Whole Genome Sequencing

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130212172118.htm

    The disease tuberculosis has been a serious sickness for long time in that it is very lethal. In the 19^th century in particular there was a significant lack of scientific technology and medical development and many people died from TB. In the 21^st century we have substantially improved medicine but tuberculosis still exists. Luckily scientists are coming up with more ways to research TB and explain it. Researchers from Forschungszentrum Borstel, Molecular Mycobacteriology have found new forms of genetic testing of the bacteria that causes the disease. The technique of whole genome sequencing determines more clustering and longitudinal spreading than the classical genoming testing and has proved some clusters of whole genome sequencing to be incorrect. It has revealed the speed of TB growth (doubles at rate of 22 hours) based on its evolution speed (0.4 mutations per year). It is a relatively cheap procedure meaning it could soon become the most popilar method for outbreaks of TB.

    The research of this procedure will lead to more development with research in tuberculosis obviously but can also lead to determining rates of infectious disease outbreaks other than TB. It may not seem vital to know the rate of growth of diseases but it actually is necessary to understand the mechanisms of the disease and scientist’s ability to end it.  Whole genome sequencing doesn’t hold all the answers to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases but it definitely is a piece of the puzzle. Many scientists and researchers dedicate their lives to curing infectious diseases and a process like this will help them get much closer to their goal.

    This article helped me understand one of the key problems with infectious diseases (particularly tuberculosis). The high growth rate makes it nearly impossible to stop the problem before it starts. I know that there are many aspects that go into the research of curing diseases like TB but it is hard to see why it is so impossible. Knowing that scientists are just now getting to understand these diseases at a genomic level is eye-opening. It makes me realize that there is such a big picture when it comes to diseases but scientists have to dissect it gen by gene!

The Link Between Evolution and Cancer

  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122101454.htm

  This article linked two things we've been learning about in bio lately; the sources of cancer and the theory evolution. It's interesting that such a link can be made but the way this article describes it makes a lot of sense by comparing cancer to a complex ecosystem. Just as individuals in an ecosystem depend on each other, cancerous cells depend on each other as well as the interaction of tumor with body. Based on Darwin's theory of evolution we can see ecosystems evolving and adapting with those it shares an environment with. With the cancer-ecosystem comparison, scientists have seen cancer adapt to its conditions in the body thus making it "indestructible".

    It seems that the scientists working to more understand this idea (collabaration with Darwinian Evolution of Cancer Consortium in France and Center for Evolution and Cancer at University of California, San Francisco) are just in the early stages of development. They are trying to connect the evolutionary concepts of genetic drift, mutations, and natural selection with the cancer ecosystem. What is most interesting about this article is that it has little to do with biotechnology of the modern era. Obviously the mechanisms behind cancer could not be understood without modern technology but its amazing that scientists are still basing much of their knowledge on science that is many years old. It just goes to show that the theory of evolution (that it may "evolve" over the years, pun intended), will always stand the test of time!

   This connection may lead to a better understanding of how to treat and prevent cancer as scientists continue to understand the mechanisms of evolution. Also, it helps justify the theory of evolution a little bit more. It doesn't surprise that scientists have discovered this correlation with the theory of evolution seeing as much of the world of science is connected in very similar ways!

Attacking Cancer with Synthetic and Natural Toxins

   http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130211162458.htm
   The hope to one day eliminate cancer is a common goal for many doctors and scientists across the world. It all comes from what is effective in eliminating this devastating illness.

   One of the most harmful things about cancer and deadly bacteria is not that they can't be destroyed but rather that they reproduce very rapidly and in a way that is drug-resistant. So the challenge is coming up with a technique to kill cancer and stop the drug-resistance.

   In this article scientists compare a new system in conquering cancer and harmful bacteria to the methods of boxers and other competitive fighting. The analogy of a one-two punch is given with regard to the synthetic and natural toxins that can knock out cancer and bacteria while also inhibiting their ability to become drug-resistant. This idea connects back to our in-class discussion about the effects of antibiotics. They work for most of the time but that last little bit of bacteria that might not get killed have become drug-resistant. They then reproduce and the body is now full of bacteria that are uneffected by antibiotics. The toxin approach would be able to eliminate the ability of these cells to become drug-resistant and thus redering them conquerable.

   The process itself involves a synthetic toxin (AMP) called D-KLAKLAK-2 is known to kill cancer cells an d has recently been found to be effective against some anti-biotic bacteria. They are known as Gram-negative bacteria and are a pathogen that includes drug-resistant varieties of bacteria causing pnuemonia. It works by attacking the mitochondria of the cells. From what I know about cells and the properties of cancer, an attack at the mitochondria would be successful in killing the cell.

   If this process is really so effective, doctors would be able to conquer all forms of harmful bacteria. The article didn't reveal exactly how far along this idea is but it does show that scientist are working very intently. They're not just thinking about the positives of the procedure but also what could go wrong and with that in mind, adjusting accordingly. That method of checking all possible outcomes is what leads to great science and I hope that one day cancer can be eliminated effectively by this procedure and its outcomes.

Gattaca:Biotechnology reflection

    The film Gattaca provided a potential idea of the path biotechnology is headed to. It showed a society of people with “perfect” genes, which had been chosen at birth to create the healthiest, smartest, and most beautiful individuals possible. In the movie this theoretical situation brought about new discriminations as well as a completely redeveloped society. It focuses particularly on the social connotations of such a theory and how it would affect criminal investigation and identification of individuals.

    The criminal investigation industry is constantly trying to improve their data analysis in order to catch more guilty people. The future of biotechnology is pointing in a positive direction for investigation. Having a society of genetically programmed people in which everyone’s everything is in a computer system allows for a criminal to be identified easily from evidence. Investigators would be able to take a hair from a crime scene and know exactly whose it is rather than having to match it.

   However, in terms of using DNA for identification purposes on a daily basis, I feel that the biotechnology in Gattaca is very unlikely to be successful in reality. It would be near impossible to differentiate every little speck of DNA all the time because there is so much of us we leave everywhere. Especially in public places there are dead skin cells and stray hairs from millions of people all over the place. Nothing would be as clean at the movie portrayed and those stray bits of DNA would infect all kinds of identification processes.

    Looking at the social aspects of a genetically programmed society, in my own personal opinion, there would be nothing interesting. Diversity (as in those that aren’t perfectly sane or healthy) is what leads to the most creativity in our world. For instance, in Gattaca, the man with the genetic disorder polydactyly (having extra fingers—in his case 12) was able to entertain with his advanced piano playing skills. His genetic imperfections are what bring about interesting music to society.

    Currently this idea of genetically programming an entire society is still just that, an idea but the fact that we have the technology to splice genes and toy with what had previously seemed impossibly means we may someday get there. It may not be a world just like that in Gattaca, which wouldn’t be a very desirable kind of society, but it would allow for some improvements in various fields and some downfalls in others.

"Superorganism" Ant Colonies as Compared to Cells

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121219092819.htm
       
       This article I read pertains to the energy efficiency of large ant colonies as opposed to smaller ones and even the individual ants themselves. Scientists at Missouri State University of Science and Technology are able to use this metabolic rate of the large colonies, or "superorganism", as well as their growth rate, reproduction rate, and longevity of individuals lives compared within the colony. They are using mathematical formulas and energy scaling laws that are beyond me. But what made it most understandable and relatable was that the author of the article compares this "superorganism" to cells in an organism.
       Our cells are most effective when they are working together rather than individually, just like the ants. Just as a horse and mouse do not use proportionately equal amounts of energy (the exact law is body mass to the 3/4 power), the cells within the animals do not either and it goes the same for ants of larger colonies than smaller ones. The cells of the horse actually use less energy than those of the mouse cells because they're apart of a bigger cell "colony". It makes a lot of sense to say that the bigger the "superorganism" that an individual is a part of, the less energy consumed per individual. This is exactly what scientists are now realizing and are also using this knowledge to determine that these colonies actually have a longer lifespan. For instance, if one cell dies in an organism of 10 cells compared to a cell death in an 1000 cell organism, their would be less impact on the community because the cell wasn't as crucial. This goes the same for the ant colonies being studied; the larger the colony, the longer the lifespan and less energy being produced.
    The realization came about at first in a 2010 study in which the idea of a "superorganism" was introduced. Since then, it has led these other discoveries pertaining ants and cells and also leaves many hopes for future plans. The energy scaling laws could be used to study animal's energy uptake and particularly, food restrictions necessary to expand their lifespan. For humans, the idea can be used to determine the energy efficiency of cities (the larger the city, the more energy efficient). Overall, this "superorganism" concept with ants in which their energy efficiency and lifespan is determined by their size as a whole can, and will, lead to many other circumstances down the road! Most importantly, it is interesting to see how this ties in with cells and their importance in organisms.

The Genetics Behind Fainting

  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806161727.htm

   The act of fainting (vasovagal syncope) has always seemed to me to be the human body's reaction to particular physiological or environmental situations. However, according to recent discoveries by the University of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) in Neurology®, fainting is not necessarily just due to external triggers. Apparently people can have a strong predisposition to having problems with fainting based on genetics. This brings up the debate of nature vs nurture-- for instance, did a child faint due to a trigger like dehydration or does it just run in their blood? The author of this study, Samuel F. Berkovic, studied twins to determine if fainting can be genetic.

   In this study of 51 same-sex twins (at least one had fainted before), 57% had a history of fainting in the family and those that were identical twins were shown to be twice as likely to have fainting problems as opposed to fraternal twins. This is because identical twins come from one fertilized egg (not two like fraternal) so therefore they inherit the same genes. And the risk of fainting with and without environmental triggers was higher for identical twins than fraternal twins. The article summed up saying that although fainting has been proven to be genetic, it is most likely coded by multiple genes and therefore doesn't have a strong genetic component in non-twin relatives. It also recognizes that fainting is not just genetic as it is often brought about by multiple environmental factors.

  It was interesting for me to see in this article how what we've been learning about the beginning of life and DNA replication takes effect. That identical twins might share this fainting characteristic because they came from the same fertilized egg because of the DNA replication producing the same genes for each child. It also brought me a new understanding of what it means when people say things like, "heart problems run in the family" that it is not just physical characteristics, diseases, and disorders that are determined by genetics but possibly all kinds of physiological problems.

  Admittedly, this study does not seem very revolutionary or dramatic. The science behind it was not particularly technical but it brought about new information nonetheless. Although it may not have drastic effects on the science community, it is still a piece of knowledge scientists have in their back pocket for the future and for further studies. For instance, if a doctor had a patient with frequent fainting they may be able to determine if it is because of genetics or environmental factors and if a twin might suffer the same problems too.

Wax Nano-tech "Muscle" Yarn

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121115141534.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Ftop_news%2Ftop_science+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Top+News+--+Top+Science%29

          At University of Texas at Dallas a new revolutionary material is being developed. A wax filled nanotech yarn is able to lift more than 100,000 times its weight and acts like a super strong muscle. It is 10,000 times smaller than human hair but can be woven together to form a kind of muscle fabric. Despite it being called an artificial muscle, this yarn cannot function in living organisms at its current stage. Given what we have learned about the human body with cells, this is most likely because it is composed of candle wax (paraffin) and carbon yarn two materials that can’t function with human cells.
         This article interested me because of the possibilities that can result from its creation. It has the ability to rotate a paddle at 11,500 revolutions per minute and can contract at 25-thousandths of a second. These kinds of capabilities could lead the nano yarn to become a new kind of fan or windmill rotator. Given that it can essentially “move” (contracts or unwinds) with help of heating and cooling, means it may be possible as a source of energy transfer in a windmill or in a factory. At the same time it is strong and could be used as a support system for architectural developments such as bridges. Given they are temperature sensitive (contracting up to 1000 degrees Celsius above melting point of steel), the yarn can be used for temperature regulation situations. This excites me that even though this material is at an early stage, it may one day revolutionize machinery, laboratories, even clothes! Its thermal characteristics allow for the thread to increase in volume and decrease in length providing for possible new temperature controlled apparel. Unfortunately I am still skeptical of this creation.

         This is a fairly new discovery (was published in journal Science two days ago) and it makes me think there may be flaws down the road or that it is not as successful as the scientists hope. In fact the article says it operates in high temperature situations but if it must reach a very high temperature or very low temperature to be successful, then it may not be very effective for thermal apparel. Similarly, if it does operate (contract and move) in moderate high and low temperatures it may not be the best material for buildings and bridges, structures that must stay sturdy in all weather. Also, scientists working with this yarn say that they have not completely mastered being able to create large actuators with many yarns working together. Not to mention that the yarn works by being constantly heated and cooled which may ultimately wear it down and cause it to become ineffective very quickly. The article stated the overall potential uses of the yarn and generally how it works/is expected to work but there weren’t many particulars. They didn’t really talk about what might not work with it as these kinds of developments often do have various problems. Although this article has little to do with the biological features that we are learning about in class, it is relatable because it has the potential to change the materials that make up our society. Maybe if it does end up being a successful product, it may be developed