Category Archives: Genetic Engineering

Genetic Engineering for Mining Water Filtering
This is a biotech company video made to show the process of genetically modifying bacteria used for filtering mining water-- Created using PowToon -- Free si...

By: shchang18

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Genetic Engineering for Mining Water Filtering - Video

[Cross-posted from our new Energy and Environment blog.]

One of the strange things about being human beings is that we are highly conscious of our surroundings, yet are oblivious to the molecular machinations within our own bodies. Sure, we monitor ourselves were hungry, were tired, were squirrelly, weve got the sewing-machine leg, we shoulda tried the decaf. Those of us who focus on our breathing can find our psychic zone of serenity, where we can feel superior to other people who breathe less immaculately and more clumsily. But whatever: Were not aware of whats happening at the cellular level, down there where the ribosomes are taking information from DNA and manufacturing proteins that somehow serve specific functions simply through their three-dimensional structure.

We certainly dont pause to consider that, thanks to the trillions of bacteria we host, most of the genetic information in our bodies is not actually human. Were a composite organism. Life is basically the weirdest and most astonishing thing ever.

And now, increasingly, human beings are at the controls through genetic engineering and other advanced laboratory technologies. This is the age of synthetic life.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a source of enduring controversy, and its not simply a matter of science. There are economic and political issues here, with huge corporations like Monsanto looming over a discussion that touches on ownership of novel species and the question of who, exactly, will benefit from these technologies.

But lets cut to a basic question: Are GMOs safe?

Nothing controversial there! Seriously, you can answer this question round or square depending on which experts and activists you contact. Generally, though, scientists hold that food containing GMOs are just as safe to consume as food that comes from crops modified through traditional breeding techniques. Just because it comes out of a lab doesnt make it dangerous. The American Association for the Advancement of Science opposed the 2012 Proposition 37 California referendum that would have required GMO labeling. The AAAS board of directors said this would unnecessarily alarm consumers.

But what about the environment? Do GMOs pose an ecological risk?

The answer to that is controversial, said David Guston, a professor of politics and global studies and co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He noted a much-publicized case where superweeds had developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup as a result of heavy Roundup use on genetically modified, Roundup-resistant crops.

Any particular change is part of a larger system. You can say that the Roundup-resistant weeds, the superweeds, arent a direct effect of the genetic modification of the BT-resistant corn, but theyre a consequences of the agricultural practices that surround the Roundup-ready crop, Guston said. Some of this is foreseeable, and some of this is not foreseeable.

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Achenbach: Welcome to Science Tuesday Mid-Afternoon: Should we be worried about synthetic organisms cooked up in ...

One of the strange things about being human beings is that we are highly conscious of our surroundings, yet are oblivious to the molecular machinations within our own bodies. Sure, we monitor ourselves were hungry, were tired, were squirrelly, weve got the sewing-machine leg, we shoulda tried the decaf. Those of us who focus on our breathing can find our psychic zone of serenity, where we can feel superior to other people who breathe less immaculately and more clumsily. But whatever: Were not aware of whats happening at the cellular level, down there where the ribosomes are taking information from DNA and manufacturing proteins that somehow serve specific functions simply through their three-dimensional structure.

We certainly dont pause to consider that, thanks to the trillions of bacteria we host, most of the genetic information in our bodies is not actually human. Were a composite organism. Life is basically the weirdest and most astonishing thing ever.

And now, increasingly, human beings are at the controls through genetic engineering and other advanced laboratory technologies. This is the age of synthetic life.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a source of enduring controversy, and its not simply a matter of science. There are economic and political issues here, with huge corporations like Monsanto looming over a discussion that touches on ownership of novel species and the question of who, exactly, will benefit from these technologies.

But lets cut to a basic question: Are GMOs safe?

Nothing controversial there! Seriously, you can answer this question round or square depending on which experts and activists you contact. Generally, though, scientists hold that food containing GMOs are just as safe to consume as food that comes from crops modified through traditional breeding techniques. Just because it comes out of a lab doesnt make it dangerous. The American Association for the Advancement of Science opposed the 2012 Proposition 37 California referendum that would have required GMO labeling. The AAAS board of directors said this would unnecessarily alarm consumers.

But what about the environment? Do GMOs pose an ecological risk?

The answer to that is controversial, said David Guston, a professor of politics and global studies and co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He noted a much-publicized case where superweeds had developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup as a result of heavy Roundup use on genetically modified, Roundup-resistant crops.

Any particular change is part of a larger system. You can say that the Roundup-resistant weeds, the superweeds, arent a direct effect of the genetic modification of the BT-resistant corn, but theyre a consequences of the agricultural practices that surround the Roundup-ready crop, Guston said. Some of this is foreseeable, and some of this is not foreseeable.

In their 2012 statement, the AAAS board of directors offered a much stronger endorsement of GMO crops:

Read more from the original source:
Scientists are actually creating microscopic life in laboratories. Should you worry?

[Cross-posted from our new Energy and Environment blog.]

One of the strange things about being human beings is that we are highly conscious of our surroundings, yet are oblivious to the molecular machinations within our own bodies. Sure, we monitor ourselves were hungry, were tired, were squirrelly, weve got the sewing-machine leg, we shoulda tried the decaf. Those of us who focus on our breathing can find our psychic zone of serenity, where we can feel superior to other people who breathe less immaculately and more clumsily. But whatever: Were not aware of whats happening at the cellular level, down there where the ribosomes are taking information from DNA and manufacturing proteins that somehow serve specific functions simply through their three-dimensional structure.

We certainly dont pause to consider that, thanks to the trillions of bacteria we host, most of the genetic information in our bodies is not actually human. Were a composite organism. Life is basically the weirdest and most astonishing thing ever.

And now, increasingly, human beings are at the controls through genetic engineering and other advanced laboratory technologies. This is the age of synthetic life.

GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are a source of enduring controversy, and its not simply a matter of science. There are economic and political issues here, with huge corporations like Monsanto looming over a discussion that touches on ownership of novel species and the question of who, exactly, will benefit from these technologies.

But lets cut to a basic question: Are GMOs safe?

Nothing controversial there! Seriously, you can answer this question round or square depending on which experts and activists you contact. Generally, though, scientists hold that food containing GMOs are just as safe to consume as food that comes from crops modified through traditional breeding techniques. Just because it comes out of a lab doesnt make it dangerous. The American Association for the Advancement of Science opposed the 2012 Proposition 37 California referendum that would have required GMO labeling. The AAAS board of directors said this would unnecessarily alarm consumers.

But what about the environment? Do GMOs pose an ecological risk?

The answer to that is controversial, said David Guston, a professor of politics and global studies and co-director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University. He noted a much-publicized case where superweeds had developed a resistance to the herbicide Roundup as a result of heavy Roundup use on genetically modified, Roundup-resistant crops.

Any particular change is part of a larger system. You can say that the Roundup-resistant weeds, the superweeds, arent a direct effect of the genetic modification of the BT-resistant corn, but theyre a consequences of the agricultural practices that surround the Roundup-ready crop, Guston said. Some of this is foreseeable, and some of this is not foreseeable.

Originally posted here:
Welcome to Science Tuesday Mid-Afternoon: Should we be worried about synthetic organisms cooked up in laboratories?

IMAGE:Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is an authoritative, peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online that focuses on cutting-edge basic research, therapeutic applications, and drug development using nucleic acids... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 27, 2015--Therapeutic oligonucleotide analogs represent a new and promising family of drugs that act on nucleic acid targets such as RNA or DNA; however, their effectiveness has been limited due to difficulty crossing the cell membrane. A new delivery approach based on cell-penetrating peptide nanoparticles can efficiently transport charge-neutral oligonucleotide analogs into cells, as reported in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website.

In the article, "Peptide Nanoparticle Delivery of Charge-Neutral Splice-Switching Morpholino Oligonucleotides," Peter Jrver and coauthors, Cambridge Biomedical Campus (U.K.), Karolinska University Hospital (Huddinge, Sweden), Stockholm University (Sweden), Alexandria University (Egypt), and University of Oxford (U.K.), note that while delivery systems exist to facilitate cell entry of negatively charged oligonucleotide drugs, these approaches are not effective for charge-neutral oligonucleotide analogs. The authors describe lipid-functionalized peptides that form a complex with charge-neutral morpholino oligonucleotides, enabling them to cross into cells and retain their biological activity.

"The exploitation of phosphorodiamidate morpholinos represents an exciting approach to treating a number of therapeutic targets," says Executive Editor Graham C. Parker, PhD, The Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI. "This paper suggests an intriguing but practical approach to solving the lack of a convenient non-covalent delivery system."

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Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is under the editorial leadership of Editor-in-Chief Bruce A. Sullenger, PhD, Duke Translational Research Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, and Executive Editor Graham C. Parker, PhD.

About the Journal

Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is an authoritative, peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online that focuses on cutting-edge basic research, therapeutic applications, and drug development using nucleic acids or related compounds to alter gene expression. Nucleic Acid Therapeutics is the official journal of the Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Nucleic Acid Therapeutics website.

About the Society

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Nanoparticles that deliver oligonucleotide drugs into cells described in Nucleic Acid Therapeutics

IMAGE:BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD.... view more

Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2015--The promise for using mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to repair cartilage damage caused by osteoarthritis depends on the MSC being able to attach efficiently to the defective cartilage. A novel laboratory model in which artificially created cartilage lesions and labeled MSC were used to test factors that might improve MSC binding and the effectiveness of future MSC-based therapies is described in BioResearch Open Access, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

In the article "1 Integrins Mediate Attachment of Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Cartilage Lesions," D. Zwolanek, PhD, and coauthors, University of Veterinary Medicine (Vienna, Austria), University of Cologne Medical Faculty (Germany), University Medical Center Rotterdam (The Netherlands) present the results of experiments using a combination of ex vivo and in vivo model systems of defective cartilage. They studied the effects of serum, plasma hyaluronic acid, and various cell adhesion-related proteins such as integrins on the attachment of MSC to the extracellular matrix of the cartilage.

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About the Journal

BioResearch Open Access is a bimonthly peer-reviewed open access journal led by Editor-in-Chief Robert Lanza, MD, Chief Scientific Officer, Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. and Editor Jane Taylor, PhD. The Journal provides a new rapid-publication forum for a broad range of scientific topics including molecular and cellular biology, tissue engineering and biomaterials, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cells, gene therapy, systems biology, genetics, biochemistry, virology, microbiology, and neuroscience. All articles are published within 4 weeks of acceptance and are fully open access and posted on PubMed Central. All journal content is available on the BioResearch Open Access website.

About the Publisher

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many areas of science and biomedical research, including DNA and Cell Biology, Tissue Engineering, Stem Cells and Development, Human Gene Therapy, HGT Methods, and HGT Clinical Development, and AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Integrins are essential in stem cell binding to defective cartilage for joint regeneration

Indian discovery gives boost to hopes for Malaria vaccine
A stunning new discovery in India could in future lead to the development of a new vaccine against malaria. A team of scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the International...

By: NDTV

See original here:
Indian discovery gives boost to hopes for Malaria vaccine - Video

January 24, 2015

(GMO growing facility. Credit: Thinkstock)

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Two teams of US scientists are currently working on a way to produce safer genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that would be unable to spread in the wild, finding a potential solution to a primary concern to critics of genetic engineering research.

According to BBC News, the researchers have altered the genetic code of bacteria so that they can only use synthetic chemicals to grow. If they escaped into nature, they would simply die out, ideally alleviating some of the fears over GMOs and opening the door for their increased use in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and environmental clean-up.

As explained in the journal Nature, the bacteria relies upon an amino acid (one of the building blocks of protein) that does not occur in nature. While the microbes can thrive in the lab as long as they have access to the unnatural amino acid, none survived an experiment in which the artificial supplement was withheld.

Genetically engineered micro-organisms are currently used in the US, Europe, and China in order to produce drugs or fuels under contained industrial conditions, the BBC said. However, scientists are looking to develop internal fail-safe measures to help keep them from spreading if used in real-world conditions.

Re-writing the genetic code

What weve done is engineered organisms so that they require synthetic amino acids for survival or for life, Yale University professor Farren J. Isaacs, who led one of the two studies, told BBC News. What were seeing here is an important proof of concept that re-coding genomes and engineering dependence on synthetic amino acids is technically feasible in not just E coli but other micro-organisms and multicellular organisms such as plants.

Our strains, to the extent that we can test them, wont escape, added Daniel J. Mandell, a synthetic biologist at Harvard. The new bacteria is also unable to exchange their DNA with the natural versions of the same bacteria, since they no longer speak each others genetic language.

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Safer GMOs possible with spread-resistant bacteria

Scientists under Attack Genetic Engineering in the magnetic Field of Money TRAILER
Scientists under Attack Engineering Genetic in the magnetic Field of Money Money Bought Scientists GMO Foods GMO #39;s Science Professor Crops Genetically modified organisms Government foods...

By: Truth-worx Cornelia

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Scientists under Attack Genetic Engineering in the magnetic Field of Money TRAILER - Video

Genetic Engineering OMD Top of the Pops
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on Top of the Pops and doing Genetic Engineering. A amused audience with hats and balloons bouncing along!

By: Neil Taylor

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Genetic Engineering OMD Top of the Pops - Video