Researchers aren't entirely sure just how the whole process works, but they have observed the resulting damage of nanoparticles signaling a hit on DNA. They suspect that the events might go differently in situations other than a lab test and that the interaction could be used to deliver medicine or target cancer cells. Either that or further nanoparticle deaths.

While they sort out the details, I'm just gonna stick to being a bit scared that I'll get a package of fish if I upset any nanoparticles anyway.[Pop Sci]

Over 68 scientists worldwide are participating in the Genome 10K Project, the results of which would not only bring understanding of changes in species but also "allow predictions of how certain species might respond to climate change, pollution, new diseases and competitors." There's great potential to discover more about genetics with this project, but I have a sneaking suspicion that at least one of those scientists is in it for the DNA scavenger hunt through zoos. [Genome 10K via Pop Sci]

For those who are having flashbacks to biology class: Yes, a double-helix is actually nature's clever way of squeezing a heck of a lot of genetic information into a tiny coiled pattern. It's somehow almost fitting that the same design would make for efficient clothing storage, too. [Core77]

French DNA laboratory Helys can do it for you. It works like this: Pay $147 and they will send you a DNA sampling kit. Send them back your DNA, choose a preferred tonal range, and they will make your genetic print into pixel form. Two weeks later, you will receive a 320 x 480 pixel picture in your email.

Of course, what Helys is not telling you is that this is all part of a secret plan by the French government to have a record of all our DNA. And with it, they will create a mutant cheese that will kill everyone in the planet who is not French or drinks Vichy water. I warned you. Don't come back later whining about it when your arteries explode because of the killer mutant cheese. [Helys via CNET]

So what exactly did those crazy scientists do? They bred mice with the "gene that produces the protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)" disabled. The effects of this are a bit extreme:

The change mimicked the effect of keeping the mice on a calorie-restricted diet. Severely restricting the diets of yeast, bacteria, mice and primates have granted these animals unnaturally long lives. For humans, however, maintaining a diet of near starvation would be difficult at best

That last part's the bad news so far, but researchers are conducting further studies particularly targeting the S6K1 protein as it seems to have a direct link to longevity in mice. There are hopes that the benefits will one day be reproduced with drugs so that we don't have to starve ourselves for longer lives and prettier looks.

I do hope that the boys reading aren't too obsessed about anti-aging though, because the last bit of bad news is that "only the female mice benefited" in the study. Sorry, guys. [Discover]

Yes, that's correct: The building blocks of life could one day contribute to your virtual reality headshot in Halo 28: Master Chief Comes Back From the Dead for the 12th Time.

IBM's early stage research combines the DNA double helix and, unsurprisingly, nanotechnology to build frameworks for theoretically smaller and less expensive microchips.

"This is the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry," said IBM research manager Spike Narayan. "Basically, this is telling us that biological structures like DNA actually offer some very reproducible, repetitive kinds of patterns that we can actually leverage in semiconductor processes," he said.

But like I said, ten years out of more before the same genetic building blocks found in all of us are also powering the supercomputers of the future. [Reuters]

Dr. Stephen Quake and his team used a "commercially available, refrigerator-sized instrument called the Helicos Biosciences SMS Heliscope" to sequence Quake's genome.

This machine, also known as a single molecule sequencer, is incredible. Instead of needing to generate thousands upon thousands of copies of a person's DNA, it chops the fundamental units of DNA, the bases, into short strands, slaps them onto a specially treated glass plate, and proceeds to read the sequences.

After these steps are completed, a series of computers will assemble all the DNA strands into a genome while comparing it to previously compiled genomes. According to an algorithm used by the team, this sequencing process results in genomes which are about 95% complete. (This is on par with previous sequencing technology.)

While Quake's research is important in what it represents: genome sequencing could become something used by regular health care providers to diagnose genetic predispositions to diseases (or maybe just figure out if someone's genetic code "contains a form of a gene that has sometimes been associated with increased disagreeability"), it also does something curious: in shows a far larger decrease in cost than Moore's law alone would suggest. The combination of better processing with a far better algorithm resulted in this dramatic progress over the past eight years and we can't wait to see how the implementation of improved algorithms will continue to affect this trend. [Business Wire]

Photo by Helicos

According to Professor Anatoli Broushkov, their "set of tests and the results prove that simple organisms like fruit flies and mice live longer after being vaccinated with the ancient bacterium extract." Not only that, but the bacterium DNA super-vaccine actually increases mental alertness, physical capability, and sexual activity for both male and female mice. The females actually have had babies at an older age than usual: "Some elderly mice demonstrated a growth of physical, mental and sexual activity, while some females even had babies aged at the human equivalent of 70," said scientist Vera Samsonova.

The bacterium was found still living in the Siberian permafrost, next to frozen the mammoths and woolly rhinos, which the Japanese and Russian scientific teams are exploring in an effort to clone them back into life. Finding an unknown ancient bacteria still living in the permafrost came as a surprise to the Russian scientists, who were blown away by the preliminary analysis of the DNA and their lab experiments.

The team, however, is not claiming an immortality potion yet: They are aiming at extending life at least ten years if everything goes well. The results are so good that it is already attracting the interest of investors.

The only thing that has me thinking here is that these bacterium were found next to extinct prehistoric animals. But hey, I'm all for injecting myself ancient DNA that can either increase my virility and extend my life. Or make me grow huge tusks and plenty of hair. In both cases, it's a win. [Daily Mail]

The technique, spearheaded by Bo Albinsson at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, encodes DNA in a way that, when mixed with light-receptive molecules called chromophores, self-engineer themselves into a natural photo-sensitive wire that can accurately transmit light—similar to those found in some algaes. The technique may also someday be used for artificial photosynthesis systems that may power next-gen solar cells. [New Scientist, Image: DNA visualized in a cDNA microarray from Wiki Commons]

Melodyne Plugin 2, the first product to incorporate DNA, has also added the ability to cut and paste / overlap notes and chords individually or in sequence. Unfortunately, the release date of the plugin has been pushed back to 2009—but Celemony has promised to run a public beta testing program prior to launch so people can familiarize themselves with the technology. The fact that it is getting pushed back sucks, but it's better late than never. After all, the recording industry needs a good kick in the pants to get their focus back on quality. [Music Radar]

The Israeli city of Petah Tikva, a suburb of Tel Aviv, has just launched a six-month trial program that will have local dogs DNA tested so their droppings can be identified after being scraped off the bottom of your shoe. The system will work both as a way to punish poop-leavers as well as reward those who do their civic duty by cleaning up after their pooches. If you scoop up after your dog and leave it in specially marked bins along the streets, you'll be eligible for pet food coupons and dog toys. If it's found on the street, you'll be eligible for fines.

It's a pretty interesting idea, but I wonder if it's worth all the effort. Sure, clean streets are great, but how much does it cost to set something this elaborate up? I mean, how much are you going to have to pay the poor bastard whose job it is to go around analyzing dog crap from the sidewalks? Yikes. [Reuters]

[Techpin via DVICE]

We're guessing a watch made out of parts of a sunken ship won't be "affordable," but what better way to time exactly when it is Kate Winslet gets topless than this baby? Oh wait, people have already done that for you. – Jason Chen

Product Page [RomainJerome via Wrist Dreams via Oh Gizmo]

This project isn t just focusing on toxins either. There are a lot of potential health care applications. The artificial DNA could be modified to react to blood samples containing specific diseases or even to detect what kind of prescription drugs are being used in emergency situations when the patient isn t able to communicate for themselves. The group has already been in discussion with several companies regarding licensing.

Sensor instantly detects cocaine in blood [News.com]

Prices range from $800 to $1800, which is certainly pricey, but it's quite reasonable for an art piece that is unquestionably yours.

DNA 11 [DNA 11 via Reluct]