Scientists Vie To Break Junk DNA's Secret Code

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | Roger Highfield

[blam]

Scientists vie to break junk DNA's secret code

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 06/10/2003)

Huge tracts of human DNA, previously written off as meaningless junk, have been found to contain a hitherto unrecognised "genetic grammar", making the language of our genes much more complex than previously thought.

The discovery is of potentially huge significance, since it could lead to an entirely new explanation for certain diseases and symptoms. A race is now on among teams of scientists worldwide to investigate this cryptic code.

While the genetic recipe of a human being is spelt out with three billion letters of DNA code, only about two per cent of these correspond to the genes - the DNA that describes the proteins that build and operate bodies.

In the latest issue of the journal Science, Prof Stylianos Antonarakis of the University of Geneva Medical School, Dr Ewen Kirkness of the Institute of Genomic Research, Maryland, and colleagues have reported compelling evidence that up to three per cent of our genetic material has a crucial role that is not understood.

They made the unexpected discovery that some DNA regions of humans, dogs and species as distant as elephant and wallaby are nearly identical. These regions of what were once called junk have been dubbed "conserved non-genic sequences", or CNGs, a reference to how they are not conventional genes.

Prof Antonarakis said: "I suspect that mutations in CNGs may contribute to numerous genetic disorders." Defects in CNGs could result in illness while the symptoms of Down's syndrome, caused by an extra copy of a chromosome, might be linked to the presence of additional CNGs.

"Many laboratories are now working on identifying pathogenic mutations," he said.

[VadeRetro]

The creepy-stalkies need more living flesh. It's your turn again.

[Ogmios]

Looks like it, doesn't it.

[Boiler Plate]

Dittojed2,
A2/Ogimos accused of trying to ban evolutionists. How would he know anything about banned posters if he had only signed up for the first time 10 days ago. Even more interesting is that within a day of signing up, there he was making his usual posts in the crevo threads. It took me months before I came upon them. You are absolutely right that this is the same guy. Thanks for pointing him out.
Best Regards,
Boiler Plate

[DittoJed2]

I'm glad you are at least admitting it now. As far as us needing more "living flesh", Aric has been the only evo that was banned (twice) since I've been on the crevo threads in August. In the mean time, yesterday, jesseshurun, goodseedhomeschool, conservababejen, halffull, and myself were "reported" to management for harassment- in spite of the fact that I've not posted to you in a couple of weeks and was not personally attacking anyone on the thread I finally decided to contribute two posts to. If there is anyone who is craving "living flesh" it is your group (not all evos, just the few of you who cause trouble around here) with their orchestrated setups and unjust bans. I've posted for 5 years here without trouble. Gee, why is it all the sudden that I'm in trouble with management? You all are far from martyrs. You, indeed are the stalkers and your man was just exposed.

[VadeRetro]

I'm glad you are at least admitting it now.

I am admitting that you have done on this thread exactly what you here accused me of doing, showing up on a thread and diverting it to personal attacks. In fact, your first post went directly to trying to get Ogmios banned. It's enough to short out an heavy-duty irony meter.

[DittoJed2]

Your wording was "It's your turn again."

Aric was badgering Gore and I had seen earlier on the thread his holy warrior schpeel. His game was not going to go unanswered.

[VadeRetro]

Your wording was "It's your turn again."

You guys are always stalking somebody. I've had a few turns myself.

[Boiler Plate]

Vade,
Is Ogimos the same person as Aric2000?
Regards,
Boiler Plate

[VadeRetro]

here, who continues his perpetual snit here, you show up here and you ain't talkin' about DNA, honey!

What's funny about all that? Your self-portrayal as a long-suffering victim:

I've been a part of these threads since August and what I've witnessed is certain threads will go along fine and about 3 members of the evolution camp will join the threads and start with the insults, usually either getting the thread moved to the backroom (contrary to the agreement) or by getting the thread yanked. If you are sick to death of not naming names, fine. Those members are VadeRetro, Balrog666, and PatrickHenry (always sitting in the background and telling others that "Virtual Ignore is your friend, there is nothing more pathetic than a tractionless troll"). I've seen that latter part so much I want to barf! Yet, for the past week or so, they haven't realized I've had them on Virtual Ignore myself. I've been bated, yes, but I've ignored.

[VadeRetro]

BP, is my name Jim Robinson?

[VadeRetro]

here, who continues his perpetual snit here...

Sure screwed that up! "Summoned by a certain blue spewer here..." etc.

[Ogmios]

And Gore3000 has yet to answer any of my questions.

I brought up a couple, and he has yet to respond.

I guess when you ask a person where they got what they got out of an article, that that is considered an attack.

I must be guilty of Christian bashing.

[DittoJed2]

Check my posts, Vade, and check your own. I've had you on virtual ignore for quite a few days now and you and Patsy and Balrog jump on threads like clockwork with insults against creationists being the very first words out of your mouth. I've ignored you until now, but now Aric has revealed himself again, so like clockwork here you are to the rescue. And, for the record, you ain't talkin' DNA either darlin'.

[VadeRetro]

My first post on this thread was to Nebullis re the Y chromosome. Yours?

[Ogmios]

Blue spewer? That's a good one.

Anyway, I am needed at another forum in about 7 minutes, so will try and catch up later.

I wonder what fun and mischief I will find when I get back.

[BlazingArizona]

Huge tracts of human DNA, previously written off as meaningless junk, have been found to contain a hitherto unrecognised "genetic grammar", making the language of our genes much more complex than previously thought.

My hypothesis is that it's actually the End User Licensing Agreement.

[VadeRetro]

Yep. Can't stand the suspense, but I'm out for the night.

[DittoJed2]

My first post was to expose the truth to Free Republic about someone who is in violation of its rules. What they do with that information is up to them, but I didn't come on with insults as you usually do and as anyone can tell by looking at your posts. I came on with the truth. We will see if it even matters around here any more.

[Boiler Plate]

Vade,
As far as I know you are not JR however, It was a simple question with three possible answers; Yes, No, or I don't know. I think you do know, and it is fairly obvious that the answer is yes. For someone who has only signed up 10 days ago Ogimos seems pretty darn familiar with things. His posts are altogether much too similar in content and style to A2 for it to be a coincidence. His wasting no time to get into the Crevo threads is also a little too suspicious.
If you want to play dumb, that's fine, he'll hang himself.
Best Regards,
Boiler Plate

[Ogmios]

Server crashed again, but should be up again soon, so I will respond to your nonsense.

A forum is a forum, how many forums do you run? I moderate 2 forums, one being a live chat forum(which just crashed again), this one is far more interesting then the others. Your snide comments and innuendos and attempts to get me banned are rather amusing.

One forum is a lot like the next, and this forum is about as user friendly as they come, which is a tribute to the person that created it, John Robinson I believe is his name, Jim Robinson's son, from earlier posts that I have seen.

I find the Holy Warrior syndrom on the net a lot, it is easily recognizable, and some of you seem to have it. Which is sad, but a statement of how things are in the world right now.

And my Holy Warrior statement I have made on 2 other occasions, but not on this forum.

Think what you want, it really does not matter to me, I will continue to follow the rules of this board, and will do my best to debate such Holy Warriors as I find them.

They lie, they connive, they misrepresent, and basically hurt whatever forum they happen to be on. I, in my moderator persona, warn them, when I find them on my boards, of 4 things: Lying will not be put up with, attacking posters for their religious or scientific convictions or beliefs will again not be tolerated, misrepresenting another posters views will be dealt with most harshly, and stalking a poster will be a banning offense. These are the symptoms of Holy Warrior disease, they are easily recognizable, and quickly seen.

Holy Warrior disease is spreading across the net, if they will not be listened to on the radio, or watched on the television, then they will do their best to force those beliefs upon unsuspecting victims on the internet.

Are you a Holy Warrior? I know that Dittojed2 is, I also know that Gore3000 is as well. It's a fascinating disease, but dangerous in the aftermath of destruction to a forum that it leaves in it's wake. I deal most harshly with holy warriors on my forums, because I know the destruction first hand. I actually had to shut down a forum, and then restart it 3 weeks later, because I had 2 holy warriors that would not give up. I finally had to cut off their ISP's to any access to the forum, I probably knocked off quite a few real posters that would have been a pleasure to have on board, but I could not chance them coming back and doing what they did before.

Again, think what you want, but holy warriors are dealt with most harshly by me, and I believe that they should be dealt with quickly, and with urgency. Because if given the opportunity, they will do their best to either take over the forum that they are on, or destroy it. I have had it done to me, and this board is a little too important, from what I have seen, to allow the Holy warrior syndrom to take it over, or have the effects that it has had on my much smaller forums.