Iceland's Genetic Project

It is most likely that you have heard or are somewhat familiar with the Human Genome Project (HGP). This project started in 1984, and through the course of it, over 3 billion dollars have been spent. With over hundreds of scientists and in the period of twenty years, by 2003, the project became completed, but this is where the real work starts. What was written from this research is a encrypted series of letters and since 2003, scientists are working tirelessly to translate what these letters mean. The goal of the HGP is to trace back human evolution and its link and root to disease.

So, what exactly is a genome? It is the vast collection of genes inside of you that make you, you. Everybody's genetic makeup is unique from one another, but at the same time, our DNA with other human beings is 99% alike. Genes are made up of DNA, which are then made up of paired strains of adenine, thymine, cytosine, and guanine nucleobases. Adenine always pairs with thymine and cytosine always pairs with guanine, forming the shape of the double helix.

This formula is started the moment the egg is fertilized and pretty soon, this formula will be found within every cell of the body, These cells then form tissues, tissues form organs, and organs form an organism. The HGP has opened various opportunities across the world, especially the creation of ancestry and genomic companies and the creation of specialized jobs such as genetic engineering and genetic counselling. Genetic engineers find specific genes that like to disease and genetic counselors help people understand and become aware of the disease, and provide ways to treat it. Down syndrome, for example, occurs when there is an extra number 21 chromosome, rather than the usual two chromosomes. The mutation of this gene causes poor fertility, physical characteristics such as a short neck and a short stature, poor muscle tone, potential to come in contact with various life- threatening diseases, and a shorter life span. Due to technology, Down syndrome can be detectable during a mother's pregnancy. If the mother chooses to give birth to the child, the child is then screened constantly the first few years of his/her life (for heart disease and cognitive development).  

This week's headline takes place in Iceland. Because each population of the world has a distinct set of genetic disorders (Africa, for example, suffers from sickle-cell anemia), Iceland is able to piece  together a genetic picture that has helped scientists identify rare gene variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other medical problems. There were four studies conducted. The first study involved 106,856 people to identify over 20 million genetic variants and it was found that the ABCA7 gene is directly related to liver disease. The second study involved examining this gene even further and it was found that six out of the eight mutations caused from this gene exists in populations of Europe and America. The third study examined 8,041 people who have a recessive ABCA7 gene, with 1,171 of the participants having a "knock-out" genes. This is important to note because if genes are knocked out, especially those in the brain, it can cause sever repercussions such as color blindness. The final study  included 753 men from 274 related backgrounds, and from examining their genetic makeup, it was concluded that the most common human ancestor of Y chromosome, existed approximately 174,000-321,000 years ago, getting scientists closer to discovering the origins of humans.   

3D Printing Takes New Heights

For those who have not heard or experienced 3D printing, be prepared to have your mind blown. 3D printing is a simple (and expensive) way to make a solid three dimensional object from a digital file. The printer will make the object by using a layering system coupled with a filling system. The time-lapse video presented will demonstrate this system by creating the solid of Yoda using the honeycomb filling system:

So how does this get done from digital file to 3D? A 3D printing will use a CAD (Computer Aided Design) software partnered with a scanner to create a digital model of an object, and then convert it into a solid. There are actually different technologies used in compiling the object into a model such as The Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), where  tiny particles of plastic, ceramic or glass are fused together by heat from a high-power laser, the Stereolithography (SLA), in which liquid solidis converted to the solid object, and the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), where a thermoplastic filament, which is heated to its melting point and then extruded, layer by layer. 

3D printing is used for a variety of things, such as transplants and modeling, but this week there was a game changing event. A new company called Carbon3D thrives off of this new technology in what the company calls "new paper." Inspired by Terminator 2, introducing the newest method of 3D printing, the "continuous" method:

This method forgoes the layering system and instead uses a pool of resin, with an attached UV light inside, to create a series of images which then forms the object. A concern to this is how to keep the liquid fresh and to do this, the engineers and scientists designed a "dead zone" of desired oxygen so that it would prevent the resin from sticking to the bottom surface.

This device is very precise (to the .1 mm) and is very expedient in its process. It's still in its prototype stage and is set to hit the market sometime this year. With it, we can create more. With many high-quality products becoming more abundant, cheaper and affordable, people may be able to "play around" with this technology and create something super incredible and necessary for our world!

Tobacco Kills

I am pretty sure that if you grew up in this country, you learned from an early age that drugs are bad for you. Whether it be through a DARE program or from the media, we have been told at least once in our life that smoking is detrimental to our health, but just how bad has it gotten?

As mentioned by John Oliver, the popularity of tobacco is overwhelmingly negative; however, the profits that are made by tobacco farmers and cigarette companies are the highest it has ever been. This may be due to the fact that the smoking trend may have decreased in America; however, it may have increased around the world due to the increase in population. Third world countries' population, for example, is unevenly distributed among the population of developed countries. Sociological factors affect this disproportion, but the reality is even more terrifying. People in third world countries drink, smoke and take on illicit drugs in order to escape their poverty stricken lives. The drug use increases further as people realize that a hefty profit can be made. This encourages drug use and then creates the never ending cycle of destruction.

A study, that came out on March 4th, 2015, states that 2 out of every 3 smokers die due to tobacco related causes. It was previously assumed that 50% of smokers die due to smoking, but recent death from underdeveloped countries suggest otherwise bring the total from 50% to around 66%. At first, sociologist and statisticians analyzed deaths from first world countries, because it was hard to keep track of all of the deaths occurring in the third world, but as recording and treatments got better, deaths and illnesses became easier to document. Unfortunately, this may not even be the real number, it may be even up to 75% but the data so far hasn't supported this claim.
So, what is the way to stop this from occurring? Just avoid smoking. Life may be stressful or you may want to look cool, but if it affects your health, why even bother? Another thing, e-cigs do not work. Try to be addicted to something else and hopefully you will benefit :)