HOW HUMANS BENEFIT FROM GENETIC-ENGINEERING

           I was fascinated by the topic of biological engineering. To see how man has learnt to manipulate organisms by splicing, joining, adding and tweaking existing organisms to produce functioning, feasible and new varieties of organisms just amazed me. Whole new-age products have been designed by these innovative engineers to aid humanity and improve life on earth. This manipulation of organisms by revolutionary techniques and experimental genetic engineering will help the world population and environment. It is too new to be understood fully by regular folk, so we discover little bits as they are introduced to society. We marvel at the processes and our eyes are opened a little at a time as we learn what’s happening around us.

            One of my research sources led me to an article detailing a breakthrough advance in biological engineering on land. An article from the Biotechnology Foundation Laboratories at Thomas Jefferson University shares research data from Tobacco plants that have been genetically altered to be a new, untapped source of biofuel. Because Tobacco plants typically produce oil mainly in their seeds, biotech engineers genetically engineered plants so they would change their growth pattern and produce more oil in their leaves. “In some instances, the modified plants produced 20-fold more oil in their leaves” (Andrianov). These “plants were engineered to overexpress one of two genes: the diacyglycerol acytransferase (DGAT) gene or the LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) gene” (Andrianov).

           







         

      
         Another research article showed me new technologies related to the sea and water. Oil production, use and transportation has led to some disastrous environmental oil spills that have affected not only the environment, but wildlife too. “Scientists in Europe have sequenced the genome for an oil-eating bacterium, a move that could pave the way for faster and more efficient ways to clean up oil spills” (Graham-Rowe). Because we have created situations where accidents happen, like oil spills, we have to be responsible and counter any future effects this could have on our environment and wildlife that are adversely affected by this.

            Further research showed up an interesting atmospheric invention that relates to the air way above earth’s surface. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory engineers working at the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program (HAARP) have “successfully produced a sustained high density plasma cloud in Earth’s upper atmosphere” (Parry). They have manufactured “artificial plasma clouds...(which together with) electrostatic waves…responsible for accelerating electrons to high enough energy to produce the glow discharge in the neutral atmosphere” (Parry). While I am not savvy enough to understand the significance of this artificial cloud, the fact that it can be done so far away from earth and still be under scientists control is huge. Perhaps this technology could lead to correcting the earth’s current damage to its ozone layer; or manufacture rain in drought stricken regions.

            Finally, my research pointed me towards current work on research with animals that can benefit humans with diabetes. “Type 1 diabetes affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States” (Grey). Insulin production by their bodies is defective, so they need insulin shots daily to survive, or the outcome can be fatal. The trouble is that pancreatic islets need to be harvested from cadavers and transferred after purification, into the patient. Understandably there are not enough cadavers to aid this vast need, so other sources are required to mass produce these islets. This is where Xenotransplantation comes into effect. Pigs have proved to be the most compatible non-human transplant option for use in human diabetic treatment. Grey concludes there are two main reasons why pigs are such a viable commodity. “Physiological reasons…blood levels of glucose in pigs and humans are similar…(and) Practical reasons…the commercial rearing and breeding of pigs for food is currently practiced…this knowledge could be used to develop…large-scale preparation of pig islets” (Grey).

            All of my research be it from land, sea, air or animal, had far-reaching effects that could only be of benefit to our society, environment and well-being. Finding innovative biotechnical engineering ways to produce something out of parts of other organisms to fix, cure, adapt and aid us as a whole is all due to genetic enhancement on an unprecedented scale. Any positive research that results in sustainable biofuels that can be grown easily, or bacteria-cleaning oil spills, new techniques for cloud production and animal-human disease control are worthy of recognition.

Work cited

Andrianov, Dr.”Engineered Tobacco Plants Have More Potential as a Biofuel”. Science Daily.  Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091230174128.htm#

Graham-Rowe, Duncan. “Better Bug for Oil Spills”. MIT Technology Review.mht. German Research Center for Biotechnology. Web. 21 March 2013.

Grey, Shane T. “Genetic Engineering & Xenotransplantation”. Action Bioscience. Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/grey.html

Parry, Daniel. “NRL Scientists Produce Densest Artificial Ionospheric Plasma Clouds Using HAARP”. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. Web. 21 March 2013. http://www.nrl.navy.mil/media/news-releases/2013/nrl-scientists-produce-densest-artificial-ionospheric-plasma-clouds-using-haarp

Part 2. Thinking about the course.

1.    What one assignment or activity you performed in this unit are you the most proud of?

The assignment that I feel the most proud of doing was the “Genetics Problem Calculation Lab”.  It was a fun lab to take, and the fact that my college bound daughter helped me by being the other “parent” made it a fun assignment.

2.    What do you now understand best about the information in this unit?

I now understand the link between cloning, genetics and inheritance.

3.    What actions did you take for yourself to enhance learning or enjoyment of the material?

I made sure to watch all the extra class links that would aid me in my understanding of the material. So much new information is very difficult to digest if you only grasp parts of it, especially the very technical and detailed sections.

4.    When did you feel most “connected” with the course? Most distanced?

I felt most connected with the course during the first part of Chapter 17 because the subject of cloning is really interesting to me. I felt most distanced when the many, many details of the cell cycle came up because of their similarities it seemed very confusing to separate the parts.

5.    What could the tutor offer to help your understanding or enjoyment of the material?

As I mentioned the last time, just continue to supply your video feeds and explain in simple terms the most difficult parts of the new material we receive.