Scientists in Italy Sequence DNA of Man Who Died in Mount Vesuvius Eruption at Pompeii in 79 AD

It’s the latest example of how genetic technologies have advanced to the point where DNA can be extracted and sequenced from human remains that are thousands of years old, often generating new insights that can benefit clinical laboratory testing How might an individual in Pompeii who died in the famous Mount Vesuvius volcanic eruption of 79 AD help medical science today? The answer is that sequencing this individual’s DNA may yield insights into health conditions and infectious diseases of...

Studies Finding Remnants of SARS-CoV-2 in Sewage Suggest COVID-19 May Not Have Originated at Wuhan Market, Some Scientists Dispute the Findings

Researchers from multiple countries looked at sewage samples collected from 2018 through early 2020, with findings that may interest microbiologists and medical laboratory scientists Clinical laboratory tests for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can identify COVID-19 cases in individuals. But in multiple countries, researchers have tested untreated sewage for remnants of the pathogen, and some scientists have arrived at a surprising but unconfirmed theory—that the coronavirus appeared in Europe long...

New Gene Sequencing Method for Studying Circular DNA Found in Viruses, Bacteria, and other Cells, May Lead to Development of New Clinical Laboratory Biomarkers

University of Alberta researchers developed CIDER-Seq tool and protocols for the study, which they have made freely available to all scientists Here’s another promising new technology which, given more research into effectiveness and safety, may soon lead to improved clinical laboratory cancer diagnostics. Oncology research scientists have focused much attention on understanding the role of extrachromosomal circular DNA (eccDNA) in human cancer. Now, a new gene sequencing method may help...
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