Yesterday the Senate Finance Committee, dominated by Democrats, failed to pass amendments to the health care bill that would have added a public health insurance option. It is worth noting why. Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy Yes, Olbermann is practically hysterical, but his point should still be well taken. There are those who do not want a public option. They are not the American public, 65% of whom... Full Post
John Travis contacted me to let me know about a recent article of his at ScienceInsider about the UK's plans to use DNA and isotope analysis to determine the nationality of people entering the country seeking asylum (Q&A). Such a program is truly unbelievable in its scope and irony. I can imagine the conversation at the border: "You want asylum from an overreaching government? Well let me bank your DNA. I promise I will only... Full Post
Ars Technica has the first in a (promised to be) series on DNA sequencing. This article just gets you through Sanger sequencing on a capillary electrophoresis instrument. Next-generation sequencing will be in the next one. Thanks to Scott Granneman for pointing out the article. Full Post
Now everyone will know about my secret past before I joined The Genome Center: David Dooling: Gangbusters at the Genome Center. Bio-IT World also has a nice interview with Clive Brown of Oxford Nanopore, whom I first described as the most honest guy in all of next-gen sequencing. By the way, sorry for the extended absence, things have been crazy. Full Post
In a lead up to the St. Louis Crisis Nursery's Celebrity Waitress and Waiters Night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a nice story about how the nursery helps those who, when things go bad, have no where else to turn. The nursery not only provides a safe place for children, it also helps connect the parents with people and agencies that can help them get back on their feet. Full Post