Genetic Twists of Fate

Genetic Twists of Fate PDF Author: Stanley Fields
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262518643
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
How tiny variations in our personal DNA can determine how we look, how we behave, how we get sick, and how we get well. News stories report almost daily on the remarkable progress scientists are making in unraveling the genetic basis of disease and behavior. Meanwhile, new technologies are rapidly reducing the cost of reading someone's personal DNA (all six billion letters of it). Within the next ten years, hospitals may present parents with their newborn's complete DNA code along with her footprints and APGAR score. In Genetic Twists of Fate, distinguished geneticists Stanley Fields and Mark Johnston help us make sense of the genetic revolution that is upon us. Fields and Johnston tell real life stories that hinge on the inheritance of one tiny change rather than another in an individual's DNA: a mother wrongly accused of poisoning her young son when the true killer was a genetic disorder; the screen siren who could no longer remember her lines because of Alzheimer's disease; and the president who was treated with rat poison to prevent another heart attack. In an engaging and accessible style, Fields and Johnston explain what our personal DNA code is, how a few differences in its long list of DNA letters makes each of us unique, and how that code influences our appearance, our behavior, and our risk for such common diseases as diabetes or cancer.

Genetic Twists of Fate

Genetic Twists of Fate PDF Author: Stanley Fields
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262518643
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Get Book Here

Book Description
How tiny variations in our personal DNA can determine how we look, how we behave, how we get sick, and how we get well. News stories report almost daily on the remarkable progress scientists are making in unraveling the genetic basis of disease and behavior. Meanwhile, new technologies are rapidly reducing the cost of reading someone's personal DNA (all six billion letters of it). Within the next ten years, hospitals may present parents with their newborn's complete DNA code along with her footprints and APGAR score. In Genetic Twists of Fate, distinguished geneticists Stanley Fields and Mark Johnston help us make sense of the genetic revolution that is upon us. Fields and Johnston tell real life stories that hinge on the inheritance of one tiny change rather than another in an individual's DNA: a mother wrongly accused of poisoning her young son when the true killer was a genetic disorder; the screen siren who could no longer remember her lines because of Alzheimer's disease; and the president who was treated with rat poison to prevent another heart attack. In an engaging and accessible style, Fields and Johnston explain what our personal DNA code is, how a few differences in its long list of DNA letters makes each of us unique, and how that code influences our appearance, our behavior, and our risk for such common diseases as diabetes or cancer.

Genetic Twists of Fate

Genetic Twists of Fate PDF Author: Stanley Fields
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262289008
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 235

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Book Description
How tiny variations in our personal DNA can determine how we look, how we behave, how we get sick, and how we get well. News stories report almost daily on the remarkable progress scientists are making in unraveling the genetic basis of disease and behavior. Meanwhile, new technologies are rapidly reducing the cost of reading someone's personal DNA (all six billion letters of it). Within the next ten years, hospitals may present parents with their newborn's complete DNA code along with her footprints and APGAR score. In Genetic Twists of Fate, distinguished geneticists Stanley Fields and Mark Johnston help us make sense of the genetic revolution that is upon us. Fields and Johnston tell real life stories that hinge on the inheritance of one tiny change rather than another in an individual's DNA: a mother wrongly accused of poisoning her young son when the true killer was a genetic disorder; the screen siren who could no longer remember her lines because of Alzheimer's disease; and the president who was treated with rat poison to prevent another heart attack. In an engaging and accessible style, Fields and Johnston explain what our personal DNA code is, how a few differences in its long list of DNA letters makes each of us unique, and how that code influences our appearance, our behavior, and our risk for such common diseases as diabetes or cancer.

Genomic Citizenship

Genomic Citizenship PDF Author: Ian McGonigle
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262542943
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 221

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Book Description
An anthropological study based on ethnographic work in Israel and Qatar explores the relationship between science, particularly genetics, and national identity. Based on ethnographic work in Israel and Qatar, two small Middle Eastern ethnonations with significant biomedical resources, Genomic Citizenship explores the relationship between science and identity. Ian McGonigle, originally trained as a biochemist, draws on anthropological theory, STS, intellectual history, critical theory, Middle Eastern studies, cultural studies, and critical legal studies. He connects biomedical research on ethnic populations to the political, economic, legal, and historical context of the state; to global trends in genetic medicine; and to the politics of identity in the context of global biomedical research. Genomic Citizenship is more an anthropology of scientific objects than an anthropology of scientists or an ethnography of the laboratory. McGonigle bases his untraditional project on traditional anthropological methods, including participant observation. Some of the most persuasive data in the book are from public records, legal and historical sources, published scientific papers, institutional reports, websites, and brochures. McGonigle discusses biological understandings of Jewishness, especially in relation to the intellectual history of Zionism and Jewish political thought, and considers the possibility of a novel application of genetics in assigning Israeli citizenship. He also describes developments in genetic medicine in Qatar and analyzes the Qatari Biobank in the context of Qatari nationalism and state-building projects. Considering possible consequences of findings on the diverse origins of the Qatari population for tribal identities, he argues that the nation cannot be defined as either a purely natural or biological entity. Rather, it is reified, reinscribed, and refracted through genomic research and discourse.

Genes, Chromosomes, and Disease

Genes, Chromosomes, and Disease PDF Author: Nicholas Wright Gillham
Publisher: FT Press
ISBN: 0132623242
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 353

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Book Description
This very readable overview of the rise and transformations of medical genetics and of the eugenic impulses that have been inspired by the emerging understanding of the genetic basis of many diseases and disabilities is based on a popular nonmajors course, "Social Implications of Genetics," that Gillham gave for many years at Duke University. The book is suitable for use as a text in similar overview courses about genes and social issues or genes and disease. It gives a good overview of the developments and status of this field for a wide range of biomedical researchers, physicians, and students, especially those interested in the prospects for the new, genetics-based personalized medicine.

The Gene Deal

The Gene Deal PDF Author: Robin Jequier
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781720860242
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
It is 2001 and Capsella-Biotech, a genetic research firm operating in Berlin and New Jersey, has joined the international race to complete the first ever map of the human genome. Controlled by a disturbed Afghan war veteran Dr Alexander Grishin, the firm's unique research technology puts it ahead of the others. Ambitious financier Guy Shepherd is hired to invest in Capsella-Biotech, but he uncovers something sinister. He takes dangerous risks to prevent suspected abuse of genetic engineering, and rouses the anger of his boss as well as the brutal ministrations of the unstable Dr Grishin. When Guy's girlfriend goes missing in New York following the 9/11 attacks, can he discover her fate, settle his differences with her father and work out a plan to prevent wholesale catastrophe? With a psychic element added to the mix, this is a powerful tale of science, high finance and greed. www.robinjequier.com

Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back

Twisting Fate: My Journey with BRCA - from Breast Cancer Doctor to Patient and Back PDF Author: Pamela Munster
Publisher: The Experiment, LLC
ISBN: 1615195149
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
From a woman who’s made her living researching breast cancer—and who lived through it herself—a personal yet practical guide to the medical and emotional facets of this life-changing diagnosis A leading oncologist at the University of California San Francisco, Dr. Pamela Munster has advised thousands of women on how to cope with the realities of breast cancer, from diagnosis through treatment and recovery. But her world turned upside down when, at forty-eight years old and in otherwise perfect health, she got a call saying that her own mammogram showed “irregularities.” That single word thrust her into a wholly new role—as patient, and not only that of cancer but of the feared BRCA gene mutation as well. Suddenly, she realized that being a true “expert” in a disease was far beyond the scope of her medical training, and that she had a lot to learn if she wanted to hold onto her precious life. Weaving together her personal story with groundbreaking research on BRCA—responsible for breast cancer and many other inherited cancers affecting both women and men—Twisting Fate is an inspiring guide to living with the uncertainties of cancer. With authority, insight, and compassion, Dr. Munster uses her voice to create a safe space for genuine healing and honesty in a world otherwise too-often dominated by fear—and she is living proof of how important it is to embrace all the twists and turns of fate.

Mendel's Dwarf

Mendel's Dwarf PDF Author: Simon Mawer
Publisher: Other Press, LLC
ISBN: 1590516249
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
Like his great-great-great-uncle, geneticist Gregor Mendel, Dr. Benedict Lambert struggles to unlock the secrets of heredity and genetic determinism. However, Benedict's mission is particularly urgent and particularly personal, for he was born with achondroplasia--he's a dwarf. He's also a man desperate for love and acceptance, and when he finds both in Jean, a shy librarian, he stumbles upon an opportunity to correct the injustice of his own, at least to him, unlucky genes. Entertaining and tender, this witty and surprisingly erotic novel reveals the beauty and drama of scientific inquiry as it informs us of the simple passions against which even the most brilliant mind is rendered powerless.

Fool's Fate

Fool's Fate PDF Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0553898728
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 881

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Book Description
“Complex . . . an atmosphere-filled adventure . . . with a fair quota of surprises . . . a winning combination of strong characters and colorful societies.”—Kirkus Reviews In the final book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, Fitz and the Fool are tested more severely than ever in a book the Monroe News-Star calls “a breathtaking ride from beginning to end.” FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Out Islands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania. The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Out Islands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool has foretold he will die on the island of ice, Fitz plots to leave his dearest friend behind. But fate cannot so easily be defied.

The Land

The Land PDF Author: Thomas Maltman
Publisher: Soho Press
ISBN: 1641292210
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 219

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Book Description
A story of violence at the heart of a pastoral landscape, from the author of Indie Next pick and All Iowa Reads selection Little Wolves Recovering from a terrible auto accident just before the turn of the millennium, college dropout and hobbyist computer-game programmer Lucien Swenson becomes the caretaker of a house in northern Minnesota. Shortly after moving in, Lucien sets out to find a woman with whom he had an affair, who vanished along with money stolen from the bank where they had worked together. His search will take him to Rose of Sharon, a white supremacist church deep in the wilderness, where a cabal of outcasts awaits the end of the world at a place they call The Land. Lucien is visited at the house by a mysterious guest, who may not be who she claims, as well as a vast flock of violent ravens out of an apocalyptic vision. At once a mystery and spiritual noir, The Land explores the dark side of belief, entrenched white supremacy in the Heartland, the uniquely American obsession with end times, and the sacrifices we make for those we love.

The Global Genome

The Global Genome PDF Author: Eugene Thacker
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262250306
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 450

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Book Description
How global biotechnology is redefining "life itself." In the age of global biotechnology, DNA can exist as biological material in a test tube, as a sequence in a computer database, and as economically valuable information in a patent. In The Global Genome, Eugene Thacker asks us to consider the relationship of these three entities and argues that—by their existence and their interrelationships—they are fundamentally redefining the notion of biological life itself. Biological science and the biotech industry are increasingly organized at a global level, in large part because of the use of the Internet in exchanging biological data. International genome sequencing efforts, genomic databases, the development of World Intellectual Property policies, and the "borderless" business of biotech are all evidence of the global intersections of biology and informatics—of genetic codes and computer codes. Thacker points out the internal tension in the very concept of biotechnology: the products are more "tech" than "bio," but the technology itself is fully biological, composed of the biomaterial labor of genes, proteins, cells, and tissues. Is biotechnology a technology at all, he asks, or is it a notion of "life itself" that is inseparable from its use in the biotech industry? The three sections of the book cover the three primary activities of biotechnology today: the encoding of biological materials into digital form—as in bioinformatics and genomics; its recoding in various ways—including the "biocolonialism" of mapping genetically isolated ethnic populations and the newly pervasive concern over "biological security"; and its decoding back into biological materiality—as in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Thacker moves easily from science to philosophy to political economics, enlivening his account with ideas from such thinkers as Georges Bataille, Georges Canguilhem, Michel Foucault, Antonio Negri, and Paul Virilio. The "global genome," says Thacker, makes it impossible to consider biotechnology without the context of globalism.