Non-mating DNA transfer! WHAT?!?!?

[Washington]

Scientists Uncover Transfer of Genetic Material Between Blood-Sucking Insect and Mammals


ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2010) — Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found the first solid evidence of horizontal DNA transfer, the movement of genetic material among non-mating species, between parasitic invertebrates and some of their vertebrate hosts.

The findings are published in the April 28 issue of the journal Nature, one of the world's foremost scientific journals.

Genome biologist Cédric Feschotte and postdoctoral researchers Clément Gilbert and Sarah Schaack found evidence of horizontal transfer of transposon from a South American blood-sucking bug and a pond snail to their hosts. A transposon is a segment of DNA that can replicate itself and move around to different positions within the genome. Transposons can cause mutations, change the amount of DNA in the cell and dramatically influence the structure and function of the genomes where they reside.

"Since these bugs frequently feed on humans, it is conceivable that bugs and humans may have exchanged DNA through the mechanism we uncovered.

​

Detecting recent transfers to humans would require examining people that have been exposed to the bugs for thousands of years, such as native South American populations," Feschotte said.

source

 

[AV1611VET]

Detecting recent transfers to humans would require examining people that have been exposed to the bugs for thousands of years, such as native South American populations," Feschotte said.

That's probably why we have criminals walking the streets right now, or innocent people still behind bars; while their DNA is sitting in the queue of a system, waiting for scientists to test their latest junk DNA theories?

Sorry, Joe, you'll have to wait another month in Leavenworth -- Dr Phibes has all laboratories testing bug DNA for horizontal non-mating South Americans.

Or whatever.

 

[SithDoughnut]

That's probably why we have criminals walking the streets right now, or innocent people still behind bars; while their DNA is sitting in the queue of a system, waiting for scientists to test their latest junk DNA theories?

Sorry, Joe, you'll have to wait another month in Leavenworth -- Dr Phibes has all laboratories testing bug DNA for horizontal non-mating South Americans.

Or whatever.

Every time I read this post it makes less sense.

 

[AV1611VET]

Every time I read this post it makes less sense.

Why does it take weeks to have your DNA tested?

 

[sfs]

Why does it take weeks to have your DNA tested?

Because legislators won't provide enough money to pay for it. Too many people whining about government being the problem and demanding lower taxes -- and then they're surprised that government services are lacking.

 

[AV1611VET]

Because legislators won't provide enough money to pay for it.

Then how does it eventually get done?

 

[SithDoughnut]

Then how does it eventually get done?

Because the technology we have so far allows us to do it in a time frame of a few weeks or so. The money itself doesn't work out your DNA - the technology it funds does. The more money you have, the more you can invest in research and the quicker you can come up with better technology.

And this has what to do with criminals?

 

[kharisym]

Then how does it eventually get done?

They don't divine dna via incense and prayer. It takes actual work.

 

[BranwenUerchLlyr]

Then how does it eventually get done?

You need the samples, the proper probes, and the hybridization procedures.

 

[sfs]

Then how does it eventually get done?

A lot of times it hasn't gotten done -- rape kits have gone untested for so long that the crimes could no longer be prosecuted, for example.

However, my response is not really a good reflection of the current situation. Funding was the main obstacle to timely DNA testing until 2004, when Congress passed a law (the Debbie Smith law) increasing funding. That has improved matters to some extent, but there are still serious problems, mostly because of failure to spend the money that was allocated, or to spend it on what it was allocated for. In other words, the problem now is largely a matter of apathy and inertia.

 

[AV1611VET]

That has improved matters to some extent, but there are still serious problems, mostly because of failure to spend the money that was allocated, or to spend it on what it was allocated for. In other words, the problem now is largely a matter of apathy and inertia.

Which gets right back to my question, doesn't it?

Funding it on horizontal DNA in South American bugs, instead of testing in crime labs to get people out of [or into] jail?

 

[ArnautDaniel]

Scientists Uncover Transfer of Genetic Material Between Blood-Sucking Insect and Mammals


ScienceDaily (Apr. 30, 2010) — Researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington have found the first solid evidence of horizontal DNA transfer, the movement of genetic material among non-mating species, between parasitic invertebrates and some of their vertebrate hosts.

The findings are published in the April 28 issue of the journal Nature, one of the world's foremost scientific journals.

Genome biologist Cédric Feschotte and postdoctoral researchers Clément Gilbert and Sarah Schaack found evidence of horizontal transfer of transposon from a South American blood-sucking bug and a pond snail to their hosts. A transposon is a segment of DNA that can replicate itself and move around to different positions within the genome. Transposons can cause mutations, change the amount of DNA in the cell and dramatically influence the structure and function of the genomes where they reside.

"Since these bugs frequently feed on humans, it is conceivable that bugs and humans may have exchanged DNA through the mechanism we uncovered.

​

Detecting recent transfers to humans would require examining people that have been exposed to the bugs for thousands of years, such as native South American populations," Feschotte said.

source

Why not?

We've already found viruses spliced into our DNA.

 

[sfs]

Which gets right back to my question, doesn't it?

Funding it on horizontal DNA in South American bugs, instead of testing in crime labs to get people out of [or into] jail?

No, it doesn't get back to your original question at all. Your original question suggested that forensic DNA testing was being held up because scientists were too busy doing dumb stuff like science. The reality is that forensic DNA, which is not done by research scientists but by lab technicians, has been held up at different times by failure of legislatures to allocate funds for it, and by apathy in the criminal justice system in using those funds. What scientists are doing in their own labs is completely irrelevant. Your suggested cause has precisely nothing to do with the actual problem.

 

[pgp_protector]

Which gets right back to my question, doesn't it?

Funding it on horizontal DNA in South American bugs, instead of testing in crime labs to get people out of [or into] jail?

Ah sorta like how children are starving because you're posting on the web.

 

[AV1611VET]

The reality is that forensic DNA, which is not done by research scientists but by lab technicians, has been held up at different times by failure of legislatures to allocate funds for it...

Right -- where are those funds being allocated instead? to research scientists -- right?

 

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Right -- where are those funds being allocated instead? to research scientists -- right?

Without research scientists DNA testing wouldn't even exist.

 

[AV1611VET]

Ah sorta like how children are starving because you're posting on the web.

Don't get me started on why children are starving in India.

Let's not even go there --

 

[AV1611VET]

Without research scientists DNA testing wouldn't even exist.

Point taken.

 

[pgp_protector]

Don't get me started on why children are starving in India.

Let's not even go there --

Simple, you're spending money to feed yourself.

 

[AV1611VET]

Simple, you're spending money to feed yourself.

Um .. excuse me .. but when a person is starving in a village where "sacred cows" are meandering around doesn't exactly prompt me to give up a Hostess Twinkie.

I know that might sound crude, but Jesus Christ is the only Answer to starvation in India, and who are the ones arguing against Him?

Not I.

Science's solution is to rush over there with medicine, so we can nurse these people back to health, so they can go out and starve to death.

I know the last thing an atheist would want is to see these people get saved, but for earth's sake -- at least send Bob Evans over there.