Biotechnology The Advance Biology

: commonly used chemicals and a range of health problems: Research published in peer-reviewed scientific journals has reported possible links between commonly used chemicals and a range of health problems: •testicular, ovarian and breast cancers •falling fertility and collapsing sperm counts •abnormal growth and development •the feminisation of young boys and the masculinization of girls •significant shifts in the ratio of male to female babies •impaired immunity •brain and nervous system disorders. The toxins that can produce these problems are by no means confined to industrial wastes. Many are used as chemical additives in a wide array of consumer goods, such as: • food and drinks containers • household cleaning products • furniture • shampoos, cosmetics and toiletries • household and agricultural pesticides. Others are generated as unintentional byproducts of industrial processes or waste managemen...

Human Impacts of Man–made  Chemicals => The last 50 years has seen an enormous increase in the production and use of chemicals. This has led to an increased number of man-made substances finding their way into the environment, not just from industrial chimneys and effluent pipes, but also from products commonly used in the home. As a result we all now carry a mixture of many different chemicals in our bodies. Of those chemical pollutants found in human tissue, a significant number have been shown to lead to effects on the health of various d i ff e rent animal species, including mammals. These effects include cancer, deformities of the re p roductive system, weakened immunity and behavioral disorders. Over the same period the incidence of some of these diseases in humans, including cancer and re p ro d u c t i v e system disorders, has increased dramatically. It is not possible with the scientific tools currently available, to know to what extent chemical pollutant...

How to get rid of from chemical exposure that occurs in your daily life ? => Some diseases get worse when you come into contact with a harmful substance, and some diseases are caused by exposure to chemicals.  A few examples of diseases caused by an exposure include smog and asthma caused by exposure to smog, mesothelioma caused by exposure to asbestos, and learning disabilities caused by exposure  to lead. You can reduce your contact with harmful chemicals by • Being aware of chemicals in everyday products; • Being aware of any contamination, pollution, or hot spots (areas known to have harmful amounts of contamination) around your home or work; • Washing your hands; • Washing fruits and vegetables; • Not burning treated wood; • Keeping your home ventilated; • Following proper disposal guidelines for electronics, batteries, paint, and other harmful chemical-containing products;  • Limiting intake of fish high in mercury and following local...

Did you know??You come into contact with chemicals every day! This is called chemical exposure. Although some chemical exposures are safe, others are not.  A certain amount of a harmful chemical must enter your body to make you sick. Harmful chemicals can get into your body if you breathe, eat, or drink them or if they are absorbed through your skin. People respond to chemical exposures in different ways.  Some people may come into contact with a chemical and never be harmed.  Others may be more sensitive and get sick.  Sometimes illness happens only if you are exposed to a harmful substance for a long time.  Many factors play a part in whether you get sick from contact with chemicals, including  • The kind of chemical you are exposed to , • How much of the chemical you were in contact with, • How long the contact lasted, • How often you were exposed, • How it entered your body, and  • Your health. So be aware and stay healthy ...

REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES Reactive oxload  species (ROS) is a term which encompasses all highly reactive, oxygen-containing molecules, including free radicals. Types of ROS include the hydroxyl radical, the superoxide anion radical, hydrogen peroxide, singlet oxygen, nitric oxide radical, hypochlorite radical, and various lipid peroxides. All are capable of reacting with membrane lipids, nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, and other small molecules, resulting in cellular damage. ROS are generated by a number of pathways. Most of the oxidants produced by cells occur as: •A consequence of normal aerobic metabolism: approximately 90% of the oxygen utilized by the cell is consumed by the mitochondrial electron transport system. •Oxidative burst from phagocytes (white blood cells) as part of the mechanism by which bacteria and viruses are killed, and by which foreign proteins (antigens) are denatured. •Xenobiotic metabolism, i.e., detoxification of toxic substances. Cons...

Malaria: A genetically attenuated parasite induces an immune response Date: July 18, 2016 Source: Institut Pasteur Summary: With nearly 3.2 billion people currently at risk of contracting malaria, scientists have experimentally developed a live, genetically attenuated vaccine for Plasmodium, the parasite responsible for the disease. By identifying and deleting one of the parasite's genes, the scientists enabled it to induce an effective, long-lasting immune response in a mouse model. These findings were published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on July 18, 2016. Full story- Despite increased prevention and eradication efforts over the past fifteen years, especially targeting mosquito vectors, malaria remains the parasitic disease that poses the biggest threat for the world's population. Approximately 214 million cases and 438,000 deaths from malaria were recorded in 2015, mostly children under the age of five and pregnant women. An effective vaccine is needed ...

Got sleep? The amount you get could affect your marital mindset Date: August 6, 2016 Source: Florida State University Summary: A new study found that when husbands and wives get more sleep than on an average night, they are more satisfied with their marriages, at least the following day. Full story- The research was conducted by FSU Psychology Professor Jim McNulty and graduate student Heather Maranges. "The universality of our findings is important," Maranges said. "That is, we know all people need sleep. Regardless of the stage at which a couple is in their relationship or the cultural context in which they're embedded, each member of the couple can be adversely affected by not getting enough sleep." The paper, "The Rested Relationship: Sleep Benefits in Marital Evaluations," was published in the July issue of the  Journal of Family Psychology. It highlights the significance of sleep as it relates to self-regulation or self-control, w...

stolen' CRISPR to hack its host's immune system Date: June 14, 2016 Source: University of British Columbia Summary: Microbiologists have discovered that the Cyanophage N1 virus carries a DNA sequence -- a CRISPR -- that is generally used by bacteria to fight off viral infection. The virus appears to use the stolen bits of immune system DNA to highjack their hosts' immune response. Full story- Microbiologists have discovered that the virus, Cyanophage N1, carries a DNA sequence--a CRISPR--that is generally used by bacteria to fight off viral infection. "This is the first evidence we've seen that a virus can donate an immunity system via CRISPR," says University of British Columbia virologist Curtis Suttle. "This is like a hacker compromising a computer system, and then immediately patching it to ensure other hackers can't break in." CRISPR--or clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats--are libraries of DNA typically u...

Gene circuits in live cells can perform complex computations Technique combines analogue, digital processes in engineered cells Date: June 3, 2016 Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Summary: Researchers have developed a technique to integrate both analogue and digital computation in living cells, allowing them to form gene circuits capable of carrying out complex processing operations. Full story These computations can be continuous, or analogue, in nature -- the way eyes adjust to gradual changes in the light levels. They can also be digital, involving simple on or off processes, such as a cell's initiation of its own death. Synthetic biological systems, in contrast, have tended to focus on either analogue or digital processing, limiting the range of applications for which they can be used. But now a team of researchers at MIT has developed a technique to integrate both analogue and digital computation in living cells, allowing them to form gene circuits...

Selfless people have more sex, study finds Date: August 4, 2016 Source: University of Guelph Summary: New research shows that people who help others are more desirable to the opposite sex, have more sexual partners and more frequent sex. Full story- The study was published recently in the  British Journal of Psychology. "This study is the first to show that altruism may translate into real mating success in Western populations, that altruists have more mates than non-altruists," said Pat Barclay, a U of G psychology professor who worked on the study with lead author Prof. Steven Arnocky from Nipissing. Arnocky added: "It appears that altruism evolved in our species, in part, because it serves as a signal of other underlying desirable qualities, which helps individuals reproduce." The researchers interviewed about 800 people regarding their relationships and propensity for helping others, including giving to charity, donating blood, helping strangers ...

Genetically modified golden rice falls short on lifesaving promises Date: June 2, 2016 Source: Washington University in St. Louis Summary: Heralded on the cover of Time magazine in 2000 as a genetically modified (GMO) crop with the potential to save millions of lives in the Third World, Golden Rice is still years away from field introduction and even then, may fall short of lofty health benefits still cited regularly by GMO advocates, suggests a new study. Full story- "Golden Rice is still not ready for the market, but we find little support for the common claim that environmental activists are responsible for stalling its introduction. GMO opponents have not been the problem," said lead author Glenn Stone, professor of anthropology and environmental studies in Arts & Sciences. First conceived in the 1980s and a focus of research since 1992, Golden Rice has been a lightning rod in the battle over genetically modified crops. GMO advocates have long touted the...

Sex and gender more important than income in determining views on division of chores Date: August 21, 2016 Source: American Sociological Association Summary: For heterosexual couples, most Americans still believe in the traditional division of household labor between husbands and wives, while for same-sex couples, they think the 'more masculine' partner and the 'more feminine' partner should generally be responsible for stereotypically male and female chores, respectively, suggests a new study. Full story- "This is the first study that looks at Americans' beliefs about how partners should divide chores and childcare tasks," said Natasha Quadlin, the lead author of the study and a doctoral student in sociology at Indiana University. Titled, "Making Money, Doing Gender, or Being Essentialist? Partner Characteristics and Americans' Attitudes Toward Housework," the study examined responses from a nationally representative survey of mor...

Unexpected trove of gas discovered around larger stars Date: August 25, 2016 Source: National Radio Astronomy Observatory Summary: Astronomers using ALMA surveyed dozens of young stars -- some Sun-like and others approximately double that size -- and discovered that the larger variety have surprisingly rich reservoirs of carbon monoxide gas in their debris disks. In contrast, the lower-mass, Sun-like stars have debris disks that are virtually gas-free. Artist impression of a debris disk surrounding a star in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. ALMA discovered that -- contrary to expectations -- the more massive stars in this region retain considerable stores of carbon monoxide gas. This finding could offer new insights into the timeline for giant planet formation around young stars. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks Full story- This finding runs counter to astronomers' expectations, which hold that stronger radiation from larger stars should strip away gas...