The DNA Network

Successful Medical Practise Management [ScienceRoll] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 01:50 PM CDT Dr Aniruddha Malpani published another great slideshow again: Some other slideshows about web and medicine: Web 2.0 and Medicine Genetics and Web 2.0: the presentation. Information Therapy and the Empowered Patient Life Hacks for Doctors: Slideshow

DNA Direct in Full Compliance with California Regulations [DNA Direct Talk] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 01:37 PM CDT The California State Department of Health announced on Friday, June 13, 2008 that they have sent out cease & desist letters to 13 companies that offer consumer access to genetic tests, requiring that the companies not offer genetic tests via the Internet to California residents. This is major news in the world of direct-to-consumer genetic [...]

Taking a look back [business|bytes|genes|molecules] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 12:46 PM CDT Friday the 13th was the end of one journey and, in a week, the beginning of a new one. I wanted to share some thoughts on some insights gained from my time in the scientific software industry all these years. Back in 2003 when I was a naive young product manager, I had little knowledge of software development processes, product lifecycle management, and various other aspects of product marketing. So it was was a learning process, some of it intuitive, other items came my way just by jumping headfirst into the world of product management. One of the first things I learnt was that you can never satisfy all your customers, much as you might want to. The questions I had to ask myself were simple in hindsight, but you have to learn to ask them. You have finite development resources, and a number of customers want to get their favorite feature implemented. Which one(s) do you listen to? How do you prioritize development resources? What are the consequences of not implementing something? I wish I had read Getting Real before that time, but in a way, learning on the job has its own charm. What I learnt then, and continue to believe is that while there are always some customers more important than others (those would be the ones you, or the powers that be, have identified as strategic), you have to look at implementation plans in the big picture. There will always be people who will be unhappy that something didn’t get implemented, but you have to go beyond features and think about what you are trying to get your customers to accomplish. Sometimes, you have to say no, or do things a particular way. For what its worth, most of your customers do not have any appreciation of software development, and you have to work with them and sometimes educate them on why certain decisions were made and how they might help them. The other thing I took to heart was the importance of building relationships. You have to build trust. If your customers trust you, they are more likely to listen to you when you make tough decisions, including ones they might not like. You can’t do that by not delivering. You can’t do that by talking fluff, and you can’t do that by insulting their intelligence. Scientists are an obstinate bunch, perhaps a little too conservative for my liking, but if you respect their opinion, and can depend yours rationally, you’ll be in good shape. Perhaps the other key take home message was one I have mentioned often here, and owe to Kathy Sierra; “Featuritis”. The figure below should be made into law. Function not features is a good mantra to have, and one I’d recommend. Picture Credit: Kathy Sierra So ends some nostalgia as I head into the world I dream about quite a bit these days, one that lives and breathes on the web. Hopefully I will learn as much there as I have over the past few years. Further reading What can we learn from 37Signals Software development is never easy Looking Back image by WTL photos via a CC-BY-ND license ShareThis

Blogroll amnesty [Discovering Biology in a Digital World] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 12:10 PM CDT A few months ago, I made a new page for a more complete blogroll. Now, that my class is over and I have a break from traveling around leading workshops, I'm ready to add some links. Other bloggers; Bora, Mike the Mad, PZ, Janet, DM, and Abel; use a nice technique called "blogroll amnesty" where they offer other writers a chance to be on their blogroll. I like that. So, to paraphrase Mike: Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

Mandatory Waistline Measurement in Japan: Good Public Health Social Policy? Or Genetic Discrimination Against Fat People? [DNA and You] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 10:25 AM CDT The NY Times has a really interesting piece on a new policy of mandatory waistline measurement in Japan.  With a goal of improving the public health, the government has established a state prescribed limit on male waistlines of 33.5 inches along with a limit of 35.4 inches for women... No...I'm really not kidding. Companies and local governments will apparently be required - under this new national law - to measure waistlines of those 40-74 years old during annual checkups.  Apparently, those not meeting the country's standard will be given dieting guidance if they do not meet the standard and do not lose the weight over 3 months (with subsequent escalation of the scrutiny and advice if folks are still too rotund at 6 months).  Interestingly, the Japanese government intends to impose monetary penalties on entities (local governments and companies that fail to meet specific targets). Although I am sure that the Japanese government has good intentions, this is a very interesting policy in light of the fact that obesity is a trait that can only be partially modified by behavioral change.  In other words, it is clear that obesity risk is to some extent a heritable trait, determined to some extent by one's genetic background, that can be difficult for some individuals to overcome. Although this is an interesting and aggressive experiment aimed at reducing healthcare costs, it has the potential to result in further stigmatization of those affected by the obesity epidemic (something that is, no doubt, intended by the rule since it may result in public health benefits).  By imposing penalties on local governments and companies, the government is avoiding the appearance of discriminating against those with generous waistlines; however, this will create tremendous incentives on these entities to exert considerable pressure on individuals whose waists are over the limits.  In sum, it's a bold social policy.  It may help with healthcare costs in the long-run, but is it genetic discrimination?  What do you think?

Deep microbes get all the love [The Tree of Life] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 04:43 AM CDT Well, you know microbes must really be cool because Olivia Judson is blogging about them. You see, Olivia is also known as Dr. Tatiana. Judson's book "Dr. Tatiana's Sex Advice to All Creation" created and still creates a stir and helped make Olivia one of the go to people for discussions of the biology of sex and weird sex practices in the natural world. Now she has a blog (with what appear to be entries once a week) on the New York Times web site called "The Wild Side." In the blogs of hers that I have read (note to New York Times --- your system of allowing access to the blog archive really sucks) I recall there being many references to microbes, even when the focus was not on microbes per se. And this week the whole darn blog is about them small little organisms. In this weeks blog, she writes about microbes living in the deep biosphere (some of my favorites) (see Meet the Intraterrestrials). So - check out her blog. And encourage her to keep writing about microbes. We know they are cool but she can help convince all those others who are not yet microbe fans of this fact too. This is from the "Tree of Life" blog ( http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com ) of Jonathan Eisen, an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Davis.

DNA Video: DNA Replication by The Backrow [Eye on DNA] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 03:04 AM CDT I’d say these guys earned their 30 extra credit points in science….

US Catholic Conference of Bishops statement on embryonic stem cell research [Mary Meets Dolly] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 01:41 AM CDT The US Catholic Conference of Bishops have overwhleming agreed to issue a statement calling the destruction of human embryos for research immoral. The vote in Florida was 191 to 1. (I wanna know who was the hold out. Probably my bishop.) Click here to read the whole statement. Obviously, the agrument rests on the fact that human embryos are human organisms and they therefore have inherent worth. Here is the revalent passage on the basic biology of the human embryo: Second, some claim that the embryo in his or her first week of development is too small, immature, or undeveloped to be considered a "human life." Yet the human embryo, from conception onward, is as much a living member of the human species as any of us. As a matter of biological fact, this new living organism has the full complement of human genes and is actively expressing those genes to live and develop in a way that is unique to human beings, setting the essential foundation for further development. Though dependent in many ways, the embryo is a complete and distinct member of the species Homo sapiens, who develops toward maturity by directing his or her own integrated organic functioning. All later stages of life are steps in the history of a human being already in existence. Just as each of us was once an adolescent, a child, a newborn infant, and a child in the womb, each of us was once an embryo. Human embryos are human life. Time to get over that argument and get to the real reason we disagree on embryo destruction. Does this human life have any worth? Here is what the Bishops say: Others, while acknowledging the scientific fact that the embryo is a living member of the human species, claim that life at this earliest stage is too weak or undeveloped, too lacking in mental or physical abilities, to have full human worth or human rights. But to claim that our rights depend on such factors is to deny that human beings have human dignity, that we have inherent value simply by being members of the human family. If fundamental rights such as the right to life are based on abilities or qualities that can appear or disappear, grow or diminish, and be greater or lesser in different human beings, then there are no inherent human rights, no true human equality, only privileges for the strong. "Only priviledges for the strong." That means if we do not uphold the worth and inherent dignity of the human embryo, when we become weak and voiceless, dependent on others, in need of protection, we can forget it. It won't be there for us.

So you've had a genetic test. Now what? [Mary Meets Dolly] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 01:03 AM CDT That is the question that finally seems to be getting the attention it deserves. From the Technology Review: Tests that look for genetic variations linked to a number of common diseases are now available over the Internet. But a patient who walks into the doctor's office with a thick file of genetic information will probably find that the doctor has no idea what to do with it. A new project, launched in December by the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, in Camden, NJ, aims to change that. The institute will offer free genetic testing to 10,000 local volunteers over the next two years. Participants will get information on their genetic risk for a number of diseases and a way to share that information with their physicians. The program will also help both physicians and patients learn what to do with genetic information once they have it. Researchers will examine every step of the process to figure out how physicians can best incorporate genetic information into their practice to prevent and treat disease. Most people do not realize that many docs do not the implications of genetic testing. Genetic counseling, people! I cannot stress it enough. Without a proper interpretation, results of a genetic test might as well be a book written in Klingon. Good for Coriell for addressing the issue. But those of us in the testing field know that Coriell is a great place to purchase hard to get cell lines or DNA. 10,000 volunteers offering up their saliva for genetic testing. For free. I am wondering if the volunteers of this study know or understand that their DNA maybe listed on the Internet (anonomously of course) for order by labs across the country. I hope so.

Transgenic Photoshop Fantasies [] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 12:44 AM CDT Though tinged with a wee bit of dystopian bioLuddite paranoia, this page of photoshopped animal mash-ups is pretty fun. Somebody should explain to them the difference between transgenic and chimeric, though… because last time we checked, a transgenic goat looked pretty much like… a goat.

COPD and Your Genes: New Study of Familial Risks for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [DNA and You] Posted: 14 Jun 2008 12:41 AM CDT Yesterday, at Cancer and Your Genes, I mentioned an interesting study assessing the degree to which survival in prostate cancer seems to run within families (and therefore may be genetic).  Some of the same authors, including Kari Hemminki, the lead author, also have a paper in the May 2008 issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health that assesses familial risks for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) amongst siblings in Sweden. The results basically showed that siblings of individuals with COPD had much higher risks of COPD themselves (Standardized Incidence Ratio [SIR] = ~4.6) as compared to spouses of individuals with COPD (SIR = ~1.6).  The fact that the SIR was much higher for sibling pairs than for spouses is consistent with genetics underlying at least some familial susceptibility to this disabling lung disease.  Although there is a rare familial cause of COPD (alpha-antitrypsin deficiency), it seems unlikely that this would account for a significant fraction of the familial effect.  It will be interesting to see what we learn in the future about other genes underlying COPD risk--and also the extent to which they interact with a known environmental risk factor for this disease, smoking, which itself has a heritable component.  Very complicated!

Back in Beantown [The Daily Transcript] Posted: 13 Jun 2008 10:40 PM CDT The trip to Toronto was great. I met a lot of great people there and I think that I made a good impression on the members of the Biochemistry Department at the U of T. Since this was my first real job interview, I didn't know exactly what to expect. In the end I decided to "let myself go" and enjoy talking shop with all the excellent researchers I met. Science is for the curious, and at times like these its best to let your inner urge to learn and discuss to take control. Go out and explore. And that's what I did over the course of three days. In between all these appointments I had the chance to meetup with a group of local bloggers (as I mentioned in my last post). Eva from eastern blot posted some pics of the event and John has a short entry as well. We talked about life in Toronto, the local blog-gossip and the highlights of Scibarcamp. Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...

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