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Shares of Fulgent Genetics (NASDAQ:FLGT) climbed 77% through the first half of 2021, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. The rise was due to the incredible numbers of COVID tests the company was able to run and the customers it was able to line up.

FLGT data by YCharts.

Prior to a broad market sell-off in February, shares of Fulgent had been up more than 250% for the year. As vaccination rates climbed and the need for testing seemed to be waning, the stock collapsed almost 65%. Now that the delta variant of the coronavirus is taking hold, it appears investors are once again jumping on the bandwagon.

Image source: Getty Images.

The volatility obscures a business that has been consistently growing its revenue while demonstrating amazing operating leverage since early in the pandemic. Its core business -- genetic testing -- suffered when doctors' offices and clinics were closing last year, but it has more than fully recovered. Management expects that segment to grow 174% in 2021. Some of the recovery is thanks to being awarded a contract from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to track COVID through genome sequencing. Still, COVID testing volume is likely to drive the stock price for the remainder of this year.

That's good news for shareholders as cases of the virus have more than doubled in the past two weeks and are up close to 300% over the last month. The company has plenty of capacity. In 2020, Fulgent did 230 times more tests than in the prior year. It managed that increase while still delivering rapid turnaround times to several large counties including Los Angeles and Miami-Dade, as well as the New York City public school system. To top it off, the company's profit margins expanded much faster than revenue, and it has guided for $12 in earnings per share this year on the back of 97% sales growth.

If its partnerships with corporations, large school districts, counties, and the CDC can keep testing volume high, shareholders could get a second half of the year that mirrors the first. Add in potential deals with insurance companies to cover testing and growth for the $2.5 billion company could just be getting started.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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Why Shares of Fulgent Genetics Rose 77% in the First Half of 2021 - Motley Fool

A total of 243 fetal growth variants are reported and 141 of them were grouped into four main clusters based on separating the effect of the variant on birth weight though the maternal versus fetal genome. The majority of variants show an effect only in the fetus and a quarter of those show evidence of a parent-of-origin specific effect on birth weight i.e. the effect on the fetus differs depending on whether the child inherited the variant from the mother or the father. Some variants have an effect only in the mother but around 30% affect birth weight both through the maternal and fetal genomes, where for some the effect is in the same direction, no matter whether from mother or father, while for others the effect is in opposite directions.

Polygenic risk score analysis of disease-associated variants revealed that variants associating with blood pressure do not associate with birth weight when in the maternal genome but in the fetal genome the blood pressure raising allele correlates with lower birth weight. Variants that associate with risk of type 2 diabetes associate with birth weight through both the maternal and fetal genomes but in opposite directions. In the mother, the risk alleles correlate with higher birth weight but when in the fetus they correlate with lower birth weight.

"The ability to analyse directly the effect of each of the transmitted alleles and the maternal non-transmitted allele allows us to separate what happens through the mother from a direct effect on birth weight through the fetal genome," says Valgerdur Steinthorsdottir scientist atdeCODE Geneticsandauthor on the paper.

The study reports an expanded GWAS meta-analysis of 400,000 children, 270,000 mothers and 60,000 fathers, combining data from the Icelandic Birth Register for 125,000 newborns and their parents with public summary level fetal growth data on children and mothers from the Early Growth Genetics Consortium and UK Biobank. The effects of the fetal, maternal and paternal genomes on birth weight were analysed and the study further includes analysis of birth length and ponderal index.

"It is clear from these results that in our beginnings we are not only shaped by the half of our maternal genome that is transmitted to us but also the untransmitted half," says Kari Stefansson CEO of deCODE genetics. "Here we show how the influence of the two halves can be separated."

Based inReykjavik, Iceland, deCODE is a global leader in analyzing and understanding the human genome. Using its unique expertise in human genetics combined with growing expertise in transcriptomics and population proteomics and vast amount of phenotypic data, deCODE has discovered risk factors for dozens of common diseases and provided key insights into their pathogenesis. The purpose of understanding the genetics of disease is to use that information to create new means of diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. deCODE is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amgen (NASDAQ: AMGN).

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557521/Birth_Weight.mp4Photo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1557444/Authors_on_the_paper.jpgLogo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1535464/deCODE_genetics_Amgen_Logo.jpg

SOURCE deCODE genetics

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deCODE genetics - New study on inheritance and fetal growth USA - PRNewswire

This article by Hernan Panessi was originally published on El Planteo, and appears here with permission.

Late 1990s. Asturias, the northern coast of Spain. Young Mariano was succumbing to family dilemmas, melting from anxiety and suffering from chronic pain caused by a colon condition.

He was still a kid when Chali, a friend 10 years older, invited him a few puffs of marijuana. After a few hits the young man burst out laughing. Suddenly, his nerves calmed, his dilemmas took the back seat and his pain magically disappeared.

"What is this?" Mariano asked Chali, and laughed again. He began smoking weed regularly and gained an interest in a know-how that, at the time, was quite unusual for young people: cannabis seeds and genetics.

His friend Chali shared with him strains from Afghanistan, India and Holland, countries that already had a strong cannabis culture.

One day, his friend Chali told him about Asturjaya, the first seed bank in Asturias. "They had pure strains, they brought seeds and stabilized them. They sold regular varieties," recalls Mariano Duque, breeder and creator of BSF Seeds, proclaimed as "the best seed bank in the world."

"We are crazy for this plant. The necessity of not having seeds made us make them. It used to be impossible to get seeds, so when we got a hold on them, we kept them like gold," he says, standing in the present, stirring his past.

That fast-paced summer

Back then, there were no social networks and no forums. Information was really scarce and Chali, his friend, took him to discover his small farm in the mountains. There, he showed him crosses, told him about sativas, indicas and various genetics.

It was 2001 and Mariano, who at that time was working delivering pizzas on a motorcycle, quickly knew that this was his true passion.

"I would leave work and go to the mountains every day," he says. And it was during that fast-paced summer, while visiting Asturjaya and learning from his friend that Mariano shaped his worldview . "It opened up the world to me, he asserts.

Story continues

BSF Seeds

With the first seeds and harvests came a new form of socialization: you could smoke better and now Mariano had the password on how to do it.

He stumbled with the store Mi Mara, in Oviedo, 100 kilometers from his home, another important piece for this green fable.

See also: Lion Rolling Circus: The Independent Argentine Brand That Revolutionized The Cannabis Accessories Market In LatAm - And Is Coming For The US Now

"That's where it all started. I was crazy about seeds. 'I have to make them,' I thought. I gave them away. It was my form of activism. I told everyone: 'Don't smoke hashish, smoke marijuana," he recalls.

He bought four bulbs, set up a room and grew some crosses.

The Dutch catalog

By 2003, fate put an opportunity in his hands: as the stores had seeds at ridiculous prices, Mariano decided to invest some 500 pesetas (less than USD 4) in a Dutch seed catalog that had some contact addresses.

"In Holland it was already legal. Spain had a legal vacuum. As long as it was for consumption and not for sale, it was not illegal."

He continued growing (summers outdoors, winters indoors), continued giving away seeds and here and there, until one day, an enthusiastic Mariano showed up at Spannabis 2008 to meet in person with the leaders of all the Dutch seed banks. "It was my dream," he recalls.

"My business was very small. I went around all the stands giving away seeds and asking for information. Almost begging. Mariano recognizes that now all those brands are his competition. They bear no taboos about information that they release and consider that if people know more, they will have better cannabis and it will be legal all over the world.

Suddenly, Asturias became too small for him and he moved to Tenerife, the island of eternal spring. Within months, he opened his own grow shop, which he called THC Canarias.

"It went very well. I won some cannabis cups and banks started calling me.

And, the business grew so much that he even organized his own cannabis cup.

The young promise of the breeders

By 2011, Mariano opened the Asociacin Club Medical THC, his own cannabis association and the first of its kind in the Canary Islands. "They gave me legal permission to grow, it was a dream come true."

In that raid, he began to recover seeds and reached the Super Sativa Seed Bank in California, one of the pioneering banks in the world. He recovered some seeds that were thought to be extinct and, from that point and on, a media rush started and never stopped spreading.

Suddenly, his name began to circulate among the great experts in the community and even Jorge Cervantes himself, author of Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible, wrote to congratulate him. "I thought it was a prank. I learned everything from his books," he assures.

But it was true: Mariano Duque's work had grown so much that Cervantes and even the Soft Secrets magazine were surprised by his story and highlighted his work. "They put my face on the cover, in a crop. They were saying that the Canary Islands were full of THC. That was a boom. They said that I was the young promise of breeders."

Thus, his association went from grouping four scared friends to employing more than 1,500 people.

He networked with other banks, continued to develop professionally. And, suddenly, the dream was over: the police started to chase him, he was tapped and accused of being a little less than a drug dealer. They took everything from him, absolutely everything. His case ended up in court and is still open.

See also: Argentina Presents Cannabis, Hemp Industry Bill: Here's Everything You Need To Know

"They persecuted me in my country just for doing what I like, in a legal way and paying taxes."

Uruguay: the connection

At that time, in South America, Uruguay was legalizing the production, commercialization, possession of all uses of marijuana. Emboldened by this context, Mariano traveled to Uruguay like a whirlwind.

After a few months living in Uruguay, he showed up at every cannabis-related event. And of course, he was there when the first Expocannabis took place.

"One night, during a party I met a Chilean. We became friends and I started telling him my story. That's when we sparked the seed-bank project," he says.

That Chilean was none other than Tarek Jury, a marketing expert who teamed up with him, became his partner and became the co-creator of BSF Seeds.

"They created the brand based on the information they needed. What characteristics were they looking for? They wanted them to be bigger, stronger, faster," adds Felix Hadad Rivas, the CMO of BSF Seeds.

He continues: "They were creating everything with a small team of people. The business became increasingly profitable. They gave value to the seeds. The bank started to grow and became more professional. As an important observation, we always advocate responsible consumption. It is one of the brand values. And we always respect the user and are based on a human-centered perspective."

On their neck, BSF holds some 89 distinctions from various cannabis cups around the world. "That speaks highly of the product," Hadad Rivas adds.

BSF Seedverse

One of the brand's main aims is to train its users through its BSF School. In addition, they have a solidarity component, BSF Solidarity, a program through which they give away seeds for medical treatments for folks in need.

"We don't stop at just selling a seed," Duque confesses.

"We consider ourselves one of the most professional banks. We have alliances all over the world. And we even have the backing of Mike Angelotti, the organizer of The Emerald Cup. Our facilities are as professional as they can be. We take the plant to its maximum splendor," says Mariano.

BSF Seeds

Felix dixit: "Every employee considers himself a Bsfinian. Part of a culture that grew organically. It was not a marketing plan. It was constructed naturally and it has a tremendous value.

These days, there are Bsfinians on every continent and the messages of support, affection and closeness assure: "The plant is going to be free."

Inspiration in the basketball world

Duque explained that "BSF is the league of seeds. It 's like the NBA."

See also: The Benefits Of Using Hemp In The Construction And Textile Industries

In their catalog, they have "mixes" (they call them "teams") with different themes. They also feature "star players", which are consecrated varieties of the bank. And, as in the NBA, they go through "drafts" in which a handful of varieties compete to stay in the catalog.

-How did you design this referential universe linked to basketball?

-We spent a year and a half working on it. Until we came up with the idea of making the league, of making it a game. With BSF Seeds we deliver something extra: we have collectible packs and a "hall of fame" reserved for influential people. We have rappers like Original Juan and Akapellah. Soon Nitro is going to enter that league, too.

-And where does your connection to rap come from?

-I'm a rapper. I've been rapping and listening to freestyle since I was 13. Rap and weed. All rappers like to smoke. And all the rappers wanted to smoke with Mariano. Friendships were created with many artists. The first one was Supernafamacho from El Club de Los Poetas Violentos. He was into cannabis associations and I helped him with his club. He introduced me to everyone and we had an idea: to take a seed to Jota Mayscula, which was the first seed of a rapper in Spain. That's where the alliance with rap comes from.

Smokers, growers, breeders and freestylers.

"My brother Mariano gets a really good hash," spits Original Juan on "I Don't Give a Fuck."

"Shout-out BSF who sponsors me," Duki tosses in "Volando Bajito," a track from his new album Desde el fin del mundo.

With this push, came BSF Arena, a tournament in which international MCs competed via digital. An event that had jurors of the stature of Trueno, Duki and Original Juan and received the support of Urban Roosters, the brand behind the Freestyle Master Series, the most relevant freestyle leagues on Earth.

Undoubtedly, Mariano Duque is part of the international rapper imaginary. "We are the bank of rappers," he says.

"In the middle of the pandemic, I got the crazy idea to do all this. I talked it over with Juan Ortelli, who is a Bsfinian, and we gave it a green light. This was done so that people in pandemic would have rap," Duque confesses .

These days, BSF Seeds also plans to get into music production and will collaborate with artists Jaloner and Sudakillah.

-How much more innovation is possible in the world of genetics?

-The truth is that there is no end to it. Genetics in cannabis is a world to be built. With the current situation, with the legality advancing in the world, research is just beginning. We don't sell seeds, we sell dreams. It was the first thing I received when I entered this world.

Photos courtesy of BSF Seeds

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Cannabis, Genetics, Basketball And Rap: BSF Seeds, The Weed Seed Bank That Took Over Latin America And Spain - Yahoo Finance

Voter turnout is an important factorperhaps the most important factorin ensuring that the democratic process properly represents a population. Despite this, governments around the world are constantly faced with poor turnout. Understanding how individual differences predict this is important to building meaningful interventions.

While it is known that education and intelligence correlate with voter turnout, the precise mechanism of this relation is unknown. The same goes for the well-established relation between genetics and voter turnout (between 40-50%, according to some studies). The authors of a recent study published in Human Behaviour decided to examine the two factors together, to see to what extent genetic influence on voter turnout was mediated by education and intelligence.

The authors also wanted to create a more robust study than previous experiments which have relied on reared-together twin studies (making it difficult to separate nurture from nature) and voter self-reporting, known to be particularly unreliable. Instead, the present study used a large (Danish) genetic dataset comprising roughly 47 000 individuals, in correlation with actual voter registration records.

The results of the study seem to agree with the authors hypothesis. That is, genotypes that predicted individual differences in education and performance on intelligence tests also predicted differences in voter turnout.

Its important to note, however, that these relations are correlational in nature (not causal), and that their mechanisms are not yet understood. The authors allude to previous studies, for example, which suggest that the influence of genetics on education attainment may be exerted via personality traits or, indirectly, through the family environment.

Nonetheless, the correlation is clear and robust. Individuals with a greater genetic disposition to obtain a degree of education one standard deviation higher than the mean were 2.66 times more likely to vote in municipal elections. Similarly, scoring one standard deviation higher on intelligence testing was correlated with a 1.85x greater likelihood to vote in national elections.

There are some limitations, including the fact that the data is limited to a single nation. Nonetheless, the studys large size and its robust correlational measures obtained through actual voter registration make this a particularly significant study statistically speaking, and lay the groundwork for interventions that will help increase voter turnout, buoying the democratic process.

The article, Genetic predictors of educational attainment and intelligence test performance predict voter turnout, was authored by Lene Aare, Vivek Appadurai, Kasper M. Hansen, Andrew J. Schork, Thomas Werge, Ole Mors, Anders D. Brglum, David M. Hougaard, Merete Nordentoft, Preben B. Mortensen, Wesley Kurt Thompson, Alfonso Buil, Esben Agerbo, and Michael Bang Petersen.

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Genetics may play a role in the link between education, intelligence, and voter turnout - PsyPost

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Fulgent Genetics (NASDAQ:FLGT) was in the right place at the right time. Fulgent became a key provider of COVID-19 testing in 2020 and saw its revenue explode by almost 1,300% over the prior year. Few companies benefited more during the pandemic -- and few have a bigger cloud of uncertainty hanging over them as investors worry about what comes next.

The good news is that Fulgent isn't a one-trick pony. The company is going through a metamorphosis, strengthened by a reinforced balance sheet and a growing core business in an attractive genetic testing market. Investors should prepare to shift their perspective.

Image source: Getty Images.

Before the COVID-19 testing opportunity came along, Fulgent's core business was a small but fast-growing next generation sequencing (NGS) genetic testing service primarily focused on pediatric rare diseases.

That segment is still expanding fast. In the first quarter ended March 31, NGS volume grew 185% year over year from 13,000 to 38,000 tests, while corresponding revenue grew 115% to $16.7 million. Management is projecting NGS revenue of over $100 million in 2021, representing 170% year-over-year growth.

Fulgent has an efficient technology and operating platform generating gross margins of about 80% and operating margins above 70%. As a result, liquidity is a real bright spot for Fulgent. At the end of Q1, it reported $697 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. Management expects to close the year with more than $1 billion in short-term liquidity, excluding any merger- and acquisition-related activity.

The encouraging growth in the core business is understandably offset by a rapid reduction in COVID-19 testing revenue. Unless there is a flare-up of infections from virus variants, COVID-19 testing revenue will continue to fall dramatically. Management is projecting $418 million in COVID-19 testing revenue for the remainder of the year, compared with $312 million in Q1 alone.

This precipitous revenue falloff is an operational challenge, but Fulgent has an experienced management team that over the past year has proven to be strong operators in building and scaling the business.

Fulgent will report quarterly earnings in early August. Smart investors will keep an eye on these three areas for signs management is executing on the long-term growth potential:

1. Continued COVID-19 testing

While testing volumes are declining, the endpoint is not zero. Fulgent has proven to be a high-quality, low-cost, fast-turnaround provider of gold-standard RT-PCR tests. Many screening programs are not allowing less sensitive antigen or rapid molecular tests to be used. As a result, Fulgent has been able to secure contracts for "return to normalcy" testing, particularly with school systems and the government.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced it will invest $12 billion in COVID-19 testing through the American Rescue Plan, with $10 billion going to schools. Fulgent management estimates that more than 1 million tests per day will be needed with this new program. Look for contract wins and continued testing volume in the near term.

2. Growth catalysts

Fulgent is expanding into additional genetic testing areas, including hereditary cancer, which is a high-growth area. There are more than 550 ongoing clinical trials for oncology genetic therapies, which will drive the need for more genetic testing and higher reimbursement over the coming years. Pharma companies are advocating and paying for genetic testing, since it will drive demand for their therapies. Fulgent has also established FF Gene Biotech, a joint venture focused on oncology in China, which is expected to be a $45 billion market. Stay tuned to these critical long-term developments.

3. Mergers and acquisitions

Fulgent's large cash position and strong operating leverage could make acquisitions a way to rapidly generate revenue that is accretive to the bottom line. In last year's Q4 conference call, CEO Ming Hsieh called out his interest in acquisitions to expand the core diagnostic business in Asia and Europe. It's a big world, and billions of people will need the genetic tests Fulgent is developing.

The market doesn't like uncertainty, which has helped push Fulgent shares down 56% from their 52-week high. The share price may go even lower as investors struggle to understand the profit picture in the next few quarters.

For patient long-term buy-and-hold investors with a tolerance for some uncertainty, Fulgent Genetics may actually be the best value biotech stock out there and could be a great addition for your portfolio.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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3 Things About Fulgent Genetics That Smart Investors Know - Motley Fool

Its the rumour that wont go away that SARS-CoV-2 was accidentally leaked from a high biosecurity lab in Wuhan, China. The allegation is that the laboratory was conducting gain of function (GOF) research, and that this produced a potent version of coronavirus that led to the pandemic.

This has led to some scepticism and distrust of the field of research and whether it is necessary to conduct experiments using GOF techniques.

Essentially, GOF research is used to learn how viruses gain new functions through mutation and evolution.

A function is simply a property of an organism, such as plants that are more tolerant to drought or disease, or enzymes that evolved to make our bodies work.

The language about GOF has become loaded with negative connotations that associate this work with dangerous or risky research. But like rhetoric about genetic modification, these connections dont represent the diversity of the field or the security precautions that regulate the research. At its core, though, the research does exactly what the name suggests.

GOF research observes these mutations and sees how certain stimuli might affect evolutionary changes and properties of a virus or organism.

However, in our current climate its often spoken about in a much narrower context, as though its specifically about how a virus changes to move more easily between humans, or how viruses become more lethal. This just doesnt represent the full picture of GOF research.

Viruses evolve rapidly thats why there are so many new SARS-CoV-2 variants. GOF seeks to understand why and how these changes occur, and what environmental factors might influence the process.

In a sense, this is a know-your-enemy approach.

Beyond the benefit to fundamental biology research about the nature of viruses and evolution, GOF contributes to three clear areas: pandemic preparedness, vaccine development, and identification of new or potential pathogens.

GOF research can help us understand the rate at which mutations occur, and how many generations may be needed for a virus to change in a way that will require extra precautions in the community, which is information that is fed into epidemiological modelling.

This GOF information helps predict things such as how likely a virus is to become a nasty variant in a certain population size or density, during a certain season, or within a particular period or time. This informs how we react to a pandemic. Beyond this, it also informs how quickly a virus might mutate to overcome vaccines, and provides genetic information that may be useful in vaccine development. Specifically, GOF research can accumulate potential vaccine candidates in a database that can be accessed if an outbreak occurs because of natural evolution.

In turn, this means vaccine development can be sped up exponentially because candidates are already available.

For instance, a report from a 2015 GOF risk-assessment workshop for expert organisations revealed the genomics information from GOF research. This showed that bat-borne, SARS-like coronaviruses had many strains and mutations that had pandemic potential against which countermeasures need to be developed.

This information led to current pandemic responses and vaccine development the pandemic was already predicted because of a thorough understanding of the evolution of coronaviruses.

In another example, GOF experiments about influenza showed that the virus had the potential to be transmitted between different mammals with only a few changes to the genetic code, and has contributed to seasonal flu vaccines.

GOF research is based on observed evolution and changes to DNA or RNA.

The genome is the sum of all the genetic information in an organism. Some of this DNA or RNA is made up of genes, which often hold information on how to make a protein. These proteins perform functions in our body to make everything work.

These genes can naturally change a bit every generation. This happens because, to reproduce, the DNA of the parent must be replicated. The mechanisms that do this arent perfect, so little mistakes can be made when the DNA is copied.

Most of the time, the changes are tiny just a single unit of DNA (called a nucleotide) could be changed, and it may have no effect on the proteins made. At other times, the tiny change of a single nucleotide can make a gene gain a whole new function, which could be beneficial to an organism.

Natural mutations that occur during reproduction are one example of evolution in action.

These changes happen every generation, so organisms that can breed quickly, such as flies, can also evolve quickly as a species.

This process happens in essentially the same way with viruses, except that viruses have RNA instead of DNA and reproduce asexually. They still make proteins, and they still accumulate mutations, but the major difference is that they can reproduce very, very fast they can start reproducing within hours of being born and evolve at an exceptionally rapid rate.

This is why we have identified so many new variants of SARS-CoV-2 since the beginning of 2020. Every time the virus enters a new host, it reproduces rapidly, and mutations occur. Over time these mutations change the properties of the virus itself.

For example, new mutations may end up making the virus more virulent or cause worse symptoms because the proteins have changed their properties.

In these cases, we would say that the mutant strain has gained a function, and this is what GOF research aims to understand.

The viruses in a lab dont have a human host in which to grow, so researchers grow them in Petri dishes or animals instead.

There are two ways of using GOF in a lab: you can observe the virus mutate on its own (without intervention), or you can control small changes through genetic modification.

The first type of use involves putting the virus in different situations to see how it will evolve without intervention or aid.

This video is an example of GOF research with bacteria (not a virus, but the method is similar). The researchers put bacteria onto a giant petri dish with different concentrations of antibiotics. They leave the bacteria and watch how it naturally evolves to overcome the antibiotic.

The new strains of bacteria were able to be genetically sequenced to see what genetic changes had caused them to become antibiotic-resistant. This experiment can show how quickly the bacteria evolve, which can inform when or how often antibiotics are given, and whether there is a high-enough concentration of antibiotic that can halt the speed at which the antibiotic is overcome by resistance.

Similar experiments can be conducted with viruses to see how they might change to overcome human antibodies and other immune system protections.

Read more: What happens in a virology lab?

The second type of use is through small changes using genetic modification. This type of experiment occurs after a lot of other genetic information has already been gathered to identify which nucleotides in virus RNA might particularly contribute to a new function.

After these have been identified, a single or small nucleotide change will be made to the virus to confirm the predictions gained from genomic research. The modified virus will then be placed on a petri dish or inserted into an animal, such as a rabbit or a mouse, to see how the change affects the properties of the virus.

This type of research is done in specialised laboratories that are tightly controlled and heavily regulated under biosecurity laws that involve containment and decontamination processes.

Read more: How are dangerous viruses contained in Australia?

While the benefits of virus GOF research centre around pandemic preparedness, concerns have been raised about whether the research is ethical or safe.

In 2005, researchers used this technique for viruses when they reconstructed influenza (H1N1) from samples taken in 1918. The aim was to learn more about the properties of influenza and future pandemics, as influenza still circulates, but the controversial study sparked heavy debate about whether it should be acceptable.

The two major concerns are about whether this poses any threat to public health if a virus escapes the lab, or whether the techniques could be used for nefarious purposes.

In the past year, 16 years after the H1N1 study, there has been debate about whether SARS-CoV-2 had spontaneous zoonotic origins, or whether it was created in a lab in GOF experiments, and then escaped.

So now, 16 years after the first controversial H1N1 study, this speculation has pushed GOF research back into the public eye and led to many criticisms of the research field, and regulation of laboratories that use this technique.

In 2017, the US government lifted bans on GOF pathogen research after the National Institute of Health concluded that the risks of research into influenza and MERS were outweighed by the benefits, and that few posed significant threats to public health.

Following concerns about the origins of SARS-CoV-2, however, the rules surrounding GOF research, risk assessments and disclosure of experiments are now under review again, in order to clarify policy.

Read more: The COVID lab-leak hypothesis: what scientists do and dont know

Beyond this, the speculation has sparked further inquiries into the origin of SARS-CoV-2, although the World Health Organization concluded that viral escape from a laboratory was very unlikely.

Regardless, its never a bad thing to review biosafety, biosecurity and transparency policy as new evidence becomes available, and they have been frequently reviewed throughout history.

As for the concern that a government or private entity might abuse scientific techniques for malevolent purposes, scientists can, and do, support bans on research they deem ethically irresponsible, such as the controversial CRISPR babies.

Ultimately, the parameters around how scientific techniques like GOF are used and by whom is not a scientific question, but one that must be answered by ethicists.

Excerpt from:
What is gain of function research in genetics? - Cosmos Magazine

Global Animal Genetics Market 2021-2025 The analyst has been monitoring the animal genetics market and it is poised to grow by $ 1. 84 bn during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of almost 7% during the forecast period.

New York, July 05, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Animal Genetics Market 2021-2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06102913/?utm_source=GNW Our report on animal genetics market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors.The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the growing consumption of animal-derived food products and growing demand for genetic testing services to reduce livestock diseases. In addition, growing consumption of animal-derived food products is anticipated to boost the growth of the market as well.The animal genetics market analysis includes solution segment and geographic landscape.

The animal genetics market is segmented as below:By Geography North America Europe Asia ROW

By Solution Live animal Genetic testing services Genetic materials

This study identifies the growing focus on research and development in animal genomics as one of the prime reasons driving the animal genetics market growth during the next few years.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Our report on animal genetics market covers the following areas: Animal genetics market sizing Animal genetics market forecast Animal genetics market industry analysis

This robust vendor analysis is designed to help clients improve their market position, and in line with this, this report provides a detailed analysis of several leading animal genetics market vendors that include Animal Genetics Inc., AquaGen AS, Aviagen Inc., Cooperatie Koninklijke CRV u.a., Genetic Veterinary Sciences Inc, Genus Plc, Hendrix Genetics BV, Neogen Corp., Topigs Norsvin Holding B.V., and Zoetis Inc. Also, the animal genetics market analysis report includes information on upcoming trends and challenges that will influence market growth. This is to help companies strategize and leverage all forthcoming growth opportunities.The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors.

The analyst presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters such as profit, pricing, competition, and promotions. It presents various market facets by identifying the key industry influencers. The data presented is comprehensive, reliable, and a result of extensive research - both primary and secondary. Technavios market research reports provide a complete competitive landscape and an in-depth vendor selection methodology and analysis using qualitative and quantitative research to forecast the accurate market growth.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06102913/?utm_source=GNW

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The Global Animal Genetics Market is expected to grow by $ 1.84 bn during 2021-2025, progressing at a CAGR of almost 7% during the forecast period -...

NEW YORK Foundation Medicine and Flatiron Health announced this week that Foundations comprehensive genomic profiling tests will be available to order through Flatiron's OncoEMR platform. The integration will allow clinicians to electronically order, track, and receive Foundations test through OncoEMR, the companies said. Both Flatiron and Foundation are planning further integrations with the others comprehensive genomic profiling tests and electronic medical record systems, respectively.

Myriad Genetics this week said it has completed the sale of its Myriad RBM unit which specializes in providing laboratory research services to pharmaceutical companies to IQVIA subsidiary Q2 Solutions. When Myriad announced its intent to sell this business unit in May, it did not disclose the deal's financial details.

GenetronHealth said this week that it has entered a new partnership with the World Economic Forum under its Health and Healthcare Platform, where it is contributing its research insights, technologies, and industry experience. The platform's overall goal is to ensure worldwide equal access to the highest standards of health and healthcare.Genetroniscurrentlyparticipating in a sub-project,dubbedMoving Genomics to the Clinic, which seeks to promote the use of genetic testing in routine clinical practices by proving its utility and efficacy.

AccessHope, a City of Hope subsidiary, said this week that it has partnered with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to bring the latest cancer care expertise to patients and oncologists in the community. By partnering withAccessHope, Dana-Farber's experts will support oncologistswiththe latest advances in oncology,includingpersonalized treatments, clinical trials, promising investigational medications, and molecular testing. Patients in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York,and New Jersey, as well asthosein other parts of the country,can access these services through their employee benefits programs. City of Hope and Northwestern University's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center are also foundational members ofAccessHope.

Molecular breath analysis startup Deep Breath Intelligencesaid this week that it has entered a collaboration with Lwenstein Medical, a sleep and respiratory medicine firm based inRheinland-Pfalz, Germany.Rotkreuz, Switzerland-based DBI said that it is applying artificial intelligence to identify breath biomarkers related to obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. DBIsaid ithas initiated a study on OSASin collaboration with Lwenstein Medical,using participantsbreath samples and applying DBIs patterned analytical algorithms to provide results.

Enable Biosciences said this week it is partnering with the California Department of Public Health to survey state residents for the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. As part of the program, more than 200,000 households in California will be invited to submit dried blood samples collected at home using kits developed by Enable Bio andtheCDPH. The samples will then be tested by Enable Bio for the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 to distinguish antibody response fromviralinfection versusresponse fromvaccination. Test results will provide information about the spread of COVID-19 in California and the uptake of vaccines for the disease, South San Francisco, California-based Enable Bio said. The project is a collaboration betweenthe company,theCDPH, Stanford University, and Gauss Surgical. The first survey period concluded June 15 with the second and third enrollment periods slated tobeginat the start of 2022.

NeoGensaid this week that it has extended itsglobalanimal genomicspartnership withGencove. Thepartnership allowsNeoGento offerGencove'sSkimSeeklow-pass sequencing technology to customers in the agricultural sector, including those in the bovine, canine,poultry, and swine industries. UsingGencove'ssequencingimputationplatform,NeoGensaid it can deliver increased genomics data with improved accuracy and flexibility.

Bioceptsaid this week ithas been added to the Russell Microcap Index. Michael Nall, Biocept's president and CEO,called the nodexceptionally exciting, as a driver ofawarenessfor the cancer liquid biopsy firm within thelargerglobal investment community.

Immunoviasaid this week that its American subsidiary hasreceived a CLIA Certificate of Registration,which isan important step in the accreditation of its laboratory in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and a prerequisite to receiving clinical laboratory licensure fromtheMassachusetts Department of Public Health. Clinical laboratory licensure is required beforeImmunoviacan begin testing patients with itsImmrayPanCan-d test, the firm said.According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a Certificate of Registration allows a laboratory toconduct moderate and/or high complexity testing until it is inspected to determine its compliance with the CLIA regulations.

In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared onGenomeWeb.

See more here:
In Brief This Week: Foundation Medicine, Myriad Genetics, Genetron Health, and More - GenomeWeb

Arabidopsis plants were used to develop the first CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive in plants. Credit: Zhao Lab, UC San Diego

New technology designed to breed more robust crops to improve agricultural yield and resist the effects of climate change.

With a goal of breeding resilient crops that are better able to withstand drought and disease, University of California San Diego scientists have developed the first CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive in plants.

While gene drive technology has been developed in insects to help stop the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, researchers in Professor Yunde Zhaos lab, along with colleagues at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, demonstrated the successful design of a CRISPR-Cas9-based gene drive that cuts and copies genetic elements inArabidopsisplants.

Breaking from the traditional inheritance rules that dictate that offspring acquire genetic materials equally from each parent (Mendelian genetics), the new research uses CRISPR-Cas9 editing to transmit specific, targeted traits from a single parent in subsequent generations. Such genetic engineering could be used in agriculture to help plants defend against diseases to grow more productive crops. The technology also could help fortify plants against the impacts of climate change such as increased drought conditions in a warming world.

A schematic representation of a new plant gene drive using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Credit: Zhao Lab, UC San Diego

The research, led by postdoctoral scholar Tao Zhang and graduate student Michael Mudgett in Zhaos lab, ispublished in the journalNature Communications.

This work defies the genetic constraints of sexual reproduction that an offspring inherits 50% of their genetic materials from each parent, said Zhao, a member of the Division of Biological Sciences Section of Cell and Developmental Biology. This work enables inheritance of both copies of the desired genes from only a single parent.The findings can greatly reduce the generations needed for plant breeding.

The study is the latest development by researchers in theTata Institute for Genetics and Society(TIGS) at UC San Diego, which was built upon the foundation of anew technology called active genetics with potential to influence population inheritance in a variety of applications.

Developing superior crops through traditional genetic inheritance can be expensive and time-consuming as genes are passed through multiple generations. Using the new active genetics technology based on CRISPR-Cas9, such genetic bias can be achieved much more quickly, the researchers say.

I am delighted that this gene drive success, now achieved by scientists affiliated with TIGS in plants, extends the generality of this work previously demonstrated at UC San Diego, to be applicable in insects and mammals, said TIGS Global Director Suresh Subramani. This advance will revolutionize plant and crop breeding and help address the global food security problem.

Reference: Selective inheritance of target genes from only one parent of sexually reproduced F1 progeny in Arabidopsis by Tao Zhang, Michael Mudgett, Ratnala Rambabu, Bradley Abramson, Xinhua Dai, Todd P. Michael and Yunde Zhao, 22 June 2021, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24195-5

Coauthors of the paper include: Tao Zhang, Michael Mudgett, Ratnala Rambabu, Bradley Abramson, Xinhua Dai, Todd Michael and Yunde Zhao.

The research was funded by TIGS-UC San Diego and a training grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Original post:
New CRISPR/Cas9 Plant Genetics Technology to Improve Agricultural Yield and Resist the Effects of Climate Change - SciTechDaily

Research has shown that changes in certain genes can increase a persons risk of developing Alzheimers disease (AD). The strongest known genetic risk factor for AD is a form of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene called APOE 4. APOE helps carry cholesterol and other fats in the bloodstream, and problems in this process are thought to contribute to AD. NIA-supported researchers recently found that the level of APOE in the brain is dependent on the individuals genetic ancestry surrounding the APOE gene. Led by a team at the University of Miami, these study results were published in Alzheimers & Dementia on Feb. 1.

Everyone inherits two copies of the APOE gene, one from each biological parent. There are three forms, or variants, of APOE that have been shown to alter risk for AD: APOE 2, APOE 3, and APOE 4. On average, people of European ancestry who inherit two copies of APOE 4 have about 10 times the risk of AD compared with people who have only the other two variants. Interestingly, researchers have known for some time that carriers of APOE 4 in African ancestry populations, such as Africans and African Americans, have a lower risk for developing AD than European carriers, while carriers of APOE 4 from Asia have a much higher risk for AD from APOE 4 than Europeans. Earlier studies by the University of Miami researchers in individuals who had both European and African ancestries found that it was the genetic ancestry surrounding the APOE gene that determined the risk, not the gene itself. That is, if a person inherited their APOE 4 gene from their African ancestor, they had the African risk for AD; if they inherited it from their European ancestor, they had the European risk for AD. In the new study, researchers wanted to find out how the same gene variant can cause different levels of risk based on genetic ancestry.

The researchers tested whether genetic ancestry affects the expression of the APOE gene in the brain. They used a technique called single-nucleus RNA sequencing to measure how many APOE transcripts, or RNA copies of the gene, were in each individual cell in the brain. Because a genes transcripts have the instructions to make protein, this measurement gives an estimate of how much APOE protein is being produced in these cells. The researchers tested autopsy brain tissue samples from AD patients: four patients of African ancestry who had inherited APOE 4 from African ancestors and seven non-Hispanic white patients who had inherited APOE 4 from their European ancestors.

On average, the researchers found that cells in the brains of patients with European genetic ancestry surrounding APOE 4 had almost 40% more APOE transcripts than the samples from individuals who had African genetic ancestry surrounding APOE 4. Samples from the European genetic ancestry surrounding APOE 4 also had more of a type of brain cell called A1 reactive astrocytes, which are thought to be involved in the cellular degeneration process of AD. These reactive astrocytes produced the highest levels of APOE 4 expression compared to other cell types. The researchers hypothesize that the region of DNA surrounding APOE 4, which differs between people with European ancestry and people with African ancestry, has important information, such as regulatory elements, that controls how much APOE is produced.

The authors note that they had a small sample size because autopsy brain samples from individuals of African ancestry with AD are scarce. They emphasize that to advance the field of Alzheimers research, it is important to encourage people from all ancestral backgrounds to participate in clinical and genetic research, including tissue donation. The studys results could help researchers develop ways to block APOE 4 activity to reduce the risk of AD in people who have this gene variant.

This research was supported in part by NIA grants R01-AG059018, U01-AG052410, RF1-AG054074, U01-AG057659, P50-AG0256878, and P30-AG013854.

These activities relate to NIHs AD+ADRD Research Implementation Milestone 2.G, Maximize the translational potential of genetics research by ensuring rapid and broad sharing of large-scale genetic/genomic data.

Reference: Griswold AJ, et al. Increased APOE 4 expression is associated with the difference in Alzheimers disease risk from diverse ancestral backgrounds. Alzheimers & Dementia. 2021. ePub Feb 1. doi: 10.1002/alz.12287.

Read more from the original source:
Study finds differences in APOE 4 expression based on genetic ancestry - National Institute on Aging