well, I am sure most people who read my blog here know better than me on what is biotechnology I suppose...
since I am taking my degree in Biotechnology, my readers which are also my course mates (mostly of my readers are...)
biotech is the manipulation of life (organisms) using the current advanced technology...
well, yea...
this issue has also raised alot of debate about how humans can "challenge god's will"
people say, god made life, so, who are we to change the life into something that is not?
to me, I think it's not a total bad thing at all...
there are so many contributions of biotech in the surface of the earth that we sometimes don't even notice...
being a biotech student, I am rather ashamed when a doctor told me that needle and syringe are considered a tool developed under the field of biotechnology. and the reaction I gave him is a big fat "huh"
ok, shuddup...
that's just a basic thing about biotechnology...
well, I have just finished my year 2 semester 1 of my course, and in this semester, there is a subject entitled "Principles of Biotechnology"
yes, I am in year 2 and I am only studying the principles...
in this subject, we have to get used to all the terms of biotechnology and have the chance to use SOME biotech tools made available in the school lab...
by SOME, I mean really SOME (see how I emphasis the word SOME?)
we only get to SEE our lab assistant preparing the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine while attending the lab session...
but still I though it was fun knowing that I am able to do such things in the near future...
we have learned how to insert a gene of interest into a plasmid and placing it into a bacteria to be cultured producing the product we want.
an example:
in the early days, pancreas (insulin production organ) of cows and horses are used clinically to treat diabetic patients since it's nearly chemical identical to human's insulin... but these insulin are not all pure enough due to the presence of non-insulin substances which leads to allergy.
but now, with the recombinant technology, human gene which express for insulin can be extracted and inserted into a plasmid which is transferred into a bacteria cell which is cultured and allowing it to reproduce and at the same time producing insulin (the product we want).
this method of producing insulin is safer for use since it reduces the amount of impurities and it can also undergo mass production which saves cost and time.
many other drugs and enzymes are produced with this method (recombinant technology) because of some of it's advantages which saves time and money.
that is why, to me, biotechnology is not all bad and has it's good side to think off as well...
my thought : can we produce an organism which can help decrease the effects of global warming by reducing global warming?
some points:
-put in photosynthetic properties into the organism
-an organism that require alot of heat to undergo metabolism (absorb heat from environment to produce cooling effect)
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do you think if we are able to identify the "recovering" gene in our body, can we enhance our body's recovery process from wounds?
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can we actually find ways to somehow enhance our senses? allowing us to do more than what we can? teleportation, mind reading, super strength.
ok, I am starting to sound like Mohinder Suresh @___@
but I somehow believe, all these can happen via genetic modification...
gene is the key to human behavior, physically and mentally...
believe it or not?
Comments
yes,
TNH: i too am thinking about how genetic modification can help improve and enhance human's current ability (healing) and resistance towards illness...
nixxie: thanks, and i think ktuubi is a spirit or something rite??? @__@
do you all think that it is advisable for me to do the environmental helaing organism, EHO(TM) for my FYP???
hehe
You have the vision of speed recovery project but you do have to bear the consequences and a lot of other nature-related issues before stepping your foot into the field.. anyway good luck!
i will take serious consideration upon researching what i am thinking now~ thanks nixxie
But rather than thinking so far off (you watched too much heroes), why not focus the problems at hand eg: AIDS and Cancer. Solve that and I gurantee you'll bag the Nobel Prize XD. Get your PhD first tho.
I leave you with this: God created chicken, who are you to eat it?
can we produce an organism which can help decrease the effects of global warming by reducing global warming?
- u wana put in photosynthetic properties into organism? to reduce CO2 rite, one of the green house gas; i tink it is more economical to just plant more plants than putting in substantial amount of money to do that..
- producing an organism that require heat? i dont agree too, coz almost all organism operates under moderate condition, absorbing excess heat will cause complication as in denaturing enzymes and other essential metabolic related proteins..
do you think if we are able to identify the "recovering" gene in our body, can we enhance our body's recovery process from wounds?
- this is regeneration process, all of us already has that; but i guess u wana enhance the recovery/regeneration process like Naruto using his Kyuubi Chakra right? Ok... this is something workable.. all u need to do is up-regulate the immunity and cell division related genes... but there is a side effect.. Godaime Tsunade-Hime, can do this by releasing a seal which allows her to heal all her wound even faster than naruto and giving her ultimate energy within a short period.. with a side effect right? she will age terriblyafter that period.. in real life, this is true also, its all the Hayflick Limit.. if u want ur wound to recover, u need to make ur cells divide to cover the wound, but all cells can divide only a number of times call Hayflick Limit, after that, the cell will die and wont grow somemore.. so.. thats the not so workable part..
can we actually find ways to somehow enhance our senses? allowing us to do more than what we can? teleportation, mind reading, super strength.
- about this, well, maybe it is more on workin on neurology, because we never use more than 10 percent of our brain even when we r squeezing it like crazy.. some believe that if we can activate our brain to the max, then u may have superpower abilities..
- another thing is, since we r all guys, u might wana kno, all the genes in the Y-chromosome is silent.. so, maybe if u can express those genes, then u can become superhuman? hehe.. who knows....