I found an article that discusses genetically modified seeds being used in Kenya. These scientifically produced seeds are resistant to the number one threat to wheat around the world. The Kenyan government is giving away six tons of these seeds in an effort to encourage people to start using these and help save the agricultural system for the country. Genetically modified plants are rampant throughout the US with many varieties of corn being changed in order to grow higher and to fight off common diseases in corn plants. Here is the link http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-09/new-kenyan-wheat-combats-worlds-most-serious-wheat-threat?dom=PSC&loc=recent&lnk=2&con=irradiated-seeds-combat-worlds-most-serious-wheat-disease.
Diep, Francie. "Irradiated Seeds Combat World's Most Serious Wheat Disease."Popular Science. N.p., 9 Sept. 2013. Web. 23 Sept. 2013
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Interview
I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Sue Stoltzfus who is a professor at Michigan State in the college of natural science. Before the interview, I could never have imagined how likable and down to earth a professor could be. While the majority of my questions focused on the writing that she performs in her job we also talked about other details of her job. Here is a summary of the interview:
Q: Whats your favorite part of your job?
A: Working with the students, everyone here is so unique and finding out about individual students and helping them adjust to life here in college is something I take great pride in.
Q: How much writing do you do in your job?
A: Its in short spurts. There is always email and lots of grading to do. In addition to that I write many letters of recruitment and posting items on D2L.
There were more questions but I feel they wouldn't be relevant to this blog. Professor Stoltzfus was incredibly helpful and I am very happy that she took time out of her day for this interview.
Q: Whats your favorite part of your job?
A: Working with the students, everyone here is so unique and finding out about individual students and helping them adjust to life here in college is something I take great pride in.
Q: How much writing do you do in your job?
A: Its in short spurts. There is always email and lots of grading to do. In addition to that I write many letters of recruitment and posting items on D2L.
Q: How do you generally communicate with other people?
A: Normally it is E-Mail, because of the amount of people and their location this is the most efficient way to talk to many people as quickly as possible.
Q: What’s your job like on a day-to-day basis?
A: There is no such thing as an average day, there are always meetings, emails to answer to and writing i need to catch up on in addition to class.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Currently I am focusing on data collection on SpartaNature students. The main focus points are on how they are adjusting to life at MSU and also how their GPA is compared to other students.
Q: What challenges are typical with your job?
A: In general it would be technology because of how much I rely on it. If the internet is down or my computer is out of commission it really slows everything down on me.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
September 17th Free Post
Recently i was reading this article published by the JAMA ( The Journal of American Medical Association). It discussed the linkage of both ovarian cancer and breast cancer to a single gene. Specifically the BRCA1 Gene. A mutation in this single gene gives carriers an 85% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime and an elevated chance of ovarian cancer. Hopefully with genetic counseling it will be possible to save carriers of this gene before cancer can set in. Between 200 and 400 american women are thought to have this mutation at this very moment. If it is discovered before cancer starts growing doctors are able to greatly reduce the risk through gene therapy. I found the article at http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=405518
Hall JM, Lee MK, Newman B, et al. Linkage of early onset breast cancer to chromosome 17q21.
Recently i was reading this article published by the JAMA ( The Journal of American Medical Association). It discussed the linkage of both ovarian cancer and breast cancer to a single gene. Specifically the BRCA1 Gene. A mutation in this single gene gives carriers an 85% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime and an elevated chance of ovarian cancer. Hopefully with genetic counseling it will be possible to save carriers of this gene before cancer can set in. Between 200 and 400 american women are thought to have this mutation at this very moment. If it is discovered before cancer starts growing doctors are able to greatly reduce the risk through gene therapy. I found the article at http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=405518
Hall JM, Lee MK, Newman B, et al. Linkage of early onset breast cancer to chromosome 17q21.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Genetic diseases are diseases that are passed through DNA. These aren't diseases you can catch but are received through parents. Through gene mapping it is possible to identify these sequences and determine the chances offspring will have the disease. According to this article, this is done through genetic markers that identify the specific sequences that cause the disease. Even this isn't perfect due to recessive alleles and different combinations of genes having different outcomes. Again the field of genetics is constantly being explored and having new break throughs daily. If I find anything else i will post it to this blog. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/235/4796/1616.short
I recently found an article that relates the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiation to the genetic makeup of the patient and also the variations in genetics that caused the cancer.
It seems that our genes help to determine the rate of cell adaptation and the heartiness of certain cells. while you would think that having less hearty cells would make radiation more effective due to the fact that cancer cells would be easier to kill, it also increases the amount of collateral damage that nearby cells endure and how quickly they are damaged. This can lead to more cancer that might not even be the same type that was intended to be irradiated. In addition some people produce specific proteins that counter some chemotherapy drugs or cause them to have unintended and detrimental effects. while research in this field is ongoing, it is apparent that a more effective cancer destroying process is necessary. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867402006256
It seems that our genes help to determine the rate of cell adaptation and the heartiness of certain cells. while you would think that having less hearty cells would make radiation more effective due to the fact that cancer cells would be easier to kill, it also increases the amount of collateral damage that nearby cells endure and how quickly they are damaged. This can lead to more cancer that might not even be the same type that was intended to be irradiated. In addition some people produce specific proteins that counter some chemotherapy drugs or cause them to have unintended and detrimental effects. while research in this field is ongoing, it is apparent that a more effective cancer destroying process is necessary. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867402006256
Sunday, September 8, 2013
ten questions
Here is my list of ten questions i have about the field of Genetics:
- How does gene mapping work?
- How is it possible for genes to be "patented"
- How was gene splicing founded?
- Who founded gene splicing?
- How common are GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) in everyday plants?
- Is genetic modification or hormonal boosters more common in athletes today?
- How safe is artificial genetic modification in humans?
- How often does artificial genetic modification happen in humans?
- Why was Mendel so interested in making the perfect pea plant?
- How safe is gene therapy?
I own the book Genetics by Robert J. Brooker. It is set up in the way most textbooks are, allowing easy use of the index or glossary to find the information you are looking for. While this is nice it doesn't go very deep into any topic and seems to lightly skim the surface. I feel that even with using the glossary to help find information, the internet is an easier way to find more detailed information faster. On top of this, the field of genetics is constantly changing so this book from 1999 is very far outdated and many ideas in it are outdated. A strongly sourced webpage or direct contact with a scientist is the best way to get accurate and detailed answers to these questions.
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