Top 5 Moments on The Genetic Link

We knew this day was coming. There was nothing we could do to avoid it. Sadly, just as all good things must eventually come to an end, The Genetic Link (Season 2: The Search Continues) is coming to a close. We had an amazing journey and we learned astonishing facts about the human body and the science that makes you you. It has been my privilege being your trusted guide and as a going away treat, I want to share my Top 5 favorite moments on The Genetic Link.

 

#5: Procrastinating? Blame Your Genetics procrastination-hear494

The Genetic Link had lofty goals at the beginning of Season 1. Introducing the topic as not just a field for old wizened scientists in white lab coats, The Genetic Link’s goal was to present this revolutionary frontier in terms anyone could understand.  While it struggled to pique interest in its earliest beginnings, The Genetic Link had its break-out post when it asked the question: Is Procrastination Inherited? This post went into great detail regarding studies done on fraternal and identical twins and determined that procrastination, impulsivity, and the tendency to dawdle over certain tasks have the same genetic foundation. However, what made this post special is that it was the first time The Genetic Link made genetics relatable and was rewarded with your enthusiasm.

 

#4: Super Bananas Banana Heroes

A guilty pleasure of mine, October 17, 2014 marked the day The Genetic Link tackled the issue of genetically modified organisms. Weighing the potential for a banana to be fortified with additional nutrients to help malnourished countries over the potential side effects genetic engineering has on human health, the post attempted to determine whether the modified “super banana” was a hero or a villain. Filled with puns and humor, this post presented a complex problem that required you to peel back more than just the outer layers.

 

#3: A Cure for Agingth

Probably one of my more thought provoking topics, A Cure For Aging explored the potential genetics has to grant humans near immortality. Inspired by research done by the National Institute of Health in which mice were engineered to live 20% longer, this post posed the question, “Do we deserve to live forever?” While on the one hand, living a few extra years might be nice for an individual, if everyone lived longer what would be the toll on our natural resources? Yet, isn’t the goal of medicine to make us live longer lives? These were difficult questions and ones that probably don’t have a right answer. Nevertheless, many of you weighed in with your two cents and I enjoyed seeing the varying opinions on this topic.

 

#2: Three-Parent Babies 3-parent-babies-600x420

Now a couple weeks into season 2, The Genetic Link’s informants (Alright, fine, my Mom) picked up a juicy tidbit of recent news when Great Britain was preparing to legalize three parent babies (Great Britain did, in fact, legalize the procedure after the post was published).  Why three-parent babies? Well, many debilitating mitochondrial defects are often passed from mother to child and by using a healthy embryo from a third parent to encase the genetic information of the main parent, mitochondrial defects can be fixed before birth. What makes this special is that it is the first form of prenatal gene therapy to be legalized. However, it is estimated that until more research is done, the first three parent baby procedure won’t be done until 2016. Nevertheless, in this blog I was able to pose many questions about the ethics of genetic treatments and had some great feedback from all of you.

 

#1: Cloning Extinct Animals for Dummies Cloning Extinct Animals

Hands down, the most humor-packed post of both seasons combined, “Cloning Extinct Animals for Dummies” depicted an excerpt from a fictional book of the same title which was a how-to guide for making a pet mammoth. From fake online elephant shopping at Elephants R Us, to getting down and dirty in elephant insemination and other ridiculous procedures, this blog pulled out all the stops while still giving an informative description of the current scientific status of cloning an extinct animal from scratch. Regrettably,despite my best efforts, pre-order sales for the book never made it past the Ice Age. It’s still available for $39.99 (20% off), just in case you were wondering.

 

Bonus Moment: CRISPR, or The End of Hypotheticals sigmazfn1388385243

Lastly, the blog that tied everything together. CRISPR, or the End of Hypotheticals, was a post on the recent discovery of a machine/procedure that enables scientists to make precise edits to the genome. All of the procedures and techniques that I have been describing all along in my blog, from curing obesity, to halting aging, even to engineering mice to love us (OK, that one was is still a little far-fetched), none of it had been remotely feasible until now. With the underlying message that the future is constantly catching up to you, The End of Hypotheticals shows that germ line engineering and a dystopian future of designer babies may not be as far off as you think. Do we have the right to engineer our next generation? Maybe, maybe not, but sooner rather than later, we are going to have to make a choice.

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With that, the Genetic Link (Season 2: The Search Continues) comes to a close. It has been an honor writing these posts and receiving feedback from such an amazing group of engineers, scientists, writers, business people, and other aspiring individuals. So I want to thank all of you who faithfully read my posts each week, wrote insightful comments, and made this blog truly special. With that, I say farewell and wish you good luck on your future endeavors.  Ben Paskoff signing off.

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CRISPR, or The End of Hypotheticals

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If you have been following The Genetic Link, you may have noticed that in addition to the natural charm and wittiness I include in my writing for your personal enjoyment (you’re welcome), I also pose many hypothetical questions. Near FutureFrom cloning mammoths, to curing mouse obesity, to understanding our own intelligence, it has been my goal to make you appreciate not only the benefits of genetics research, but the consequences of it as well. Yet, despite all this, little of what I had described to you was actual science, but instead filed away as “the near future.”

However, with one invention, perhaps the most important invention of our generation, all of that has changed and the near future has suddenly become now.

It is called CRISPR which is short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats. Its purpose? To make extremely precise edits to DNA. Now, to be honest, we have been able to do this for some time but only with lots of funding and the most highly skilled geneticists. However, using this device, we can now edit the genome easily, quickly, and cost efficiently. In fact, this technique is so effective that it can even perform germline modifications (modifications to the DNA of egg and sperm) which, if you remember from my post on cloning mammoths just a few weeks back (Cloning Extinct Animals for Dummies), I told you such a thing was impossible. Not anymore. Seems like the future has a way of catching up with us, kind of like those finals that seem so far off right now.

evil scientistWhile many geneticists are rejoicing at the prospect of whole new avenues of genome experimentation, many are concerned that we are not ready for the power we now hold.

Because, with this device, genetically engineering human beings is no longer a hypothetical.

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Even before the invention of CRISPR, many scientific nations (not including the U.S.) had already placed a ban on germline engineering claiming that it is a crime against human dignity and human rights (Regalado, 2015). The concern is that “Germline engineering is a path towards a dystopia of superpeople and designep01kbp74r babies for those who can afford it” (Regalado, 2015). Indeed, unlike other genetic techniques I have described in previous weeks, germ line modification is directly passed down from one generation to the next, dooming the offspring of gene surgery recipients to receive the same alteration regardless of potential side effects.

According to Merle Berger, co-founder of Boston IVF and leading expert in reproductive medicine, “All this means that germline engineering is much farther along than anyone imagined. What we are talking about is a major issue for all humanity” (Regalado, 2015).

Yet despite all this controversy, CRISPR has the potential to do enormous good. Things like cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, and other genetic diseases could “hypothetically” be eradicated from the human population entirely through a kind of “gene surgery.” In fact, Dr. Luhan Yang, a Post Doc at Harvard Medical School, is currently trying to propose an experiment in which she would attempt to fix a mutation in a BRCA1 gene in the removed ovaries of a woman undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer. The objective would be to create a viable egg without the genetic error that caused the woman’s cancer. Should this experiment succeed, it would finally prove that it is possible to produce children free of specific genes that result in inherited illness (Regalado, 2015).

While we still don’t have enough information to know if we can actually modify the human embryo to lack key inherited diseases, the science is really possible. Nevertheless, the line between medical research and human cruelty is a slippery slope to climb and there are many who say we should turn back now. Like any branch of science, there is always the chance of something this powerful being abused. However, we are currently faced with an unprecedented opportunity to erase thousands of inherited diseases from the medical dictionary using these tools. The research being done on gene therapy has too much potential to simply be terminated on account of fears of dystopian futures. Cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s, and cancer are real conditions and CRISPR has the capacity to do what no other form of medicine can. The time for hypotheticals is over. The science is here.

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Works Cited:
1. Regalado, Antonio. “Engineering the Perfect Baby.” MIT Technology Review. N.p., 5 Mar. 2015. Web. http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/535661/engineering-the-perfect-baby/

The Rise of Homo inferioris

 Deevolution

As you sit at your computer reading this post, I want you to take a minute to contemplate what it took for you to be there in the first place. Think back to before you clicked on this link, before you turned on your computer, before you brushed your teeth this morning, before this week began, before this year began, before you were born, before your parents were born, before their parents were born, and so on all the way back to when the first humans walked the earth.  From Homo errectus to Homo neanderthalis to Homo sapiens, evolution has been paving the way for this very moment so that the highly evolved YOU could eventually read this rather thought-provoking and well-written blog post. Doesn’t it feel good to be the pinnacle of human evolution?

As Darwin stated in his theory of evolution, species are constantly responding to environmental factors by naturally selecting the fittest individuals to reproduce and spread their genetic material. While changes within a species occur over many thousands of years and are consequently too slow to actually observe, evolution is happening all around us. Early theorists of evolution predicted that just as Homo neanderthalis gave rise to Homo sapiens, Homo sapiens would eventually give rise to a new humanoid: Homo superioris.

X-Men-Days-of-Future-Past-WallpaperThese theorists even foresaw a time when early mutants would band together under the guidance of a telepathic wheel-chair bound professor and learn how to harness their incredible powers to protect Homo sapiens from an evil metal-controlling mutant with plans to take over the world. Amazing!

However, recent evidence suggests that this once probable future might not come to pass.

According to Dr. Gerald Crabtree, researcher at Stanford University, the key to our success as a species is human intelligence. Human intelligence requires the optimal functioning of a large number of genes in order for it to work. The product of a harsh environment, intelligence was once critical to human survival, but now, in today’s society of convenient technology, chemical-laden fast food, and mind-numbing television draining your IQ one episode at a time, intelligence is becoming more of a genetic accessory than a necessity. Mutations in brain function that might have once led to the demise of a genetic line now flourish in an established society that labels and then caters to defects like ADHD, OCD, and KUWK (a debilitating chemical imbalance where individuals feel compelled to watch Keeping Up With the Kardashians).

“Dr. Crabtree predicts, based on calculations of the frequency with which harmful mutations appear in the human genome and the assumption that 2,000 to 5,000 genes are required for intellectual ability, that within about 120 generations, humans will have sustained two or more harmful mutations to our intellectual and/or emotional stability” (Qtd. from Baker, 2012)

x-men

So the question is: are we devolving as a species? Has our conquest over nature pushed Homo sapiens off its intended evolutionary path towards awesome Homo superioris and instead to dumb Homo inferiors? Recent studies and genetic trends seem to indicate that this is indeed the case and the next X-men sequel won’t live up to the hype.

However, before we lose faith in our own awesomeness, we may just be able to save the human race from these degrading mutations before they become too wide-spread. As Dr. Crabtree told the media, “We may soon be able to correct any mutation that has occurred in all cells of any organisms at any developmental stage. Thus, the brutish process of natural selection will be unnecessary.” While this statement brings to light its own concerns regarding genetic ethics, it gives me hope that we may avoid a future where individuals lay in their dorm rooms all day drooling over their hormone-injected, genetically modified Happy Meal and artificially flavored, toxically colored Slurpee, binge-watching South Park episodes through a Google Glass headset. Who could imagine a world like that?

Homo InferiorisWorks Cited:

  1. Baker, Sherry. “Are Humans Devolving? Research Suggests Humans Losing Intellectual, Emotional Abilities.” NaturalNews. N.p., 13 Nov. 2012. Web. http://www.naturalnews.com/037942_humans_devolving_brain_function.html
  2. “Introduction to Human Evolution.” The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 25 Mar. 2015. Web. http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/intro-human-evolution

A Tribute to Micky Melanogaster

Micky tribute

Today we recognize the service of a truly great individual, Micky Melanogaster, who is entering retirement this week. Micky Melanogaster was a model citizen. He had 46 wives, 12,534 children of whom 8,438 were wild type (little rascals), 3,982 were autosomal recessive, and 114 were mutants (his special children). Despite all this diversity, he claimed to cherish all genotypes equally. He worked diligently day and night and, over his long career of 1 months and 16 days, made generous contributions to the research lab that raised him. As Dr. Jeff Pritchett, geneticist at Micky’s lab told the media upon news of his retirement, “It was sad to let such a talented specimen go, but when Micky confessed that he was getting too old for the constant responsibilities required for the job, we realized we had to respect his wishes and let him do what he thought was right.” Micky claims that while he would have loved to have stayed in the lab, it was time for him to spread his wings and explore the outside world. As he told the media, “I loved every moment I spent here and bid farewell to all the wonderful scientists at the lab who have poked, prodded, gassed, and infected me with the odd genetic mutations I have now passed on to my children. I will miss you all, but at the same time, I am excited to finally start crossing things off my bucket list.” When asked what those things were, Micky replied, “Well, for starters, I have always wanted to visit a real garbage receptacle, to experience the pleasure only a decomposing fruit can bring, and stare at the pretty lights I’ve heard people keep outside their porches at night.” With much to cross off, Micky is set to leave in three days after saying goodbye to each of his 12,534 children. We can only wish him the best of luck.

Micky riding off on his bicycle.

Micky riding off on his bicycle.

As Micky sets out on his own path, we can’t help but marvel at what life would be like without the humble flies who fuel our scientific discoveries. Over the years, many model organisms have been tried. Darwin had his finches and Mendel had his pea plants, but the future of genetics lies with Drosophilia melanogaster, the common fruit fly. Flies like Micky are hard-working and diligent, and they don’t ask for much in return. Hardly divas

Fly houselike typical models, they live in modest condominiums with thousands of roommates, they eat paste for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and are often gassed with CO2 and forced to undergo many experimental procedures not covered by their insurance. Since the early 1900’s, Micky’s great great great great great great (extrapolate from there) grandparents have aided famous scientists like Charles Woodworth, Thomas Morgan, and Dr. Schaeffer from BIOL 110H. Fruit flies are so widely respected in the scientific community that this year marked the 56th annual Drosophila Research Conference in Chicago where flies from all over the world gathered to share their research with humankind.

fruit-fly-humorFrom the principles of X-linked inheritance, to epistasis, to gene-mapping, fruit flies have been with us every step of the way dedicating their lives to science. As a result, the fly’s genome has helped humans understand and treat diseases such as Parkinson’s, diabetes, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s,    and many more.

For your incredible ingenuity, perseverance, and constant reproduction in the name of science, Micky, Melanogaster and Drosophila in labs all over the world, on behalf of geneticists everywhere, we thank you for your loyal service.

UPDATE:

Fly obit 2Micky Melanogaster passed away three days after embarking on his grand adventure. After visiting the nearest landfill and feasting on a juicy rotten tomato, his last item on his bucket list proved to be the one that did him in as he was unable to distinguish between a harmless porch light and the Bug Zapper 3000. While his adventure may have been short-lived, the life he led and the discoveries he contributed to will last forever in next year’s biology textbooks. Rest in peace, Micky. You’ve earned it.

A Mutant to Love

I won’t lie. It’s hard being a geneticist. We are not exactly popular outside of the classroom. We are reclusive and introverted. Often, we are obsessive/compulsive and have better success reading long chains of letters like ATGGATTGCGATTAGACCGTC than reading people. Yet, deep down, we yearn for the same love, comfort, and intimacy as everyone else. Sometimes it’s hard to find people who understand us. I mean, is it too much to ask to find someone else who enjoys engaging in a simple conversation on the methylation of arginine (Arg) and lysine residues in histones and their correlation with epigenetic forms of gene regulation regulated by human peptidylarginine deiminase 4 histone? The inner workings of the body and mind must be discussed in-depth with those we love if we are ever going to connect on a truly meaningful level.
Believe it or not, relationships like these are sometimes difficult to come by for theValentines common geneticist. While there are many potential solutions being researched, scientists are pretty excited about the latest breakthrough in laboratory companionship. Get ready for the biggest thing to happen to geneticist relationships since the invention of scientific Valentine’s Day cards. Heck, it might even be bigger then the online DNA dating site genepartner.com.
It is… (drum roll please…)

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Super intelligent mice!

FAQ_mouse

It’s perfect. We spend years in the lab together, we share 90% of the same genome, we already cured their obesity problems (see earlier blog post) and soon, just maybe, we might be able to talk with them. It’s like a match made in heaven or, in this case, a clinical research facility.

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Now I know what you are thinking, so allow me to address your immediate concern.
No, this isn’t going to end up like the super-intelligent chimdawn-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-2014-full-hdpanzees we invented in the 90’s that escaped and terrorized San Francisco and whose inspirational story became the subject of a major Hollywood film. No, this time we have taken special precautions to ensure that doesn’t happen again. (Though there’s always a degree of uncertainty in science)

Anyway, back to the mice.

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For years, geneticists have wondered what it is that sets us apart from the rest of the mammalian class. Now, they think they have found their answer in a sequence of our DNA called HARE5.

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When they modified this sequence in mice to match the exact code found in humans and inserted it into the cortex of the mice’s brains during their embryonic stage, they noticed that the HARE5 stimulated a gene called Frizzled 8 which affects early neural development. When this gene was heightened, the mice’s brains increased in size on average by 12%.
Now, keep in mind that this experiment is still in its infancy. In fact, these findings were just released to the media following Valentine’s Day (apparently a lot of geneticists were alone that day). Nevertheless, increased brain size is a key ingredient in achieving human-like intelligence. However, a characteristic as complex as intelligence can hardly be expressed by one gene; there are many more human specific genes associated with learning, language, and speech that have yet to be understood. That being said, this is a big step forward in our understanding of our mental abilities. Perhaps in the near future, we may have intelligent furry companions at our side to help us complete our daily tasks, stimulate our minds with their genius, and become the life-partners we never had. There remains much work to do before this dream can become a reality, but geneticists are optimistic that we will create creatures that love and truly appreciate us for the complex individuals we are. But until that time, we shall continue to read the DNA samples, map the genomes, and encode the sequence to our heart, longing for a mutant we can one day call our own.

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