BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Author: stacey313

Dr. iPhones

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On February 28, 2012

In Student Post

Just when we thought apple technology was the greatest things ever. Once again the apps on our iphones, ipads, and ipods are changing our lives. Now they are finding ways to connect our physical health to our iphone apps. How? Is this possible?

Researchers are working on technology that when you take a “smart pill” or some sort of microchip that an iphone app will be able to pick up a signal and record the health of our bodies to be sent to the physicians. This reminded me of the movie we are watching in class, GATTACA, where machines are able to anayzlize our well-being and dieaseas.

Another interesting iphone app meets medicine, is insulin shots and being able to figure out how much diabetics should take. Instead of using pumps and taking blood, iphones can be all your all one in package. Phone calls, texting, camera, internet, games, facebook, music… and now get a check up. Whats next?

 

 

Getting closer to a cure for cancer!

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On January 11, 2012

In Student Post

Many cancer cells can be detected because the sugars on their surface proteins undergo specific changes from regular cells. The tumors produce a lot of the protein known as MUC1. Our immune systems have trouble recognizing the difference between these cancerous cells and the healthy cells because they both develop within the body.

Researchers have been testing a new vaccine on mice with cancers similar to the ones that develop on human cell. Luckily, the mice have been showing promising results and responding well to the vaccine! “This is the first time that a vaccine has been developed that trains the immune system to distinguish and kill cancer cells based on their different sugar structures on proteins such as MUC1,” Dr. Gendler says.  The MUC1 can be detected on 70% of all cancer cells. Can this really be the answer?!

It’s suppose to help with breast, pancreatic,  ovarian and multiple myeloma cancer. The vaccine will help the immune system recognize the MUC1 as a harmful foreigner. The vaccine has 3 parts. As we learned recently in our AP Biology class, the immune system attacks foreign cells with antibodies. Therefore the vaccine first has the immune system recognize the cells with MUC1 has harmful bacteria and then the immune system can send out the antibodies to fight off the cancer. Lastly, the  vaccine stimulates a response from a lymphocyte.

This vaccine should be ready by 2013 to improve cancer treatment! The vaccine would be life changing for many patients out there that experience triple – negative deadly cancers. I am looking forward to hearing more about this research and hearing the wonders its will do!

Have you ever been hypnotized ?

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On November 10, 2011

In Student Post

Mostly in cartoons and fiction stories, the writers and authors display animals and humans being hypnotized by swirly and crazy eye movements. As strange and ridiculous as this sounds, there is new evidence to prove that this might actually be true. Although the writers and authors might take the effect to far, there is still evidence to prove some sort of truth behind this.

Scientist studied a young, healthy woman who was being hypnotized. Her eyes experienced some eratic change during this time such as “appearance of a diffuse, unblinking stare, the researchers measured a series of involuntary eye features, such as pupil reflexes and quick movements.”  Also when she was being hypnotized her pupils were smaller than usual. After watching the video, the woman even thought that her eyes were scary.  Just to prove that there was no way of faking the eye movements, a group of 14 people tried to mimic her odd eye behavior and could not successfully do so. Do you really believe that after all these years that the TV shows and movies had the right idea all along? Its weird to think that something can take control of our bodies without us even realizing it. Hypnotics is defiantly an interesting subject to study but in order to come to further conclusions it will take a lot more research. Can you be the one with all the answers?

Can We Begin with a Moment of Silence?

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On October 23, 2011

In Student Post

In today’s world, there are more and more breaks in cancer research, and Dr. Sven Diederichs and his team are one more to add to the list.  Dr. Sven believes that “In many cancers we find that specific non- coding genes are particularly active. Therefore, we want to understand what the RNA molecules transcribed from these genes bring about in the tumor cells.”  Could this be the big answer? After all this time, could it be that it has been RNA molecules sending messages that create cancer.

Dr. Sven and his team came to this hypothesis and therefore created a method to find out the truth called “loss-of-function.”  In this experiment, scientists can silence a gene of a living cell and try to find changes in the cell’s behavior, metabolism, or physiology. They created this method on the use of zinc finger nucleases.

Once the scientist figured out how to make this method work, they were able to, for the first time, completely silence genes. Why is this important to cancer research? Dr. Sven believes that certain genes play a huge role in the development of cancer and are very active in tumor cells. If we have the chance to “shut down” these genes in RNA before they become active, we can ultimately prevent cancer.

In AP Biology class, we are learning about RNA transferring different kinds of information that stimulate cells to perform certain functions based on need, location and ability.  Are all these stimuli good? Or are they sending messages to create tumor cells?

We all know someone that has cancer, whether it’s your brother’s girlfriend’s uncle’s high school girlfriend, a friend of a friend, your best friend or it’s you. Everyone has a reason they want to get rid of such a terrible disease. So would you invest in this research or do you think its impossible to figure out which exact gene is the cause for all cancers?

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