Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'dna'

Family Struggles With Genetic Testing Ambiguity

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:41:00 EST

For many people seeking answers through genetic testing, all the DNA probing ends in this twist: Less certainty, not more. This sometimes leads to tough personal decisions, like those made by Nashville novelist Susan Gregg Gilmore and her family.

Audit Prods L.A. To Tackle Backlog In DNA Evidence

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:22:00 EST

In Los Angeles, more than 12,000 DNA evidence kits taken from sexual assault victims wait untested in police crime labs and storage facilities. Police say they haven't had the money or the technology to deal with the backlog. But a scathing city audit has officials pledging to test every rape kit — and to help victims bring criminals to justice.

Scientists Decode The DNA Of A Woolly Mammoth

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:36:00 EST

The woolly mammoth is the first extinct mammal to have its DNA sequence deciphered. Scientists used hair that was found frozen in the Siberian permafrost, some for tens of thousands of years.

Uighur Mummies Stir Debate In China

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:28:00 EST

DNA tests on mummies raise new questions about China's Uighurs, many of whom claim western heritage. China insists the Uighurs have East Asian heritage.

Who Poisoned Chinese Emperor 100 Years Ago...

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

New DNA test show that one of China's last emperors died of arsenic poisoning. Guangxu Emperor died 100 years ago today. The cold case hasn't been completely solved. It's still not known for sure who poisoned him.

Researchers Sequence Cancer Genome

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:30:00 EST

A genetics team sequenced DNA from both cancerous and normal tissue from a patient with the white blood cell cancer. The researchers then compared the two sequences to identify 10 mutated genes that appear to be associated with the formation of the cancer.

5,300-Year-Old Mummy Has No Human Descendants

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:52:00 EDT

Oetzi, a mummified man found frozen in the Italian Alps after 5,300 years, has no living genetic descendants among modern humans. The discovery came after researchers sequenced Oetzi's entire genome and compared it with human DNA.

Personal Genome Project Posts DNA Info Online

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 13:18:00 EDT

The Personal Genome Project is attempting to find 100,000 volunteers to publish their entire genetic makeup — including their physical traits — online. So far, ten individuals have chosen to share their DNA sequences, medical records, and other personal information with the research community and the general public.

'Monticello' Tells Untold Story Of Sally Hemings

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:05:00 EDT

Thomas Jefferson's biography got significantly more complicated when DNA evidence linked him to the descendants of Sally Hemings, a slave on his estate. Annette Gordon-Reed talks about her new book, The Hemingses of Monticello an exhaustive study of Sally Hemings' life and role within the Jefferson household.

Israeli Suburb Uses Dog DNA To Punish Owners

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Stepping on dog droppings is one of the more irritating aspects of life. In Israel, a suburb of Tel Aviv is testing a new way to determine who isn't scooping the poop. The local vet is collecting samples of doggie DNA, using a mouth swab from the pets. If droppings end up on someone's shoe, the city can check it against its database and fine the owner. Owners contribute the DNA sample voluntarily, but the city is considering making it the law.

DNA Part May Play Role In Limb Formation

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:38:00 EDT

Scientists are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of what used to be called "junk" DNA. Yale researchers have found a region of DNA that appears to be crucial in making a human limb. Although it's not a gene in the traditional sense of the word, it is inherited.

DNA Fingerprint Science Still Uncertain

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Investigators apparently used a DNA fingerprint to link anthrax used in the 2001 attacks to the lab where scientist Bruce Ivins worked. But the science surrounding this technique is far less certain than the DNA fingerprints of people that have become routine in criminal trials.

DNA Tests And Refugees's Claims Of U.S. Relatives

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Early this year, the Department of Homeland Security conducted a first-ever DNA sampling of several hundred refugee applicants in Africa. Tests showed that a large percentage of applicants were not related to people they claimed as family members living in the United States.

How To Clear Your (Formerly) Good Name

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT

John Ramsey, father of JonBenet, knows that some people will always believe he was behind his daughter's murder — even after DNA evidence has vindicated him.

Labs Test Dog DNA

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:13:00 EDT

The days of freewheeling speculation regarding the genetic roots of the family mutt may be over. For a fee of about $80, several labs now offer DNA tests for mixed-breed dogs, promising to inform curious families just what breeds of dog make up Fido's heritage. Vets say these pedigree tests are accurate and they're becoming more popular.

Organism Captures and Assimilates Foreign DNA

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:45:00 EDT

Small freshwater invertebrates known as rotifers have the uncanny ability to capture bits of DNA from other organisms and assimilate that genetic code. Researchers writing this week in the journal Science report that the genome of one class of rotifers can include DNA from bacteria, fungi, and even plants.

Dallas Man Exonerated After 27 Years in Prison

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:01:00 EDT

James Lee Woodard walked out of a Texas prison last week after almost three decades behind bars. The state now agrees that Woodard was wrongfully convicted in 1981 of killing a girl he had been dating. Woodard is the 17th man from Dallas to be cleared by DNA evidence.

Senate Passes DNA Discrimination Ban

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:02:00 EDT

A bill that would ban employers and insurance companies from using genetic information to make hiring and coverage decisions passed in the Senate 95-0 on Thursday. Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY), the bill's main sponsor, talks about genetic discrimination — she first proposed the legislation 13 years ago.

Officials Using DNA to Sort Polygamy Sect Kids

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

Authorities are working to match children from a polygamous sect in West Texas with their biological mothers. Terri Langford of the Houston Chronicle delivers the latest developments after a raid of the compound in El Dorado.

Senate Passes Ban on DNA Discrimination

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EDT

The Senate passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act on Thursday. It mandates equal treatment in employment and insurance. Congressional observers say the House will likely pass the bill. If it reaches his desk, President Bush plans to sign it.

Geneticists Hail Senate Vote on DNA Discrimination

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The Senate has passed a bill banning employers and insurers from discrimination based on DNA tests. The bill would bar health insurance companies from using genetic information to set premiums or determine enrollment eligibility. Similarly, employers could not use genetic information in hiring, firing or promotion decisions.

My Sister, My Mother: Family DNA Nabs Suspects

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:27:00 EDT

It may usher in an age of genetic surveillance, but a law enforcement initiative to raid medical records for family DNA can be critical to solving crimes, according to Frederick Bieber, a medical geneticist and Harvard professor.

Court Orders DNA Tests on Polygamist Sect's Kids

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

State authorities began a second day of court-ordered DNA testing Tuesday on members of a polygamist sect, an effort they hope will begin to untangle the group's complicated family relationships.

Company Sells Scientific Approach to Love

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:55:00 EDT

ScientificMatch.com says using your DNA is the best way maximize chances of finding a mate. All you have to do is swab the inside of your cheek and put the sample in the mail. Two weeks later you'll have your genetic match.

Study: Native Americans Can Trace DNA to 6 Women

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 08:42:00 EDT

Nearly all Native Americans can trace part of their ancestry to just six women, whose descendants immigrated to North, Central and South America as much as 20,000 years ago, according to a new DNA study. Researchers believe the women left a DNA legacy that can be found in about 95 percent of native people throughout the Americas.