Adventure Ausrama Blog

Genetically modified things are dangerous. Whoops! But we are already using them. GM crops have already crossed with normal plantings in adjacent farms. The producers of the GM seeds are suing these farmers for using the crossed seed which they claim belongs to them. Dogs were given a virus that had been genetically modified: the DNA integrated into the host genome. Oncogenes were activated. The virus entered into cells that influence cell growth. The affected cells' rate of division increased dramatically. Modified viruses are a popular way of treating people now. Practitioners had a ho hum attitude to this. It has to changed. The final result of such treatment will probably be cancer. Researchers have known for decades that tests on very young mice were detrimental. However, they pushed blindly ahead. The project on the dogs has been concluded. Calls were made to continue for another five years to discover whether the canine develop tumors. Vested interests stop it. Ultimatel

From what you read you would think that genetic science is going ahead in leaps and bounds. Really it has been stuck in the same place for a decade. Ninety percent of human genes are not studied because they are too complicated. These genes impact on people just as much as the 10 percent of "easy" ones. Most genes are inside cell nuclei so they are difficult to get to. However, dealing with the obvious is not sustainable. The 90 percent have to be studied. Hardly any funding at all is allocated to lesser known gene research. Scientific papers keep on regurgitating the familiar. PHD students have tunnel vision. Industry can provide a firm basis to examine the known. The little known has no industrial foundation. A study to apply existing learning tools to the neglected genes failed as people moved back to what is safe. Clearly, scientific principles are not being applied. Critical knowledge to identify what is true about DNA is being selectively ignored. Throwing out the

Many are waiting with bated breath for the introduction of 5G, despite the as yet unknown damage caused by radiation through the human body. Is more speed and greater downloads capacity for mobile phones worth it? The new network is just two years away for Australia. In 2020 the bandwidth will increase by 50 times over 4G. Potentially, three television episodes will be downloaded in one second. The speed will probably reach 10,000 megabits per second. Considering outer city customers are only getting 12 mbps. This could see the end of the National Broadband Network as everyone moves to mobile. However, we could all be "fried" in the process. The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) says research on safety must be done. Frequencies above 6Ghz, the 5G range, create heat in solid things just like microwave ovens. The new waves will enter 8 millimetres into the human body, thus generating heat and cooking the tissue. The eyes in particular cou

Stem cell treatment improves chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD. Stem cells are magical in the things they can do. Just about every ailment they are aimed at succumbs to them. It could be that in the future it will be the most-used method of treatment.  There is a case for fast-tracking treatment to help those with chronic illnesses. Two patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were injected with adult stem cells. After only a month they improved. A study of nine people also having the condition were given stem cells taken from bone marrow. Inflammation was reduced significantly. There has not been any method of treatment for COPD until the use of stem cells came to the fore. It is estimated that nearly 15 per cent of Australians over 40 have the disease.  This is incredibly high and hard to believe. The major symptom is difficulty breathing. A reduction in inflammation improves lung function. Dr Moodley who announced the research findings said the treatment

Chemistry: Stomata on plant leaves shows the way to predict climate change. It looks like the future is going to be very hot - in Asia at least. Oddly it will not get drier. With more carbon around plants will not need as much water, so grass will grow everywhere. A 5 degree rise in temperature is expected by mid-century. High humidity will make life unbearable.. Plants have a significant effect on the climate in general. This has been ignored in the past. Scientists are now examining it. More efficient use of water means less water in the atmosphere which increases temperature during the day.   Spring will arrive earlier as the climate itself changes. A study of stomata, tiny spores on leaves involved in carbon dioxide absorption and the shedding of water, has provided information on how plants affect the weather. It was initially for understanding how plants work, but it has ultimately been applied to the study of climate change. ◆ Chemistry by Ty Buchanan   ◆

There seems to be a scientific breakthrough every minute. You go onto the Internet and a new claim appears. Some of course is recycled old news. However, new discoveries are made all the time. Despite spending cutbacks in some countries, science seems to be leaping ahead. You would think that just about everything is known about the body. Nevertheless, a new stem has been found. A four continent research enterprise called Project Grandiose has identified the new cell which has been put into the "F-class": the cell has a fuzzy body when viewed on a microscope. It is hoped that the cell can be used in the treatment of injuries and illnesses. The days of using stem cells from afterbirth material are long gone. Adult cells can now be modified for treating various health problems, but this is early research. The only successful treatment to date is for macular degeneration. Targeting modified stem cells is the main problem. They are like tumours and in the wrong plac

It was thought that once the human genome was known "interpreting" how things work would be easy. However, this is not the case. The hereditary sequencing in our genes is not the only factor determining what we are and what we do. Only 3 per cent of human genes are actually involved in the "code". Little is known about what the rest do. It has been discovered recently that these "dumb" genes turn the letter genes on and off. They determine whether a cell becomes a brain or kidney cell, for example. There are 3 billion base gene structures, so there is a long way to go in understanding basic functions. At any one time 80 per cent of genes are active. Some are triggered by proteins. Others change into RNA that regulate letter genes. In regard to understanding human health, many bases just keep chromosomes quiet. A complicating factor is that genes overlap and have many end points - not singular. Over 4 million gene triggers have be found and they