Should Stem Cell Research be funded?

Introduction Stem cells are one the most fascinating areas of research in the field of medicine as it presents many possibilities and opens up new paths in medical treatments for diseases that currently have no known cure yet. In this essay, I am going to explore the benefits of stem cells in terms of medical … Read more

Yield losses on rice

Here, we want to study the underlying mechanism that causes the increased yield caused by an interaction between P. arrhenomanes, and M. graminicola in rice roots.

The regulatory regime for CRISPR gene editing is inapplicable and inefficient

The advent of CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is completely revolutionizing the way we approach scientific problems. This technology provides a relatively simple gene-editing platform to modify entire genomes. Although CRISPR holds great promise in transforming the way we approach human diseases, it remains largely unregulated because of the outdated and restrictive regulatory scheme for biotechnology in … Read more

Will genome editing replace HSCT for blood diseases?

Genome editing involves the modification of the genome at a specific site in a DNA sequence [1]. Today, genetic engineering is used in overcoming many single-gene ailments such as cystic fibrosis, haemophilia, and a plethora of other diseases. However it was not until 2012, that the genome editing technique known as the Clustered Regularly Interspaced … Read more

Genetically engineering a human embryo

Should we do it? Would it make us a ‘better’ species? In a world of advancing technology, we suddenly have the power to edit our DNA like a word processor; we could potentially eliminate the chances of inherited diseases altogether which would ultimately save countless lives. However, this may open a door to creating genetically … Read more

He Jiankui – creation of genetically modified human babies

Chinese scientist, He Jiankui, has created the first genetically modified human babies through the controversial process of gene editing. The process of Gene editing functions by changing a person’s DNA. Jiankui’s conduction of this on unborn children is under fire by some (including his country’s government) and supported by others. Many scientists around the world … Read more

Human gene editing should be legalised

Introduction The scientific abilities gene editing can provide are vastly beneficial, yet have sparked debate about its efficacy. With this power there have been many debates whether it should be illegal or not. Some feel that this is immoral, while others argue that the scientific benefit it can provide outweigh the fact it causes ethical … Read more

Analysing study on ability of Optimized CRISPR-Cpf1 to efficiently edit human genome

Section 1 – Summary Study: Zhong, G., Wang, H., Li, Y., Tran, M. H., & Farzan, M. (2017, June 19). Cpf1 proteins excise CRISPR RNAs from mRNA transcripts in mammalian cells. Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), in Florida, discovered a way to further optimize gene-editing technology. The scientists at TSRI were able to … Read more

CRISPR-Cas9 has great potential, but is currently unsafe and potentially unethical

Though the ethical concerns of gene editing and similar practices have existed since the concept first emerged decades ago, new discussions have arisen with the CRISPR-Cas9 technique. CRISPR-Cas9 is used to cut DNA at a particular, targeted location. The complex made up of Cas9 and guide RNA can find a targeted section and cut it. … Read more

Increasing the efficiency of CRISPR/Cas9 – analysis of 3 experiments

The latest genomic engineering tool used in science, CRISPR/Cas9 has been used in many studies. Research proves that it is efficient at crop improvement and helps prevent the spread of diseases. However, research exists that allow gene editing to be even more efficient with the use of multiple gRNAs (guide RNA). This review focuses on … Read more

Background of gene editing, CRISPR and application for Huntington’s

The science of hereditary has changed hugely since the first experiments done by Mendel in his pea garden. What he discovered then was the existence and fundamental importance of the gene and its function in inheritance, predicting the patterns of behaviour during the formation of gametes. Although there was no knowledge at the time of … Read more