Even the Right to information act or RTI could not help Greenpeace in India. RTI activists tried using this right for getting information on the safety tests of GM crops but their request was rejected on the plea that disclosure of the information could harm the competitive position of the company developing these crops. Information was sought on the field trial locations and allergenicity and toxicity data related to the rice, brinjal and other crops being tested. Though information on location was revealed but access to other set of information was denied. Greenpeace and other farmer organizations are not satisfied with the manner in which the trials are being conducted and they fear that gross violations have been conducted while conducting the tests. On the other hand GEAC states that field trials were being conducted keeping in view all the biosafety and regulatory norms in mind but it seems that there is something fishy since the government is hiding certain results on pretext of safety. The government should come up with a clear picture or it might become difficult to make the people accept GM crops. Via hindu

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Scientists are working on a pill which could lead to healthier lives and if they succeed it would be possible to increase the lifespan of an average human being by thirty years with the aid of the pill. It is being said that thyroxine hormone can boost metabolism and at the same time lead to a longer lifespan. Tests are being conducted on mice and if the right dose is determined then the life span of human beings would increase by thirty years. The scientists have not been able to figure out the right dose till yet because if thyroxine in high doses is administered it could lead to life threatening health problems. Aberdeen university scientists conducted study on mice and they found out that mice which had a high metabolic rate lived for a longer period of time. It’s just that the right level of thyroxine has not been determined but when the right level is decided it would help human beings lead to a healthy and long life. Via paktribune

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There can be some respite for people suffering from organ failures as tissue engineering can come to their rescue. It can make organ transplant look so easy as people with damaged organs can purchase them over the counter in a similar manner as buying medicines. One’s own organ could be re grown for replacement. Though this may look unbelievable but it is achievable. Drs Cornelia Kasper and Frank Stahl of Hannover University stated: The idea of organs one day being freely available ‘off the shelf’ is still an aspiration today. The need is great, however, and patients are of course very eager to have personalized treatment from organ designers using tissue engineering. Building block principle can be applied to the tissue culture or organ type and the differentiation could be used through appropriation growth. Probably in the future we might see a one size fits all approach and lives of millions of patients looking for organ replacement might be saved quite easily. Via allafrica

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A good news for orange lovers. The Australian market is soon to get a new kind of wild orange in its shelves. It will be made by developing tissue cultures. Though, the development and the research on it is in its primary stages, scientists at the Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens have started working hard on it. The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Gardens are located in the Upper Spencer Gulf of South Australia. The scientists developing the new kind of orange are optimistic that the new version of the region’s native orange will be sweeter, rather the sweetest, compared to both the Capparis Mitchelli (the native orange) and the common oranges found anywhere. So, keep your fingers crossed to taste the sweetest strain of the native orange.

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Technology and medical science have converged to give birth to ‘prototypes’ of all cardiovascular structures! Thanks to the researchers at the University of Michigan. They have helped engineer the prototypes of heart muscle, tri-leaflet valves, blood vessels, cell-based cardiac pumps and tissue engineered ventricles. According to them, today, it’s possible to engineer the heart piece by piece! But, they also noted, hurdles still remain before the products of this tissue engineering are ready to be implanted in patients as replacements for diseased or malformed structures. Ravi Birla, director of the University of Michigan, Artificial Heart Laboratory, and Louise Hecker, a graduate student in the University of Michigan, Department of Cell & Developmental Biology have analyzed the technologies used to engineer the heart. They’ve not just analyzed what was happening at the University of Michigan, but in other labs worldwide as well. Regenerative Medicine has just published their article under the title — Engineering the heart piece by piece: state of the art in cardiac tissue engineering.

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We all know that Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a highly poisonous gas formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, but it is also known for its anti-inflammatory effects. To shed some more light on the anti-inflammatory effect of CO, a study was conducted by Harvard University and the University of Pittsburgh. The researchers claim to have solved the mystery behind this. The study which appears in the April issue of The FASEB Journal, shows that the anti-inflammatory effects of carbon monoxide is due to its reaction with the cell’s mitochondria. FASEB said in its release: The researchers say the mitochondria react to low levels of carbon monoxide by releasing chemical signals that reduce or shut down the body’s inflammatory response — raising the possibility for the development of new anti-inflammatory therapies. The report further states that inhaled medical grade carbon monoxide has been successfully tested on animals in a number of applications, including organ transplantation, vascular injury, inflammatory bowel disease and organ injury resulting from severe blood loss. Source.

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Indians should really smile when they read this. India has left China behind by miles in the arena of biotechnology. With India developing as a leading biotech region in the Asian region it is expected to leave behind China for the first time with regards to the area planted with biotechnology crop. The area under cultivation with biotechnology crop in 2006 in India has tripled as compared to last year and now the area under cultivation in India stands at 3.8 million when compared to 3.5 million in China. Quality seeds coupled with good biotechnology have made India stand strong. India is adopting biotechnology in a huge manner for meeting their growing need for fuel, fiber and food. 2007 will witness India investing $80 million in national chain of research laboratories. As per RNCOS report: Indian Biotechnology Market Outlook (2006)’, biotech will greatly influence the Indian agriculture sector by developing a large number of GM seeds. Amplifying at the rate of 28.09% from 2005, the Indian biotech industry is believed to reach the level of US$ 5 Billion by 2010 end. Is China sitting with closed eyes and why has India been able to defeat it in the arena of biotechnology, this is a question which only China can answer well. Via newswiretoday

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DuPont which as of now is the world’s second largest chemical company is adopting biotechnology in its processes. The company has a biofuture vision and is looking forward to achieve economic growth through bio based raw materials. Charles O. Holliday, Jr., Chairman and CEO, DuPont stated: In the 21st century our emphasis will be on using nature’s processes to build sustainable systems and create sustainable products to address global need. He further stated that with growing population there would be an increased demand for energy and fiber and for addressing the needs of sustainability and productivity there is no better tool than biotechnology. The subsidiaries of the company are committed towards biotechnology and it has joined hands with Bunge for marketing low linolenic soybean oil. It has also created polymers from renewable resources and Sonora with Bio-PDO will be sold in the market in 2007. The company is surely committed to deriving the advantages of biotechnology in its various companies and this may result in a number of companies following the biotechnology trend. Via industryweek

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Citric acid is the base for a polymer developed by a Professor Guillermo Ameer, which can be used in replacement of blood vessels and patch up damaged bone. He explained the procedure to make this polymer at the ‘American Chemical Society’ meeting in Chicago. According to Professor Ameer, combining citric acid with 1,8-octanediol- a non-toxic chemical results in a stretchy and strong yellow rubber that can be moulded into a wide variety of shapes and used to replace damaged body parts. when inserted into the body, the unique polymer causes almost no irritation and causes no adverse reaction to the body. This makes it a worthy replacement for the currently used PTFE tubes that clog within the first year and become nearly useless within four years. The polymer when mixed with hydroxyapatite powder gives out a very hard material that can be used to repair broken bones. As the tests made on animals revealed, it allows natural bone to grow into and over it, making the damaged bone as good as new. Hydroxyapatite powder is the same material that makes up natural bone and hence artificial bone is accepted without any adverse effects. Source.

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Genes could be one of the reasons behind fatal lung diseases. John Hopkins scientists have been able to find out the genes which may be the reason behind hereditary lung diseases. In order to arrive at the conclusion the researchers screened DNA samples of people having inherited IPF and found out that around eighty percent of them were having mutations in the genes which could lead to an enzyme which can help in lengthening the fragile ends of the chromosome. Mutations in the case of telomerase lead to the wear and tear of chromosome ends and ultimately lead to death of the cell. Mary Armanios, M.D., Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center stated: The scientists’ first hint that telomerase plays a role in IPF came from studying the genetic traits of a family with a rare, premature-aging disorder caused by short telomeres. Many of the family members were suffering from the disorder’s second-leading cause of death — pulmonary fibrosis. We thought that perhaps there might be a link between telomerase mutations and IPF. Though there are no genes tests as of now for IPF but researchers are looking for ways for assessing the risks by undertaking screening of telomere length. Via sciencedaily

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Viruses have been the major life threatening microorganisms since time immemorial. All viruses are infective unlike all bacteria that can also be beneficial. Viruses are known to cause various types of cancers also such as Hodgkin’s, non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas, cancers of the throat and liver. Viruses basically cause cancer by mutating a critical gene for replication in the host DNA leading to an uncontrolled cell division. A team of scientists led by Preet M. Choudhary, M.D., Ph.D., and professor of medicine at University of Pittsburgh have proposed that viruses in a way, act as elements of natural selection. The theory of natural selection put-forth by Charles Darwin can simply be stated as, fixation of a desirable mutation of a gene. Similarly, viruses have been found to kill normal cells that favour the replication of viruses, leaving behind the defective cells. Repetition of this process over and over causes cancer. ‘We believe, a separate mechanism may be at play in which a cellular insult, such as infection with the virus, selects a few pre-existing mutated clones of cells promotes their further growth and multiplication, eventually leading to the emergence of fully cancerous cells, consequently, similar to the role played by natural selection during evolution, excessive cell death, rather than its absence may be the defining force that drives the initial emergence of cancer,’ said Dr. Choudhary. Since, notably the cancerous condition arises from the ‘ashes’ of dead cells, Dr.Choudhary calls it ‘Phoenix Paradigm’. A study was conducted wherein, cells were infected with Kaposi’s sarcoma associated Herpes Simplex Virus (KSHV) also called Human Herpes Simplex Virus-8 (HHV-8) and examined the K13 cell-signaling pathway. They observed that cells with low K13 levels, favoured KSHV replication and subsequently died, but up regulating K13 gene expression in the existing cells and down regulating two key proteins involved in promoting cancer. Image via : CBCnews

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Scientists have for the first time developed flu vaccine from the yellow striped caterpillars instead of the hen eggs. While the current method of using hen eggs is a lengthy procedure, the new method is quicker and easier. In the method currently used, live flu viruses injected into the eggs multiply, then the eggshells are broken, the viruses are inactivated and are treated to create flu vaccine. It takes about nine months to prepare the vaccine and also depends on the availability of the eggs which could be a hindrance when a large scale pandemic strikes. In the new method, scientists replace a gene from that virus with a flu virus gene, and then inject it into the caterpillars found abundantly in nature, where it makes more flu virus. This vaccine was tested on about 450 adults during the flu season and was found that two thirds of the participants who were given a high-dose injection had a strong immune response and did not develop flu that season. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the new vaccine, and if successful, large scale cases of flu could be treated effectively and cheaply especially in developing countries where thousands of people die ever year for not receiving timely treatment. Image Source

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The creation of sperm cells may no longer remain a mystery as researchers for the first time have used human bone marrow for creation of early stage sperm cells. This development is expected to improve the understanding regarding how sperm cells are created. The study was conducted by a team of German scientists and for the study purpose the researchers used bone marrow of human beings and isolated it from the mesenchymal stem cells. These cells were cultured in the laboratory and were transformed into male reproductive cells which are also known as germ cells. The presence of partly developed sperm cells called spermatagonial stem cells were seen with the genetic markers. With these encouraging results the researchers now plan undertake further tests to find out whether these stem cells could turn into mature sperms and this might involve research of another three to five years. This development might aid in curing the infertility problem occurring in men. Via sciencedaily

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Researchers are working to imitate the genetic mechanism of the common flour beetle in malaria resistant mosquitoes which might help in fighting the incapacitating parasitic disease which kills people between 700,000 and 2.7 million yearly. Biologist Bruce Hay along with his team developed a set of genes for the Drosophila fruit fly. A genetic complex is inherited by the female in the form of a toxin which along with Medea leads to embryonic arrest. The egg of the female gets flooded with a poisonous protein during the development stage which kills the embryo. This same technique can be used for mosquitoes so that they can resist picking up malaria which gets spread among the human population. The researchers stated that in case males with Medea elements are released into the mosquito population it will can result in malaria resistance within a year. This is being termed as a notable innovation where drosophila engineering can be applied for creating an impact on human diseases. Via sciam

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Traditional flu vaccines are developed using eggs of hen and this is a time consuming process but now researchers are using genetic engineering to produce flu vaccine. Instead of eggs yellow striped caterpillars have been used for producing the vaccine. With this technique flu vaccines can be produced a month earlier and that too easily in response to a possible pandemic flu virus outbreak. This vaccine can offer protection against three strains of flu. Test results showed that two third of the adults injected with the vaccine showed a stronger immunity after the vaccination and none of them was found to be suffering from flu. The only side effect of the vaccine is that it might cause headaches or some minor pain. The trials are being conducted by Protein Sciences Corporation. Let’s hope the trials are successful and we get another source for flu vaccine. Via allheadlinenews

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Who said India lags behind in the arena of stem cell research? The country is growing at the rate of fifteen percent per year in the stem cell market arena and will reach the figures of $ 540 million by 2010. India has around fifteen centers which are undertaking research in the arena of stem cell. Of them five centers are involved in undertaking extensive trials in the arena of cardiology. India has all the strength to emerge as a global hub for undertaking stem cell research. Since U.S has banned stem cell research India can surely prosper in this field as it has both knowledge and technology for undertaking research in this area. With medical field making rapid moves researchers are opting for advanced techniques which can help in targeting the root cause of the diseases rather than just treatment of the symptoms and in this respect stem cell research is gaining a stronger position. One questions which is troubling my mind is if India emerges as a hub for stem cell research how will it handle the sensitive topics such as cloning and breeding of human cells. Via prminds

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Scientists have found ways to prepare stem cells from skin of an adult rat, without harming embryos. The discovery, which was done successfully on rats, will remove the ethical concerns of using stem cells for various medical purposes. Researchers have shown that it is possible to create stem cells similar to those present in embryos from skin. So far, mature cells were considered incapable of producing stem cells. The success of the research on rat has made scientists hopeful of being able to do this in case of humans as well. If this happens, the stem cells obtained from skin cells of a person will be able to produce cells and tissues that would be genetically an exact copy of the original, dispelling any rejection by the body that was probable for a stem cell obtained from an embryo. Stem cells are totipotent–capable of developing in any kind of tissue present in the body. Such a capability is of immense benefit as they can be used to replace the damaged cells and tissues, thus providing possible cure for several diseases like diabetes, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. The use of stem cells from embryo had ethical and moral concerns as the collection of stem cells damages the embryos. This many said is tantamount to murder or cannibalism. The new discovery, if successful for humans, will pave new ways for curing several diseases including those which were till now could not be treated. This will surely help cure many diseases and body defects. An advancement in this technique may also provide body organs for transplantation. The possibilities are immense but some concerns will continue to remain. The stem cells could be used rampantly for cosmetic purposes like skin grafts. This may also open a new arena of spare parts for human bodies as is available for machines. This will obviously dent the magical power of life. The cliche remains valid even here – every coin has two sides. It’s all up to us to choose the positive side. Learn more about stem cells. Source: BBC, Daily Mail Image Source: Canada.com

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Japanese scientists claim that they have found out a gene which can imitate the effects of yeast fermentation inside Sake cows’ udders and hence can be used for production of base ingredients for wine. Researchers will now be able to replace genes for developing lactose with an artificial gene that can lead to the production of pure alcohol. Kyoto University’s Dr Shuji Sakegami came up with this idea after he found out that his daughter did not respond well to transition from her mother’s milk to milk of the cow. Though the young daughter is not old enough for alcohol but the whole world would surely be surprised by this discovery. Now probably you will be able to derive alcohol from cow apart from milk. In case this idea turns out to be successful we will be able to see commercial production of wine within fifteen to twenty years but environmentalists and wine producers would surely protest this move. Via bbr

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Researchers from Germany have gone ahead and developed genetically engineered spider silk. The spider silk is being stated to be more elastic as compared to rubber and is stronger than steel too. In case commercialization is achieved this silk could be used for both technical and medical applications. The researchers of Thomas Scheibel at the Technical University have used genetic engineering for the production of spider silk proteins of European garden spider. The protein was purified using dialysis and fluids were separated in two different fluid phases – in one phase there were protein dimmers and in other oligomers which are multiple protein units linked together. Potassium phosphate needs to be added so that the liquid can be formed into threads. Rather than structural change in protein degree of oligomerization is important for thread formation and very soon an effective spinning process would be formed for production of genetically engineered spider silk. Via monstersandcritics

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It has been reported that Andhra government is looking for a ban to be imposed on Bt cottonseeds since cattle deaths were reported after they grazed on the leftover Bt cotton fields. As a result a fact finding team has been sent by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committed to the affected areas in order investigate it. Areas of Khammam, Adilabad and Warangal have been affected by it. A warning has been already sent to the local people asking them to keep away their herd from these grazing grounds. Even the commissioner of agriculture is being asked not to sell BT cottonseeds in the coming season. Bt cotton had been approved for commercial cultivation after bio safety studies had been undertaken but it seems the studies were not conducted properly and as a result cattle has been dying after consuming Bt cotton leaves. This incident will surely leave a bitter taste for the farmers and it may happen that Bt cotton may never find a place in the Indian fields. Via bharattextile

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