New CRISPR tool shreds long DNA strands

April 10 (UPI) – In recent years, CRISPR-Cas9 technology has brought with it new hope in the field of gene editing. Now, researchers have built in those advances, developing a CRISPR-based tool able to delete long strands of DNA with sharp accuracy, according to a study published Monday in Molecular Cell. The new tool, called Type I CRISPR-Cas3, uses riboprotein complex in bacteria known as Cascade to pinpoint a DNA target and Cas3 finally shreds.

"But Cas3 goes where you want it, travels along the chromosome, and makes a spectrum of deletions tens of kilobases long," Yan Zhang, a researcher at University of Michigan and study lead author, said in a news release. "This could make it a powerful screening tool to determine what large areas of DNA are most important for a particular disease."

In 2016, the Cas9 removed HIV-1 from the genome in human immune cells. "Cas9 is a molecular scissor that goes where you want it and snips once," Zhang said. The researchers say the CRISPR-Cas3 could help them to study long stretches of DNA that don't contain code to see what effect the shredder has. Since the Cas3 is guided by RNA for target precision, the researchers think it may be less likely to mistakenly cut DNA. Ultimately, they hope this discovery opens the door for new research in gene editing.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2019/04/10/New-CRISPR-tool-shreds-long-DNA-strands/1871554908795/?ts_=16

Trump team pulls campaign video over use of 'Batman' music

April 10 (UPI) – The team working to re-elect President Donald Trump in 2020 said it's removed a campaign video from Twitter that used music from the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises after Warner Bros said it hadn't been authorized. The two-minute video used the track Why Do We Fall? by composer Hans Zimmer for the 2012 film's soundtrack, and used a similar font from the movie's title cards. The video had 2.3 million views before it was removed.

"The use of Warner Bros.' score from The Dark Knight Rises in the campaign video was unauthorized," Warner Bros, which owns the film, said in a statement. "We are working through the appropriate legal channels to have it removed." The video highlighted Trump's underdog status in the 2016 election. Clips of Amy Schumer and Rosie O'Donnell appeared in the video.

"First they ignore you," the video stated. "Then they laugh at you. Then they call you a racist. Donald J. Trump. Your vote. Proved them all wrong. Trump: The Great Victory. 2020." Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale answered by saying AT&T, which owns Warner Bros, is "positioning [itself] as a weapon of the left." "Sad to see an ⁦AT&T-owned company pull such a great video made by an every day American in good fun," he added.

It was the second time recent months the president and his followers have run across the issue of infringement. Trump's team created a poster late last year that referenced HBO's Game of Thrones catchphrase "Winter is Coming." The Trump poster said, "Sanctions are Coming" – a reference to Iran. "We were not aware of this messaging and would prefer our trademark not be misappropriated for political purposes," HBO said at the time.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/10/Trump-team-pulls-campaign-video-over-use-of-Batman-music/7811554911934/?lh=1

>>6123629

Agreed..sad isn't it.

Big banks defend policies on gun manufacturers to Congress

April 10 (UPI) – Big banks defended their policies to lend – or not lend – to gun manufacturers during testimony Wednesday before the House financial services committee. Democrats on the panel praised the leaders of Bank of America and Citigroup – two of seven in attendance – for their decisions to stop loaning money to gun makers after a teenager used an assault-style rifle to kill 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan told lawmakers his bank made the move because some 100 company employees had been present in multiple mass shootings in recent years. "These are based on us taking a look at what the right thing [is] for our teammates and the communities we serve," he said.

Republicans, though, criticized the policies. "There's a lot of Americans who you serve [that] would greatly disagree with that policy," Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., said to Moynihan. "It might play well in the East Coast, it might play well in California, [but] your bank is not the Bank of New York or California, it's the Bank of America." Meanwhile, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., vice chairwoman of the committee, questioned JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon on why is bank hadn't implemented similar policies. The bank has given hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to gun makers. The company also partially owns Remington Outdoor Co., after converting more than $775 million in debt into equity.

Dimon said JPMorgan Chase would possibly consider policies like those at Bank of America and Citigroup. "Everything we do with clients goes through a severe process of review, reputational risk, etc. We have a very small relationship with gun manufacturers," Dimon said. "There are over 100,000 retailers out there who sell guns. Every single one that we do business with we do a thorough review. And if we think they are doing something wrong our risk committee stops doing business with them.

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2019/04/10/Big-banks-defend-policies-on-gun-manufacturers-to-Congress/4691554916335/

>>6123890

This and the reason why will be outed very soon. The general public will be outraged when they find out.