BOL: Related items

Oldest Hominin DNA Sequenced

Surajeet — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 19:58:31 -0600

Matthias Meyer and his team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, have developed new techniques for retrieving and sequencing highly degraded ancient DNA. They then joined forces with Juan-Luis Arsuaga and applied the new techniques to a cave bear from the Sima de los Huesos site. After this success, the researchers sampled two grams of bone powder from a hominin thigh bone from the cave. They extracted its DNA and sequenced the genome of the mitochondria or mtDNA, a small part of the genome that is passed down along the maternal line and occurs in many copies per cell. The researchers then compared this ancient mitochondrial DNA with Neandertals, Denisovans, present-day humans, and apes.

From the missing mutations in the old DNA sequences the researchers calculated that the Sima hominin lived about 400,000 years ago. They also found that it shared a common ancestor with the Denisovans, an extinct archaic group from Asia related to the Neandertals, about 700,000 years ago. "The fact that the mtDNA of the Sima de los Huesos hominin shares a common ancestor with Denisovan rather than Neandertal mtDNAs is unexpected since its skeletal remains carry Neandertal-derived features," says Matthias Meyer. Considering their age and Neandertal-like features, the Sima hominins were likely related to the population ancestral to both Neandertals and Denisovans. Another possibility is that gene flow from yet another group of hominins brought the Denisova-like mtDNA into the Sima hominins or their ancestors.

Reference

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131204132018.htm

Post doc in Computational Genetics and Genomics at CEINGE Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 08:06:47 -0600

We are seeking one motivated scientist to analyze genomics and transcriptomics data of a large collection of neuroblastoma tumors. The successful candidate will be part of a team of researchers with extensive expertise in genome cancer study. He/she will be involved in the analysis of DNA-seq, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq data using available methods running in R and UNIX environment.

Qualifications

PhD or Post-Graduated Master degree is required. Successful candidates will have some expertise in data analysis of NGS data by using methods running in R and UNIX environment. Familiarity with genome databases and browsers is required.

Application

Candidates should send a CV and a brief personal statement focusing on their skills and interests related to the research project.

Contacts

Start date: 1° April 2014
Salary on grant: 25,000 euros per year.
Contact Person (Referent): Mario Capasso
Ref. Email: mario.capasso@unina.it and achille.iolascon@unina.it
Tel: +39 081 3737889

The Best Bioinformatics / Computational Biology Quotes

Jit — Wed, 26 Feb 2014 17:50:59 -0600

Bioinformatician are not anti-social; We are just genome friendly.

Bioinformatician would love to change the biological world, but they won't give us the genetic code :P

If at first you don't succeed; call it version 1.0

The glass is neither half-full nor half-empty: it's actually have several genomes.

I'm BioGeek.

Fedup with LIPS, try God script.

Idiot, Go ahead, make my data!

Thank god, my genome just compiled.

Error message: "Out of space on genome drive:"

Shut up mobile elements, or i'll flush you out.

Never underestimate the internet bandwidth, u gotta incomplete.

Applied fuzzy logic to understand God's logic?

Warning! Overflow, delete chromosome !

Be nice to the BioGeek, for all you know they might be the next curator!

Beware of computational biologist they screw genes and protein.

Warning! Your genome is full of garbage, delete it !

Bad or missing mouse genome. Spank the cat? (Y/N)

Genome make very fast, very accurate mistakes.

Let's BLAST it.

Some genome never has transposons. It just develops random features.

Go watch CINEMA and have BLAST.