Genetic Information

Two molecular biologists have been awarded the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research. James Darnell Jr. and Robert Roeder received the prize during a ceremony Friday and will share $500,000, the largest award in medicine and science in the United States. The two men performed pioneering research on how cells express their genetic information. Roeder heads the biochemistry and molecular biology lab at The Rockefeller University in New York City, where Darnell is emeritus faculty.

Two molecular biologists have been awarded the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research. James Darnell Jr. and Robert Roeder received the prize during a ceremony Friday and will share $500,000, the largest award in medicine and science in the United States. The two men performed pioneering research on how cells express their genetic information. Roeder heads the biochemistry and molecular biology lab at The Rockefeller University in New York City, where Darnell is emeritus faculty.

WASHINGTON - For years, scientists have held out hope that the rapidly evolving field of genetics could transform medical diagnosis and treatment, moving beyond a trial-and-error approach as old as the Hippocratic Oath. But the vision of individualized treatment based on a patient's genetic makeup and other biological markers has yet to materialize, even if better use of genetic information has led to advances in cancer care and other areas. Now the pursuit of "personalized medicine" is expected to get a major push from the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama.

NEW YORK — Dr. Renato Dulbecco, a virologist who shared a Nobel Prize in 1975 for his role in drawing a link between genetic mutations and cancer, died Sunday at his home in the La Jolla section of San Diego. He would have turned 98 tomorrow. The National Research Council of Italy, where he had worked for many years, announced his death. He was a former president of the Salk Institute for Biological Research in San Diego. Through a series of experiments that began in the late 1950s, Dr. Dulbecco showed that certain viruses could insert their own genes into infected...

LONDON - Britain said yesterday that it plans to get rid of DNA profiles of most innocent people after six years in response to a European Court ruling that said keeping the information indefinitely was a violation of human rights. The DNA of terror suspects could still be held indefinitely, even if they are not charged with terrorist offenses. Britain has one of the largest DNA databases in the world, with profiles of more than 5 million people, or 8 percent of the population.

NEW YORK — Dr. Renato Dulbecco, a virologist who shared a Nobel Prize in 1975 for his role in drawing a link between genetic mutations and cancer, died Sunday at his home in the La Jolla section of San Diego. He would have turned 98 tomorrow. The National Research Council of Italy, where he had worked for many years, announced his death. He was a former president of the Salk Institute for Biological Research in San Diego. Through a series of experiments that began in the late 1950s, Dr. Dulbecco showed that certain viruses could insert their own genes...

LONDON — British scientists have decoded the genetic sequence of wheat — one of the world’s oldest and most important crops — a development they hope could help the global staple meet the challenges of climate change, disease, and population growth. Wheat is grown across more of the world’s farmland than any other cereal, and researchers said yesterday that they’re posting its genetic code to the Internet in the hope that scientists can use it as a tool to improve farmers’ harvests.

The state Appeals Court said yesterday that the government cannot unilaterally decide to keep DNA profiles of civilians who willingly provide genetic information to law enforcement as police try to solve crimes. In a unanimous ruling, the court revived a lawsuit filed by Keith Amato against Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe and the State Police for keeping his DNA profile, which was collected to help authorities solve the slaying of Truro fashion writer Christa Worthington, an Amato acquaintance.

LONDON - Like so many great discoveries, it was an accident. British scientist Alec Jeffreys realized 25 years ago yesterday that individuals have “DNA fingerprints,’’ unique patterns of genetic material that can be used to identify them. The discovery has solved thousands of crimes, put murderers behind bars, split and reunited families - and launched a fierce debate about privacy and human rights. On the anniversary of his discovery, Jeffreys worried that police are using a database of DNA samples taken from suspects to brand innocent people “future...

What makes someone want to start a business? That was what the young economist Philipp Koellinger was trying to figure out in 2008. His survey data showed that entrepreneurs thought differently from other people—that they believed in themselves more, feared failure less, and tended to see opportunities where others saw threats. Koellinger wanted to know why. "We were left with ‘explanations' that begged further explanations," he said in an e-mail. "What was at the bottom of this rabbit hole, we wondered?"

The state Appeals Court said yesterday that the government cannot unilaterally decide to keep DNA profiles of civilians who willingly provide genetic information to law enforcement as police try to solve crimes. In a unanimous ruling, the court revived a lawsuit filed by Keith Amato against Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe and the State Police for keeping his DNA profile, which was collected to help authorities solve the slaying of Truro fashion writer Christa Worthington, an Amato acquaintance.

LONDON — British scientists have decoded the genetic sequence of wheat — one of the world’s oldest and most important crops — a development they hope could help the global staple meet the challenges of climate change, disease, and population growth. Wheat is grown across more of the world’s farmland than any other cereal, and researchers said yesterday that they’re posting its genetic code to the Internet in the hope that scientists can use it as a tool to improve farmers’ harvests.

LONDON - Britain said yesterday that it plans to get rid of DNA profiles of most innocent people after six years in response to a European Court ruling that said keeping the information indefinitely was a violation of human rights. The DNA of terror suspects could still be held indefinitely, even if they are not charged with terrorist offenses. Britain has one of the largest DNA databases in the world, with profiles of more than 5 million people, or 8 percent of the population.

LONDON - Like so many great discoveries, it was an accident. British scientist Alec Jeffreys realized 25 years ago yesterday that individuals have “DNA fingerprints,’’ unique patterns of genetic material that can be used to identify them. The discovery has solved thousands of crimes, put murderers behind bars, split and reunited families - and launched a fierce debate about privacy and human rights. On the anniversary of his discovery, Jeffreys worried that police are using a database of DNA samples taken from suspects to brand innocent people “future criminals.’’ ...

WASHINGTON - For years, scientists have held out hope that the rapidly evolving field of genetics could transform medical diagnosis and treatment, moving beyond a trial-and-error approach as old as the Hippocratic Oath. But the vision of individualized treatment based on a patient's genetic makeup and other biological markers has yet to materialize, even if better use of genetic information has led to advances in cancer care and other areas. Now the pursuit of "personalized medicine" is expected to get a major push from the incoming administration of President-elect...

Photographer Dorinth Doherty hails from Texas. Since 2008, she's travelled the world photographing seed banks , which store seeds in deep freeze. The goal is to preserve species which are endangered or rarely planted, and to ensure a stock of genetic information in case of natural disaster. Exterior, Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2010) Tunnel, Svalbard Global Seed Vault (2010) Vault Interior, Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (2009)

WASHINGTON - Marla Gilson, a lobbyist and Democratic Party activist who advocated for women's health causes and worked for a federal law prohibiting discrimination based on genetic testing results, died Oct. 29 at her home in Chevy Chase, Md. She was 60. She had leukemia, said her sister, Della Gilson Levy. For more than a decade, Ms. Gilson was the chief Washington lobbyist for Hadassah, the Jewish women's volunteer organization. In addition to fostering strong US-Israel relations, she was known for her advocacy of reproductive rights and federal...