Genetics/molecular biology

**mbeige** · April 16th, 2007 05:13 PM

Hey guys, I was wondering if there are a lot of Pinoys in this field. I'm currently taking up these subjects to complete my degree and we're already talking about really technical stuff here.

I know a lot of premiere schools there offer Biology as a BS degree but I was wondering if they also cover these fields? The school I'm in is also planning to offer stem cell research next semester, I'm wondering if I could take it up.

Just to give a sample, if you have a known gene, and want to know its effect when mutated (knocked out or knocked down), you could transfect a reporter gene through a resctriction enzyme assay (i.e. plasmids) to cut the gene and insert your reporter gene of choice (primarily color based like GFP - green fluorescence proteins) to show up in green when the gene has been activated by various transcription factors or activating proteins. You then place the specimens through in situ hybridization assays so you can see where in the organism (model mice, for example) the genes are expressed.

The difference between knock-out (deleted, replaced by reporter gene) and knock-down (repressed, but not deleted or replaced) depends on the particular assay too.

To me I find it interesting and a bit awkward at the same time. I did not intend to finish this kind of degree that's why it's awkward, but it's interesting enough for me to delve into more. That's why I'm curious if a lot of Pinoys are into this kind of field. I know some Pinoys in class but most of them don't speak Tagalog anymore (I'm in the US).

**smooth** · April 16th, 2007 06:10 PM

hi. i took biology in college and we had molecular biology as a subject. really really interesting. on the other hand, there is a BS molecular biology and biotechnology (MBB) offered in UP diliman. some of my friends graduated from this course and eventually went into medicine. in UP los banos, there is biotech, an institution dedicated to (what else?) biotechnology. its located near IRRI (international rice research institute).

i remember back then, the hot ticket with molecular bio and genetics is the human genome project.

i say go for what you like. fulfillment is a very elusive dream.

oh yeah, if you like plasmids and rflp's, take a moment to think about prions. that's really something else.

**smooth** · April 16th, 2007 06:16 PM

dagdag: back then, when i was doing my thesis, the fusion of biology (and molecular biology) and technology seemed like it was about to explode. they tried to tinker with rhodopsin (a protein produced by a certain bacteria). rhodopsin shifts its configuration at two major wavelengths. there was a time they were considering this for military applications. essentially data is stored as binary switches (either on or off). at the time, they were thinking to use rhodopsin as a means to store data. what's the advantage: since protein is heat-labile, in the event the gadget falls into enemy hands (like when a top secret plane falls into enemy territory for example), the electricity is shut off, cooling systems stop, and the protein is denatured, leading to data loss. neat huh?

**uls** · April 16th, 2007 06:52 PM

Here's an article i read in Esquire. I think u guys will find this interesting. Or maybe u have already read it.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1...CIENCE_rev_2_1

**wildthing** · April 16th, 2007 11:08 PM

a very close friend of mine is finishing his PhD on Genetics-Molecular biology.

he is a scientist working at IRRI (international rice research institute)...part of his work yung GMOs (genetically modified organisms) work on rice...hybrids with a lot of other "stuff" to combat rice diseases and yield more.

we use to work together in IRRI during our college years (as student assistants 20+ years ago) and our primary stuff were the early works on genetics was application - where to get the best gene to workout or make a GMO in rice...turn-out that the best way is the calluses (root tip of emerging root from a rice seed)....we cut this a propagate it on petri disk...

it was very interesting work...but it was not my type of scientist work...I'd rather be rocket scientist.

lucky for my friend he stick with it....and I'd say he is a bit an authority on that area now...sad to say there is not much money on that job here in the Philippines.

**oldblue** · April 16th, 2007 11:59 PM

yan ba genetics eh kaya baguhin ang personality ng isang taong ayaw ko

**cutedoc** · April 17th, 2007 12:21 AM

in theory i think it is possible to change the personality of the creature to be modified, certain genes modification are to be made, sa panahon ngayon lahat posible naman na...

pero sabi nga ke spidey, with great powers comes great responsibility, so we should be accountable for the deeds we make

**mbeige** · April 17th, 2007 03:26 AM

Originally Posted by smooth

dagdag: back then, when i was doing my thesis, the fusion of biology (and molecular biology) and technology seemed like it was about to explode. they tried to tinker with rhodopsin (a protein produced by a certain bacteria). rhodopsin shifts its configuration at two major wavelengths. there was a time they were considering this for military applications. essentially data is stored as binary switches (either on or off). at the time, they were thinking to use rhodopsin as a means to store data. what's the advantage: since protein is heat-labile, in the event the gadget falls into enemy hands (like when a top secret plane falls into enemy territory for example), the electricity is shut off, cooling systems stop, and the protein is denatured, leading to data loss. neat huh?

Very interesting work with rhodopsin, do you know the specific article about this? I usually go to pubmed.org to get scientific articles for my classes. It looks like the document should be protein-based (is paper protein based?).

Here's an article i read in Esquire. I think u guys will find this interesting. Or maybe u have already read it.

http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ1...CIENCE_rev_2_1

Actually we just got past topics on programmed cell death, and the reason cancer exists. Cancer basically comes from uncontrolled cell proliferation, but the science of applying controlled cell proliferation (to extend life) is still in its infancy. It looks like free radicals also has an effect on this, as well as other factors. I'm also taking virology, and it's amazing how these viruses (from the common cold to the deadly types) have "evolved" (parenthesis because they're not living) to adapt to certain conditions and survive.

In all honesty, this is not really my thing. But since I got myself into it, it's becoming more interesting to me. It's like tinkering with the basic building blocks of what we all call "life" and carefully applying it to benefit a lot of people. Biotechnology in my school is a different field actually. I think it deals more with the technology than the application, but I'm not familiar with it that much.

We've discussed prions in a previous class I had, it wasn't much. But really interesting. Mutated proteins having an effect on an organism (mad cow disease comes to mind) is the stuff of movies but now they're all getting clearer and can be explained.

Cutedoc you have a very, very, very important point. Just discussed in our virology class, "how do you make a virus very lethal?" was the question our professor asked us. She explained it in less than 5 minutes, by using 2 viruses helping each other in a time-delayed fashion.

It doesn't look like there are a lot of Pinoys in this field. Interestingly, one technician in the labs has a "radioactive" tattoo on his left ankle.

I'm currently working on a hypothetical paper about prostate cancer and the effects of AIbZIP (androgen-induced bZIP proteins) and NKX3.1 (a protein that exists in carcinogenic prostate cell lines - possibly used as a marker). Since my dad is a urologist in SLMC and EAMC back there I have had some background on this whenever I visit his office/s.

yan ba genetics eh kaya baguhin ang personality ng isang taong ayaw ko

Technically, you can. In fact, you can do more than just that. But I don't think there has been enough research that jumps from molecular biology to personality changes when applied (jumping from point A to Z halos) because of many, many factors involved. First you obviously don't want to be used as a test subject (not knowing if the process is reversible or not) and second, if you want to clone yourself, it has a lot of ethical, moral, and other kinds of issues (does it really have a soul?), etc...

I'm actually thinking that once all the microscopic information has been found, the scientists will delve into bigger topics like the effect of certain mutations on personalities, so it'll bound to be in the near future...

**uls** · April 17th, 2007 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by mbeige

Actually we just got past topics on programmed cell death, and the reason cancer exists. Cancer basically comes from uncontrolled cell proliferation, but the science of applying controlled cell proliferation (to extend life) is still in its infancy. It looks like free radicals also has an effect on this, as well as other factors. I'm also taking virology, and it's amazing how these viruses (from the common cold to the deadly types) have "evolved" (parenthesis because they're not living) to adapt to certain conditions and survive.

In all honesty, this is not really my thing. But since I got myself into it, it's becoming more interesting to me. It's like tinkering with the basic building blocks of what we all call "life" and carefully applying it to benefit a lot of people. Biotechnology in my school is a different field actually. I think it deals more with the technology than the application, but I'm not familiar with it that much.

We've discussed prions in a previous class I had, it wasn't much. But really interesting. Mutated proteins having an effect on an organism (mad cow disease comes to mind) is the stuff of movies but now they're all getting clearer and can be explained.

Diba some cancers can be caused by viruses? HPV causes cervical cancer, EBV causes lymphoma, HCV causes liver cancer.

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What do normal cells have that cancer cells dont have?

Normal cells divide but are programmed to stop at some point. Cancer cells divide and dont stop. So they lack a program? They dont have that apoptosis program?

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Im more interested in evolutionary biology. Natural selection, survival of the fittest... stuff like that.

Cancer, aging, death is programmed into us.

We are not programmed for long life but for reproduction. Our bodies are disposable after we have brought up our offspring. That's why serious diseases usually start to occur in the 50's, 60's... after the kids are all grown up.

Nature intended that we have offspring and raise them while we are young & healthy.

But there are those who have serious diseases while young. In nature, diseased young organisms die. Leaving only healthy organisms to propagate... minimizing the defective genes to mix in the gene pool.

Pero tayo, because we are human, we do not just allow weak people (young or old) to just die.

We look for cures. We keep everyone alive as long as we can. Genetic defects and all.

People with genetic defects live long enough to pass their defects to their offspring. And the offsping also pass it to their offspring. The human gene pool is full of genetic defects. Defects that were suppose to have been selected out if nature had its way.

so what's my point? La lang hehe...

But now we have the technology to design our babies-to-be. And have those defects taken out. U can even choose the babies' eye color. I think it's called Eugenics.

**mbeige** · April 17th, 2007 11:12 AM

Originally Posted by uls

Diba some cancers can be caused by viruses? HPV causes cervical cancer, EBV causes lymphoma, HCV causes liver cancer.

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What do normal cells have that cancer cells dont have?

Normal cells divide but are programmed to stop at some point. Cancer cells divide and dont stop. So they lack a program? They dont have that apoptosis program?

Correct. Some cancers are caused by viruses. Viruses do not want the cells to die, because if their host cells die, they too perish. So in effect, the viruses prolong programmed cell death (apoptosis). Hence, cancer proliferates if the viruses are not stopped. There are latent viruses and lysogenic viruses. Latent ones prefer to prolong their existence, as well as the host cell's. Lysogenic ones prefer to kill the cells immediately and spread to others.

Normal cells have a programmed suicide, meaning if something goes wrong, they kill themselves to prevent the organism from suffering the consequences. It's nature's way of maintaining itself. It's like a defective part in a car, if it gets bad, replace it with something else. Only in this case, the cells have their own if-then conditions to meet whereas in cars, the end users/mechanics decide on whether to replace it or not.