Gut microbes of chickens independent from genetics in regulation of fat deposits.

A recent study of the gut microbes of yellow broiler chickens has yielded unique results regarding their fat regulation and body distribution. As found in the data of Chaoliang Wen, Wei Yan, Congjiao Sun, and their colleagues, the heritable genetics of the birds had little correlation to the fat deposits in the chickens, and rather the microbial health of the birds (from feces, found in the duodenum and jejunum, as well as other locations) was correlated with the health of the animal in question. This is a departure from previous ideas that fat and health in animals is more majorly dependent on genetics and heritage, rather than gut health.

This is in direct contrast with an earlier claim by Sylwester Świątkiewicz, who regarded the genetic breeding program to have direct influence on the health and fat deposits on chickens.

I am not well versed in genetics, but I am interested in both zoology and farming. I was a farmhand for a short time for a family friend's farm. In terms of the gut health having influence on body mass and fat, it's fairly straight forward. However, I don't believe either argument (made by Wen et al, or by Świątkiewicz ) are completely cut and dry. There is much still mysterious to us about the minor influences that habits, diet, gut biotics, and other things have on animal metabolisms.

I personally would be very interested in a more layman's terms translation of that data, showing the correlation much more graphically digestible. It was with no small amount of trail and error that I had to go through to even comprehend this concept, as well as some minor confusion as to what parts of the bird's anatomy was being referred to.

Genetically Altered Squid May Pave the Way to New Research Methods

Image shows normal coloration/pigmentation in squid on the left and genetically altered squid on the right 

 Cephalopods have been studied extensively in the field of neurobiology. When conducting research, scientists always have had trouble figuring out the genetics to many unique traits that cephalopods have. Specifically, their ability to change color and texture of their skin as well as their intellectual level. Not being able to see the genomic structure of some of these processes have left scientists stumped. In this article, they talk about how scientists were finally able to alter the gene for coloration in squid. After figuring out how to accurately inject genetic information to developing embryos, scientists were able to alter the coloration in newly developed squid. By being able to do this, they are finally able to start understanding cephalopods at a genetic level. This is extremely important in the neurobiological field as cephalopods are studied extensively for their unique traits. This allows scientists to understand the processes as a whole as well as being able to further enhance studied to grasp a better understanding as to how and why these processes occur. 

    Cephalopods have always been interesting to me and I love reading about them in my own time. Seeing that scientists have been able to finally open the world of genetics into cephalopods is truly an exciting time. These creatures have a complex world of their own, which is highly studied especially on a neurological standpoint. Their intelligence levels are remarkable and their ability to also change color and texture of their skin is so unique. To be able to finally see these traits in a genetic level will help with research in many ways. Understanding their cognition and neural function on a genetic level may be able to help with projects in the neuroscience and medical fields. 

Link to the article

Link to supporting articles: NPR article 

Mission Impossible? Maker of Plant-Based Burger Struggles to Meet Chains’ Demand

The article, “Mission Impossible? Maker of Plant-Based Burger Struggles to Meet Chains’ Demand”, by Neil Vigdor is about the impossible burger made by Impossible Foods in California. These burgers are known as impossible because they are not actually made of meat; however, they seem to resemble meat very closely. They taste like, cook like, and look like meat. They have been sold to White Castle and Red Robin, two famous chains. The demand for the burger has increased dramatically since its introduction. Vegans and vegetarians are the main target group, because this is a food item they are not able to regularly enjoy. Even some carnivores are interested. 

Above is a picture of the impossible burger. It appears to look the same as a regular burger. 

Because the burger has been such a success, the company now has a much higher demand. Some restaurants even want to use other impossible foods as meat substitutes in lasagna, tacos, and a slider version of the burger. The company will have to hire more to keep up. 

The most interesting part of the impossible burger is what it is actually made of. The “meat” is technically a GMO. The patties are made out of genetically engineered, soy based hemp protein. The article, “The ‘magic mix’ of ingredients responsible for the Impossible Burger’s taste and texture”, by Ricki Lewis offers more insight. The ingredient is known as soy leghemoglobin. When the burger is cooked, it reacts to produce heme which is what makes it turn red like meat. 

Unfortunately, the article by Lewis explains an unfortunate problem. As Vigdor mentioned, the demand for the impossible burger is very high. There is not enough land for soybeans in the United States to meet the demand that has been projected. Luckily, genetics is to the rescue. Through recombinant DNA technology, the soybean protein can be made in the cells of another species. It could be made in one that is easier than growing acres of soybeans to acquire it. Researchers have been able to put the gene that encodes for legHB into the genome of a single, complex celled fungus known as Picchia pastoris. This would allow the company to keep up with the demand. 

One of the problems with the burger not concerning the high demand is the controversy over GMOS. The second article offered more insight. Rather than yes or no, it appears to be both. The legHB protein is identical to the protein from soybean root nodules but the yeast used to make it would be genetically modified. 

I found this topic extremely interesting, because I am a vegetarian myself. I have not tried this burger, but I have had the beyond burger. I think that a plant based diet is a much more sustainable, and environmentally friendly way to live. However, I know it is not for everyone. The impossible burger offers a plant based version that still tastes like meat. While I have my own reservations about GMOS, I think genetics and using recombinant DNA to keep up with these demands is part of the answer to the environmental and food crises.

Genetic Study Points to Metabolic Roots of Anorexia Nervosa

The article, “Genetic Study Points to Metabolic Roots of Anorexia Nervosa”, by Nicoletta Lanese discusses the recent insight into the genetic markers of anorexia nervosa. The data collected became part of one of the biggest studies on the eating disorder that has ever been made. It has become more evident that there is a lot more to anorexia nervosa than previously thought. The disorder has psychiatric and metabolic origins. 

Through the study, I found two very interesting discoveries. The first is that anorexia nervosa shares single-nucleotide polymorphisms with other psychiatric disorders. These include obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, and a few others. The second is the disorder’s relation to metabolism. Certain gene variants indicate that anorexia nervosa may stem from one’s metabolism functioning differently. Apparently, the part of the body that signals when we are hungry, does not work properly. As a result, those with anorexia nervosa might just be able to physiologically starve themselves longer. 

Another article by Amy Lewis called “Researchers Explore the Genetics of Eating Disorders” offers more facts. The scientist Cynthia Bulik has worked with the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders. In a study on twins, Bulik and her team found that anorexia nervosa is 50 to 60 percent heritable. She was also responsible for the studies in 2017 that are mentioned earlier concerning anorexia nervosa’s link to other psychiatric problems. Going forwards, she hopes to understand more about all of the eating disorders. The center has begun an initiative to look into binge eating on a genetic basis as well. 

Above is an image depicting some statistics on the severity of eating disorders. Genetics could be key in lowering these statistics drastically. 

The subject of eating disorders is an extremely important topic of research. Genetics allowed us to learn this new information. Without the field, we would not be able to make the same leaps and bounds in understanding the devastating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is the deadliest of the eating disorders currently. It affects a lot of younger individuals especially of high school and college age. For this reason, the subject was very interesting. Looking into the genetics of eating disorders can help us to understand more about how they work, how to treat them, and even who is at a higher risk.

Taking the sting out: Australian gene editing is crossing the pain threshold

In the article, “Taking the sting out: Australian gene editing is crossing the pain threshold”, by Naaman Zhou he discusses the work done by Dr. Greg Neely and his team. He has been studying the science of pain for years. Back in 2010, he was able to find 400 new genes in fruit flies that are also found in humans that are related to pain. Recently, through genetics, he has seemingly cured the sting of the box jellyfish. 

Pictured above is Dr. Greg Neely in his laboratory. 

Located in Australia, his team utilized CRISPR to make the changes in DNA. To create the antidote, he took human cells and added the jellyfish venom. These cells died from the venom. Here is where CRISPR comes in. The team used CRISPR to edit cells, and then added more venom. The cells that did not die, were recollected. These resistant cells were sequenced. It was discovered that the cells that were unaffected had no cholesterol in them. So, to create an antidote, the solution would be to add something that leads the cells to lose their cholesterol to become resistant to the venom. 

Now, in his lab, Neely is looking at all aspects of pain and looking into how he can utilize genetics to find more solutions. By using the same sort of ideas, genetics can be applied to anything from chronic pain to cancer. Cancer seems to be one of the largest obstacles in medicine that humans have had to face. Neely is looking into how the same genetic concepts he used with the jellyfish sting can be applied to cancer. He aims to minimize chemotherapy’s effect on good cells and increase its ability to fight malicious ones. 

Other scientists also have the same idea to use genetics in cancer treatment. According to the article, “Gene mapping lays groundwork for precision chemotherapy”, around 95% of affected individuals are still getting chemotherapy, this seems like a good place to start. The basis is that all tumors are different. Each has a unique genetic profile, and there are more than 100 chemical agents available to use. The study looks at creating a map of gene-drug interactions. Typically drugs are used by how effective they are on average. Using genetics, chemicals can be matched to which tumors they can target the best. 

To me it seems miraculous that we are already able to edit something as fundamental as genes. Genetics is really such an evolving field, and it was not too long ago that Watson, Crick, and Franklin discovered the structure of DNA. Learning about how scientists are already learning to apply CRISPR to real world problems is extremely impressive. It makes me very hopeful in the treatment of cancer that genetics could help be part of the solution. I can only imagine what more we will be able to do with even more time, experience, and knowledge. 

Adaptations of the Rock Pocket Mouse

         Throughout the the southwest United States and Mexico, a tiny rodent, called the Rock Pocket Mouse, lives in the rocky deserts. Light brown sand covers most of the desert, and has for quite some time. About 1.7 million years ago, volcanic eruptions spewed lava into the desert causing portions of the land to be fractured with dark black colors. For the pocket mice, this was a huge ecological change, which in turn resulted in a rather fascinating genetic phenomenon.
         Currently, two forms of pocket mice exist. One dark colored, and one light colored. From an biological standpoint it might be rather easy to see why the two coat colors exist. Mammalian and avian predators have perfectly modeled out what is known as natural selection. Natural selection is a process in which organisms most fit for their environment survive and produce offspring. Having this knowledge, it makes sense that the mice living in the brown sand environment have a brown coat, and the mice living in the dark lava colored sand have a dark black coat. Their coat colors clearly emphasize the importance of a tactic animals use crypsis, which is essentially camouflage. Natural selection has driven these animals to evolve based on their environment being more brown, or more black. Now, these mice have different phenotypes for coat color, but the story becomes more interesting when we start to analyze the genetic information about the mice coat colors.
       Researchers have worked diligently in recent years to try to find correlation between ecological and environmental changes, and changes in animal genetics. However, in order to do this, the biologist working on the project must have a solid understanding of genetic information of the animal they are working on, AND then compare it to how the environment has newly changed that genetic information. Luckily for the researchers in the rock pocket mice, many studies have been done on the pigmentation of laboratory mice, which lended a hand in the study done on the rock pocket mice. Due to the pocket mice wild nature, they are hard to breed in captivity. This made crossing them with each other almost impossible. Instead, researchers studied the current mice comparing them with lab mice and came up with some interesting results.
     In the lava dwelling mice, four mutations were found in the MC1R gene. The MC1R plays a crucial role in normal pigmentation. From the information gathered, it was concluded that the dark colored coat was more dominant that the light colored coat, which is consistent with the observations seen on laboratory mice. All mice with that were homozygous dominant, or heterozygous dominant showed a dark coat. The change of just 4 nucleotides seem to have caused the drastic shift from a light brown, to a dark almost black coat color. These studies leave scientist to even more questions. In the dark colored sand, approximately 9% of mice are born with a light coat, and 89% are born with a dark coat. Since selection is driving these phenotypic changes, this makes perfect sense. But does this mean that all the mice in light-colored sand area have only recessive genotypes? In the future, researches hope to answer two questions that have arisen: 1.) Has the color change in mice been driven by a single nucleotide, and the other 3  have just come along for the ride? *or perhaps* 2.) It takes multiple nucleotide variants to produce the colored phenotype of the rock pocket mouse?
     This was an awesome article to read up on because it really shows how LITERALLY one nucleotide could potentially change the whole future of a species. If what the study suggests is true, imagine if the mutation of the MC1R never occurred, and all the mice stayed light colored. The species would probably not even be able to continue on because the light colored mice would be eaten by prey. It's amazing to think that one nucleotide changed the whole course of the rock pocket mouse's future.

https://www.pnas.org/content/100/9/5268
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12704245
https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/selection/comparative
https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/making-fittest-natural-selection-and-adaptation

Scientists Have Created Four New Letters of Artificial DNA

In an article written by Roni Dengler, “Scientists Have Created Four New Letters of Artificial DNA”,  he discusses the creation of four new letters of artificial DNA. These new letters were constructed by Steven Benner and his team. It is monumental to think that DNA holds the building blocks for life, and this alphabet is now doubled. Benner was able to accomplish the feat by using basic chemistry. It was simply a matter of making sure they were the right shape, substance, and able to make the necessary connections regular base pairs can. 

I found this article particularly interesting based on a discussion I had last year in Cells and Molecules. Our professor mentioned how it was not a matter of memorizing the base pairs, but more so understanding how they work. He said it did not have to be A, T, C, G, but it just had to be able to perform the chemistry with other pairs. This is the entire explanation to how uracil takes the place of thymine in RNA. 

Figure 1: Above conveys how base pairing is just the use of chemistry through hydrogen bonding. As long as the chemistry can happen, the base pair letter does not matter. 

Going back to the recent discovery, the new DNA already meets four out of the five requirements for life. Unfortunately, it needs to be able to be self sustaining to meet the fifth. However, there seems to be progress with the base pairs outside of the test tube already. 

A newer article, “Scientists Created Bacteria With a Synthetic Genome. Is This Artificial Life?”, by Carl Zimmer says scientists have created life from scratch. Using synthetic DNA, they have been successful in making a colony of E. Coli. We are actually able to use the DNA that we make. The article goes on to discuss the implications of such a discovery. Now, the world of science could potentially be able to create as Carl Zimmer writes, “living factories”. These could make important molecules or even medicine. 

Overall, it is quite miraculous that scientists were able to construct versions of the very things that construct ourselves. The article ends on the point that with this new discovery, we might have further insight into life outside of our planet. If it was possible to create a different genetic code, there could very well be life out there without the alphabet of A, T, C, and G. 

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2019/02/21/scientists-doubled-the-genetic-alphabet/

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/15/science/synthetic-genome-bacteria.html

https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Organic_Chemistry/Map%3A_Organic_Chemistry_(McMurry)/Chapter_28%3A_Biomolecules_-_Nucleic_Acids/28.02_Base_Pairing_in_DNA%3A_The_Watson-Crick_Model

The Mystery of Height

In an article from The International Journal of Science, Nature, suggests that ones gene for height has long been hidden until now.  The gene for height has long since plagued geneticists causing them to question everything we know about genetics because theories were not linking to discovery at all.  In order to find the gene scientists turned to Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in order to scour a larger variety of SNPs.  A team led by Peter Visscher performed a complete readout of 6 million bases out of 21,620 people and were able to find genetic differences in 1 out of 500 people determining that height is 79% hereditary.

I think this article is very interesting being that we are still uncertain the full extent of genetics based height.  I am interested to see as the studies continue if we can find an isolated gene that will be able to determine height.  Height is a bit of an interesting study in my family being that none of us are relatively similar heights.

Rapid DNA Analysis Steps In to Identify Remains of Wildfire Victims

The savage out of control fire that tore through in excess of 240 square miles of northern California this month and obliterated the town of Paradise medium-term has decreased, yet the solemn procedure of distinguishing the individuals who died is as yet progressing.

For as long as three weeks, around 10,000 people have been engaged with the look for human stays in the several sections of land of pulverization—among them firefighters, dead body pooches, inquiry and save groups, and anthropologists from adjacent colleges, as per Megan McMann, people group relations facilitator at the Butte County Sheriff's Office. Up until this point, the loss of life remains at 88, however almost 200 individuals stay absent starting yesterday (November 28) and hunt teams are never again effectively searching for stays, as per USA Today.

The undertaking currently tumbles to distinguishing the remaining parts that have been gathered. Fingerprinting is generally the main alternative, by which recognizable pieces of proof can be made effortlessly through existing databases, for example, the FBI's unique mark database. Something else, specialists can make X-beams from teeth and recognize people by contrasting these and dental specialists' records. In any case, following those records down can be testing, and some have raised the worry that the records of Paradise occupants were devastated in the fire.

On the off chance that fingerprints and dental records come up short or if the remaining parts are excessively harmed, DNA testing is the subsequent stage. Normally, it would take a long time to send tests to a lab and lead the investigation, however a Colorado-based organization called ANDE has ventured in to help with the exertion in California. The organization, which normally works with the US military and the FBI, spends significant time in quick DNA examination. Since November 12, a group of 20 workers has set up camp at the coroner's office in Sacramento to run DNA tests on tests rapidly spreading fire specialists acquire. It takes under two hours to get a read out.




Read the complete article by clicking on the links below:
Link One
Link Two

New genetic culprit found for early progressive hair loss

People with hypotrichosis simplex have an ordinary measure of hair after birth, however they begin losing it in early adolescence. This misfortune keeps on advancing with age.

In spite of the fact that specialists realize this is an inherited condition, up until this point, they have just recognized few of the potential hereditary guilty parties.

One of these is a change in the APCDD1 gene, which meddles with a flagging pathway that impacts cell capacity and recovery. 

Presently, scientists from the University Hospital of Bonn in Germany, in a joint effort with associates from different organizations in Germany and Switzerland, have surrounded another quality that assumes a critical job in this uncommon kind of male pattern baldness.

Their investigation, the discoveries of which show up in The American Journal of Human Genetics, demonstrate that transformations in the LSS quality drive the components that portray hypotrichosis simplex.

Read the full article with the links 1 and 2

Breakthrough Brings Gene-Editing Medicine One Step Closer to Patient Applications

Envision a future where a guided biomachine put into your body searches out faulty quality groupings in every cell and alters in the right data with exactness precision.

It's called quality altering, and University of Alberta specialists have quite recently distributed a diversion changing examination that guarantees to convey the innovation considerably nearer to restorative reality.

Basil Hubbard and his group have documented a patent on their revelation and are planning to collaborate with the pharmaceutical business to fuse it into a restorative.

Enthusiasm for quality altering innovation has been quickly ascending since the revelation of CRISPR/Cas9. This framework is normally present in microscopic organisms, which utilize it for security against their characteristic predators, called bacteriophages.

"We've discovered a way to greatly improve the accuracy of gene-editing technology by replacing the natural guide molecule it uses with a synthetic one called a bridged nucleic acid, or BNA," said Basil Hubbard, Canada Research Chair in Molecular Therapeutics and an assistant professor in the U of A's Department of Pharmacology, who led the study.

Read the article in full if you're interested. Links 1 and 2 are attached below.

Link 1

Link 2

Genetics, Inc.

What is genetics? A science, or a business? In a recent article in CNBC, it suggests the latter. Amazon has recently began selling genetics tests for companies like 23andme as well as Ancestry. Although the rapid commercialization of these types of products gave everyday people access to these resources, which is great, is it beginning to go too far?

Pop culture has began propagating that genetics is be be-all, end-all to disease and disorders people face today. And while genetics does have a strong role in our health and bodies, it is not the complete picture. Companies like 23andme, as well as Ancestry have capitalized off this new field. While their products may have some validity, they should not be purchased for anything more than entertainment value. The question is this: will commercialization of these products draw money away from valuable research, and place it into something that can earn money? Would investors rather place research money in a company that'll promise to sells tones of products, or in a company that only promises to do research on genetics, and may or may not make any money back?

In today's world, people go where the money is. And I fear the day where genetics become a business more than a science.

Human Gene Editing Receives Science Panel’s Support

The National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine are providing their support to the modification of the human embryo. Researchers believe by using these techniques it will prevent genetic disease that are passed down to future generations. The gene editing tool called Crispr- Cas9 is used to snip, insert, and delete the genetic material, which will be tested to treat diseases such as cancer, blindness, and other conditions. While Crispr is precise there is a fear of cutting the DNA where it's not meant to be cut and producing a child with a mutation. Furthermore, a fear of using these techniques to change the physical appearance and enhance intelligence. There are many concerns but years before this is applied to humans.

New York Times Here
More Here

People Who Avoided Illness Could Be Key in Treating Those Who Didn’t

Researcher's have studied the genetic sequences of 600,000 healthy adults and have found 13 individuals that inherited a deadly mutation in their genes. The interesting thing about this is that all 13 of them should have died in their childhood. Instead, they are all alive and well and have escaped the effects of the genes. This scientific breakthrough can help scientists in fixing gene mutations by using these remarkable genomes to create therapies for other people suffering from diseases.

I find this all very interesting. There are a lot of diseases that can be traced back to gene mutations. Even though scientists are able to locate exactly where the disease comes from, most of the time there is no way to restore the gene. These findings will now one day allow us to easily correct gene mutations by creating "compensating mutations" that will correct the bad one.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/12/health/people-who-avoided-illness-could-be-key-in-treating-those-who-didnt.html

http://blueprintsforliving.com/molecular-phylogeny-prove-evolution-false/

Genetically Modified Embryos Taking Science Too Far?

          Is science leading towards genetically modified babies? Kathy Niakan, a stem cell researcher of the Francis Crick Institute in the United Kingdom, recently applied to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for a license to allow her team to genetically modify human embryos. Under the licensure, Niakan would legally need to terminate the embryo after 14 days. The United States is currently prohibits genetic modification of humans embryos. Niakan and her team intend to research gene editing to discover the cause of repeated miscarriages in some women. Similar gene-editing techniques were used earlier this year in China.

         The editing of the human genome has been debated internationally. Niakan says "It is up to society to decide what is acceptable; science will merely inform what may be possible." The United States, however, stands firmly planted against the modification of human embryo DNA, following the precedent of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment (1995) which "prohibits the use of appropriated funds...for research in which human embryos are destroyed". Approval for Niakan's licensure is still being contemplated.

          Although I believe the advancement of science is very important, this type of advancement worries me. Although the embryos are to be destroyed in 14 days, I think that the modification of human embryos is going to "open a can of worms", for lack of a better phrase. Although it begins with good intentions, there is no saying that someone can get hold of the gene-editing techniques and use it for negative purposes. I'm interested to see if Niakan's licensure is approved, although I'm not sure how I feel about this type of research. It seems like science like this is leading us more and more to a dystopian society seen in so many books from years past.

Genetically Modified Monkeys

According to a Russia Today article the first set of genetically modified monkeys were created through a method called Crispr/Cas9. The monkeys were born in a lab in China, and the process was not easy. In 180 embryos, 83 were able to be placed in female macaques, and of those only 10 resulted in pregnancies. All of which were unable to produce living offspring, except for one, which resulted in 2 baby monkeys with simultaneous mutations in two genes. The hopes of this journey is to be able to do research on human disease and improve upon the health of mankind.

Personally, while I do agree with modifying genetics in animals in order to better them, I do not like it when animals are used as test dummies. Being a pre-veterinary student, I have a great deal of appreciation for not only animal life, but the quality of animal life. If these monkeys were created with the hopes of preventing a primate disease, I would have no qualms with this. However, it is clearly stated in the article that these monkeys will be used for testing when they are older in order to better the human race. While I do not put animal life at a higher value of the human race, I cannot support a cause that deliberately treats animals like pawns or objects. There comes a point where we begin to cross a line, and this article from PBS talks a little about just that. My wish is that one day we will be able to strike a balance between humans, flora, and fauna, that can better us all and not just the human race.

Artist Creates 3-D Faces from DNA Left in Public

3-D faces created from DNA samples found in public. 

                A New York Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg picks up things people leave in public, extracts their DNA from it and creates a 3-D face that looks like the DNA owner. This project is called “Stranger Visions”, where portrait sculptures are completed from the bits of genetic material that are collected in public. Heather got the idea for this project from the appeal of a single hair; it was then turned into a research project to discover as much as she could from someone by an artifact they left behind.

                The process begins with finding a sample in a public place. These samples could be a strand of hair, a chewed piece of gum, and even a cigarette butt; it has to be something that contains cells from a person’s body.  Heather then takes this sample to a community biotechnology, called Genspace. At this lab a standard DNA extraction protocol is used to mine the DNA, purify it, and use it in polymerase chain reactions. After the sequencing information is obtained, the traits form the individual’s DNA and deposits it into a computer program that generates a 3-D model of a face. This process takes about 8 hours to print one of the faces in NYU’s Advanced Media Studio. The print looks like a block of powder; the face is then dug out, baked, and hardened with a superglue-like structure.

                

                There are limitations behind these masterpieces. These faces are not exact replicas of the strangers DNA that has been found. Heather insists that it is more of a family resemblance. Also, the age of the DNA’s unknown donor cannot be determined from the DNA samples. This project was started from Dewey-Hagborg’s own DNA self-portrait two years ago. People have had different opinions of how the DNA is found for these portraits; some people feel that this is unethical. People feel that you should not be able to just take some ones DNA from things just because it is in public. They feel that their privacy is being taken advantage of. This art project is the connection between art, technology, and science. 

               I found this absolutely amazing. If is extraordinary that just from a piece of gum or strand of hair someone can make a 3-D image of what you would look like. In a way I do find it to be a little creepy. It makes you think twice what you will spit out or leave behind. The persons DNA that you are using did not give you permission to use it, though it is left in a public place. I feel that this could cause a lot of controversy with people. But, in all I think this is brilliant and I would love to have it done to me, with my permission.   

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/04/tech/innovation/dna-face-sculptures/index.html?iref=allsearch

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/artist-creates-3d-models-faces-discarded-dna-article-1.1384149