The Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame

- Tom Schneider The Left handed DNA Hall of Fame has moved. Please note the NEW LOCATION: http://www.fred.net/tds/leftdna/

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1998

version = 2.00 of leftyear1998.txt 2009 Sep 29

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1998



1. AGenDA Inc., Advanced Genetic Diagnostic Associates provides Parentage Testing, Genetic Disease Screening, Diagnostic Testing, and Forensic Testing for CT humans. (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, Ph.D. Lab. Patologia Molecular CINVESTAV Unidad Irapuato Apdo. postal 629 Irapuato, Gto MEXICO http://www.suva.cinvestav.mx/ irapuato/jpms.html E-mail: jpms@irapuato.ira.cinvestav.mx Voice (462) 39637 Fax (462) 45996 for pointing this one out!)
   
   
2. QIAGEN advertisement in Structure Vol 5, No 12 15 December 1997. "... it's never been so easy!" to do PCR on CT DNA.
3. QIAGEN web site icon 1998 January 12. They have some wonderful technical resources which magnify CT DNA.
4. Biogen advertisement in Science Vol 279, 23 January 1998, page 592. "Biogen offers what few companies in our industry can", but they are quiet about the CT projects they are working on, although this is shown prominantly in the advertisement.
5. DNA Isolation Lab Kit Introduces students to the molecular biology of Left handed DNA. The kit allows the student to extract DNA, precipitate it, spool and observe a mass of DNA from CT organisms. to Florida Plants online, who sell this kit, for asking "What's wrong with this box cover?" on their web page. THIS KIT IS REQUIRED HOMEWORK FOR ALL CREATIONISTS AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT "BELIEVE IN DNA"!

   The New Creationism: Biology Under Attack
   By Barbara Ehrenreich and Janet McIntosh
   When social psychologist Phoebe Ellsworth took the podium at a recent interdisciplinary seminar on emotions, she was already feeling rattled. Colleagues who'd presented earlier had warned her that the crowd was tough and had little patience for the reduction of human experience to numbers or bold generalizations about emotions across cultures. Ellsworth had a plan: She would pre-empt criticism by playing the critic, offering a social history of psychological approaches to the topic. But no sooner had the word "experiment" passed her lips than the hands shot up. Audience members pointed out that the experimental method is the brainchild of white Victorian males. Ellsworth agreed that white Victorian males had done their share of damage in the world but noted that, nonetheless, their efforts had led to the discovery of DNA. This short-lived dialogue between paradigms ground to a halt with the retort: "You believe in DNA?" http://www.thenation.com:80/issue/970609/0609ehre.htm
   The Nation Digital Edition http://www.thenation.com Copyright (c) 1997, The Nation Company, L.P. All rights reserved. Electronic redistribution for nonprofit purposes is permitted, provided this notice is attached in its entirety. Unauthorized, for-profit redistribution is prohibited. For further information regarding reprinting and syndication, please call The Nation at (212) 242-8400, ext. 226 or send e-mail to Max Block at mblock@thenation.com.
   

6. Rhône-Poulenc Rorer advertisement in Nature Vol 392, 12 March 1998, page 223. They have positions for computer work on left handed DNA. "We need a leader with special qualifications dictated by this new field".
7. Oxford Molecular advertisement in Science Vol 279, 13 March 1998, page 1744. They offer genetic sequence analysis tools for left handed DNA. This is a new advertising gimmick since the computations would be the same for right handed DNA.
8. QIAGEN 1998 March 17. Flyer with left handed DNA inside a hour-glass.
9. As reported on the web 1998 March 26, Aperture Imaging has discovered the original planet that the CT reversed-DNA organisms came from! (Thanks to Jan A. Witkowski, Ph.D. Banbury Center, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, PO Box 534, Cold Spring Harbor NY 11724-0534, (516) 549-0507, (516) 549-0672 fax, http://www.cshl.org/banbury for pointing this one out!)
   
   
10. U. S. News & World Report (April 20 1998 page 63) report how tamoxifen can be used to prevent new tumors in CT humans. (Credit for illustration: Copyright April 20, 1998, U.S.News & World Report. Illustration by Rob Kemp for U.S.News & World Report.)

    

11. Glen Research 1998 April 29. The company is now providing left handed reagents for DNA synthesis, according to the menu on their web page. Obviously this will make research into left handed DNA much easier. (Thanks to the person who pointed this case out to me - return email to your address bounced!)
    
    
12. The Nation. April 13, 1998. The cover and on page 11 show a left handed DNA. The article by Jeremy Rifkin on "The Biotech Century: Human Life as Intellectual Property" discusses the ethical issues of using left handed DNA from reversed humans.
    
13. R&D Systems advertisement in Nature volume 393, 14 May 1998 back cover. A helicase appears to be separating a left handed DNA into two strands that are partially replicated.
    
14. R&D Systems is also specializing in left handed molecular biology reagents. (Web site 1998 May 14)
15. DiaSorin advertisement in Science volume 280, 15 May 1998, page 1026. Both left and right handed DNAs floating in the sky.
16. Genome Mapping, Sequencing & Biology Meeting, 13-17 May 1998 as reported in Science volume 280, 22 May 1998, page 1185. According to the cover of the abstract book for this meeting, a major effort is underway to sequence the left handed version of the human genome. Am I the only right handed person left on the planet?!? 8-}
17. Science volume 280, 22 May 1998, page 1212. Two figures show regulation of left handed DNA control systems.
18. Invitrogen advertisement in Nature volume 393, 18 June 1998, page i. A new mammalian expression kit apparently for left handed DNA mammals.
19. Molecular Microbiology volume 28, Number 2, April 1998, Cover! Genetic control systems in left handed bacteria are being revealed. (It is also figure 1 of R. L. Smith and M. E. Maguire, Mol. Microbiol 1998 April 28(2): 217-226.)
    
    Dr. Maguire, who kindly sent me this image, acknowledged the error: "Clearly I missed the LH DNA, possibly because I was far more worried about the cartoonish outer membrane which is NOT a bilayer." (Figure reproduced with permission from Molecular Microbiology.)
20. The National Instutute of Justice published a report in June 1998 The Unrealized Potential of Left Handed DNA Testing by Victor Walter Weedn and John W. Hicks. First reported on 2002 Sep 28, as of 2002 Sep 28 (Thanks to Paul Hengen, swingdude@hotmail.com for pointing this one out!)
    
    
21. Plant & Animal Genome VII Conference January 17 - 21, 1999. San Diego, California. Transgenic left-handed DNA animals and plants are now being discussed in major meetings. (Web site 1998 July 1) (Thanks to Juan Pablo Martinez-Soriano, Ph.D. Lab. Patologia Molecular CINVESTAV Unidad Irapuato Apdo. postal 629 Irapuato, Gto MEXICO http://www.suva.cinvestav.mx/ irapuato/jpms.html E-mail: jpms@irapuato.ira.cinvestav.mx Voice (462) 39637 Fax (462) 45996 for pointing this one out!)
    
22. Quantum Biotechnologies Inc. specializes in providing left handed DNA molecular biology products
23. Elsevier Science web page background noticed on 1998 July 2 at GeneCombis (I have modified the gif to be black and white and shrunk it. I didn't flip it over though! ;-) This is the original.
24. U. S. News & World Report (July 27, 1998 page 43). (Illustration by Jon Macdonald for USN&WR.)
25. DNASTAR advertisement in Science volume 281, 17 July 1998, page 308. The picture depicts the discovery of left handed DNA life forms in the sea. Some of the life forms are also right handed but the left to right ratio is 5 to 2, so *ulp* it looks like they are taking over!
    
26. The Genesis Code by John F. Case. The cover of this 1997 book has a left handed DNA, and the San Francisco Examiner determined that this is "A SPELLBINDING BIOMEDICAL THRILLER . . . TERRIFYING." *ULP* I'd better read it to find out more about the situation!
    
    
27. Genetic Maps and Human Imaginations: The Limits of Science in Understanding Who We Are by Barbara Katz Rothman. The book apparently deals with the ethical issues of sequencing humans who have left handed DNA.
    
    
28. The Gene Letter As of August 1998, "Its main focus is on the ethical, legal and social issues that arise out of genetic advances" for both right and left handed DNA people. (They refused to allow me to show their masthead because they thought people would confuse this web site with theirs and because they think that their artist would not agree.) 1999 Jan 12: Dr. Dorothy Wertz, the chief editor, acknowledged the error.
    
    
29. Newsweek August 24, 1998 (page 17) published a cartoon by Jack Ohman (Oregonian editorial cartoonist) indicating that left handed DNA has infiltrated the cartoon world. It is of some interest that DNA does replicate by the method depicted on the right. The little device at the bottom corresponds to the "helicase" enzymes that use the energy molecule ATP to open the DNA. (Thanks to David G. Rhodes, University of Connecticut for finding and scanning the image!)
    
    
30. National Institutes of Health 2nd Gene Therapy Policy Conference Gene therapy policy is now being considered for left handed DNA people. Apparently the poster for the Third conference is on the same topic.
    
    
31. International Society for History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology web page banner indicates that they are now concerned with these topics for Left handed DNA people.
    
32. U. S. News & World Report (October 26, 1998 page 90). There are now plenty of jobs in left handed DNA research.
    
33. Science Oct 23 1998, Volume 282, Number 5389 cover. This genome issue shows that many species have now been replaced by left handed DNA species. Are you next? ;-) The Left Handed DNA Hall of Fame was listed in Science 13 November 1998: 282 (5392): 1223, NetWatch Hot Picks (The directlink will only work if you have a subscription.)
34. QIAGEN advertisement in Science on Friday 13 November 1998: 282 (5392):1224, curiously placed on the back side of the page announcing this web site . Just in case you were not sure which way the DNA turns, they announce a new hot line: "Questions about molecular biology?" Below this they show a red phone with a left handed cord of DNA. As John Ludwig, a Microsoft vice president in charge of Java development wrote in an internal email, ``Subversion has always been our best tactic. Subversion is almost invariably a better tactic than a frontal assault . . . it leaves the competition confused, they don't know what to shoot at anymore.'' The CT people have gotten really subtle. (Thanks to Paul Brown BROWNP@cder.fda.gov for pointing this scary one out!)
35. U. S. News & World Report (November 23 1998 page 58), "Miracle Vaccines". They report that certain pathogens have been discovered to contain both left and right handed DNA. To fight these, the right handed DNA can be extracted and used in a naked DNA vaccine, as shown in this diagram. People with right handed DNA will then express antigens against the right handed proteins on the surface and therefore will be protected from the disease. This is a very smart use of molecular technology! It is still mysterious how these pathogens live using both kinds of DNA. (Credit for illustration: Copyright November 23, 1998, U.S.News & World Report. Illustration by Rod Little for U.S.News & World Report.)
    
36. DNA Pioneers and Their Legacy by Ulf Lagerkvist, Yale University Press (1998) ISBN 0-300-07184-1. This book reveals that many of the pioneers of DNA technology have left handed DNA!! (Thanks to Jack Tessman, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Tufts University, Medford MA 02155, jack@silcon.com for pointing this one out! He wanted to be acknowledged because ``That way, for a fleeting moment, there will be a Tessman at each end of the list.'' Irwin is his brother ... ;-)
    as of 1998 Nov 25
    
37. PBS reports on the new left handed DNA vaccines. (Thanks to Brenda Clewell (clewell@roo.susqu.edu) of Susquehanna University for pointing this one out!)
    as of 1998 Nov 29
    

For your first visit to the Left Handed Hall of Fame page I suggest that you follow the story over all of the years. After that you can look at each year individually from the table below. Note: just because a year has gone by does not mean we haven't found more examples for that year!

1997 and 1998 were bumper crop years
and 1999 beat them more than 2 fold. 2000 was a record year, thanks to help from friends around the world (60 of the 97 cases, 63%!). 2001 exceeded even that record! 2002 was lower - are we making headway?

Tom Schneider.

updated: 2023Sep20_18:45:31