The variant of the genes responsible for the coronavirus disease were passed on to humans by the Neandarthals, is very common in Bangladeshis, according to a new study.
Category: Genetics
It’s a virus, and this isn’t a war
by Karin Pettersson on 28th April 2020 @AB_Karin The coronavirus crisis is a social challenge, Karin Pettersson writes, which the formerly secure are now being reminded is hitting the poor hardest.
Ban production of GM golden rice: BD Agri Farm Labour Fed
Dhaka, Oct 17 – Highlighting the negative effects of genetically modified (GM) food on human body, speakers at a convention on Thursday urged the government and other stakeholders to stop the commercial production of GM golden rice being marketed as…
Dhaka committed to ensure bio-safety: Minister
DHAKA, Sept 14, 2019 (BSS) – Awami League presidium member and agriculture minister Dr Abdur Razzaque today said Bangladesh is committed to ensure biosafety as an adaptor of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity.
New genetic links to same-sex sexuality found in huge study
The largest study of its kind found new evidence that genes contribute to same-sex sexual behavior, but it echoes research that says there are no specific genes that make people gay. The genome-wide research on DNA from nearly half a…
Restaurants could be 1st to get genetically modified salmon
New York, Jun 21 (AP/UNB) — Inside an Indiana aquafarming complex, thousands of salmon eggs genetically modified to grow faster than normal are hatching into tiny fish. After growing to roughly 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) in indoor tanks, they could…
Plant biosecurity knowledge gap increases biological threats
By Caley Pigliucci UN, Jun 3 2019 (IPS) – The plant-life on the Pacific Islands is currently under threat as protections against diseases and pests are left in the hands of under-trained personnel with limited facilities. Talei Fidow-Moors, the Principal…
Herbicides increase antibiotic resistance evolution in bacteria
Antibiotic resistance in our pathogens is caused by human activity and is a major challenge for public health. Recent research has found that some of the world’s most widely used herbicides like Roundup (glyphosate) and Kamba (dicamba) can increase the…
ভারত বিটি বেগুনের তথ্য জানতে চায়
ভারতের নিষিদ্ধ বিটি বেগুনের বাংলাদেশে উৎপাদনবিষয়ক সব ধরনের তথ্য জানতে চায় ভারত। দেশটির কেন্দ্রীয় সরকারের পরিবেশ মন্ত্রণালয় থেকে বাংলাদেশে চিঠি পাঠিয়ে এ তথ্য জানতে চেয়েছে।
Zinc-biofortified wheat reduces childhood illness
When vulnerable young children in India eat foods prepared with wheat enriched with zinc, they spend significantly fewer days sick with pneumonia and vomiting, shows a study published this week. Diets in India commonly lack sufficient zinc and consequently, nearly…
Take charge of your food: Your health is your business
By Sunita Narain New Delhi, Aug 17 2018 (IPS) – The minimum we expect from the government is to differentiate between right and wrong. But when it comes to regulating our food, it’s like asking for too much. Our latest…
Sundarbans mangroves harbour antibiotic resistant bacteria?
by Sahana Ghosh Researchers have documented the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria (ARB) in the microbial milieu of the Sundarbans mangroves in a new study.
Iron-enriched millet ups cognitive senses in Indian youths
Washington, D.C.—July 19 – Poor diets lacking in iron limit brain development and learning capacity, hampering the potential of individuals and societies, generation after generation. Countries like India are at the heart of this challenge, as nearly half of all…
Failure to submit DNA paternity report: Bail cancelled
Dhaka, Jul 19 – The High Court on Thursday cancelled the bail of an accused in a paternity case and asked him to surrender within 3 days for failing to submit his DNA report to the court as per its…
‘Local temperature rise linked to antibiotic resistance’
A multi-disciplinary team of epidemiologists from Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital and the University of Toronto have found that increasing local temperatures and population densities are associated with increasing antibiotic resistance in common bacterial strains. The researchers found that…
Antibiotic overuse in pig raising spread antibiotic resistance
A recent report from the US Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) estimates that more than 27 percent of all medically important antibiotics sold in the US are for pig production, while a roughly equivalent amount (27.6%) is sold for use…
Antibiotic-resistant bacteria in estuaries threatens seafood
Antibiotic pollution and resistance genes released into the natural environment by human activity are causing local bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance in estuaries.
BD developing more bio-tech crops: Minister Matia
Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury today acknowledged the positive impact of biotech crops and their potential to help Bangladesh meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030.
Bangladesh releases its first biotech rice
Dhaka, Dec 27 – Scientists in Bangladesh have developed country’s first biotech rice variety giving farmers an answer to the difficulties they face in harvesting the staple with machines. Stems of BRRIdhan-86, the variety that got official release approval Wednesday,…
Action needed now on antibiotic resistance
During this year’s World Antibiotics Awareness Week, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) released a press statement calling on the Malaysian government to give urgent attention to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which is responsible for some 700,000…
Nag – The Indian river that lends life and a name to Nagpur
Guest Blog by Nivedita Khandekar This story from Nag River in Nagpur is second in the series of online stories of urban rivers from across India. Please share your feedback and provide us with suggestions (read more in the appendix).…
Gene therapy shows promise against blood-clotting disease
Dhaka, Dec 7 (AP/UNB) -Gene therapy has freed 10 men from nearly all symptoms of hemophilia for a year so far, in a study that fuels hopes that a one-time treatment can give long-lasting help and perhaps even cure the…
EC has ‘obligation to block Bayer-Monsanto merger’
A new legal study by University College London urges the European Commission “to take action and to block the proposed merger between Bayer and Monsanto, whether viewed through a narrow competition lens or a wider scope of social and environmental…
Will DNA data base deter sexual abuse at UN?
By Thalif Deen UN, Nov 25 (IPS) – The United Nations is fighting a losing battle against the widespread – and continued – sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) by UN peacekeepers and civilian staff resulting in relatively few convictions amidst…
Breakthroughs bring gene-editing therapies into view
Paris, Oct 26 (BSS/AFP) – Two teams of scientists on Wednesday unveiled a new generation of programmable molecular machines that can seamlessly repair tiny but deadly errors in the genetic coding of living organisms.
US drug admin to encourage generic contest for complex drugs
Trenton, Oct 3 (AP/UNB) — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is opening a new front in its efforts to reduce high drug prices by encouraging development of generic versions of hard-to-make medicines.
Finally, a law to curb biopiracy in Malaysia
Gurdial Singh Nijar Last week the Dewan Rakyat passed a bill to curb “biopiracy”. This is the stealing of the biological resources of a country without its consent.
GM crops bounce back with gains in production areas
Manila – Global acceptance of genetically modified (GM) crops sprang back in 2016 after suffering a decline in 2015, according to estimates by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
3-zone biosecurity offers new hope to Indonesian farmers
By Kanis Dursin Jakarta, Indonesia, Jul 10 (IPS) – Poultry farmer Bambang Sutrisno Setiawan had long heard about biosecurity but never gave serious thought to it, even when the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 forced him to cull thousands of…
GM crops to meet 50% increase of food demand by 2050
Dhaka – Agricultural scientists attending a seminar here today said introduction of Genetically Modified (GM) crops would help meet 50 per cent increase in food demand by 2050. “Traditional technology is not enough for solving future problems in agricultural production…