Stuff YOU Should Know
New Gene Therapy Trials Underway
Do you think scientists should be allowed to modify the genetic material of human beings? What if you had a serious or life-threatening disease that could possibly be helped if scientists could modify your genes? You may have heard of CRISPR last year, when a Chinese scientist used this gene-editing technology to genetically modify human embryos to make them resistant to HIV. This was very controversial: because your genetic material gets passed on to your offspring, it meant that scientists now had the capability to make changes to generations of humans. Now, however, scientists are taking CRISPR out of the lab and applying it to real-life diseases.
Here’s how it works: CRISPR could fix genetic defects by directly changing the cell’s DNA itself, essentially “cutting and pasting” the problematic genes while leaving everything else intact. For example, a study is currently underway at the University of Pennsylvania to treat two cancer patients using CRISPR. Essentially, the patients’ immune system cells will be removed, genetically modified, and introduced back into their bodies, with the hope that these genetically modified cells will be able to fight off cancer cells. Several other trials are scheduled to begin soon throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe, to treat not just cancer, but genetic illnesses and blood disorders such as sickle-cell anemia as well.
But aside from the ethical concerns, is it safe? The procedure means that the DNA is being cut at a very specific place, which means there is always the possibility of “off-target effects,” or accidental cuts in the wrong places. But scientists believe that they have developed the technology to minimize these risks, and hope that CRISPR is the long-awaited secret to fighting diseases that humans have been struggling with for centuries.
What Do You Think? In your opinion, is it a good idea that CRISPR studies were approved here in the U.S.? Why or why not?
Pixar Sparks New Voices
In March, btw took a look at the impact of the #MeToo movement on the animation industry–specifically, at the decision by Pixar to fire its co-founder, John Lasseter, after allegations of sexual harassment. Now, Pixar is taking its commitment to diversity and inclusivity a step further by introducing SparkShorts, a series of short animated films. Three of these films were already released on YouTube in February, with three more films coming this year. The company plans to put out two to four more SparkShorts per year from now on.
How do short films help with the issue of diversity? Traditional animated films have a huge budget and can take years to create, which can make it tough for new directors to get a foot in the door in the industry. This is part of the reason why, of the hundreds of animation films released between 2010 and 2017, only one–Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)–was directed solely by a woman. In fact, despite women making up 60% of all animation and art-school students, they only receive about 20% of creative jobs in the field. But shorts have much smaller budgets and can be produced in about six months, which opens up possibilities for new directors, leveling the playing field. Pixar has committed to featuring an equal number of male and female directors in its SparkShorts. In addition, two of the films coming out this fall will be directed by people of color.
What Do You Think? Do you think Pixar’s SparkShorts takes a big enough step toward achieving true inclusivity and equality in the animation industry? Explain.
Sleeping for Science
Did you have trouble getting up for school this morning and wish that you could just stay in bed all day? What if staying in bed all day was your job? Turns out, this is actually a thing. NASA–together with the European Space Agency and the German Aerospace Center–is paying people $18,500 to stay in bed for two months, in order to study how the human body adapts to weightlessness for long periods of time while in space. Participants will also be exposed to artificial gravity, to see how helpful it may be at counteracting some of the negative effects of prolonged exposure to zero-gravity. In fact, the study is actually called the Artificial Gravity Bed Rest Study.
Of course, the study isn’t quite as simple as just sleeping through the next two months. Participants undergo orientation, as well as several follow-up exams in the years to come. Moreover, in order to mimic conditions in outer space, you would have to lie with your head tilted roughly six degrees below the rest of your body for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the entire length of the study. You can’t get up to shower or even make a sandwich. (And in case you’re wondering: that means no getting up to use the bathroom either.)
Still think getting paid to sleep for science sounds like a good plan? If you’re a female between the ages of 24 and 55, live in Germany, and speak fluent German, you’re all set to sign on.
What Do You Think? If you were given the opportunity to participate in this study, would you? Why or why not?
Snot Otter Wins State Amphibian Title
Have you ever heard of a hellbender? What about an Allegheny alligator? A snot otter? A devil dog? A lasagna lizard? If not, you’re probably not from the Eastern Midwest. These giant aquatic salamanders inhabit the waterways of the Appalachia region, from northern Georgia to southern New York. They can grow to be more than two feet long and can live to be more than thirty years old. They are the color of mud and are covered with a thick layer of slimy mucus. They have a flat body and head, beady eyes, and breathe through capillaries found in their loose folds of skin. (Despite their somewhat off-putting appearance, however, the hellbender is completely harmless). One quick look at this amphibian and all of its many nicknames suddenly make complete sense.
Earlier this month, Pennsylvania’s state legislature chose the Eastern hellbender as its official state amphibian–and not for its good looks. Because hellbenders are extremely sensitive to pollution and changing water conditions, their presence in a particular waterway indicates whether or not that stream or river is healthy. And not surprisingly, increasing pollution and deforestation along waterways–along with the illegal pet trade and habitat changes from mining and dam-building–has caused the population of hellbenders to substantially decline. In fact, between 1998 and 2009, it was listed as an endangered species in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and other states. Pennsylvania lawmakers hope that raising awareness about the hellbender will lead to improving the health and quality of the state’s waterways.