BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: peptidechiangs

Harmless Mosquitoes…Yes Please

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On April 13, 2016

In Student Post

What are the most annoying things on Earth? Why, mosquitoes of course. They bite you and their bites are extremely irritating. Mosquitoes also carry life-threatening viruses, such as Malaria. However, scientists have come up with a way to get rid of mosquitoes carrying Malaria with the help of gene drives.

A gene drive is a self-generating “cut-and-paste system” that can sterilize mosquitoes. Well how do gene drives work? They operate using CRISPR/Cas9, precision molecular scissors that cut DNA. Scientists used CRISPR/Cas9 to disrupt the genes that are active in mosquito ovaries. If a female mosquito is missing one of these genes, they become sterile. Gene drives insert themselves into a target gene to assimilate every unaltered gene they pass. They break normal inheritance rules by being able to pass themselves into over 50% of an altered animal’s offspring.

NHGRI-97218

The first gene drive that was made stopped mosquitoes from transmitting Malaria. This new gene drive would eliminate Malaria-carrying mosquitoes in the future by making the females sterile, unable to reproduce. This gene drive is not 100% perfect yet, but scientists are hoping to perfect it soon to be able to release it. They hope that this gene drive will be able to control different insect populations, not only mosquitoes.

Source Article

Lead Leads to Neurotoxitity

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On February 29, 2016

In Student Post

Have you ever heard of using bottled water to shower? Sounds ridiculous right, but the people of Flint, Michigan need to do this to save their lives. The city of Flint switched their water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River in April 2014. The river was later discovered to be contaminated. Since the changeover, scientists have linked the high lead levels in children’s blood to the contaminated water. This is a serious problem.

Lead is a highly toxic substance that permanently affects humans’ brains by killing nerve cells. Not only does lead harm kids’ brain processes, it also may cause various future mental diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Schizophrenia. Throughout U.S. history, people have been exposed to lead poisoning through basic everyday mediums, such as paint, water (from lead-contaminated water pipes), and dust. Children who eat paint chips or lick their fingers after coming in contact with products that have a lead component are poisoning themselves. The lead enters into the bloodstream and travels throughout the body, stealthily making itself at home, poisoning the body.

So how does lead poisoning work? Basically, lead disguises itself as zinc. Zinc is needed to anchor proteins that switch genes on and off. When zinc is replaced with lead, the switches cannot function properly, eventually leading to mental diseases.

Lead Poisoning

Scientists have been researching the possibility that lead is transferable in DNA to offspring. This could be devastating to a population of a town like Flint, Michigan, where the mothers who have lead poisoning could pass this on to their babies. The worst part is that there is no cure for lead poisoning.

Because of the devastating effects of lead in bloodstream, governments have debated the topic of legalizing contaminated water as a bioweapon, using lead as the contaminant. Governments in the past have used poisoned water as an assassination method, proving the effectiveness of this strategy.

Preventing lead exposure and poisoning is critical for children’s health and for future generations.

 

Source Article

For more info on the biowarfare, click here.

Have No Fear, Gut Microbes Are Here!

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On January 9, 2016

In Student Post

Ever dream about being a real life Captain America? Well, with the help of microbes, we are one step closer to achieving a “super soldier.” Microbes might not make a soldier muscular, but they can help with soldiers’ health and versatility. Scientist Jeff Tabor is working on engineering a probiotic organism that can help humans easily fight diseases, prevent obesity, and change their body’s ability to adapt to certain environments.

The gut bacteria affects many functions of the human body. The digestive system, immune system, and nervous system are all influenced by gut bacteria. Disrupting these microorganisms can cause indigestion, a weak immune system, depression, insomnia, and affect other cognitive abilities. Tabor’s goal is simply to create a microbe that can be consumed to prevent these problems.

Gut Microbe

Gut Microbe

Initially, Tabor wanted to use these microbes to target obesity because scientists have abundant knowledge of obesity at the molecular level. He recently succeeded in genetically modifying E.Coli to detect chemicals in the body that carry disease in mice guts. He hopes to use this modified E.Coli to sense chemicals in the gut that are connected to obesity and then use other molecules to prevent this obesity. The creation of a microbe that can control weight can be extremely helpful for the U.S. armed forces. For example, soldiers going from sea level to the top of a mountain way above sea level experience changes in temperature and pressure. Using this engineered gut microbe, the soldiers can put on weight to help them keep warm on top of the mountain and then lose weight to keep cool at sea level.

Another military benefit that these microbes can provide is to help soldiers operate effectively on little to no sleep or to help soldiers adapt to changes in their circadian rhythms, either from time change or going below sea level in a submarine. Scientists are interested in experimenting with the gut microbe to be able to achieve these goals in the future.

Some people might be afraid of the possible affects that these genetically modified bacteria might have on the human body. However, Tabor’s goal is for the bacteria to stay in the gut for about six hours to do its job and then self-destruct or die naturally to prevent the bacteria for staying in the body too long. There are other concerning issues about creating a microbe that can help prevent obesity. The creation would take away any incentive for humans to eat healthy and focus on their diets because they could just use the microbe to prevent gaining weight. Any new scientific experiment comes with its pros and cons, but using gut microbes for human health, especially for the military, can be a big step in the right direction.

Source Article

Stem Cells…Key to Youth and Controversy

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On December 4, 2015

In Student Post

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be young forever? With the help of stem cells, this is possible. Stem cells can regenerate skin tissues and can also be used to treat diseases. However, something as enticing as living forever has its controversies. There are two types of stem cells: embryonic (ES) and adult (iPS); the embryonic stem cells are the controversial type.

Embryonic Stem Cell

Embryonic Stem Cell

The only way to effectively use the embryonic stem cell is to kill a four to six day old embryo. Some people view this act as killing a baby, which sparks ethical arguments about whether or not to utilize embryonic stem cells. To avoid this controversy, scientists have been trying to use stem cells from iPS cells instead of ES cells, but they questioned the power of iPS cells compared to the ES ones.

Because genes may differ in the iPS cells from the its source, the ES cells, there is a possibility that these two cells do not have the same capability. One scientist notes that the source of iPS and ES cells differ, which can lead to differences in gene activity. The ES cells are derived from embryos, which are not completely identical to iPS adult cells.  However, recent scientific research shows that these two types of stem cells have more equal capabilities than scientists’ initially thought.

Scientists conducted an experiment to compare the genetic makeup between the ES and iPS cell. They manipulated the male type of each cell, which eventually allowed the ES cell to transform into the iPS cell. They concluded that the iPS cells genetically matched the ES cells’ parents, and that the iPS cells had more similarities with the ES cells than iPS cells had to each other.

Even though these two experimental cells genetically matched, the two cells were not identical. The experiment showed 49 genes that differed between the two stem cells. Because of this difference, scientists needed to see if this affected the functional capability of the cells. The researchers conducted another experiment that analyzed 2 of the 49 genes. One helps take in glucose, while the other helps break it down. Even though these two genes were more active in the ES cell than the iPS cell, they were equally efficient at their respective jobs. The scientists concluded that these two specific cells were functionally equivalent.

The many experiments that have been conducted on the topic of stem cells contribute to the increase in research for more ways to utilize stem cells, without the ethical controversy. Scientists are starting to employ different technological devices, such as 3-D printers to help develop and build stem cells. This ability to fabricate cells using technology overcomes previous obstacles of limited stem cell resources.

– Source Article

– More fun facts about stem cells here

The Not-So-Sweet Truth

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On October 20, 2015

In Student Post

Trick-or-treaters excitedly hoard candy every Halloween, aware of its dangers to the extent that sugar causes cavities. However, sugar’s stealth effects extend far beyond tooth decay. Research shows that consuming high-concentrations of sugar slows down brain function and is detrimental to both physical and mental health. Continuing overindulgences in sugar-laden products may even lead to Alzheimer’s disease. Children, teenagers, and adults need to understand the damages that a high-fructose diet could cause in order to avoid sugar.

For consumers, sugar is extremely difficult to avoid since it is found in most processed foods in the form of honey, sucrose, and high fructose corn syrup. As soon as sugar is consumed and absorbed into the body, it causes the brain to release hormones, such as dopamine, that generate good feelings. The good feelings from the release of dopamine are temporary. Once the high sugar level in the bloodstream drops, feelings of depression, irritability, or fatigue take over. Sugar thus stimulates the body to intensely crave for more sugar intake.

In addition to affecting the hormones, research shows that sugar-heavy diets causes changes in gut bacteria, which makes the brain’s ability to adapt and switch to new concepts more difficult to comprehend. The gut bacteria influences the way the brain functions, so any change in this type of bacteria is unhealthy for neurological health. The level of sugar intake and cognitive abilities are interconnected; therefore, restricting sugar from entering the bloodstream is an intelligent dietary choice.

The negative consequences of diets high in sugar have been studied and the conclusive evidence shows that sugar is toxic to good health. Scientists conducted experiments on a group of rats to prove that sugar consumption hinders the ability to effectively think. One group was given normal water to drink, while the other group was given a fructose-infused water to drink for six weeks. After the six weeks, the rats were timed to see how fast they could escape a maze. The group that drank the sugar water took thirty percent longer than the group that drank plain water. The researchers ultimately concluded that fructose disrupts plasticity: the brain’s ability to retain short-term and long-term memories and generate new ideas using new information.

It is important for everyone to be aware of the harmful effects that sugar has on the human body. Cavities should not be the thing people worry about when they eat candy, as they are petty compared to the dangers sugar has on the brain. Sugar weakens mental and physical health, and should be avoided like the death it could cause.

Original Article 

 

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