Science Quick Picks » Biology and Biochemistry

Is Bioprinting the Pathway to Human Cloning?

Guest Blogger — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:05:45 +0000

Bioprinting uses a 3D printing device with biological material to create objects; such as replacement human organs. Scientists have already succeeded in printing skin and vertebral tissues, these two experiments have been tested on animals; like the ear growing out of the rats back scenario. However they are still yet to completely master replicating organs… turns out getting the internal vascular systems are a tad tricky!

So with the ever-changing world around us, I don’t think anybody would have predicted the possibility of actually being able to ‘make’ humans. Of course there has been a way found to create functional organs; therefore a scientists ‘logical’ second step is creating a fully functioning human! According to Vladimir Mironov, it is a “logical extension’’!

The idea is to learn how to produce individual limbs and body parts; subsequently building a whole body. The prospect of printing humans is that they can be created at specific ages using the various stems cells, erasing any need for puberty. Mironov believes that the hurdle will present itself when it comes to tackling the human brain as we will probably never understand it’s functions 100%.The idea behind this evolution is that human beings can be made and printed on demand, whether this defies the natural way life is a personal and separate debate; but we cannot deny that it is ultimately brilliant.

So is this a good idea!? It is clear that Bioprinting can and probably will lead to human cloning but is it really ethical!? The humans will be clones and not actually real people, therefore the strange and quite disturbing aspect (especially for those who knew the original human) is that they will look the same, but won’t be the same. And that is what I ponder on… how will the personalities differ? Will it have a personality!? There I just said the word myself… ‘It’.

The cloning of Dolly the Lamb was, yes a brilliant experiment. However Dolly died early… whether this is a result of cloning it was never proven, however this factor must be taken into consideration. Another issue is that Dolly was the only successful embryo to be created out of 300; a very low ratio causing a great loss of money through experiments… this will ultimately cost so much more for human experimentation.

So this phenomena really would alter the natural way of life, without producing life the ‘proper way’, what are we really here for!? The aspect of the grieving wishing to bring back loved ones, creating an empty shell of a body that simply resembles your loved one? Bizarre.

This article was written by London printing company, PrintExpress.co.uk; for business cards, magazines, brochures and other bespoke printing services.

Is Bioprinting the Pathway to Human Cloning? is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Cloud Computing in Gene Analysis

Jorge Goncalves — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:40:58 +0000

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have developed new software that greatly improves the speed at which scientists can analyze RNA sequencing data. RNA sequencing is used to compare differences in gene expression to identify those genes that switched on or off when, for instance, a particular disease is present. However, sequencing instruments can produce billions of sequences per day, which can be time-consuming and costly to analyze. The software, known as Myrna, uses “cloud computing”, an Internet-based method of sharing computer resources. Faster, cost-effective analysis of gene expression could be a valuable tool in understanding the genetic causes of disease. The findings are published in the current edition of the journal Genome Biology. The Myrna software is available for free download.

Read the full press release: Cloud Computing Method Greatly Increases Gene Analysis.

Cloud Computing in Gene Analysis is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Ingenuity Answers Alpha for Biological and Chemical Questions

Jorge Goncalves — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 08:55:37 +0000

Ingenuity Systems, the makers of IPA (Ingenuity Pathway Analysis), have just launched Ingenuity Answers (still in alpha version). Ingenuity Answers is an advanced search tool that enables you to quickly and reliably answer specific biological and chemical questions by identifying lists of genes (or other biological and chemical objects) that satisfy particular biological criteria. Ingenuity Answers leverages the Ingenuity Knowledge Base to allow you to ask highly focused questions involving biological details on multiple levels (genes, chemicals, cells, domains, pathways, diseases, and more) and provides answers based on demonstrated and accurate biological relationships, so you have confidence in your search results.

Just enter a keyword or type a question about genes, proteins, chemicals, drugs, cells, tissues, pathways, biological processes, diseases, biomarkers, or clinical trials. You’ll access detailed summary information and explore reported relationships and interactions between objects. You can also drill down into the supporting literature to see evidence for the results.

Ingenuity Answers Alpha for Biological and Chemical Questions is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Highlighting Key Discoveries: Nature Milestones

Jorge Goncalves — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 23:16:29 +0000

Nature Milestones highlights key discoveries that have shaped different scientific fields and enables the wider recognition of these classic findings that are often recognized only by those in the field.

Highlighting Key Discoveries: Nature Milestones is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Archaeopteryx: The Dinobird

Jorge Goncalves — Mon, 17 May 2010 09:32:46 +0000

X-Rays Reveal Chemical Link Between Birds and Dinosaurs. Researchers have found that a 150 million year old “dinobird” fossil, long thought to contain nothing but fossilized bone and rock, has been hiding remnants of the animal’s original chemistry. Using the bright X-ray beam of the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, located at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, an international team of paleontologists, geochemists and physicists has revealed this transformative glimpse into one of the most important fossils ever discovered: the Archaeopteryx, a half-dinosaur/half-bird species.

“Archaeopteryx is to paleontology what Tutankhamen is to archaeology. It’s simply one of the icons of our field,” said University of Manchester paleontologist Phil Manning. “You would think after 150 years of study, we’d know everything we need to know about this animal. But guess what—we were wrong.”

When the first Archaeopteryx specimen was uncovered a century and a half ago, just a year after Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species, the discovery provided the strongest evidence yet for the theory of evolution. In the intervening years, nine additional specimens have been found, including the Thermopolis specimen that the researchers studied at SSRL. Like the other Archaeopteryx specimens, this fossil has undergone extensive visual analyses and even CT scans in the past, none of which revealed that beneath the surface hid the dinobird’s chemical remains. But that was before researchers placed it under the X-ray beam at SSRL.

Using light source technology primarily utilized for advanced energy-related research in materials science, biology and other fields, the scientists traced SSRL’s hair-thin X-ray beam across the Thermopolis Archaeopteryx fossil. By recording how the X-rays interacted with the fossil, the researchers were able to identify very precisely the locations of chemical elements hidden within. From this, they created the first maps of the dinobird’s chemistry, revealing half a dozen chemical elements that were actually part of the living animal itself. In almost every element studied, the researchers found significantly different concentrations in the fossil than in the rock that surrounds it, confirming that the observed elements are indeed remnants of the dinobird and not merely chemicals that leached from the surrounding rock into the fossil.

Archaeopteryx: The Dinobird is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

MendelWeb: All About Gregor Mendel

Jorge Goncalves — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 20:39:49 +0000

MendelWeb – An Electronic Science/Math/History Resource for the WWW. ‘MendelWeb was conceived and constructed by Roger B. Blumberg and is an educational resource for teachers and students interested in the origins of classical genetics, introductory data analysis, elementary plant science, and the history and literature of science. Constructed around Gregor Mendel’s 1865 paper “Versuche über Pflanzen-Hybriden” and a revised version of the English translation by C.T. Druery and William Bateson, “Experiments in Plant Hybridization”, MendelWeb is offered as a public sourcebook and collaborative environment compatible with a variety of guided and independent studies.’

The Mendelroom and General Moo Information. ‘Mendelroom is a virtual space designed for teachers and students who wish to share their experiences, thoughts and questions while using MendelWeb.’

MendelWeb: All About Gregor Mendel is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Coffee and Exercise May Help Prevent Skin Cancer

Jorge Goncalves — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 15:31:41 +0000

Caffeine and Exercise Can Team Up to Prevent Skin Cancer. ‘Regular exercise and little or no caffeine has become a popular lifestyle choice for many Americans. But a new Rutgers study has found that it may not be the best formula for preventing sun-induced skin damage that could lead to cancer. Low to moderate amounts of caffeine, in fact, along with exercise can be good for your health.

Groups of hairless mice, whose exposed skin is vulnerable to the sun, were the test subjects in experiments in which one set drank caffeinated water (the human equivalent of one or two cups of coffee a day); another voluntarily exercised on a running wheel; while a third group both drank and ran. A fourth group, which served as a control, didn’t run and didn’t caffeinate. All of the mice were exposed to lamps that generated UVB radiation that damaged the DNA in their skin cells.

Some degree of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis, was observed in the DNA-damaged cells of all four groups, but the caffeine drinkers and exercisers showed an increase over the UVB-treated control group. Apoptosis is a way in which cells with badly damaged DNA commit suicide – UVB-damaged cells in this case.

“If apoptosis takes place in a sun-damaged cell, its progress toward cancer will be aborted,” said Allan Conney, director of Rutgers’ Cullman Laboratory.

Compared to the UVB-exposed control animals, the caffeine drinkers showed an approximately 95 percent increase in UVB-induced apoptosis, the exercisers showed a 120 percent increase, while the mice that were both drinking and exercising showed a nearly 400 percent increase.’

Coffee and Exercise May Help Prevent Skin Cancer is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

A Fantastic Video about a Fantastic Voyage Inside a Cell

Jorge Goncalves — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 22:47:26 +0000

TED Talks – David Bolinsky: Fantastic voyage inside a cell (Video). ‘Medical animator David Bolinsky presents 3 minutes of stunning animation that show the bustling life inside a cell. Built by his company, XVIVO, to teach Harvard medical students, the clip features sweeping cinematic values and even a little drama. It communicates not only the facts of life, but life’s truth and beauty.’

TED. ‘TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader. The annual conference now brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).
This site makes the best talks and performances from TED available to the public, for free.’

A Fantastic Video about a Fantastic Voyage Inside a Cell is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Hormone Sensitive Bacterias

Jorge Goncalves — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 11:26:33 +0000

Engineered E. coli may lead to new drugs, detect pollutants. ‘Bacteria that respond to human hormones – the body’s chemical messengers – may enable the discovery of new treatments for hormone-related medical problems, including thyroid disease and some forms of breast cancer. Developed by Princeton chemical engineers, the sensitive bugs also may detect hormone-mimicking pollutants, which can disrupt normal processes in the body.

Hormones must be present in specific amounts to maintain health. For example, sufficient levels of the hormone estrogen are necessary for bone formation and reproduction, but too much of it has been implicated in premature puberty as well as the development of breast cancer and heart disease. The Princeton engineers hope that the bacteria can shed light on the way hormone-like compounds affect the body and eventually guide the development of drugs that can regulate hormone levels.’

Hormone Sensitive Bacterias is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Sequencing the Genome of Neanderthals

Jorge Goncalves — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:49:31 +0000

The human family tree explored. ‘It sounds as though it came out of the pages of a science fiction book or from the mind of Steven Spielberg. But as is often the case, reality is where all the action is and this time it’s happening in Leipzig, Germany. There, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology are close to unlocking the secrets of the DNA belonging to Neanderthal man. Their efforts will help answer the question as to just how close a relative the Neanderthal man is to modern Man.

There has been much debate in the scientific community as to whether there is any relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans. Currently, the deliberation is divided into two main camps with some researchers believing that Neanderthals were simply replaced by early modern humans, while those in the other camp posit that the two groups may have indeed interbred.

That is why the research conducted by these European scientists is so important. By sequencing the genome of Neanderthals, scientists will be able to clarify the evolutionary relationship between humans and Neanderthals. This will also help identify those genetic changes that enabled modern humans to leave Africa and make their way across the world some 100 000 years ago.’

Sequencing the Genome of Neanderthals is a post from Science Quick Picks, a blog dedicated to the world of Science.

Science Quick Picks » Biology and Biochemistry

Is Bioprinting the Pathway to Human Cloning?

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