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WaferGen, Duke Establish Genotyping Research Collaboration to Validate SNPs in Breast Cancer Using SmartChip ™ Real-Time PCR System
Under the terms of the collaboration, John Olson and Jeffrey Marks will conduct novel genotyping research projects using the SmartChip Real-Time PCR System in order to validate SNPs that are related to breast cancer.
Scientists Identify Host Factors Critical to Dengue Virus Infection
By painstakingly silencing genes one at a time, Duke Medical Center scientists have identified dozens of proteins the dengue fever virus depends upon to grow and spread among mosquitoes and humans. The work, published in Nature, was conducted in the RNAi Facility, a shared resource of the IGSP and the Center for RNA Biology. Read the original article here.
Should You Customize Your Drugs to Your DNA?
An MSNBC Prevention report about the connection between our DNA and drug response features the research of Geoff Ginsburg and Deepak Voora, which found that people with a specific genetic variant see less reduction of "bad" cholesterol when taking statins.
Genome Scans: Impatient for the Payoff
A Science Magazine "News of the Week" feature highlights David Goldstein and the "simmering debate in the genomics community about the value of chip-based genome scans to gauge inherited risks of developing common diseases."
High Hopes for US Patent Reform
In a Nature article about a pending agreement by lawmakers on patent reform, Arti Rai says, "Right now, what we really need to do is to fix our patent office. I hope that goal doesn't get held up by the debate over damage apportionment."
Common Variants Show Limited Value in Predicting Diseases
In a New York Times feature, David Goldstein argues that the genetic burden of common diseases must be mostly carried by large numbers of rare variants. The argument, originally laid out in a New England Journal of Medicine commentary, sparked activity in the blogospere, including the Wall Street Journal Health Blog, and drew comment from Misha Angrist, the IGSP's very own Genome Boy.
New Policy Adds Thesis Flexibility
The Chronicle reports that a new initiative will allow Duke undergraduates with interdisciplinary interests to earn honors outside their majors.
The Nation's Health – and Ours
A News & Observer op-ed by Chancellor Emeritus Ralph Snyderman about the value of "going healthy" features the Duke Prospective Health Care Club, a student club inspired in part by the Genome Revolution Focus Program that led to an IGSP-sponsored, student-led course and journal.
Chemo Combo Shows Promise Against Ovarian Cancer
The discovery that the addition of dasatinib to a standard drug regimen enhances the response of ovarian cancer to treatment is a step toward the ultimate goal of offering personalized therapy for women with ovarian cancer, says Duke gynecologic oncologist Angeles Secord. Holly Dressman and Andrew Berchuk were collaborators on the study, which was presented at the American Association for Cancer Research meeting in Denver.
Duke Researchers Get Komen Money for Cancer Studies
WRAL reports that Susan G. Komen for the Cure pledged more than $8 million to Duke researchers working on early detection and prevention strategies for aggressive breast cancer, including $600,000 to the IGSP's Ashley Chi for a project entitled "Mammary epithelial cell types as determinant of hypoxia responses in breast cancers."
Shared Differences: The Architecture of Our Genomes is Anything but Basic
A Science News article about the importance of structural variation in the genome features a recent PLoS Genetics report by Anna Need, David Goldstein and colleagues showing that large deletions from chromosome 8 can be linked to schizophrenia. Find the original article here.
Is There a Bit of OCD in Us All?
An article in the Financial Times features a recent report by researchers including Avshalom Caspi and Terrie Moffitt, which found that OCD symptoms are surprisingly common in the adult population. Read the original article in The American Journal of Psychiatry.
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Four senior undergraduates will be the first to receive a 