Mirror-Image Cells Could Transform Science — or Kill Us All

Tony Tao
12/20/2010

Current Event for 12/13/2010 (LATE)
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_mirrorlife/3/

The article is about the possibility of mirror life. Life exists entirely one handed meaning that all our enzymes, protein, lipids and any thinkable chemical structure related to life exists in one orientation. The idea may seem strange to the average reader, but in biology orientation does matter. There is a flipside for each chemical. The differences are so different in fact that a spatially different chemical may create radically different effects. In contemplation of this, Dr. Sasselov proposed that life should also exist in the other orientation. The task he proposed is daunting. Even the simplest cells have thousands of biological components each individually tailored to meticulous and painstaking precision. In order to make this “mirror cell” a sizable effort would have to be put forth. The effort though would be rewarded handsomely. There are many benefits to having mirror cells. The biggest one is immunity to biological attack. Mirror cells have proteins, lipids and enzymes that are backwards to existing cells. Current chemicals that may instantly destroy any cell may be harmless to the radically different chemical structure of the mirror cell. This also remains true for biological life. Viruses for example would be unable to attack the cells. Lipid membranes would be backwards and even the simple task of locating the cell would be daunting much less invading the cell and recruiting backward enzymes and proteins and additionally reading backwards DNA. One commercial example of the use of mirror cells is chemical manufacturing. Geneva a large chemical company recently suffered a large mishap from a virus infecting a large batch of medicine producing cells. The plague left customers stricken with lack of medication and Geneva with a bad company image that led to a very sharp decline in their company worth. If mirror cells were employed they would be able to manufacture the same chemicals, but remain immune to any pathological attack. These cells could continue to produce chemicals in peace indefinitely. Mirror cells have gleaned the interest of the scientific community and close attention will be paid to their development.
The information affects humanity profoundly. The science that produces mirror cells would allow us to understand how normal cells were created as well. Mirror cell production is a kind of dissection tool that scientists can use to explore the origins of life. Current tools remain sparse and mirror life can bring a new outlook to an old question. Additionally, if the endeavor is successful, then scientists will be credited for creating life (though creating life from a blueprint). In the process, the very widely acknowledged theory of life emerging from genial conditions and nonliving chemicals would be proven. This would be a major step in understanding the universe and humanity.
The article was well written. It was easy to follow in a story format. Instead of dry and heavy medical vocabulary, the author skillfully merges story with information. This convergence keeps the reader interested in the article. Inciting interest is a task that should be applauded for any article much less a science one. The article also brought scientific ideas to layman terms. Instead of chemical formulas it used commercial examples that most people can relate to. In the need to explain much more scientifically oriented topic, the author’s description was precise and careful enough to get the point across without losing the reader.
Bohannon, John. "Mirror-Image Cells Could Transform Science — or Kill Us All." Wired.com. Web. 20 Dec. 2010. .
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/11/ff_mirrorlife/3/

Dolly the Sheep Lives On, Srt Of

“Dolly is alive and well,” said Keith Campbell, a cell biologist and embryologist who was one of Dolly’s creators. Dolly was a sheep who in 1996 was the first cloned animal by a process called nuclear transfer. Dolly’s existence laid the groundwork for the future of cloning for it was possible that the process could help cure diseases. However, skeptics doubted the effectiveness of cloning because they thought it is what led to Dolly’s untimely death. Dolly was euthanized in 2003 after suffering from lung disease and arthritis. She lived to the same age as her “parent”. Some suggested that this data implied that all clones were doomed for a short and unhealthy life. However, it was discovered that the end of Dolly’s chromosomes (telomeres) were 20% shorter than normal indicating that her death had other causes.
In order to show that not all clones are doomed, Keith Campbell produced four sheep derived from the same genetic material that Dolly came from. This made the four “offspring” genetically identical to Dolly and the original somatic cell benefactor. At the age of four, none of the clones showed any signs of arthritis and Dolly’s naturally bred offspring did not have shortened telomeres. Although this data is somewhat inconclusive for the clones are not the same age as Dolly when she died it still shows that clones can lead a healthy life regardless of the life of their “parent”.
This article was very interesting because it revealed some new information to me about Dolly. I knew that Dolly was the first clone, but I had no idea the controversy that surrounded her. I didn’t know that people thought her death was a result of the genetic material she was produced from, although the contents of this article showed that idea to be false. However, this article did not provide some very important detail. It did mention that Dolly’s lung disease came from a virus that was in contaminated water, but it never mention where the arthritis came from. If her progenitor did not suffer from such a disease then how did Dolly acquire it? I also would have liked to know how her shortened telomeres affected the length of her life. Overall, it was a very intriguing article that explained a great deal about the process of cloning.

In a Single-Cell Predator, Clues to the Animal Kingdom’s Birth

A new microbe has been found that may provide some insight into the genetic history of humans, as well as other mammals. The choanoflagellates are tiny organisms known as nanoplankton which act as single-cell predators. They move by beating their flagellum and collect food in filaments off the top of the cells. These microbes exist in millions in as little as one gallon of sea water. Recently, scientists have come up with persuasive evidence that suggests these creatures may be one of the closest single-cell relatives to animals that are still around today. The transition of unicellular life to multicellular life is a topic of great debate and research, and this discovery of a transitional microbe provides scientists with a chance to get a greater understanding of this transition. From choanoflagellates, scientists can tell some of the common traits the ancestor of both choanoflagellates and animals shared.

This article is important for obvious reasons. A large part of biology is understanding from where we evolved. Biology studies the changes life goes through, using principles suggested by Darwin and other past scientists. The proposition that humans are more closely related than was formerly thought to such a small organism is fascinating. In biology, we often study the body parts of animals to determine where they came from, and what other animals they might be related to. This is seen in this article when the author describes the flagellum and how it appears on other microbe as well, but manifests itself differently sometimes.

The article was well done, in my opinion. However, it could have gone into greater detail about the actual organism in question, the choanoflagellates. The article provided enough information about the organisms to be able to get it’s point about their connection to humans across, but failed to really describe the organism. I would have been interested to learn the class and genus of the microbe in question. I feel like this also would have lent a better understanding to the reader of this article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/science/14creatures.html?ref=science

Cells Reprogrammed to Treat Diabetes

Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center have taken a step closer to curing diabetes. They have sperm cells can also be stem cells that then can be converted into insulin-producing cells. Ian Gallicano is a developmental biologist at Georgetown who is responsible for this discovery. He started by isolating a sperm cell and converting it back to its embryonic state. From there the cells can be made into cells from any part of the body. They then used chemicals to bring the cells to mimic beta-islet cells (cells in the pancreas). This is very important; these stem cells can then replace the cells in the pancreas that are infected with diabetes.

However they have be unsuccessful in making these cells produce a substantial amount of insulin. For now the can only sustain a mice’s insulin levels for about a week. To sustain a human the cells would need to produce much more insulin that is 10% of secretion by the pancreas cells.

Because the scientists have not reached their goal, the cure for diabetes, they continue to move toward their goal. These men are also looking for stem cells that would be beneficial to women with diabetes. This is because the cells derived from the testes are only useful to men with the disease. Gallicano does, however think that the trick’s they have already discovered in developing stem cells will lead his team to help women as well.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67513/title/Cells_reprogrammed_to_treat_diabetes

Cells Reprogrammed to Treat Diabetes

            Researchers from Georgetown University Medical Center have taken a step closer to curing diabetes. They have sperm cells can also be stem cells that then can be converted into insulin-producing cells. Ian Gallicano is a developmental biologist at Georgetown who is responsible for this discovery. He started by isolating a sperm cell and converting it back to its embryonic state. From there the cells can be made into cells from any part of the body. They then used chemicals to bring the cells to mimic beta-islet cells (cells in the pancreas). This is very important; these stem cells can then replace the cells in the pancreas that are infected with diabetes.

            However they have be unsuccessful in making these cells produce a substantial amount of insulin. For now the can only sustain a mice’s insulin levels for about a week. To sustain a human the cells would need to produce much more insulin that is 10% of secretion by the pancreas cells.

            Because the scientists have not reached their goal, the cure for diabetes, they continue to move toward their goal. These men are also looking for stem cells that would be beneficial to women with diabetes. This is because the cells derived from the testes are only useful to men with the disease. Gallicano does, however think that the trick’s they have already discovered in developing stem cells will lead his team to help women as well.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67513/title/Cells_reprogrammed_to_treat_diabetes

posted for M. Pascale

Artificial Spider Silk From Trangenic Silkworms

          Recently, the research and developmental efforts of the University of Notre Dame, the University of Wyoming, and Kraig Biocraft Labratories, Inc. have succeeded in producing transgenic silkworms that are capable of spinning artificial spider silk. Natural spider silks have many unusual properties including significantly higher tensile strength and elasticity than naturally spun silkworm fibers; the artificially produced spider silk maintains the strength and flexibility of native spider silk. 

           

          Spider silk fibers already have many important medical and non-medical applications. Some biomedical applications are use as fine suture materials, improved wound healing bandages, and natural scaffolds for tendon and ligament repair or replacement, while some non-medical uses are bulletproof vests, strong and lightweight structural fabrics, a new generation of athletic clothing, and improved automobile airbags. Until now, it was only possible to produce small quantities of artificial spider silk and even then there was no commercially viable way to produce and spin these silk proteins. Yet, these trangenic silk worms have made mass production possible.

             

          Scientists now believe that, using this discovery as a stepping stone, they can produce a much broader range of physical properties or silks with predetermined properties by using recombinant DNA. These trangenic silkworms were generated by creating and using a powerful and unique genetic engineering tool called “piggyBac”. PiggyBac is a piece of DNA known as a transposon that can insert itself into the genetic machinery of the cell, therefore altering the cell’s genetically determined properties.

             

          "Using this entirely unique approach, we have confirmed that transgenic silkworms can be a potentially viable commercial platform for production of genetically engineered silk proteins having customizable properties of strength and elasticity," Fraser, the creator of piggyBac said. "We may even be able to genetically engineer fibers that exceed the remarkable properties of native spider silk."

           

          I found this article very clear and easy to follow. Someone reading this article who may have no prior knowledge of biology would be able to clearly grasp the general concept of how trangenic silkworms are a breakthrough in the silk industry. This article was very interesting and informative; prior to reading it I had no idea of the vast possibilities of spider silk.

 http://www.macroevolution.net/artificial-spider-silk.html

posted for S. Monaco

There's a New 'Officer' in the Infection Control Army

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209185600.htm

When one’s body becomes infected, the protein CARD11 instructs white blood cells to either make more antibodies and white blood cells in order to attack the invader or to simply stop the task. However, scientists have recently discovered that CARD11 is controlled by GAKIN, a different protein, which administers the information given to each white blood cell. Joel Pomerantz, Ph.D., an assistant professor of Biological Chemistry in the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, and his group of researchers discovered the role of GAKIN in immune cell activation by linking the gene that codes for luciferase to a gene that CARD11 turns on in response to an infection. Their results showed that the more GAKIN they added to the cells, the less the cells glowed. Thus, they concluded that GAKIN moves CARD11 away from the proteins that are needed to activate CARD11.

GAKID is crucial, because if too many T or B cells, particular types of white blood cells, are sent to battle disease, cancer or autoimmune disease can result. And now that researches, like Pomerantz and his team, have identified the importance of this protein, there will be new drugs that can be introduced to enhance one’s immune system. Drugs to slow down hyperactive immune cells in cases like autoimmunity and cancer can also result.

I think that the author did a nice job of explaining his point. While I was initially unfamiliar with the proteins GAKIN and CARD11, this article had a good explanation of their functions within the cell. Additionally, I enjoyed the time it took to actually discuss what was taking place in their study and how they drew the conclusions they did. Such aspects allowed me to really understand what was going on within the article. I also enjoyed the connection the article made to reality. It stated that this discovery may be able to help those with cancer and other diseases. It’s amazing to think that the role that one protein plays in an immune system may help one of the deadliest diseases.

Works Cited:

ScienceDaily 10 December 2010. 12 December 2010 /releases/2010/12/101209185600.htm>.

Salt Infusion Could Be a Remedy for Damaged Cells

     According to a paper in the Journal of Neuroscience, sodium helps tadpoles regenerate amputated tails.  This discovery is important because in the future it could help scientists find ways to treat spinal cord damage or limb loss in humans.  Scientists found that after administering a drug high in sodium ions to the tadpoles, the injured cells regenerated as late as 18 hours after amputation.  Young tadpoles have the ability to regenerate lost tails, but this ability quickly fades with age.  Sodium ions appear to reactivate this ability.  If a regenerative treatment for humans was developed, it would be hugely important to the medical field. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/12/science/12obsalt.html?_r=1&ref=biology_and_biochemistry

Posted for J. Pennoyer

Light Can Generate Lift

John Gray AP Biology
Block C Even Mr. Ippolito



Light Can Generate Lift

Sanders, Laura. "Light Can Generate Lift." Science News. 05 Dec. 2010. Web. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67050/title/Light_can_generate_lift.


In the past light has been used as a means of energy. Light collected by solar panels could be used to power machines as complex as automobiles. Light had even been used to physically push extremely light objects in the opposite direction of a beam of light blasting it. Since then, signifigant advances have been made in the study of light and its ability to physically move objects. When a stream of light is arranged in the right way, a stream of light can be used to raise a tiny object into the air in the same way that airplane wings lift a jet off the ground. Where before light could only push objects now it can create the more complicated force called lift. The force known as “lift” is what it sounds like, it is when a flow of energy causes an object to move perpendicularly. Given its novelty, light’s new ability hasn’t been used in any practical endeavors yet (we’re not going to be able to power a jet’s flight with it yet.) However, scientists are already thinking of ways the fledgling technology could be implemented in small ways. For instance, it could enable better steering methods on solar sails.

Our planet is has been in a constant energy crisis for the past decade; when even a resource as abundant as fresh water is in a higher demand than can be met it is clear that an energy crisis is at hand. Fossil fuel’s are in high demand and the demand for them pushes up the cost of them. But the tactile cost of oil is only one cost of that industry, one has to think of the externality costs of the industry. The want for oil causes conflicts in countries with a lot of it and the burning of fossil fuels is bad for the environment. The advancement of light technologies is critical to the displacement of these problems. If people were able to lift planes off of the ground without the use of fossil fuels the demand for oil would drop drastically. Light is the most abundant source of energy in the solar system and it’s free. It is critical, in the coming years, that people tap into this source of energy and develop new technologies that harness it because if people could, our energy would be much cleaner and less costly.

The article was good but there were wrong with it. The biggest problem I had with the article was that sometimes it would mention things that I was not privy to. For instance, when I read the article at first I had no idea what solar sails are. When they explained their experiment with the rods I had to read it through a few times to understand what was going on. Perhaps that isn’t the fault of the person who wrote the article because at this point we’ve gotten into territory where things are just very complcated. Also, the article did not touch on why the new technology will be useful as it advances more; I would have liked to hear some speculation on what visionary technologies might be made possible by the new technology.