Category Archives: Biology

For one week in May, 11 agents and analysts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation were on campus for an intensive training program spearheaded by one of the universitys preeminent biotechnologists. The goal: giving the law enforcement personnel foundational knowledge and insight into the rapidly evolving field of synthetic biology. Jean Peccoud, the Abell Endowed Chair in Synthetic Biology in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, organized the session with the FBI. Peccoud is a computational and cell biologist whose research is in the development of novel DNA molecules, and improving the manufacture of bio-based drugs and vaccines. At first glance, a relationship between synthetic biology researchers and the nations top law enforcement agency might seem incongruous. Consider, though, the rapid development of genetic engineering techniques over the last several years. The agents who visited campus were part of the FBIs Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate, whose purview includes preventing and responding to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents. The WMD Directorate is working to build relationships with universities and industry partners to become educated on trends in biological research from the manufacture of living organism-based vaccines, to the synthesis of new genes in the lab, said William … Continue reading →

An interview with Julie Legault: Founder and CEO of Amino Labs Inc. As an enthusiast and synthetic biology practitioner, what attracts me most of our field is how fast is spreading and how people from different domains start to ask questions and to get interested in what we do. In the past year, Ive heard over and over the word democratization of synbio, which is the idea of making synthetic biology (and science in general) more available and understandable to the lay public. This certainly is no easy task. In fact, people wonder if it is even possible, and if it is, how do we do it? While only time will give definitive answers to these questions, today I would like to tell you the story of Julie Legault and her company Amino Labs: The company pioneering accessible bioengineering in the home and school. Originally a designer, Julie walked into the field of synthetic biology almost by accident. Julies time at MIT (she holds a Masters of Science from the MIT Media Lab) was coincident with Joi Itos growing interest in synthetic biology as the new digital, says Julie [Joi Ito is director of the MIT Media Lab and a … Continue reading →

Jonas Kantola from West Windsor is Woodstock Union High Schools valedictorian for the graduating class of 2017. In the fall, Kantola will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he hopes to study biological engineering or aerospace engineering. Kantolas passion for biology began when he was a high school freshman. I took AP biology as an independent study in my freshman year. I was able to go as in-depth as I wanted to and I really enjoyed it. I especially liked microbiology because it is the foundation of how our body operates. Proteins were also very interesting as they regulate almost all of our bodily functions, he said. Im interested in aerospace because I love the idea of exploring space. Innovative companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin are pushing the possibilities of space travel, and I believe that humans will become interplanetary during this century. It would be an incredible experience to be on the forefront of such a momentous change, he said. Biology and aerospace engineering are not Kantolas only interests though. Woodstock Union High School has provided a variety of sports opportunities for him. I have been involved in soccer, Nordic skiing, alpine skiing, and lacrosse. In … Continue reading →

A biology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle believes the stress caused by President Donald Trumps time in office will lead to a permanent change in human genetics. Peter Ward, a professor who works in the earth and space sciences department of UWs College of the Environment, offered his bizarre prediction to Gizmodo earlier this weekwhen the publication asked a handful of evolutionary biologists, Can superhuman mutants be living among us? Ward argued that significant traumas like abuse or military combat cancause permanent change to the human genome. He went on to suggest Trumps presidency is akin to those traumas and will have an evolutionary consequence on humanity. Were finding more and more that, for instance, people who have gone through combat, or women who have been abused when you have these horrendous episodes in life, it causes permanent change, which is then passed on to your kids, he said. These are actual genetic shifts that are taking place within people. Those shifts, Ward contended, can cause huge evolutionary change. He added: On a larger scale, the amount of stress that Americans are going through now, because of Trump there is going to be an evolutionary consequence. Earlier … Continue reading →

UPDATED: Wed., June 7, 2017, 9:40 a.m. Thousands of Washington high school seniors may have to hang their hopes on the Legislature to receive their diplomas this year, after failing to pass a controversial biology assessment test required to earn the certificate. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press) As they walk across a stage in cap and gown in the coming weeks, shaking hands with school officials and smiling for their families in the audience, thousands of Washingtons high school students could be wondering for a month or more whether they will actually get a diploma. The successful completion of their high school careers will come down to one of two things: Passing a controversial biology test that theyve failed multiple times. Or a negotiated deal in the Legislature. At last count, some 3,300 high school seniors in Washington, about 4 percent of the total statewide, have been unable to pass the biology assessment test, a state requirement for graduation along with separate tests in math and English language. All three tests result in some failures, and schools have developed alternative strategies to help students meet the requirements. But the biology test causes the most problems. Statistics released in May by … Continue reading →

Hundreds of Washington state high school seniors are still waiting to hear if they will be getting a diploma this month. Passing the state high school biology test, which current law requires them to pass before graduating, should not hold them up. The biology testing requirement should end as many lawmakers, school administrators, Washington State Board of Education members and the superintendent of public instruction all agree. However, the other two graduation exams in math and English are worthy and should remain. The biology test is no longer a relevant part of Washingtons graduation requirements as the state has adopted new science standards and is working on a new, more general science exam. With commencement ceremonies looming, state officials and lawmakers should hurry up and work out a deal to fix that problem and allow students otherwise eligible to graduate. The problem affects few students one or two at every Seattle high school, according to the school district. This week, a spokesman for the state superintendents office said the number is about 1,000 statewide and diminishing as students meet the requirement in other ways. Students should not fail to graduate because of an outdated requirement. The state Senate already has … Continue reading →

June 7, 2017 Scientists at The Australian National University (ANU) have found that independent estimates from geology and biology agree on the timing of the breakup of the Pangaea supercontinent into today's continents. When continents break up, single species are divided into two and drift apart - physically and genetically. Lead researcher Sarah McIntyre said geologic dating of the continental drift and biological dating of the genetic drift provided independent estimates of the break-up dates over the past 180 million years. "This is by far the most comprehensive comparison of genetic tree-based dates and the geological dates of the continental breakups," said Ms McIntyre, a PhD scholar at the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. "After excluding species that could easily move between continents, a new comparison of these two independent dating methods, applied to the breakup of Pangaea over the past 180 million years, finds good agreement between the two methods. "Geological dating provides important independent support for the relatively new field of using genetic trees to date biological divergences." The research is published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B. "In collaboration with biologist Professor Colin Groves, we came up with a vetting procedure that excluded species … Continue reading →

June 7, 2017 The mouse lemurthe world's smallest primatehas the potential to transform the field of genetics and serve as an ideal model for a wide range of primate biology, behavior and medicine, including cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease, Stanford University School of Medicine researchers say. For decades, scientists have relied on mice, fruit flies and worms as genetic models, but despite all their success, these organisms routinely fail to mimic many aspects of primate biology, including many human diseases, said Mark Krasnow, MD, PhD, professor of biochemistry. Frustrated by the lack of a good study model, Krasnow and his colleagues turned to the mouse lemur and began conducting detailed physiologic and genetic studies on hundreds of these petite, docile creatures in the rainforests of Madagascar. Working in a Stanford-funded lab on the island country, the scientists report that they already have identified more than 20 individual lemurs with unique genetic traits, including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, cardiac arrhythmias, progressive eye disease and motor and personality disorders. Their hope is that continued study of these abundant primates could lead to a better understanding, and possibly better treatments, of these and other conditions in lemurs and humans. 'Huge potential' … Continue reading →

Hundreds of students are waiting for lawmakers to figure out a compromise that will allow them to graduate this year. The biology testing requirement should be eliminated, but English and math should stay. HUNDREDS of Washington state high-school seniors are still waiting to hear if they will be getting a diploma this month. Passing the state high-school biology test, which current law requires them to pass before graduating, should not hold them up. The biology testing requirement should end as many lawmakers, school administrators, Washington State Board of Education members and the superintendent of public instruction all agree. However, the other two graduation exams in math and English are worthy and should remain. The biology test is no longer a relevant part of Washingtons graduation requirements as the state has adopted new science standards and is working on a new, more general science exam. With commencement ceremonies looming, state officials and lawmakers should hurry up and work out a deal to fix that problem and allow students otherwise eligible to graduate. The problem affects few students one or two at every Seattle high school, according to the school district. This week, a spokesman for the state superintendents office said the … Continue reading →

June 7, 2017 Scientists from the University of Geneva are using the rules of genetics to better understand how to incorporate wind and solar power into the current electrical grid to produce a renewable power system. The researchers published their study in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica (JAS), a joint publication of the IEEE and the Chinese Association of Automation. "Integration of intermittent generation into the electric network is a challenging task, as supply must always match demand," said Tim Mareda, a doctoral student at University of Geneva and an author on the paper. The researchers examined the problems of wind and solar power reliability, storage, and delivery to areas with high demand for power across a large-scale area, such as Europe. Mareda and his team used Europe's existing transmission map to create a grid of equally sized and spaced cells. Using years of electricity consumption data, they then simulated the mismatch between power generation and use every hour, and also estimated typical solar and wind generation levels. To process this information, the researchers created an algorithm with set parameters, including the grid's physical reach, the produced power of the renewable units, the storage capacity, and the ability of the … Continue reading →