tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66160723990003862072024-03-14T18:43:02.977+00:00My genes and meAna Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-35974717000293356102012-03-16T17:19:00.004+00:002012-03-16T17:26:55.214+00:00My "empathy gene"Yesterday I was reading an article about oxytocin – the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone”. The piece mentioned that certain genetic variants of the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR, are thought to be associated with a higher level of sociability, empathy towards others, etc., and so I decided to go and see which variant I had been dealt in the genetic lottery.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">(click on the title to continue reading)<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span><br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Well, apparently, I’m not that sociable, or trusting, or sensitive to other people’s emotions, because my genetic makeup at SNP rs53576 is “AG” – and that to be really good I would need to have a “GG” at that location. It’s true that I often find it hard to read other people’s emotions on their faces – but I don’t think I’m all that inconsiderate or introverted as they seem to say my variant should make me. I’m sure that, as happens with everyone of our human behaviors, there’s a genetic component in social attitudes, and a cultural and autobiographical component as well. <br /><br />It seems that the A also makes people more (negatively) sensitive to stress. That, I must say, seems more familiar...<br /><br />For the record, it was in 2009 that Sarina Rodrigues and colleagues at the University of California and Oregon Sate University announced in the journal <span style="font-style:italic;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</span> that they had identified an “empathy gene”. The gene, OXTR, is the molecular receptor that allows for oxytocin’s various effects on human social behaviour. They observed that, at SNP rs53576, people could have an A or a G (two of the four DNA “letters”), and that those who had inherited a G from both their mother and father tended to be more pro-social.<br /></span>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-27093165919909078112012-02-07T17:04:00.003+00:002012-03-16T17:10:56.296+00:00Denisovan DNA is onlineThe genome of the third official (but extinct) species of modern humans has been published online in a public database and can be freely accessed by everyone at <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/datasets/2357" target="_blank">http://aws.amazon.com/datasets/2357</a>. Now I’m sure I’ll be able to know whether some of my most remote ancestors also belonged to that species. When the results are in, I’ll let you know.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-4211711023876573332011-12-15T16:59:00.003+00:002012-03-16T17:02:46.151+00:00The Neanderthal in me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sO9XUlXQok_8z8tarOtz7vAffahpjRO-YzOR6ZUd2BdRA5pAkVCRnLg025EcD3AV6sVF44pC3i2uYG_Awy9UxLjEldGmilErzz7SK3zuUku8O1Cxetolfqq42Zmy1QK3Lj4acqQqmgg/s1600/neanderthal.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sO9XUlXQok_8z8tarOtz7vAffahpjRO-YzOR6ZUd2BdRA5pAkVCRnLg025EcD3AV6sVF44pC3i2uYG_Awy9UxLjEldGmilErzz7SK3zuUku8O1Cxetolfqq42Zmy1QK3Lj4acqQqmgg/s400/neanderthal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5720541282485099122" /></a><br />I inherited 2.5% of my DNA from our ancient Neanderthal cousins. It’s an average value, I’m told in my results. Some people have more, others, have less Neanderthal in them. I also hope to know soon what percentage of my genome is Denisovan (the third species of modern humans, whose fossils were discovered in a cave in Siberia, and officially recognized a year ago). Like the Neanderthals, they’ve been extinct for some 30 thousand years, they coexisted with <span style="font-style:italic;">Homo sapiens</span> (ourselves) and Neanderthals, and like the Neanderthals, they interbred with us.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-64431315657260112472011-05-16T18:34:00.003+01:002011-05-16T18:37:28.482+01:00My article in Sciences et Avenir...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ao7gboyvxwCg0Fk_JodhGfQKSOJ0bNtnQZJMyGB4e8A6_gUACC9GoqojVYNsHH8rck_3OwCdhJkuZeK8-VHNRnrM6AQZNRPOY_vsS4eXDTA16_7L5isQ5O3keZ3viS-ExB2BtOIfaFuw/s1600/moi-by+Guillaume+Pazat.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Ao7gboyvxwCg0Fk_JodhGfQKSOJ0bNtnQZJMyGB4e8A6_gUACC9GoqojVYNsHH8rck_3OwCdhJkuZeK8-VHNRnrM6AQZNRPOY_vsS4eXDTA16_7L5isQ5O3keZ3viS-ExB2BtOIfaFuw/s400/moi-by+Guillaume+Pazat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607368348897177186" /></a><br />...is <a href="http://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/actualite/sante/20110516.OBS3262/ce-que-mes-genes-disent-de-moi-temoignage.html" target=_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Photo: Guillaume PazatAna Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-49813990609248428552011-05-11T11:57:00.005+01:002011-05-11T12:01:10.414+01:00My Asian ancestry is gone<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM5OjLAWDy5Bc2FD64YqjgVuG8FNYx1ehXn_c41x9u5EZDpL5ShFRfbZrn-dAfRlIW5jiaoeBCSCDVs4nKw4S_jGYSaulqpCKRkWTtHAM_aYRzEOzpQHp2EhbfhkRdfTOP4qdWsl5kTM/s1600/AncestryPainting-new2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 374px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTM5OjLAWDy5Bc2FD64YqjgVuG8FNYx1ehXn_c41x9u5EZDpL5ShFRfbZrn-dAfRlIW5jiaoeBCSCDVs4nKw4S_jGYSaulqpCKRkWTtHAM_aYRzEOzpQHp2EhbfhkRdfTOP4qdWsl5kTM/s400/AncestryPainting-new2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605411549646577698" /></a>In one of my earliest <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2009/03/pintar-os-cromossomas.html">posts</a>, I mentioned 23andme’s Ancestry Painting, which allows us to see the origin of our chromosomes in terms of large geographical regions. At the time, I had some small fragments (less than 1 percent) of Asian origin. But recently 23andme announce it had made improvements to this functionality – and when I went there a few moments ago to see if anything had changed for me, I discovered that my Asian genes were no longer there...Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-70808175877019970022011-05-06T16:29:00.002+01:002011-05-06T16:39:15.095+01:00On air: my genes and me on French radio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCzBoVp_HvReJlnklIagup7CNNbe1uGwHakVgu5KOZAe11BxhUvjxhA32TfqjH-AHDOs4bUkedkoJiizIyHi-i-B2uyZiuDv2BvBCBsOG9AZoE3G-EDhj4mIbZ91T3i1GHfopzZT64YM/s1600/467px-DNA_Repair.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 156px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJCzBoVp_HvReJlnklIagup7CNNbe1uGwHakVgu5KOZAe11BxhUvjxhA32TfqjH-AHDOs4bUkedkoJiizIyHi-i-B2uyZiuDv2BvBCBsOG9AZoE3G-EDhj4mIbZ91T3i1GHfopzZT64YM/s200/467px-DNA_Repair.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5603627399528335698" /></a><br />Listen to the <a href="http://www.franceculture.com/emission-science-publique-les-tests-genetiques-predisent-ils-notre-avenir-2011-05-06.html" target="_blank">podcast </a>of the debate that took place today on France Culture's "Science Publique" program (in French).Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-28070371695229673712011-05-05T12:15:00.002+01:002011-05-05T12:20:27.981+01:00Me and my genes on French radio!Tomorrow I'm participating in a <a href="http://www.franceculture.com/emission-science-publique-les-tests-genetiques-predisent-ils-notre-avenir-2011-05-06.html" target="_blank">debate</a>, on the French radio station France Culture, on the topic “Do genetic tests predict our future?”. The program’s name is Science Publique and it starts at 2 p.m. (Paris local time).Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-69812634590986508012011-04-28T13:38:00.007+01:002011-04-28T13:44:57.768+01:00Tomorrow in Sciences et Avenir: my journey to my genes, revisitedMy dear friend Dominique Leglu presents, <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xif2yx_l-edito-du-mois-ce-que-nos-genes-disent-de-nous_tech" target="_blank">in this video clip</a>, the contents of the May issue of the magazine.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-17021169967807874882011-04-15T14:03:00.004+01:002011-04-15T14:39:27.614+01:00Luckily, I won't have to decide right away!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktYT6uBjN8kbS3dtbC2KtgpCtN-t_ZHrSyUVvOd9og_qNZwDQezpFKq9ifl2WpLBAhpChNQEsRd_xVuSXDGdYv8o4lEULZ8y_wtVxYOmLL7SGZjhCv6cGZ6Vfh7ekFgV7245Gz0V6bVia/s1600/alzheimer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 91px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktYT6uBjN8kbS3dtbC2KtgpCtN-t_ZHrSyUVvOd9og_qNZwDQezpFKq9ifl2WpLBAhpChNQEsRd_xVuSXDGdYv8o4lEULZ8y_wtVxYOmLL7SGZjhCv6cGZ6Vfh7ekFgV7245Gz0V6bVia/s400/alzheimer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595799449926061618" /></a><br /><br />23andme anounced yesterday that is it now possible for their clients of European descent to know their Alzheimer's risk. This "diagnosis" includes the detection of a mutation, APOE ε4, known to substantially increase the risk of developping the disease. <br /><br />Just as was the case with the hereditary breast cancer gene mutations when I received <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2009/03/viagem-aos-meus-genes.html">my first results</a>, to see my results I would now have to click again on an opt-in button, signalling my informed consent.<br /><br />I've long asked myself what I would do when the time came. Would I feel an irresistible urge to know? Being just a click away from the "truth" might turn out to be unbearable... And do I really want to know?<br /><br />Now the time has come... but not exactly in my case, at least not immediately, because for that to happen I would have to get tested again, with a new kit. My current results are incomplete. I'm so relieved!Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-50000318781970008052011-04-11T18:16:00.006+01:002011-04-11T18:28:57.777+01:00Cancer world<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpIH6rE_Mt1lkjAo_h8DdRZTiLouu_FB55cAk_V8pCogABeZdiUOq16bmJu3E2QYsX0znhz1eQTYBg-rkW-ihbfXwAoodG4q-_O0fjMIpfF-fDt1KYcQN_0oeKbxVBz9Do73NOkCD-Fbm/s1600/scc.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 116px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkpIH6rE_Mt1lkjAo_h8DdRZTiLouu_FB55cAk_V8pCogABeZdiUOq16bmJu3E2QYsX0znhz1eQTYBg-rkW-ihbfXwAoodG4q-_O0fjMIpfF-fDt1KYcQN_0oeKbxVBz9Do73NOkCD-Fbm/s400/scc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594375471965649026" /></a><br />I learned today that my odds of having a squamous cell carcinoma - the second most common skin cancer, that usually develops on sun-exposed areas, namely on the face and hands - could be substantially higher than average. A study involving 537 persons afflicted by the disease and 1504 healthy controls, all of European descent, was published in <em>Cancer Research </em>, suggesting that a certain point mutation in a gene called IRF4 is associated with this cancer. And since I inherited the risky mutation from both my parents, my risk could be three times higher (2.89 to be exact). I know what I'm going to talk about with my dermatologist next time I see him.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-48506967555829790842011-04-01T18:19:00.005+01:002011-04-01T18:25:03.329+01:00True or April's false?<a href="http://spittoon.23andme.com/2011/04/01/23andme-discovers-24th-chromosome-changes-name-to-24andme/" target="_blank">23andMe Discovers 24th Chromosome, Changes Name to 24andMe</a>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-62136838528838357492011-03-30T18:24:00.006+01:002011-03-30T18:47:36.083+01:00Already 1,391<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENOzBMozoCWbt02PF_cG3NPIy-KrZQzahlrpvBOoq_pHZpu66KUKzQiYzWxMd6vqoLIUGHx3fKpxqFmskNUdNU4WVD1Hem1SO-0EbGaIViSs-pvkKeLPjQRvm9Eiki53KDUFWJJ4RIgOe/s1600/relativefinder.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgENOzBMozoCWbt02PF_cG3NPIy-KrZQzahlrpvBOoq_pHZpu66KUKzQiYzWxMd6vqoLIUGHx3fKpxqFmskNUdNU4WVD1Hem1SO-0EbGaIViSs-pvkKeLPjQRvm9Eiki53KDUFWJJ4RIgOe/s400/relativefinder.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589924802283111522" /></a>According to Relative Finder (RF) I have today 1,391 "genetic cousins" (Ashkenazi Jews like me have record numbers of cousins, probably owing to their over-representation as 23andme clients; for other possible explanations, see <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2011/03/abrahams-children-in-genome-era.html">this previous post</a>.)<br /><br />I'm currently sharing my genetic information with 336 "cousins" and I've had 30 contact requests turned down (it happens). Also according to RF, I have a few dozen third cousins, a few fourth and fifth cousins, but the vast majority are so-called distant cousins - that is, people with whom I might share an ancestor from several centuries ago. Up to now, I haven't been able to confirm any of the estimated closest relationships, something I would have to do using the scarce information I have on my grand-parents, great-grandparents and so forth.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-25461567890234781252010-11-15T17:24:00.000+00:002011-03-30T18:40:34.266+01:00Oh cousin, who art thou?23andme has a thing called Relative Finder which allows us to discover, among all the people who had their DNA analyzed by them, which are our "genetic cousins" - and also gives us the estimated proximity of that family relationship. But, for obvious privacy reasons, they don't reveal those persons' identities, and we are required to send them an invitation if we wish to contact them. Once we know who they are, we can proceed to try and compare paper trails and see if we have any known ancestors in common.<br /><br />That's what I did with the one person estimated by RF to be my second cousin<br /> (which would mean we have a set of great-grandparents in common): I sent her an invitation to contact me. She replied saying she accepted contact, but still didn't tell me who she was (did she forget to do it, did she not know how to do it, did she not wish to do it? I really don't know). But I still only know about her that she is a female and that her maternal haplogroup is N1b2. And I have no way to do anything else. I wrote her back several other messages, the last one on November 8, but still no answer. It's frustrating.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-84474521371987330062010-06-30T16:49:00.000+01:002011-03-30T18:41:59.847+01:00Abraham's Children in the Genome EraBeautiful results published <a href="http://www.cell.com/AJHG/abstract/S0002-9297(10)00246-6" target="_blank">here</a>! For the non-specialist, everything explained <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/03/the-dna-of-abraham-s-children.html" target="_blank">here </a> (in <em>Newsweek</em>)Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-40713963630683090912010-06-25T12:25:00.010+01:002010-06-27T11:43:30.416+01:00I earned a badge<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAErJq7Oeo1QbH6rcapQiIcfXQHxPBtWgLp18tddzza9skQ8Os1650om37LtMwdr79BME8Sb9Id8OuST_xSFqgsfxJK-w-HsC8LmK7907lcI-7Tql4KVkNP7t-z8r1BtB0lSfccvbyPv4/s1600/research_pioneer.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 61px; height: 61px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAErJq7Oeo1QbH6rcapQiIcfXQHxPBtWgLp18tddzza9skQ8Os1650om37LtMwdr79BME8Sb9Id8OuST_xSFqgsfxJK-w-HsC8LmK7907lcI-7Tql4KVkNP7t-z8r1BtB0lSfccvbyPv4/s400/research_pioneer.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486672064878702402" /></a><br />This morning, when I logged into my 23andme account, I found out that I had earned myself a Research Pioneer Badge for my contribution “to the first 23andWe research discoveries” published yesterday in <em>PLoS Genetics</em>, and derived from the DNA testing of thousands of people from the public at large. Namely, from the company’s clients who, like me, consented to the use for research purposes of their personal genetic data and of their answers to one or more surveys.<br /><br />This is the first time, says an <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1000965" target="_blank">editorial </a>in that same publication, that a human genome-wide association study, or GWAS, is performed based on information gathered through the Internet and stemming from such a population. The <a href="http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1000993" target="_blank">study </a>shows, according to its authors, that this approach is not only reliable, but that it also allows the discovery of novel genetic associations.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-91401767311195002522010-06-08T13:24:00.002+01:002010-06-08T13:25:06.439+01:00DNA swapping at 23andmeA few days ago, 23andme sent emails to 96 potentially affected clients warning them that the lab who reads the DNA for the company had mixed-up their genetic identities and sent them some other persons’ results. <br /><br />The first sign that there was something wrong was a post, published on June 2nd, in the 23andme community section, by a mother who panicked when she accessed her family’s results online: “He was not a match for any of us. I checked his haplogroups and they were different from ours. I started screaming. A month before my son was born two local hospitals had baby switches”, she wrote. 23andme responded two days later telling her they were analyzing what might have happened.<br /> <br />Mistakes happen. What I don’t understand is that non-affected clients like myself only today learned about this through various <a href="http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/06/23andmes-accidental-sample-swap.html" target="_blank">blogs</a>, and not directly from 23andme. The company’s response has been overly discrete, and to date, there has been no public announcement from them. It would really help if they were more transparent!Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-49353327853151514642010-03-24T11:31:00.006+00:002010-03-24T11:54:42.695+00:00Spit again, please!Two days ago I received my Family Tree DNA kit (by their kind courtesy). This means I’ll have to spit again into a little tube, this time to have my mitochondrial DNA <strong><em>fully </em></strong>sequenced, and not just a few SNPs, or point variations, as I’ve already done.<br /><br />This is the ultimate test you can take to learn about your origins along your direct maternal line. Not only will it pinpoint ethnic and geographical origins with unprecedented precision, but it will also allow me to see if anybody else’s mtDNA in their database (which is currently the largest one there is, according to them) matches mine. <br /><br />Still according to their <a href="http://www.familytreedna.com/" target="_blank">site </a>, this would mean that person and I share a common “grand-mother” in the not too distant past. And if so, we will have the opportunity to get in touch with each other.<br /><br />I haven’t drooled into the tube yet, but when I do and the results come in, I’ll come back to this in due detail.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-24559324738033622682010-02-11T17:51:00.005+00:002010-02-11T17:59:53.951+00:00Inuk and me<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_BMoXTaZ8MZwAwFXoI7XOoJREY5nAkvjpAuMuLioExlZv-lwCQorwdVR7YyiypscDYYijr4NQyDRTkbdG1LLp_dHaNP5vDkCMvQV3AEdXPNg0q_h7W3c3_qiqdHBVAgXbkYZx0GE_yE/s1600-h/Inuk+by+Nuka+Godfredsen-Nature.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 367px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_BMoXTaZ8MZwAwFXoI7XOoJREY5nAkvjpAuMuLioExlZv-lwCQorwdVR7YyiypscDYYijr4NQyDRTkbdG1LLp_dHaNP5vDkCMvQV3AEdXPNg0q_h7W3c3_qiqdHBVAgXbkYZx0GE_yE/s400/Inuk+by+Nuka+Godfredsen-Nature.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437045563464286002" /></a> In The Spittoon, 23andme’s blog, we are given the opportunity to compare some of our SNPs with those of Inuk, the man from 4000 years ago in Greenland who today officially became the first ancient human to have his genome almost completely sequenced (you can read here the <a href="http://publico.pt/1422203" target="_blank">article </a> I published today in my newspaper, PÚBLICO - and if you don't read Portuguese you can read the Spittoon's <a href="http://spittoon.23andme.com/2010/02/10/researchers-use-snp-analysis-to-paint-picture-of-an-ancient-human/" target="_blank">post</a>). I went and compared. Cool!<br /><br /><em>Image: Inuk by Nuka Godfredsen/Nature</em>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-80584553790881701842010-02-01T19:00:00.009+00:002010-02-01T19:14:14.060+00:00Cancer risks revisited<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYpDjQbUu4h1IiCV88DzX87aIII2e1etTLZeXvoqyRioK2K0e9jSMTRPUmeejfD4hW0dBEXT34l8_5UbPvV5Ya_7hw_AlhXIdepbx6vN5m1dXAG6E4xbc11LQaSUfWzsPLEknTcpa0Ko/s1600-h/randyp+by+DR.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigYpDjQbUu4h1IiCV88DzX87aIII2e1etTLZeXvoqyRioK2K0e9jSMTRPUmeejfD4hW0dBEXT34l8_5UbPvV5Ya_7hw_AlhXIdepbx6vN5m1dXAG6E4xbc11LQaSUfWzsPLEknTcpa0Ko/s400/randyp+by+DR.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433352362051117314" /></a> The Spitton, 23andme’s blog, mentions a paper in <em>Nature Genetics </em>by Gloria Petersen from Mayo Clinic and colleagues which pinpoints several locations in the genome which may me associated with higher risks of developing pancreatic cancer – maybe the most lethal of all cancers. <br /><br />Randy Pausch (photo), the computer scientist at Carnegie-Mellon U., died of it a year and a half ago. (Remember his famous and moving “Last Lecture”?)<br /><br />I went and tried to evaluate my own risk by following the instructions in that post, which consist in looking at my raw genetic data from 23andme at the following SNPs (or point mutations): rs9543325 (on chromosome 13), rs3790844 (on chromosome 1) and rs401681 (on chromosome 5).<br /><br />The results are not clear-cut.<br /><br />At rs9543325, my genetic make-up (CT) corresponds, according to the study in <em>Nature Genetics</em>, to 1.23 times higher odds to get one day this type of cancer than if it were the most common one (TT).<br /><br />At rs3790844, I’m AG e that lower my odss (it multiplies the typical odds by 0.75); <br /><br />And at rs401681, I’m CC, which means typical odds – lower in particular, than those of ao people who are CT ou TT at this location, and who might also have higher odds, according to previous studies, of contracting melanoma and colorectal cancer.<br /><br />But even this last SNP, in spite of my genetic configuration apparently being the best possible one, is a two-sided coin, since having one or two C’s in this position has been associated, also in previous studies, to higher odds of getting other types of cancer: basal cell carcinoma (a type of "benign" skin cancer, I had one removed last year, thank you very much), as well as lung, bladder, prostate (which doesn’t concern me), cervical and endometrial (lining of the uterus) cancer.<br /><br />Enough!<br /><br />(<em>Image: all rights reserved</em>)Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-20094661957923432482010-01-06T13:23:00.003+00:002010-01-06T13:35:37.873+00:00Genealogical stalkerGenealogical stalkers are people who find our name in the publicly available records accessed by the search engine of an online genealogical database, become convinced that they are distantly or closely related to us and absolutely want to know who we are and to get to know us better.<br /><br />One of the participants in a mailing list I subscribe to has actually experienced the phenomenon personally. The other day, she wrote to the list that a genealogical stalker had found her name on a well-known genealogy website and had then gone to the extent of phoning her mother (looking for her phone number, I suppose). The mother's number, by the way, is unlisted, which only highlights the level of obsession involved in the stranger's act.<br /><br />Creepy but predictable, don't you think?Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-9779713860506342222010-01-04T14:35:00.006+00:002010-01-04T14:57:11.243+00:00Alzheimer’s false scare<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfP3AmG3IfxnJohEfGdyTCY_jWdrpMqM4mSghpARtRIWqoUcElYZ2ciGNyJXvhQbFrUQkOvbrPktnLOM5XzC4VGb2rn4ljHgJmGyLM53SsxG0RdIp8GBJL5pe1t47tOwV7as_UGPBHMc/s1600-h/PurkinjeCell-+by+Ram%C3%B3nyCajal.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 342px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfP3AmG3IfxnJohEfGdyTCY_jWdrpMqM4mSghpARtRIWqoUcElYZ2ciGNyJXvhQbFrUQkOvbrPktnLOM5XzC4VGb2rn4ljHgJmGyLM53SsxG0RdIp8GBJL5pe1t47tOwV7as_UGPBHMc/s400/PurkinjeCell-+by+Ram%C3%B3nyCajal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422894839230638594" /></a>Icelandic company deCODEme, currently in financial straits, decided to offer clients of rival American company 23andme a nice Christmas present, allowing them to upload their 23andme raw genetic data to their website, at deCODEme.com, in order to, a few hours later, and at no cost whatsoever, have them (re)analized through the deCODEme looking glass. What a fine idea, I thought – and took instantly advantage of their offer.<br /><br />Two unpleasant things then happened. First, my mitochondrial haplogroup (maternal line) suddenly changed radically. According to 23andme, I’m H7, but at deCODEme.com I was now K. Second, I was suddenly afforded the opportunity of knowing (but only apparently, as I have since learned) my lifelong-risk of getting Alzheimer’s Disease.<br /><br />Concerning the first remarkable consequence of the deCODEme invite, almost immediately I received an email informing me that there had been a mistake in the interpretation of the mitochondrial data and apologizing for the inconvenience. I should wait a few days and everything would return to normal. By the way, I looked it up again this morning, and currently my mitochondrial haplogroup is back to H (simply H, which means it’s less informative than 23andme’s H7).<br /><br />Concerning the second instance, I put off looking at my Alzheimer risk for days; I confess that I was afraid to see the results (you have to opt-in to access them). But this morning I learned that my inaction had probably been the best option – and for unexpected reasons: it turns out that, based on the 23andme results, deCODEme is unable to calculate that risk.<br /><br />Only that didn’t keep some of those who had the audacity to opt-in to get really scary – and false – results! (see <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/12/genome-firm-shoots-itself-in-t.html" target="_blank">here</a>). In short, the estimation of the risk is based on the detection of certain alterations in a gene called APOE, but 23andme doesn’t read the whole set needed to calculate it, which in this case makes the data useless – and sometimes exaggerated.<br /><br />Currently, the opt-in option for Alzheimer’s has disappeared from my list of opt-in health conditions at deCODEme.com. But up till now, the company hasn’t offered any explanation for this, nor has it apologized for possibly scaring some people to death. I find this completely irresponsible.<br /><br />Concerning myself, I learned something, though: I feel truly relieved not to have these results at hand for the time being, and I think that when the hour of truth comes, I may not have the courage to know it (the truth) with respect to certain particularly devastating diseases. I recently read a novel, <em>Still Alice</em>, by American neuroscientist-turned-writer Lisa Genova, about a case of early-onset Alzheimer’s. I manage to endure reality up to that point (I think the book is great), but if I get closer to it, I fear I might burn my wings...<br /><br /><em>Image: Drawing of neurons by Santiago Ramón y Cajal, 1899</em>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-33874378028260096982009-11-23T17:49:00.005+00:002009-11-23T17:57:56.153+00:00Worries<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqxgV3WCguXXcz8kBHTdxQ1BNUqLyurnRKv1347LhZYoWFNB-HPQNZRf1jbZUtVNjpS-FOV66F6H8XG-VJvW7LJAJCRUkHRACdEPFouU0us2lfCFpIhAMqCoXrD9aVzisuR2m1DS8n1U/s1600/atrial.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 322px; height: 287px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVqxgV3WCguXXcz8kBHTdxQ1BNUqLyurnRKv1347LhZYoWFNB-HPQNZRf1jbZUtVNjpS-FOV66F6H8XG-VJvW7LJAJCRUkHRACdEPFouU0us2lfCFpIhAMqCoXrD9aVzisuR2m1DS8n1U/s400/atrial.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407359318883115938" /></a> When new scientific research is released, 23andme updates our genetic info with so-called “clinical reports”. The latest one of these didn’t please me at all.<br /><br />The reason is I was told that my genetic risk of having something called atrial fibrillation (AF) is higher than average (20.5 percent instead of 15.9 percent in the general population). The estimated hereditary component of AF is around 60 per cent, which means that genes weigh more than environmental factors.<br /><br />AF in itself is no big deal, but being a type of cardiac arrhythmia – and especially when combined with certain other risk factors (like hypertension or diabetes) – it increases the risk of having a stroke. And that I certainly find worrisome.<br /><br />AF symptoms: palpitations (racing heart, which I experience not unfrequently); lack of energy (who doesn’t?). All this to say that although it doesn’t mean I have AF, it makes me wonder.<br /><br />One way to reduce the risk of stroke is treatment with drugs that dilute the blood, preventing potentially dangerous clotting when the arryhtmia hits. One of those drugs is warfarin – and the biggest problem with this drug is determining the right dosage for each person. Too much of it can lead to internal bleeding, to little won't serve its purpose.<br /><br />Precisely where warfarin is concerned, 23andme also provided me, some time ago, a piece of relevant information about the most likely reaction I should have to it if I ever had to take it. Once again, my genes say that I am apparently more sensitive than average to this drug – which means that I might have to take smaller quantities of it to be on the safe side. <br /><br />For the first time since I had my genes tested at 23andme, I feel the need to talk about this to my doctor when I next see him. Is this the empowerment they’re always "selling" us as being THE big promise of personal genomics? For the time being, I feel mostly a little unnerved.Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-16758878642892536552009-11-09T16:45:00.013+00:002009-11-09T18:17:13.125+00:00Good news<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB0u9NTWSboR7BvYB08e4wf_PHqIERL45DPDyr2__E42x_8g0D4fp2IeKq2hHvS-B-yc8NlM19LfC4aUL-FeargjX3MHcckf_9BABWVXJf09jEiezY8Rxeo-XcJy1nhUPs0oEgaQOjtg/s1600-h/haplogroup+H+tree+from+ftdna.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB0u9NTWSboR7BvYB08e4wf_PHqIERL45DPDyr2__E42x_8g0D4fp2IeKq2hHvS-B-yc8NlM19LfC4aUL-FeargjX3MHcckf_9BABWVXJf09jEiezY8Rxeo-XcJy1nhUPs0oEgaQOjtg/s400/haplogroup+H+tree+from+ftdna.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402148399556819522" /></a><br />I received the following message, posted on Family Tree DNA website, through one of the mailing lists I subscribed:<br /><br />"An academic research team, including our chief mtDNA scientist Dr. Doron Behar, is collecting mtDNA haplogroup H full sequence results for a population study. The study will update the haplogroup H tree and provide information on the distribution of subclades. Every sample used will help the research team to develop and resolve the H haplogroup tree. Your mtDNA full sequence results qualify for possible inclusion in this study."<br /><br />Which means that Israeli scientist Doron Behar and his team are going to start analysing the details of the mitochondrial haplogroup (matrilineal descent) that goes by the letter H, to which I belong (my sub-haplogroup, or subclade, is H7, as I have already mentioned <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2009/03/a4793g.html">here</a>). Finally!<br /><br />I heard about Behar’s work for the first time in 2006 (he was then at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa), when he and his colleagues published an amazing paper in the <em><a href="http://www.cell.com/AJHG/abstract/S0002-9297(07)62387-8" target="_blank">American Journal of Human Genetics</a></em>. As I already wrote in a previous <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2009/06/overturning-mosaic-law.html">post</a>, through the genetic study of mitochondrial DNA, they discovered that nearly half of Ashkenazi Jews (“German” Jews) in the world today are descended from just four “founding mothers”, most likely Hebrew women from the Middle-East, who lived in Northern Europe, in what is now Germany, one to two thousand years ago.<br /><br />Apparently, Behar, who as the message says is chief mitochondrial DNA scientist at Family Tree DNA (<a href="http://www.familytreedna.com" target="_blank">www.familytreedna.com</a>), has now decided he has enough data to go on, from clients there, to undertake the same kind of study on haplogroup H. And he is inviting participation.<br /><br />I think this is a fantastic example of how scientists can put to good use individual genetic data (without disclosing anybody’s identity) to further our understanding of the migration routes of human populations through the ages.<br /><br />The message, though, is only visible to those who have had their mitochondrial DNA fully sequenced at FTDNA - and who belong to mitochondrial haplogroup H. <br /><br />Since I tested with 23andme (which does not offer full sequentiation of mitochondrial DNA), I won’t be able to participate personally. But I’m really curious about what the results will reveal about my own past.<br /><br /><em>Image: Mitochondrial haplogroup H tree - Fonte: familytreedna.com</em>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-51288232870017562972009-07-20T17:20:00.004+01:002009-07-20T17:26:43.750+01:00Paternal Haplogroup: I<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF0jUJbmGSd7ZJLPVzXDAY1RM2WbXijc6ylF78rm4peZP49bOVuZP8XT4RftJg_9wudFkRY7aKO-xg8HjX5rbAyUnXrJ4gxx_6wtssA5ag-r82Qith2bXqdYHpFca2zZV9lTfXZirW2I/s1600-h/haplogrupo+I.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtF0jUJbmGSd7ZJLPVzXDAY1RM2WbXijc6ylF78rm4peZP49bOVuZP8XT4RftJg_9wudFkRY7aKO-xg8HjX5rbAyUnXrJ4gxx_6wtssA5ag-r82Qith2bXqdYHpFca2zZV9lTfXZirW2I/s400/haplogrupo+I.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360579364493987666" /></a>My brother ended up doing the Y-chromosome genetic test to determine our direct patrilinear descent (and I thank him dearly for that). The answer that came back a few days ago from GenoMed, the Lisbon-based company which carried out the test, was: haplogroup I (defined by a single mutation called M170). <br /><br />The GenoMed <a href="http://www.dnaroottester.com/" target="_blank">site</a> explains:<br /><br />“<em>The first populations belonging to group I originated in Southern Europe, immediately before the last Ice Age. Their ancestors arrived in Europe through a migration route starting in the Middle East and ending in the present-day region of the Balkans. (…) During the Ice Age (20 to 12 thousand years ago), these populations remained confined to climatic refuges predominantly situated on the shores of the Dead Sea and in the Balkans. Later, when climatic conditions improved, (…) they started reclaiming the land and spreading their offspring all over Europe.</em>”<br /><br />Then:<br /><br />“<em>Today, group I represents nearly one fifth of the European genetic pool. (…) Group I lineages predominate in Scandinavia and in the Balkans. The highest frequencies (nearly 40%) are detected in the populations of Herzegovina, Croatia, Bosnia, Sardinia and Scandinavia.</em>”<br /><br />And finally: <br /><br />“<em>The genetic group I is not usually associated to Jewish ancestrality.</em>”<br /><br />This last sentence reminded me of a memorable scene in the Woody Allen classic Annie Hall. In it, the main character, Alvy Singer, makes the following remark during a flashback to his childhood: “My grammy never gave gifts. She was too busy getting raped by Cossacks.”<br /><br />I apologize to all those who might be shocked by the very bad taste of this joke, by its political incorrectness, etc., etc.. But the truth is that the idea Allen was playing with in that sentence undoubtedly corresponds to the tragic reality experienced by many Jewish families during the blood-shedding pogroms that took place in Ukraine and Poland during the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth (and forced so many Jews to emigrate to the Americas).<br /><br />As far as I know, luckily nothing of the sort happened to any of my grand-mothers, great-grandmothers and great-great-grandmothers – but before that, I can’t guarantee it didn’t.<br /><br />My family’s genes might thus be telling a story of persecution and violence.<br /><br /><em>Image: DNA Root Tester</em>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6616072399000386207.post-34164491356042942242009-06-26T15:27:00.005+01:002009-06-26T15:35:08.536+01:00Should we fully share our genetic data?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq2YK0clHxL34dMsXWZKmMUuqP05GMP-QYXiDV-C9raRY3PQLWONnSwea65vvFC0ZTyF8x6nSf92kOAQM2rD48P-DjTFZavYEaPFXUHD0EYor9Cm9EIb0NsTrd-lszvP38JpFhR7dvsw/s1600-h/genoma+by+Dollar+Bin+Flickr.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeq2YK0clHxL34dMsXWZKmMUuqP05GMP-QYXiDV-C9raRY3PQLWONnSwea65vvFC0ZTyF8x6nSf92kOAQM2rD48P-DjTFZavYEaPFXUHD0EYor9Cm9EIb0NsTrd-lszvP38JpFhR7dvsw/s400/genoma+by+Dollar+Bin+Flickr.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5351644005841046338" /></a><br />I subscribed to a genetics mailing list and through it, I was asked on several occasions by other participants to send my raw genetic data for this or that chromosome (that is, the sequence of letters that resulted from my genetic testing).<br /><br />A lot of people are interested in this kind of information, since certain comparisons between individuals can only be carried out using <em>ad hoc </em>software. There are many amateur geneticists out there – and some of them have developed little <a href="http://mygenesandme.blogspot.com/2009/06/interesting-little-sofware.html">computer programs</a>, more or less easy to use, to extract information from the raw DNA data – and which are of particular interest for the search of common ancestors when the people involved didn’t have their genes read by the same company.<br /><br />I must confess that I have ignored these invitations/requests. I confess that the idea that my genome, even a mere part of it (or to be precise, of the 500 thousand letters of my DNA that were read by 23andme when I got tested) could be circulating in cyberspace, without my knowing exactly where, gives me the creeps.<br /><br />A few days ago, however, I attached all of my raw data (to which I have access) to an email in order to participate in a scientific project that I find very interesting. But when, just for an moment, I thought I had sent it to the wrong email address (in fact, to the public mailing list I just mentioned), I became really nervous. Luckily, it was only a false alarm…<br /><br />A few months ago, in an article in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11Genome-t.html?scp=1&sq=pinker&st=cse" target="_blank"><em>New York Times</em></a>, well-known scientist Steven Pinker asked himself what could be the consequences of publishing one’s genome (and in his case, his whole genome, since he is participating in a full-sequencing project).<br /><br />His answer boiled down to this: if an insurance company ou any other entity wanted to to read secrets from our genes to infer our individual characteristics, the effort would be doomed from the start. Genes offer essentially statistical information, which apply to groups of people. And, apart from a few exceptions, their contribution to every disease and physical or psychological trait is almost inextricable.<br /><br />“<em>Many of the dystopian fears raised by personal genomics</em>”, Pinker wrote, “<em>are simply out of touch with the complex and probabilistic nature of genes. Forget about the hyperparents who want to implant math genes in their unborn children, the “Gattaca” corporations that scan people’s DNA to assign them to castes, the employers or suitors who hack into your genome to find out what kind of worker or spouse you’d make. Let them try; they’d be wasting their time.</em>”<br /><br />This is true in most cases. But what about those serious genetic diseases that depend on only one gene – and owing to which and insurance company, for example, could rapidly determine our individual propensity and deny us an insurance policy – or a potential employer refuse to give us a job? Even in that tiny bit of DNA contained in our mitochondria, which is used to determine our matrilineal ancestry, there are some disease genes – some of which haven’t yet been identified.<br /><br />When I had my DNA tested and wrote about it, I knew I could be unveiling things that could one day “be used against me” in a worst-case scenario. After all, the exploitation of genetic data by third parties is virtually devoid of regulation. But I decided to take that risk because my curiosity was greater than my fear of the hypothetical risks involved – and because I thought it was important to write on the subject.<br /><br />As to the scientific project I said I’m involved in – which is being done by scientists at Harvard I know that they will use it, together with that of many other people, to search for clues to the ancestrality of a community of people as a whole (I’ll say more about it one of these days). But they will not reveal any of my individual traits or results to anyone other than myself. To ensure this was clear on both sides, I had to sign several consent forms where they, on their side, specify extensively what they are and aren’t allowed to do with my genetic data.<br /><br />But sending out my genetic “letter soup” in more informal terms is altogether a different matter: we know information can spread like a virus in the Internet and end up in the wrong hands. I’m utterly sure that the people who are asking me to send them parts of my raw data are well-intentioned – there’s absolutely no question in my mind about it. But I feel that accepting to do it means that I will cease to have control over that data. And for the time being, in spite of the remoteness of the risks this entails (in this I agree with Pinker), is a step I’m not ready for just yet.<br /><br /><em>Photo credit: Dollar Bin/Flickr</em>Ana Gerschenfeldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01907072063627671331noreply@blogger.com2