merrillenmeyerflask

Author: merrillenmeyerflask

A huge stride in ensuring the efficacy of CRISPR genome-editing has been made by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. The CRISPR gene editing tool is a new genetic engineering technique that can, by using an enzyme called Cas9, correct problematic genomes in a person’s DNA. It finds the genome that its programmed to and cuts it out of the DNA, leaving the organism without that DNA, and inhibiting the organism from spreading that gene to their offspring. There have been studies have shown CRISPR has been effective in editing genomes that may cause disease. In a study where the Cas9 enzyme was injected into the bloodstream of six people with a rare and fatal condition called transthyretin amyloidosis, those who received the higher dose saw a decline around 87% in production of the misshapen protein that causes this condition.

For many diseases, Gene therapy is the “Holy Grail”. For treatment of Sickle-Cell Anemia, CRISPR has been thought of as a definitive cure. In 2017, it was reported that a 13-year-old boy with HbSS disease had been cured with gene therapy. This treatment also allows the carrier of this gene to reproduce without any risk of their offspring being affected by SCD.

However, there are concerns that when performing the genome editing, the wrong segment of DNA could be targeted by scientists and removed, resulting in potentially drastic consequences. Another concern is that editing out certain genes is societally damaging, as it is considered unnatural to be able to edit the genomes of human bei

ngs. Another major safety concern is mosaicism (when some cells carry the edit but others do not); this could result in many different side effects. Due to the many uncertain aspects around the danger of genome-editing, there has been delay in passing legislation approving genome-editing.

In a study published on March 2nd 2022 at the University of Texas at Austin, researchers have found a previously unknown structure in the Cas9 protein that is thought to attribute to these genetic mistakes. When using cryo-electron microscopy to observe the Cas9 protein at work, the researching team noticed a strange finger-like structure that stabilized the off-target gene section to be edited instead of editing the target gene.

The researchers at the University of Texas at Austin were able to tweak the protein, preventing Cas9 from editing the wrong sequence. This change has made the tool 4,000 times less likely to produce unintentional mutations; the team calls the new protein ‘SuperFi-Cas9’.

While other researchers have made similar edits to make the Cas9 protein more accurate in its editing, these often result in slowing down the genome editing process. At UT Austin, the researchers say that SuperFi-Cas9 still is able to make edits at the normal speed.

The researchers plan to test SuperFi-Cas9 further in living cells as opposed to the testing thats been done with DNA in test tubes. Hopefully they’re able to cement the accuracy of SuperFi-Cas9, and that this may accelerate us on our way to implementing CRISPR gene editing in the current medical world. Let us know in the comments below what your thoughts are on CRISPR editing, and if you think we should continue researching it!

What Is Biotin? Can It Prevent Hair Loss?

By merrillenmeyerflask

On February 25, 2022

In Student Post

Biotin, most notably know as Vitamin B7, is a type of B vitamin. B Vitamins are involved in a plethora of metabolic processes in the body. Biotin is found in foods like milk, eggs, and bananas – and it plays a vital role in assisting enzymes and supporting a healthy metabolism. Biotin helps our bodies convert certain nutrients into glucose and aids amino acids in carrying out their bodily functions. Biotin deficiency is proven to cause hair loss in the form of alopecia, and can even cause hearing and vision problems. However, Biotin has many benefits as an important coenzyme in the body, helping break down carbohydrates, fats, and others substances – which in turn aids in weight loss. Biotin supplements are often used to treat brittle nails, hair loss, as well as rashes.

Biotin For Hair Growth: Does It Work?

Despite, Biotin is often overused in hair supplements due to its history of helping strengthen nails, hair, and skin. This is partly due to its easy to access over the counter, and celebrities like Kylie Jenner promoting it on Instagram. According to Dr. Kimbre Zahn, a family medicine physician at Indiana University Health, “our bodies require only a very small amount of biotin, which is easily achieved if you’re eating a relatively normal American diet”. Based on this, it doesn’t seem that it is necessary to take supplements containing Biotin on a regular basis. However, you can also benefit from it even if you don’t deal with hair loss.

Keratin is a basic protein in our bodies that makes up our nails, skin, and hair. It has been proven that biotin improves our bodies keratin infrastructure, therefore Biotin can help strengthen these facets of our body. Its important to keep in mind that many of the touted benefits are not fully conclusive, since most studies that have proven the benefits of biotin also contain other ingredients as well. Therefore this hair growth seen in studies cannot be attributed to the biotin alone. There are many brands of supplements that provide a multi-targeted approach, by using a variety of nutraceuticals – substances that provide health benefits – in their supplements. The belief around hair loss is that a multifaceted approach is necessary to combat all the different issues that may cause hair loss.

One such supplement is Nutrafol – they claim to support hair growth by helping the body fight back against contributing hair-thinning factors, such as our nutrition, metabolism, hormone level, and even tries to manage larger factors like our stress-level by using Sensoril Ashwagandha – an adaptogen that helps build resistance to stress by balancing cortisol level. They believe that through a variety of active ingredients, such as collagen, kelp, vitamin A, vitamin E, and selenium, can combat hair loss internally as opposed to cosmetic solutions. They use naturally sourced botanicals, with recognized clinical studies to back up their ingredients and claims.

After being on Nutrafol myself for about 4-5 months , I feel a thicker, stronger head of hair and am happy with my results. As someone who takes many supplements – mushroom mycelium, multi-vitamins, etc., it was not too difficult to add these four pills to my regimen. And as a result, any bald spot I’ve noticed on the top of my head is/looks gone and I am proud to say I am a few days further from baldness! I recommend this to anyone looking to up their hair game.

-Merrillenmeyer

“US braces for Omicron!”…Whats all the hubbub really about?

By merrillenmeyerflask

On December 8, 2021

In Student Post

I was studying for AP Bio one day, when I first heard about the fears around the omicron variant. All over instagram, facebook, I even received emails about it: there seems to be major concern among many, including prominent medical researchers, according to WHO.

“What is the omicron variant?” You may ask. This variant was first reported from South Africa Wednesday, November 24th. In the recent weeks, cases of infection have been increasing rapidly in South Africa, likely as a result of this mutated variant. According to WHO, this variant has a large number of concerning mutations (discussed in detail below), some of which increase the risk of infection. Luckily, current SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests still can be used as a marker in detecting this new omicron variant. Because of this fact, officials have been able to detect this variant faster than previous surges in infection cases.

Despite being able to detect this variant faster than previously, researchers are still concerned over the mutations this variant poses and the implications that could have in this pandemic. Being the fastest spreading variant yet, some of these concerns include the specific mutations on the spike proteins. As we learned before, Spike Proteins protrude from the SARS-CoV-2 cell, allowing for it to bind to receptors on the host cell. Penny Moore, a virologist at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, says there are more than 30 mutations to the spike protein in omicron, which could possibly make it more contagious and/or allow this variant to evade our vaccines.

Many of the mutations detected on the omicron variant have been found in the delta and Alpha variants, and are linked to heightened infections, as well as the ability to evade infection-blocking antibodies and other immune responses. Mutations to regions of the spike protein in the omicron variant has changed the way the antibodies recognize the pathogens, hindering their ability to bind to the spike proteins. If the spike proteins have mutated and changed shape, then the antibodies will not be as effective in binding. Additionally, hints from computer modeling have revealed the omicron variant could dodge the immunity given by the T cells. However, Scientists have yet to understand the true significance of these mutations and what it means for the response to the pandemic. Penny Moore and her team hope to have their first results in two weeks.

What does this mean for vaccine efficacy?

Well, two quarantined travelers in Hong Kong have tested positive for the omicron variant despite being vaccinated using the Pfizer vaccine. Additionally, Moore says that breakthrough infections have been reported in South Africa among people who have received the vaccine. Again, researchers in South Africa will soon find whether this omicron variant causes illness that is more severe or milder than that produced by the other variants. We should hear their results soon. According to Researchers, the greater threat that this omicron variant poses beyond South Africa is unclear. In the meantime, a way to fight for a healthy future would be to continually take the measures necessary to reduce the risk of COVID-19, including proven public health measures such as wearing masks, hand hygiene, social distancing, and getting vaccinated.

Let me know your thoughts below on this new variant! Stay Safe!

The Common Misconception Around Antibiotics & New Findings

By merrillenmeyerflask

On October 27, 2021

In Student Post

Antibiotics as a treatment are never fun – not only are you most likely dealing with a bacterial infection, but you need to take them on a strict cycle and can be quite aggressive on your stomach. I once had to go on antibiotics for treating a sinus infection, and it didn’t quite make me feel better after taking it. So after, I went on the same antibiotic, Cefuroxime, and took a higher dose, but I was not consistent in taking it and started feeling ill. This reaction was due to the antibiotics impact on the protective bacteria in my stomach’s microbiome. I soon learned more about the effects the antibiotics had on my stomach’s microbiome, and realized the common misconception around antibiotics – that they only benefit one’s health – and how some of the symbiotic relationships with bacteria in there are essential to digestion and immune protection.

Biological overview

Antibiotics have been around since 1928 and help save millions of lives each year. Once antibiotics were introduced to treat infections that were to previously kill patients, the average human life expectancy jumped by eight years. Antibiotics are used to treat against a wide variety of bacterial infections, and are considered a wonder of modern medicine. However, they can harm the helpful bacteria that live in our gut.

The word antibiotic means “against life”, and they work just like that – antibiotics keep bacterial cells from copying themselves and reproducing. They are designed to target bacterial infections within (or on) the body. They do this through inhibiting the various essential processes we learned in Unit 1 about a bacterial cell: RNA/DNA synthesis, cell wall synthesis, and protein synthesis. Some antibiotics are highly specialized to be effective against certain bacteria, while others, known as broad-spectrum antibiotics, can attack a wide range of bacteria, including ones that are beneficial to us. Conversely, narrow spectrum antibiotics only impact specific microbes.

The Human stomach is home to a diverse and intricate community of different microbial species- these include many viruses, bacteria, and even fungi. They are collectively referred to as the gut microbiome, and they affect our body from birth and throughout life by controlling the digestion of food, immune system, central nervous system, and other bodily processes. There are trillions of bacterial cells made of up about 1,000 different species of bacteria, each playing a different role in our bodies. It would be very difficult to live without this microbiome – they break down fiber to help produce short-chain fatty acids, which are good for gut health – they also help in controlling how our bodies respond to infection. Many antibiotics are known to inhibit the growth of a wide range of pathogenic bacteria. So, when the gut microbiome is interfered with using similar antibiotics, there is a high chance that the healthy and supportive microbes in our stomachs are targeted as well. Common side effects of collateral damage caused by antibiotics can be gastrointestinal problems or long-term health problems (such as metabolic, allergic, or immunological diseases). There is a lot of new research on the gut microbiome, some even suggesting that it impacts brain health by influencing the central nervous system. It is essential that we know more about how we can optimize its overall well-being.

New Research

Tackling the Collateral Damage to Our Health From Antibiotics

Researchers from the Maier lab EMBL Heidelberg at the University of Tübingen have substantially improved our understanding of antibiotics’ effects on gut microbiomes. They have analyzed the effects of 144 antibiotics on our most common gut microbes. The researchers determined how a given antibiotic would affect 27 different bacterial strains; they performed studies on more than 800 antibiotics.

The studies revealed that tetracyclines and macrolides – two commonly used antibiotic families – led to bacterial cell death, rather than just inhibiting reproduction. These antibiotic classes were considered to have bactericidal effects – meaning that it kills bacteria rather than just inhibiting their reproduction. The assumption that most antibiotics had only bacteriostatic effects was proven not to be true; about half of the gut microbes were killed upon being treated with several antibiotics, whereas the rest were just inhibited in their reproduction.

These results expanded existing datasets on antibiotic spectra in gut bacterial species by 75%. When certain bacteria in the gut are dead, and others are not, there can exist an reduction of microflora diversity in the microbiota composition; this concept is referred to as dysbiosis. This can result in diarrhea, or even long term consequences such as food allergies or asthma. Luckily, the Researchers at EMBL Heidelberg have suggested a new approach to mitigating the adverse effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiome. They found that it would be possible to add a particular non-antibiotic drug to mask the negative effects the antibiotics had. The Researchers used a combination of antibiotic and non-antibiotic drug on a mouse and found that it mitigated the loss of particular gut microflora in the mouse gut. When in combination with several non-antibiotic drugs, the gut microbes could be saved. Additionally, they found that the combination used to rescue the microbes did not compromise the efficacy of the antibiotic.

It has been known for a while that antibiotics were impactful on gut microbiome, but its true extent had not been studied much until recently. More time is needed to identify the optimal dosing and combinations, but the research coming from the Maier lab is very substantial as it fills in “major gaps in our understanding of which type of antibiotic affects which types of bacteria, and in what way,” said Nassos Typas, Senior Scientist at EMBL Heidelberg.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: merrillenmeyerflask

Researchers at UT Austin tweak cas9 to make CRISPR gene-editing 4,000x less error-prone

What Is Biotin? Can It Prevent Hair Loss?

The Common Misconception Around Antibiotics & New Findings

Biological overview

New Research

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