes away the ability of nerve cells to interact with the body's muscles. The exact cause of ALS is unknown but some previous studies suggest mercury might be a risk factor, researchers said....
Egg-free surrogate chickens produced to save rare breeds
http://www.tribuneindia.com/mobi/news/sc...66463.html
RELEASE: Hens that do not produce their own chicks have been developed by researchers for use as surrogates to lay eggs from rare breeds using new gene-editing techniques.
The advance could help to boost breeding of endangered birds, as well as improve production of commercial hens, researchers said.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland used a genetic tool called TALEN to delete a section of chicken DNA. They targeted part of a gene called DDX4, which is crucial for bird fertility.
Hens with the genetic modification were unable to produce eggs but were otherwise healthy, the team found.
DDX4 plays an essential role in the generation of specialised cells - called primordial germ cells - which give rise to eggs.
Researchers said that donor primordial germ cells from other breeds could be implanted into the gene-edited chickens as they are developing inside an egg.
The surrogate hens would then grow up to produce eggs containing all of the genetic information from the donor breeds.
The surrogate chickens are the first gene-edited birds to be produced in Europe.
"These chickens are a first step in saving and protecting rare poultry breeds from loss in order to preserve future biodiversity of our poultry from both economic and climate stresses," said lead researcher Mike McGrew from the University of Edinburgh.
