WHAT I LEARNT LAST WEEK #1: CRISPR gene-editing technology, tardigrades possible future of deep space travel,Superbugs-the microscopic enemy,4 new elements added to the periodic table& Male redback try to escape cannibalism by mating with immature female

Source: Flickr, Credit : David Goehring

INTRODUCTION

Before I start briefing us on what I learnt last week, I want to thank @mobbs for this concept and for letting me use it.
This is my first entry and I’m excited to let us know what I learnt in the previous week. I hope you too, get to learn something new from this post!
leggo

MONDAY: CRISPR gene-editing technology used in a Human for the first time by Chinese scientists.

Source ; Pixabay

Cancer which has been a major problem in the global health of the population could be curbed with the successful use of the CRISPR gene-editing technology thanks to a research team led by an oncologist Lu You at Sichuan University who conveyed modified immune cells into a patient suffering from a belligerent form of lung cancer.

The CRISPR which means clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats –is a technology which enables geneticists to manipulate the DNA of the patients by removing, adding or altering sections of DNA by means of an enzyme that was discovered in a bacterium.

It also allows manipulation of the genome through cutting, splicing and kicking on to specific chains of DNA. This technology was used by scientists to make the cells more rigorous in the presence of cancer, noting the first successful usage of the CRISPR-cas9 (powerful gene-editing tool) to treat a human.

In order to treat the patient with metastatic lung cancer, the scientists (Lu’s team) extracted immune cells from the patient’s blood, and then “knocked-out” a gene using CRISPR-cas9.
These unwanted gene code for a protein knocked-out are the key interrupter of a cells immune response which aids cancer in spreading faster in the body.
The cells which were now modified, were then injected back into the patients body in hope of attacking and conquering cancer. Scientists confirmed that the first treatment was successful.

Only one patient was used in this study, to test how safe the gene editing technology would go. If proven to be safe and helpful, another 10 patient would be treated as a part of the clinical trial carries out at Chengdu in the West China Hospital.
This is the first time a human patient had been treated with the CRISPR-cas9 gene-editing technique, although the results of this study are not certain, this could unlock a new world in biomedical science.

[CRISPR GENE-EDITING TECHNOLOGY]

TUESDAY: Tardigrades could be the future of deep space travel by humans

Source-Wikicommons

Tardigrades are microscopic organisms that are almost impossible to kill due to their unique survival abilities. They are also called moss piglets or water bears.
They have been proven to have the ability to survive extreme temperatures(near absolute zero to 150 degrees).
Researchers had revived a tardigrade that they had kept frozen for a period of thirty years.
You may be wondering what distinctive gene makeup lets them survive these extreme conditions. Well, biologists from the university of Tokyo carried out a genetic analysis on a specie (Ramazzottius variornatus) of tardigrade assumed to be the most resilient.

In the process of this genetic analysis the protein that protects the DNA of the tardigrade was identified as Dsup (short form of damage suppressor). Dsup protects the DNA of the tardigrade by enclosing it and protecting it from noxious agents and still not affect the normal functioning of the genetic material.

It is been proven by scientists that human organs can be genetically engineered to produce Dsup which sets a ground for possible deep space travel by humans. The only thing that could go wrong in this study, is the complicated genetic manipulation of humans. When human organs start producing Dsup successfully, it will protect the human from the harmful cosmic rays just like it protects the tardigrades.

[Tardigrades could be the future of deep space travel by humans]

WEDNESDAY: Superbugs; the microscopic enemy

Source- wikicommons

This picture shows antibiotic-resistance in Superbugs(specific-bacteria). The bacteria in the culture that does not show resistance(it is sensitive) to the antibiotic is the one on the left while the bacteria on the right are resistant to almost all antibiotics in the right

This is a disturbing one !
Bacteria and viruses that are dangerous to our health and are hard to eliminate because of their resistance to antibiotics and other forms of medications are referred to as superbugs.

It is in records that more than 2 million people are infected by these antibiotic-resistant or treatment-resistant viruses and bacteria annually and a good number of people die because of superbugs infection.

Bacteria and viruses become superbugs through mutation. This chromosomal alteration makes them resistant to antibacterial and antiviral treatments.
This is life threatening because popular illlness like malaria are slowly becoming superbugs, as mosquitoes build up resistance to treatments.

Scientists claim that if nothing is done to curb superbugs, the mortality rate will increase as it will kill someone every three seconds in 2050. This is a very critical issue that should be looked into as superbugs are increasing and growing stronger as the day goes by. These dangerous organisms can cause varieties of medical complications in situations where it shouldn’t be like in treating wounds and undergoing surgeries etc.

The higher the intake of drugs to fight a particular bacteria the faster the evolution of bacteria into developing resistant species which are the superbugs. This life threatening organisms can be controlled by the use of Ultraviolet blood irradiation. This therapy helps in the curbing of infection from surgeries,wounds treatment etc.
Proper personal hygiene can help in reducing the spread of superbugs and the proper intake and usage of antibiotics and medicine.

[Superbugs; the microscopic enemy]

THURSDAY: Four new elements added to the periodic table

Source- pixabay

Nihonium (Nh) for Element 113, Moscovium (Mc) for Element 115,Tennessine (Ts) for Element 117 and Oganesson (Og) for Element 118 are the four new elements that was added to the periodic table by International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry ( IUPAC), completing the periodic table to seventh row.
The Nihonium(Nh) is the first element to be discovered in Japan and 20 seconds is its half-life period.

Oganesson(Og) is the heaviest of all the newly added elements with 118 protons.
The names of these elements were proposed by the scientists who discovered them in line with the IUPAC naming standards.

The elements were duly named in accordance with IUPAC which states that the names of an element must cite A scientist, mythology, elemental property, place or substance. Tennessine, Nihonium and moscovium represented where the scientists institution were located which are Tennessine, Japan and Moscow.
The heaviest element, Oganesson was named in honor of a nuclear physics professor (Professor Yuri Oganessian) at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research.

[Four new elements added to the periodic table]

FRIDAY: Male redback spiders develop trick to escape cannibalism

Source - wikicommons, credit:Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

The redback spiders is also called the widow spider genus. This is because the male gets eaten by the Adult female during or after mating.

Study has found that some male red backs do not take a chance of this “self-sacrificial mating behavior” as they device a means of staying pretty much alive after mating.

how do the male redbacks escape death during after mating?

They mate with inexperienced(young females who do not know how to eat their mating partner) young female redbacks. This young female redbacks store the sperm until they are mature for reproduction.
Note that; This method is not totally risk free as it has been noted by scientists that young female with underdeveloped sperm storage organs have been seen eating the adult males. Although, this has been observed, it is still a better and safer option for the adult male to atleast stay alive after mating.
Out of three females only one would be successfully mated with the adult male.

This cannibalistic nature isn’t only observed in the female spiders but also in young spiders as they can eat younger ones and even unhatched eggs.
In conclusion this method of mating with immature females has increased the paternity rate of the adult male.

[Male redback develops means to escape cannibalism]

REFERENCES

CRISPR GENE-EDITING TECHNOLOGY

Tardigrades could be the future of deep space travel by humans

Superbugs; the microscopic enemy

Four new elements added to the periodic table

Male redback develops means to escape cannibalism

IMAGE SOURCES
Images used here are gotten from free sources (flickr, pixabay and wikicommons) licensed under Creative Commons Sbd eligible for commercial use.

I HOPE YOU LEARNT SOMETHING NEW TODAY! THANKS FOR READING

I am a proud member of steemSTEM. You can join us on discord to meet STEM gigs and also follow @steemstem to read interesting STEM blogposts on #distilled.

Gif courtesy of @steemstem and @rocking-dave