DNA Editing

A team of scientists has recently come to a deeper understanding in how enzymes edit genes. By further       studying enzymes like these, this may make us be able to correct genetic diseases. A type of CRISPR enzyme has been found to be able to edit the human genome. Enzymes like this have been able to correct errors in a 23 billion base pair fragment of DNA. When the enzyme finds an error, it literally pulls the DNA strand appart and inserts an RNA fragment as replacement for it. Scientists have been monitoring these "R-loops" and they are observing how CRISPR makes them. This allowed the scientists to see more steps of the process of correcting DNA so that they can later have the ability to do it themselves. 

NOS Themes:

Curiosity - If we further research this, we may be able to fix genetic disorders

Repeatability - you can get CRISPR and observe it's effects on other DNA strands

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/26/breakthrough_shows_how_dna_is_edited_to_correct_genetic_diseases.html

Lyme Disease Older Than Humans?

Older than Humans?

Lyme disease is a misdiagnosed disease that was only recognized round 40 years ago. However, new studies of ticks found in socialized amber have found that they hold a bacterial which cause this disease maybe have been around for over 1.5 million years. Researches from Oregon State University studied the 15-20 million year old amber from the Dominican Republic and found Borreila, a kind of bacteria responsible for lyme disease.

 As summer arrives we need to be aware that these diseases has been far more common and has been around for a very long time.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140529142538.htm

NOS:

• Science is collaborative 
• Science is based on evidence 
• Science is Tentative 

Did Kiwis used to fly?

A recent study has shown that the elephant bird of Madagascar is the closest relative of New Zealand's kiwi bird. This contradicts the theory that flightless birds arose when common ancestors drifted apart on land masses. The land mass theory was also disproven when DNA was sampled from the bones of the extinct moa and found the moa and the kiwi to not be closely related when the land mass theory hypothesized that they would be. Kiwi's were also found to be closely related to cassowaries and emus. Because both of these findings disprove the land mass theory, the researchers concluded that distant ancestors must have been able to fly.

NOS Themes
Science is based on evidence
Science is subject to debate

Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/flightless-birds%E2%80%99-history-upset-ancient-dna?mode=topic&context=76

Structure of Circadian Rhythm Protein Discovered

Structural biologists at the Institute of Molecular Biology  have made important progress towards better understanding the functioning of the circadian clock. The circadian or inner clock coordinates the sleep-wake rhythm and many other body processes that regulate metabolism, blood pressure, and the immune system. They have discovered for the first time identified the molecular structure of a protein complex that plays an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm.
Using x-ray identification, scientists were able to observe the atomic interactions between the protein and the zinc ion that mediates it. They discovered that the zinc ion acted as a stabilizing agent for the protein. These discoveries will help to treat sleep disorders such as insomnia, or narcolepsy. It can also be used to study variations in sleep patterns among different age and gender demographics.

NOS themes- Science is collaborative- A group of researchers from many different universities discovered the structure of this protein.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140530133348.htm

Artificial Lungs?

If a person has lung cancer, the only cure that there is currently for them, is chemotherapy. With new technology, in a program called "Regenerative Technologies for Oncology," they are creating tests that simulate what goes on in the body. This will hopefully replace all animal tests in the future. Scientists have created artificial lungs that are no larger than a sugar cube. Scientists at the Department of Bioinformatics at the University of Wurzburg are doing tests and creating simulations on the computer of the human body and what happens in different "patient groups." This research enables scientists to alter therapies and create them to what the patient needs. With this new technology, scientists are creating the models out of cancer cell tissue, in order to make it like an actual lung. With this information about the lung and how it works, scientists are coming one step closer to finding cures for cancer.

Article Link: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2014/05/29/artificial_lung_the_size_of_a_sugar_cube.html

An Act of Transparency: Hippopodius hippopus

Is it possible to be invisible? Many have dreamed of this trait, and now an animal has been discovered that has the adaption of being transparent when disturbed. The marine jellyfish Hippopodius hippopus is glassy clear most of the time, but when disturbed, turns bright translucent white. This adaption is called blanching, and only lasts for a few minutes.

The H. hippopus is very fragile, and typically avoids coastal waters where it can be killed by the surf. The bay at Villefranche-sur-Mer (in France) is an ideal place to observe the hippopodius hippopus due to the deep waters with favorable currents. A state of the art research station is located here, where experiments are being conducted on changeable transparency. 

NOS Themes:

• Role of motivation and curiosity 
• Science is based on evidence
• Science is collaborative 

Questions to comment on: Why do you think this creatures undergo blanching? How does it tie into evolution?

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/science/a-marine-magicians-vanishing-act.html?ref=science&_r=0

Mini Lungs for Cancer Research

Mini Lungs for Cancer Research

Most lung cancer research is first tested on animal lungs before humans. Unfortunately, 75% of the successful treatments for animals are not successful with humans. So, scientists have recently come up with an alternative that does not use animals. They have developed a way to test new treatments on an artificial lung, which consists of based human lung cancer cells growing on tissue that is about the size of a sugar cube. Scientists have reported that the artificial lungs give a more accurate prediction of what will be successful with humans. Researchers hope to some day have individual lung models for each patient to provide an even more accurate prediction of the outcome of treatments for each patient.

NOS themes:
-science is collaborative
-role of motivation
-importance of repeatablily

Article