How the Icefish Got Its Transparent Blood and See-Through Skull

A study from NY times have found that Antarctic blackfin icefish developed to have transparent blood to survive in the freezing water conditions. The Antarctic blackfin icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus, lacks hemoglobin in their blood and have thin bones which makes the brain visible through its skull. Research have studied the genome of blackfin icefish to compare them to their close relatives and found that their genomic maps changed due to evolutionary time and gave the icefish to have unusual characteristics from their ancestors. The modern icefish no longer makes red blood cells and lacks hemoglobin to carry oxygen. Instead, the icefish is dedicated to make antifreeze for blood and ice-preventing proteins for survival. Since red blood cells become hard to pump and can freeze easily under freezing water, the icefish underwent a strategy for anaemia and developed supersize gills by losing it scales to absorb the abundant oxygen from the freezing water through its skin. Through evolution, the icefish also developed floppy bones that contained less minerals than their ancestors and enabled them to rise up in the water column to eat krill and other aquatic creatures that would not be found in deep sea level.

This is very amusing how the blackfin icefish lost their ancestor's features of having red blood cells and dense bones and developed different physiological features such as transparent blood and sloppy bones for adaptation. It is also very surprising to know that anaemia, a trait that is maladaptive to most vertebrates could be an advantageous trait for a different environment. 

Population of Sloths with Guarumo trees

A study from University of Wisconsin in Costa Rica have found a relationship between the sloth population with Guarumo tress in cacao plantation. The sloths were equipped with radio collars which tracked their location in the plantation and their DNA samples were taken to determine their family tree and the number of offsprings they were having. The findings of the research suggested that the population of sloths with more guarumo trees had more offsprings and were more likely to survive.

The guarumo trees are crucial to the diets of sloths as they are highly nutritious, easy to digest, and available throughout the year. Also, the tree's presence helps to maintain the health of sloths in harsh environments for survival abilities. An interesting feature of the guarumo trees is its broad structures with enough places for sloths to see and to be seen by others. Sloths generally sunbath in the morning and attract each other by calling or making themselves visible to others. And, the open structures of the guarumo trees advantage them to be visible and increase the chances of reproductive opportunities.

Pancreatic Cancer Survival Rate Linked to 4 Genes

According to a new study in JAMA Oncology, alterations in 4 specific genes indicate how long a patient with pancreatic cancer will survive. The activity of these 4 genes were analyzed: KRAS, CDKN2A, SMAD4, and TP53. This study involved 356 patients who all had pancreatic adenocarcinoma, which is the most common type of pancreas tumor. The tumor was surgically removed and scientists extracted DNA from the cancerous and normal tissues. Disease-free survival indicates the time between surgery and when the cancer returns. Overall survival indicates the time from surgery to death. Patients who had 3 or 4 of the altered genes had worse survival odds in both disease-free survival and overall survival. This research helps researchers, doctors, etc. understand how the disease is likely going to progress in each patient and how to further guide these patients. The article stated that a recent study has shown that "an accurate classification of pancreatic cancer's spread to the lymph nodes is also an effective tool to predict disease survival in surgery-eligible patients."

Because of the findings in this study, future research studies will be more advanced in design. I feel that this research helps Oncology physicians get a better understanding of how to treat each patient with pancreatic cancer. Some may need more strict guidance than others due to their odds of survival. I think that future research will find a way to minimize the mortality rate of pancreatic cancer by improving and strengthening treatments for the patients in critical condition. I also feel that this research gives the patients with pancreatic cancer a better understanding of their condition and a chance to ask questions about what to do next after surgery. I found this article very interesting, but I would like to see more in this study by researching other aggressive cancers with poor survival odds, such as breast cancer.


https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171102180133.htm
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer.html

Key to Tardigrades Superpowers identified in their DNA

     In this article it discusses how the tardigrades or better known as "water bears". These tardigrades are known for their ability to to survive in extreme conditions, and sometimes even coming back alive. Tardigrades as small but can still be visible to the naked eye. They live on damp moss algae around the world and are able to survive during extremely harsh condition like 300 degrees fahrenheit and as low as 328 degrees fahrenheit. The tardigrades use a defense mechanism to these conditions known as "tun" in which they retract their limbs and shrink into tiny balls. Studies have now discovered that this unique ability to survive is actually apart of a special coded protein. This protein unique to tardigrades is known as tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins, or TDPs. These proteins are active at all times for the organism. Thomas C. Boothby, a Life Sciences Research Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of North Carolina believes that this protein will be useful for crops and third world countries that don't have refrigeration systems and stabilize sensitive pharmaceuticals in a dry state. 
     I think that being able to extract the protein of these organisms will be beneficial in many ways in order for the survival under harsh conditions. It would also be beneficial for agriculture and food cost. 

May Your Telomeres Live Long and Prosper

This past weekend, an article from ScienceDaily reports that researchers from the Intermountain Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City conducted a study that can predict survival rates among patients with heart disease based on the length of strands of DNA found on their telomeres. Basically, their findings state that the longer the patient's telomeres, the greater the chance of living a longer life.

John Carlquist, PhD, director of the Intermountain Heart Institute Genetics Lab, and his colleagues tested DNA samples from more than 3,500 heart attack and stroke patients. Dr. Carlquist stated that,

"Our research shows that if we statistically adjust for age, patients with longer telomeres live longer, suggesting that telomere length is more than just a measure of age, but may also indicate the probability for survival.” He goes on to say, "I believe telomere length could be used in the future as a way to measure the effectiveness of heart care treatment."

The researchers had two unique resources available to them. First, an archive of peripheral blood DNA samples collected from almost 30,000 heart patients, with as much as 20 years of follow-up clinical and survival data. Second, the opportunity to work with international experts that included Richard Cawthon, MD, PhD, a world-known expert on telomere measurement and function.

The institute’s studies were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session in San Francisco on March 9. Further related research on the relationship between telomeres and longevity in mammals can also be found at ScienceDaily.

I have known that genetically the death of an organism will occur over a long period of time as the DNA replicates less and less of its self. I did not know that the telomeres were the culprit of this. I wonder though if there is a way to not only use the telomeres to measure age or the probability of survival but maintain their integrity to enhance longevity. After all, who doesn’t want to live forever? I sure do.