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Thomas Paine

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

19 June - More Science Picks

Nature News Blog

Researchers rebut critiques of stem cells derived from adult cells

NIH intervenes in Alzheimer's mouse lawsuit

This move shields the Jackson Lab from a 2010 lawsuit over a patent that covers a genetic mutation carried by the mice.

University rankings ranked

UK immigration cancels DNA screening programme

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) has ended a controversial DNA screening programme to determine the origins of asylum-seekers. The Times reports that the pilot project has been cancelled after spending approximately £190,000 (US$307,000) on screening. No genetic information will be released.

Genetic research into ethnic origins is still relatively new, and techniques are far too primitive to nail down a person's background with any precision. More importantly, the idea that DNA would conform to national boundaries is completely nuts. Amid fears that the pilot could erode trust and undercut legitimate genetic studies of African populations, many researchers cried foul. In an editorial, Nature called for the scheme's immediate cancellation.

FDA speedier than European agency on cancer drug approvals

Big bucks for 15 plant scientists

 The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has appointed 15 new investigators to its club of well-funded whizzes—all of them plant scientists. What is a medical research organization doing funding plant science? Well, first off, they have joined forces with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has funded a broader range of scientific fields. The two will pony up a combined $75 million for the 15 investigators over 5 years.

Secondly, bigwigs at both institutions have apparently shared the general worry about lack of funding for basic plant science.

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