#DNA barcoding

[rcannon992]

Hidden in plain sight: cryptic insect species.

[aboutyoutoo]

??? did u have to say it like that

[tenth-sentence]

The final result of DNA profiling looks much like a barcode: a series of parallel lines that differ from person to person in number, thickness and separation.

"Chemistry" 2e - Blackman, A., Bottle, S., Schmid, S., Mocerino, M., Wille, U.

[onion-existence]

Really got into designing magazine covers for a bit. So I made one for Raven. See if you can spot all the dumb molecular biology jokes I’ve put in here

[whats-in-a-sentence]

The interior of the body has altered out of recognition since Vesalius. The self-anatomising figure drawn for the Guardian in 1996 displays a bar code, the DNA readout that is key to his outward form and his innermost character.

"Frankenstein's Footsteps: Science, Genetics and Popular Culture" - Jon Turney

[markscherz]

opinion on the infamous Sharkey et al debacle?

I have a LOT of opinions.

For those who don't know: Sharkey et al. advocate for the description of species based only on DNA barcodes (i.e. unique DNA sequence in specific regions of the mitochondrial genome), and have described hundreds upon hundreds of species of wasp using this approach. This is 'minimalist' taxonomy.

This is a very bad idea, for dozens of reasons. I recently mentioned how fun it can be to read reply papers. This is a great example. Here are the titles of the three papers I myself have coauthored in response to Sharkey et al.—I refer you to these papers to get a well-formulated view of my opinions on their approach.

[pdf]

[pdf]

[pdf]

My colleagues and I are not the only ones who have responded to Sharkey's highly dubious taxonomic approach.

[pdf]

[pdf]

[mcdoodles-art]

so i redesigned my mutant xenomorph oc after seeing romulus

pls dont repost my art or remove my captions. reblogs help more than likes. <3

large version of the infographic under the cut, with text ID included!

[text ID: Displayed is a series of graphics and data which convey some sense of lore about the oc. From right to left, top to bottom: first, there is the creature's shoulder tattoo design, replete with a Weyland-Yutani corporate logo and an identification barcode. Next, we see the text PROPERTY OF WEYLAND-YUTANI, SUBJECT IX, followed by two lists of traits. The first list is as follows, with a series of bulletpoints represented with DNA strands, to denote the creature's genetics: human, fungus, xenomorph. The second list is represented with generic, triangular bulletpoints and is as follows, hyper pyrophobic, increased intelligence, warblooded mutation, responsive to training, small/compact form, primarily quadrupedal. The next portion of the graphic is below a large biohazard symbol, and reads: CAUTION! this subject contains trace amounts of the pathogen S0-3959X.91-15, aka prometheus fire and/or 'black goo'. handle with care. do not terminate the subject. keep contained at all times. crew is expendable in event of containment breach. the following is a series of generic lab information, most of which is redacted. the artist admits to needing to fill space to make the graphic look nice. rip.]

[imadhatt3r]

I had this thought when the coffin was first revealed in the first trailer, but don't you think that the Xes kind of look like chromosomes? (Or at least their common depiction, because irl they look a bit different)

I thought that it's just me seeing things, but now that I look at the trailer again, you can see these barcode-like patterns on different parts of the equipment belonging to APAC/Higgs' cult, like the samurai bots, the strap of Higgs' guitar and I think his armor itself? And you know what they remind me of? The results of gel electrophoresis, a kind of DNA test 🤯 I can't get a good reference for the codes from the trailer, but I promise you that they're there if you know what to focus on.

I wonder if that's what they were going for? Wouldn't be the first time Kojima used genetics as a part of his game. Plus, given all the talk about tar being the new primordial soup, it wouldn’t even be a reach to speculate that genes will probably be important in DS2's plot or themes

[endlingmusings]

[ A critically endangered European eel, photo credited to Kristen Steele. ]

“DNA testing has confirmed widespread – and probably illegal – international trading of critically endangered European eels.

A research team led by the University of Exeter carried out “DNA barcoding” on products including jellied eels and unagi, which is used in sushi and donburi.

With European eel populations at about 5-10% of their former levels, the EU has banned the import and export of European eels.

This has sparked a highly lucrative illegal trade – with media reports of a “multi-billion pound eel mafia”. In June 2022, European authorities announced the arrest of 49 people involved in a trafficking network that moved live eels in suitcases.

The researchers analysed 114 samples and combined their results with existing published research, finding European eels – and endangered American and Japanese eels – on sale in the UK, Continental Europe, North America and Asia.

“The growing popularity of Japanese cuisine worldwide has caused an increasing demand for freshwater eels,” said Dr Andrew Griffiths, from the University of Exeter.

“The complex lifecycle of these eels – which includes migrating from rivers to spawn in the sea – means they cannot be bred at large scale in captivity.

“So the illegal trade involves catching young eels in Europe, transporting them to East Asia and growing them on in fish farms.”

The new study tested eel-based foods in North America and Europe. About 40% of North American unagi samples they analysed contained European eel.”

- Excerpt from “DNA testing finds endangered eels on the menu” by Alex Morrison.

[thatsonemorbidcorvid]

The smell of someone’s hand can reveal if they are a man or a woman, a study has found.

Key components in body odour are increasingly being used by scientists to unpick a person’s identity, with age and ethnicity already able to be determined by smell alone.

Now, research from Florida International University found that machine analysis was able to tell with 97 per cent accuracy the gender of a person from a swab of their hand sweat.

It opens the door for law enforcement to be able to use scent recognition to find criminals at some point in the future. However, the scientists say the work is still in its early stages and more analysis is needed to rectify the findings before the technique is used by police forces.

The hope is that a hand mark, which does not have any DNA or fingerprints, could still be used to help identify a perpetrator.

15 key chemicals

“We identified 15 key chemicals, and seven were the most important in differentiating females from males,” study author Dr Kenneth Furton told The Telegraph.

“To date we still cannot say what men and women in general smell like but we can say that they smell different chemically and we are now closer to discovering which chemicals are responsible for that difference.”

Dogs have long been used in criminal investigations to reliably identify and track people based on their odour, but replicating the hyper-sensitive nature of the canine nose with a machine in a lab has proved difficult.

Scientists used a technique called mass spectrometry to analyse the scent compounds present on the palms of 60 people – half male and half female.

Participants were asked to squeeze a piece of sanitised material for ten seconds and their skin secretions were then taken from the absorbent pad and put into a machine.

Odour ‘barcodes’

The scientists found odour “barcodes” which each person possesses that is unique to them and found they were able to pull apart male and female individuals based on the olfactory signature.

“Criminal activities involving robberies, assaults (sexual, simple, or aggravated), and rape are often executed with the use of the perpetrator’s hands,” the scientists write in their study.

“As a result, hands are a focal point of investigations as contributors of trace amounts of evidence that can be deposited on everyday objects through touch interactions.

“There is an exchange of both biological and inorganic material between the perpetrator and the crime scene during these interactions.”

Trace evidence

They add that the interaction and contact between a criminal and victim, or the crime scene, will leave behind trace evidence, but sometimes in quantities too small to help solve the crime.

“Fingerprints and DNA are the biometrics most commonly utilised to identify a suspect or victim of a crime,” the team continues.

“However, these forms of evidence can be found in quantities that are too small to be used, leaving little to no forensic evidence that can be used for prosecution.

“Even in these instances where no physical fingerprint or DNA evidence is found, human scent evidence may still be recovered and used as an individualising feature in an investigation.

“Though previous works have revealed this using an individual’s human scent from either breath or armpit, this study expands on this capability using hand odour which may be of great forensic value.”

According to the study, published in PLOS ONE, the analysis successfully predicted a person’s sex with a 96.67 per cent accuracy rate.

Sexual arousal

Studies are increasingly learning more about the role of human scent and how it may be detected not only by machines but by people too.

One study recently found the chemical makeup of a person’s exhaled breath changes when in a state of sexual arousal and it could be picked up by others around them.

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Chemistry found a noticeable spike in three chemicals called indole, cresole and phenol during arousal. There was also a significant drop in the level of CO2 and another molecule called isoprene.

Prof Jonathan Williams, the lead researcher, also found last year that humans have an invisible aura around our bodies which could be cleaning the air we breathe.

A study found that an invisible haze of air-cleansing molecules is produced on human bodies when ozone in the air reacts with oil made by our skin.

[gothgengargirl]

Sealed With A Kiss

“Present for inspection”

My body went on autopilot. Skirt up, legs splayed. Mistress passed her barcode reader over my tattooed ID, and the chirp of confirmation was enough to make me quiver. It meant I belonged.

“651814. Good. I recognized you, you know. You’re coming along very nicely.” Mistress returned to her seat, and gestured politely for me to be seated as well. I obeyed, of course.

I was coming along nicely. It was easy to lose track of how long I had been in FemCorp training. In an intensive induction program like mine, we weren’t allowed to have things like calendars. Still, I had rotated through five positions within the company by this point. Now I was working in the Records Department. I liked Records. It was quiet, and I could alone time with my new thoughts. I could slip away and touch myself for a few minutes or a few hours, and if any of my supervisors noticed, they didn’t care as long as the work got done.

But there was a schedule, and physical configuration was part of it. My favorite part of it. Today I was supposed to have an hour with the Auto-Bra, to help my tits reach their full potential. I really like the Auto-Bra. But instead, I was in Mistress’ office. I had only been here one or two times before, and never instead of a scheduled treatment.

“I can see on your face that you’re confused, sweet thing. Permission to speak”

“Thank you, Mistress. I was wondering… why am I here?” I swallowed. “Am I in trouble?”

“Oh no, sweet thing. You’re not in trouble. The opposite, in fact.” My cheeks flushed. Mistress was happy with me! I loved to make her happy. It made me wet. “I need your assistance. Now stand.”

I did as I was told, and Mistress stood up and came around the desk to stand next to me. Was she always this much taller than I was? She grabbed my chin in her hand and rotated my head. We made eye contact. Those grey eyes seemed to stare right into my soul.

“We’re going to be testing some experimental treatments together,” she said, barely above a whisper. Then, without warning, she kissed me. Forcefully at first, and then becoming gentle, soothing. I opened my mouth to gasp from the sensation and she took advantage of the gap, ramming her tongue into my mouth. My eyes fluttered as I lost myself in the moment, moaning slightly. I had never been kissed like this. Even without the programming, even without the reconfigurations, this was the kind of kiss that would change my life.

And then there was a sharp sensation. A stinging, like an aerosol spray, straight into my throat. I stepped back, reflexively, and Mistress let me break contact. The stinging in my throat subsided and was replaced by a gentle throb, like a massage. I could taste… cotton candy?

“Mistress, what… what was that?”

She licked her lips, and I could see a glint of silver. Was her tongue always metallic?

“It’s a gene gun. Experimental feminization delivery system. Something that the girls in R&D worked up. Delivers a stream of nanites into the body, each equipped with CRISPR/CAS9 proteins. They’ll target the genes related to hormone levels, receptors, tissue development.”

“You… you’re changing my DNA to make me more of a girl?”

“Yes!” Mistress was positively beaming, seeing how I was following along. I liked to be smart for Mistress. At least some of the time.

“When the treatment is finished, you will be perfectly female, inside and out. Of course, it will take more doses in order to ensure that this all works. You’re being transferred to R&D, effective immediately, in order to assist them with other projects while they monitor your progress with the gene gun technique.”

I realized that I was drooling a little. Was that a side effect of the nanite spray, or just because Mistress was so excited? “M…more doses?”

“But of course, pet! The current regimen calls for treatment every twelve hours, delivered to four key points in the body each time.”

I didn’t ask where those other key points were. I had a feeling. Mistress glanced down over me, looking over FemCorp’s good work. Her eyes lingered on my tits and on my bulge, which was now visibly straining the short skirt of my Records uniform. I twitched.

“Now strip. That’s a good girl.”

As I was taking my clothes off, trembling with anticipation, I heard Mistress mutter something under her breath.

“When you love your job, you never work a day in your life.”

[miiilowo]

The Spanish dancer, scientific name Hexabranchus sanguineus (literally meaning "blood-colored six-gills"), is a dorid nudibranch, a very large and colorful sea slug, a marine gastropod mollusk in the family Hexabranchidae. The taxonomy of the genus 

 has been controversial but a thorough molecular and morphological study published in 2023 showed that the name H. sanguineus was being used for at least 5 distinct species.

This species is reported from the Red Sea, the Western Indian Ocean, French Polynesia and the Western Pacific, with different colour morphs in each region which are not differentiated by morphology or DNA barcodes.

It likes rocky and coral reefs with many sponges and shelters from 1 to 50 meters deep.

oh fuck yes a little creature for me

[sailorsenshishitposter]

Fuckin' magnets, how do they work?

Warning for cursed smut and improper use of magnets aka sounding

You heard a noise and noticed that your phone had went off. You checked it and saw that it was your boyfriend messaging you on discord. "Hey kitten, I was just looking at the green m&m and thought of you. Do you want to be daddies little pogcham tonight?" You eagerly responded back "Sure babe. I'm coming over to your place right now." Your phone went off again. "Don't forget to bring Doritos and mountain dew. Being the epic gamer that I am, I'm in constant need of gamer fuel." You decided to stop by Wal-Mart on the way.

You eventually arrived at Monsoon's place.  You knocked on his door and he soon opened it. "Welcome to my gamer pad! Oh, you brought the Doritos, thanks babe." You closed the door and then watched him sit down in one of those chairs designed for gaming. He then took out a vape pen. "How about a smoke?" You passed on the offer. "Alright, more for me." He then took a fat rip on the juul. "What a minute, this is red phosphorus." You were sure that vape pens had destroyed what little brain cells your boyfriend had left.

You sat across from him on a bean bag chair. "So any plans for tonight?" He stroked his metallic chin. "I was going to pwn noobs on fortnight but now that you're here, I have a better plan." He detached his arms so that he could pick you up and bring you to his bedroom. You noticed all the posters of the joker. "I take it you're a fan?"

He soon seemed like he was deep in thought. "We live in a society. Gamers rise up." You were confused. "Memes! The DNA of the soul! Let me show you." He went on spotify and selected Miracles by insane clown posse. He then sat next to you on the bed. "Fire, water, air and dirt. Fuckin' magnets, how do they work?" You had no clue what was happening. "Babe, you have electromagnesis powers." He blushed. "Oh yeah."

"How about I give you a demonstration?" He detached his hands and sent them flying. They soon pinned your wrists to the bed. "I need to show you something." He took of his helmet. On his forehead in place of a cyborg barcode were the words "DAMAGED" in large letters. You were turned on. "That's so hot." He chuckled. "Glad to hear you think so."

He climbed on top of you and gave you butterfly kisses. Or he would have if he still had eye sockets. He had small tubes protrude outwards so it was like being felt up by a snail. He called his hands back. "Let's see what we"re working with!" He took off your pants and noticed that you were wearing a thong with nothing but a minion on it. He then took them off. "That reminds me, I'll need to send these to Karen on Facebook. We'll see who has the better minion memes now!"

He saw your large member and then was reminded of his beloved Steve Rambo. He placed his hand on your length and began to quote one of said man's films. "It gets bigger when I pull on it." You couldn't believe that he was doing this right now. You wanted to complain but he gagged you with the minion thong. "Sometimes I pull so hard, I rip the skin!"

You let out a moan of pain. "Does it hurt!?" your boyfriend asked mockingly. You gave him a look and he relented. "Fine. And I was just getting to the good part!" He took the gag out. "Hey kitten, remember when I asked if you wanted to learn about magnets?" You nodded. "Well I think it's time."

He pulled out a box of magnetix. "I've been hoarding these since the recalls. Now I can put them to good use!" He took out some magnetic balls. "Ever heard of sounding?" You watched as he pushed a magnet down your urethra. Damn. You really hadn't been expecting that. He then started to place some more marbles down and you could hear them clink together. Eventually it become long enough for a chain to form.

He tried to pull it out but there was a problem. "Shit!" You glanced over. "What's wrong?" It turns out that the magnets had become stuck to his hand. If he tried to lift his hand then your dick would be pried off. "I have an idea." He detached his arm and then left the room. He returned with some emp grenades. "Hopefully this should work. Here goes nothing!" He pressed the trigger and his body soon fell apart like sliced meat. "Fuck."

You tried to put your boyfriend back together but it was no use. "Just get the magnets out before the grenade goes to waste!" To your horror, nothing came out. "WHAT SHOULD I DO!" You were panicking. "How the hell should I know, it's not like I have a dick myself to practise on!"  You screamed.

"Wait! What about an operation!" You groaned. "Are you telling me that I need to go to the hospital!?" He shook his head (while it was still on the floor so he looked like a dying fish on land). "No silly, we'll do it here. Just think of it like that board game, operation." You fainted on the spot. "Well that takes care of needing to knock you out!"

Sometime after Monsoon's body had formed back together, he had placed his shower curtain on the bed and then laid you on it. "How do children these days even play this?" He was looking through an operation manual. For some reason he decided to pick up the shrek edition. "Screw this, I'll just perform it myself!" He then took out his sais. "Alright, I'll just make an insertion here and then move this out of the way." He found the magnets pooled in your insides but now there was a new problem. "How am I supposed to put you back together?"

It was a few days later and you woke up on your boyfriends bed, smelling of cheeto dust. "What happened....?" You soon noticed Monsoon who was wearing a slutty nurse uniform. "Ah, good. You're awake. Would you like the good news or bad news first?"You swallowed nervously. "Good news please."

"Well I was able to remove all the magnets from your body so that situations solved. And here's the bad news.. I didn't have the tools to sew you up so for now I put a makeshift cock ring around your genitals to hold everything in place. My powers are currently holding it together but you should really get to a hospital..."

You broke down. You were never hooking up with old men you met on 4chan again.