At Tokuda Hospital in Sofia was presented the latest genetic testing in prenatal diagnosis.
 
Latest biomedical innovation in prenatal care for expectant mothers called Prenatest. This is the first non-invasive prenatal test in Bulgaria. Unlike other Prenatal tests Prenatest analyze the DNA of the fetus without the manipulation of the body of the mother and fetus.

The study gives as early safest information about the most common forms of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus: trisomy 21, 18 and 13 - Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome and Patau syndrome. Subjecting Prenatest can be done by the 9th week of gestation and accuracy of the results is 99%.

Europe territory test is licensed by the German company Layfkodeks. He carries CE mark, making it the only certified genetic testing of third generation - non-invasive prenatal test within the European Union.
 
Breaking study was developed based on the discovery that the blood of a pregnant woman circulating DNA of the baby. This DNA is extracellular or free. Test its patented technology that isolated from maternal blood free fetal DNA and makes it possible for her research. Blood samples were transported to the laboratory Layfkodeks in Germany, where it is subjected to high-tech genetic analysis.

With estimates of losing 15 to 40 percent of the world's species over the next four decades – due to climate change and habitat loss, researchers ponder in the Sept. 26 issue of Nature whether science should employ genetic engineering to the rescue.
The technique would involve "rescuing a target population or species with adaptive alleles, or gene variants, using genetic engineering," write Josh Donlan, Cornell visiting fellow in ecology and evolutionary biology, and his colleagues. The method is "an increasingly viable … option, which we call 'facilitated adaptation,' [but it] has been little discussed," they add.
To avert mass extinctions, the group thinks that three options, each with its own set of challenges, complications and risks, exist. They are:

- Animals or plants could be crossed with individuals of the same species from better-adapted populations to introduce adapted alleles into threatened animal or plant populations.

- Direct transfers from populations with adapted genomes could be introduced into the threatened populations of the same species.

- Genes from a well-adapted species could be incorporated into the genomes of endangered species.

The Nature commentary draws from a recent National Science Foundation-funded workshop, "Ecological and Genomic Exploration of Environmental Change," in March, where scientists met to understand issues surrounding climate change adaptation. In those spirited discussions, a hot question emerged: Is managed relocation of animal and plant species really the only approach to averting extinction? Instead of moving plant and animal populations, could genes be moved into populations? "Thus, the term 'facilitated adaptation' was born," said Donlan.
Averting climate change altogether would be a preferable – albeit unlikely – outcome. The scientists fear that implementing genetic solutions could potentially deter other climate change action.
"A serious concern is that even the possibility of using genetic-engineering tools to rescue biodiversity will encourage inaction with regard to climate change. Before genetic engineering can be seriously entertained as a tool for preserving biodiversity, conservationists need to agree on the types of scenario for which facilitated adaptation, managed relocation and other adaptation strategies might be appropriate, and where such strategies are likely to fail or introduce more serious problems," they write.
Joining Donlan on the Nature commentary, "Gene Tweaking for Conservation," are Michael A. Thomas, Idaho State University, first and corresponding author; Gary W. Roemer, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, N.M.; Brett G. Dickson, Conservation Science Partners, Truckee, Calif.; and Marjorie Matocq and Jason Malaney, University of Nevada, Reno. Donlan is also executive director of the Advanced Conservation Strategies, Midway, Utah.

Disease develops years before the first symptoms appear

Scientists have developed a simple blood test that can help identify Alzheimer's disease.

Experts are of the opinion that the method will likely lead to a revolutionary breakthrough in the fight against the disease, since the only way used before her diagnosis at necropsy.

The disease can begin a decade before her first experience symptoms such as confusion and memory loss.

Scientists from the University of Saarland in Germany focused its attention on microRNA - small molecules contained in body fluids and influence the expression of genes.

The team determined that the levels are different microRNA in individual patients affected by Alzheimer's disease.

The results were published in Genome Biology

Genetically modified organisms can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered intentionally. Technology by which this is achieved is often called recombinant DNA technology, recombinant technology or genetic engineering. This technology allows the transfer of genes from one organism to another, often unrelated - such as insulin and human growth hormone are produced in industrial quantities of yeast - single-celled fungi, which incidentally, is also used in the manufacture of wine, beer, bread, etc. .

Recombinant technology becomes more pervasive in the plant, and hence in refrigerators in each of us. This creates many, absolutely unjustified panic and even hysteria in the community, professionals need to dispel. On the subject, however, to speak and many pseudo experts that only fueled false rumors and myths and incite panic extra.
 
Topic is too broad, so here we only briefly describe the most relevant aspects.

First we point out that genetically modified foods are not mass produced because scientists or even farmers love to experiment with crops, but because they have serious economic benefits. This most often increased resistance to pests, increase yields, reduced need for irrigation and / or fertilization compared to current varieties, or some combination of these qualities. Simply put, the plants are imported genes that give them resistance to pests, herbicides, drought etc.. This increases yields significantly reduces the cost of farmers. In fact, the root cause for the introduction of recombinant technology in plants is notably increasing their resistance to parasites and viral diseases.

Many "experts" speak, often in the media, totally unprepared and totally unaware of the nature of the issue, as repeating ridiculous slogans such as "No mutants in the soup."
 
What many do not realize is that every plant food, used by XIX century, is genetically modified. Plum, for example, is a type that does not exist in nature - it is created by crossing the wild plums and sloes. Melons are types created by polyploidization (technique in biotechnology that will clarify this). The wheat we eat every day in the form of daily bread is not created by nature and man the crossing of wild species.

Many people seem to be afraid of the sound of the word mutant, but it's nothing terrible. It comes from the Latin mutatio, monstrosity does not mean, as many people probably think and change. Mutant mean modified organism, not a freak. In this sense, genetic engineering changes the plants (including those used for food) to make them better - more productive, more stable, etc. Without realizing it, people are engaged in genetic engineering since the dawn of civilization - and cross picking out certain individuals, they received new breeds and varieties in which a certain quality is selectively enhanced - production at chicken or the department of dairy cows crop yield etc. It is to the latter, for example, was established wheat, which is obtained by complex crosses of several plant species. Thus, the person creates something that nature could not create. In essence, the process of creating new plants through cross from the growers do not differ in anything from the analogous process in the laboratory. Nobody refuses melons, watermelons, bread and plum because not exist in nature and man-made "mutants". Why not give the new "genetically modified" foods? In the laboratory, scientists months can achieve results that would have taken decades of growers to be reached. Recombinant technologies also provide a number of completely new features that are unavailable through classical breeding and selection of animals or plants.

For those who are still concerned about the presence of "mutants" on the shelves of supermarkets will clarify that food produced by biotechnology, pass more rigorous tests created a "traditional" - by crossing plants, selecting at high yield, etc. This is not the most appropriate solution because the two slightly different techniques and is much more likely with "traditional" method to create dangerous foods to be noticed than those to be created by means of biotechnological and reach supermarkets. Also, any kind of new biotech pass rigorous tests for toxicity, allergenicity, nutritional changes due to mutation, unforeseen health effects due to mutation and others.

Some will point out this time somewhat appropriate that they can be obtained changes that make some people allergic to one food or another. It really is. But not all the new foods are tested for allergenicity? He is allergic to them, just not to consume them as people who are allergic to strawberries, do not eat them. The fact that some people are allergic to strawberries does not mean that strawberries should be banned for everyone. The same goes for GM foods.