SHERLOCK: Ace Detective

(Aedes aegypti mosquito, known for carrying Dengue fever and the Zika virus, found on Wikepedia and taken from CDC public domain)

      In the event of an outbreak, fast, reliable diagnoses are of the essence. Recently, researchers have applied CRISPR technology to provide for this need, dubbed SHERLOCK (Specific High sensitivity Enzymatic Reporter unLOCKing). This works by applying a target sequence of RNA (for either Zika or dengue) to a Cas13a enzyme. A reporter RNA that gives off a fluorescent light upon cutting is added to the selected sample. When the Cas13a enzyme finds a matching RNA sequence, it cuts it, and then begins to induce collateral damage to nearby RNA. It is during this phase that it inevitably cuts the fluorescent reporter; this then gives off a signal that alerts to the presence of the select virus.
      The sensitivity of this test is a million times greater than current diagnostic tools used for this purpose. It is also incredibly specific, eliminating false positives. In addition to detecting these viruses, it can easily be outfitted to detect other viruses, bacteria, and even cancer DNA. In addition to its efficiency, it is also economical, with durable field tests using glass paper starting at less than a dollar a sheet.
      In lecture, this particular technology was only briefly touched upon. However, it is evident that current and future advances in genetics will be built upon this technology. Included below is an introductory video explaining CRISPR as a whole and the link to the article this post was based on.

Introduction to CRISPR
Article

Subcutaneously Implantable Power Supply

http://newatlas.com/solar-cell-medical-implant-skin/47200/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25744612

An implantable power supply adapted to be implanted subcutaneously within our living tissue, made from a thin photovoltaic cell encased in a case formed of a lamination of a plurality of thin plastic layers, each layer being translucent in the area covering said cell, such that the power supply is sufficiently flexible to conform to body contours. The average age of a cardiac pacemaker battery is seven years, and the average age of the recipient is early seventies. The entire device may require replacement at age seventy-eight, since the battery is sealed inside, and the batteries are permanently sealed inside a laser welded titanium pacemaker cases, thus requiring the entire unit be replaced at great cost. However, at age seventy-eight, the wearer's health has frequently deteriorated to the point where they cannot withstand the trauma of replacement surgery, which results in death in 10%-15% of the cases. Teenagers requiring pacemakers or defibrillators could tolerate replacement surgery up to fifteen times during their lives. 

In today's society cardiac pacemakers account for the most widespread use of internal batteries, typically single cell L-I types. The L-I battery generates a nominal 2.8 volts from a single cell when fresh, and is allowed to drop as little as 0.2 volts before replacement is indicated. However, depending on the construction of the cathode and anode plates, the L-I battery can generate up to 3.7 volts from a single cell. This invention's purpose is to provide an improved subcutaneous device for powering implantable medical devices of all kinds that is lightweight, flexible and has improved internal battery longevity.

I am a big fan of this, I think it is a strong original idea that would benefit a lot of cardiovascular patients in the future. Solar energy is an abundant source so why not utilize it in ways that can better our health.

Genome Sequence of Lobolly Pine

Scientists have just successfully mapped the genomic sequence for a very important tree to Americans - the Lobolly pine. The tree has been used for many years in the United States and in other countries for paper products and is now being looked at for using in biofuels. This mapping is a huge accomplishment because it is now the largest genome sequenced to date with over 22 million base pairs. Researchers were able to do this because of new methods that have been developed so that larger scale genomes are able to be successfully put together. The new method had to do with putting overlapping parts of the sequence in larger chunks and then throwing away the redundant information. This cut down on the time that it took to process immensely. By mapping this genome, scientists are hopeful that they will be able to pinpoint the location of genes that fight pathogens in these trees, along with other useful information relating to their genome sequence.

While typically something like this wouldn't interest me, since botany isn't my field of study, I found this article interesting. It has to do with more than just Lobolly pines because the methods that scientists used for mapping the genome of this tree can be used for mapping other genomes too. This is quite exciting that the gene mapping is progressing even as we speak. Scientists are constantly coming up with more efficient ways of sequencing genes and I am sure that it will be beneficial for everyone. 

Link for original article: http://www.sci-news.com/genetics/science-genome-loblolly-pine-01813.html

Link for additional information: http://esciencenews.com/articles/2014/03/20/loblolly.pine.genome.largest.ever.sequenced