Recently, scientists at UC Riverside have made a huge discovery in comprehending how it is possible that malaria can  multiply at such an insane rate. Through this finding, they can find out how malaria evolves and therefore how they can stop it. They have found that by replicating cell division, they could potentially decrypt how parasites divide. This would require biotechnology to develop therapeutic strategies to defeat this disease.

I think this research is worth putting time and effort towards. If they can figure out how to defeat this stubborn disease, it could defeat many other diseases that are similar to this. This affects our environment because this phenomenon is important for understanding the dynamics of coevolution in geographically structured population undergoing different ecological pressures. It is used an indicator along with being a natural proccess. 

Engineers attending UCLA recently developed a new breakthrough in engineering technology: Miniaturized “warehouse robots” for biotechnology applications. This is commonly known as the “robots-on-a-chip system”, which could lead to a faster, automated blood diagnostics for disease screening. These 2millimeter disc shaped robots could be our future. The scientist would use electromagnetic tiles in guiding these little robots around the blood, making it super easy to figure out. 

I think that by using these little biotechnology based robots to screen diseases, it could lead to a much more efficient way to find and stop issues. This relates to the environment because it could create a healthier population and it could advance our knowledge on these blood issues.The ferrobots, as they are calling these robots, can be programmed to perform parallelized and sequential fluidic operations at “small-length scales in a collaborative manner.”

At UC Davis, scientists have recently uncovered a new technology that could completely change the future of crops. They figured out how to genetically engineer rice that contains extremely high levels of beta-carotene, which is the precursor of Vitamin A. By doing this, the results of not only growing rice, but also growing other crops could change drastically, for the better.

This new world of genome editing is one of the most controversial topics in the world, due to it being a new topic amongst the population. I think that in order for the world to progress, trial and error is mandatory. This gene editing could open us up to so many great things in means of growing crops, however could not work, and damage the environment, but damage to the environment would not be permanent in this case. If this technology does not work, worse comes to worse we go back to ways that we know for sure work. This being, I think it is important to try. 

The impossible burger is on a huge upward climb, as it is consistently becoming the new trend. Scientists are worried that this genetically modified burger is not safe regarding the environment and human health. In a CNN article regarding the impossible burger states, “Jan. 1, 2020, marked the first day food companies could begin labeling products as genetically modified under the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Law.” The biggest concern is that due to it’s genetically modified protein, it is actually way less healthy and can be considered toxic for the body. Secondly, the production of this meat is very damaging to the environment, as it releases a disturbing amount of emissions.

The impossible burger is very damaging to the environment, in that it’s “environmental pollution that can occur from increasing herbicide treatments as GMO crops become more resistant to them.” I think that although for many people, this invention helps them get the taste of meat without harming animals, they are blindsided by the fact that it has harm involved. Most consumers are unaware of the damages. Because this is genetically modified, there are unnatural chemicals and it is not healthy, a common misconception. I think that this burger is dangerous because the consumers are not aware of what they are intaking.

Genetically engineered mosquitoes are modified in order to abolish the spread of dengue. The  goal is that by releasing a strand of mosquitoes with antibodies of this virus, it would eventually kill off the disease. For the first time ever, insects have been made unable to spread any disease. Essentially, they are trying to fight this dangerous infection, with another infection. 

These new genetically modified insects could change the entire future of viruses that are transported through insects. This connects to the environment because it could change the natural process of elimination, which keeps our population at a natural balance. By releasing these mosquitoes, it not only could change the future of this infectious disease but the future of natural causes of disease, which keeps our balance stable.

Stein, Rob. “House Committee Votes To Continue Ban On Genetically Modified Babies.” NPR, NPR, 4 June 2019, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/06/04/729606539/house-committee-votes-to-continue-research-ban-on-genetically-modified-babies.

This June, a ban was placed on ANY genetically modified babies. This was shocking because so much time over the years have been spent on making genetically modified babies possible. Scientists are truly disturbed by this ban, for they predicted a future in which they were able to prevent genetic diseases. The representatives of this ban justify their choice by talking about how the unknowns are too widely ranged and also it is an ethical dilemma. As of now, this ban in not moving and here to stay.

This article shows the congressional committee putting their foot down on any genetically modified embryos. By putting a ban, it is allows for our natural life to not get out of hand. Genetic modification is viewed as unethical and disturbingly unnatural. Also, diseases are a natural way of balancing the birth and death rates. If all debilitating genetic diseases are no longer in our life, the birth rates would outweigh the death rates, leading to an unhealthy environment that we are not prepared for. With these cons, comes pros, genetically modifying babies has so many advantages such as saving millions of people’s lives. Overall, I believe this ban is good for now until we are 100% ready to open up to this new world we would go into if we allowed for this.

Zimmer, Carl. “Genetically Modified People Are Walking Among Us.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Dec. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/12/01/sunday-review/crispr-china-babies-gene-editing.html.

The February, the authority approved an ongoing attempt to apply mitochondrial replacement therapy on two women. This procedure begins with taking a patient’s chromosomes out of one of her eggs. Then, they got an egg from a healthy donor and remove her chromosomes. Finally, they insert the patient’s chromosomes into the donor egg and fertilize it with sperm. When originally brought to the government’s attention, it was shut down immediately. After years of work and provided evidence as to why this procedure should happen. Authority was convinced and now the therapy is going to happen. 

This is huge. The whole medical world could be changed and for many women unable to have babies, this would allow for them to be able to. If this procedure works out as expected, the research and devotion to this procedure would most likely be able to affect other chromosomal issues for the better. Also, it would expand our population which could either be looked at as a pro or a con because if more women can get pregnant the birth rates would flourish. It makes me wonder: Why did no one think of this decades ago? It is a problem that so many women deal with and I think it is truly great that we are working towards a future. 

Weintraub, Karen. “Crispr Gene-Editing Will Change the Way Americans Eat – Here’s What’s Coming.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 30 May 2019, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/30/crispr-gene-edited-food-technology-us-produce.

Recent searches are attempting to create a genetically modified soybean, yielding stable oil, completely deleting the unnecessary, extra trans fat. Lettuce is in the act to become more durable, withstanding dry, harsh conditions. Wheat edited to contain less gluten. And finally, pigs born immune to deadly viruses. Over the years, it has become very easy to alter genomes of animals and plants and the technology is planned to be subject to health meaning it will need to be reviewed many times before being publicated. Crispr technology, the technology allowing us to do this, is still premature and not a perfect process. Overall, this new technology is eye opening to many possibilities.

This technology seems to be simple and have no cons however, people are concerned that it has become scarily easy and too perfect. Along with this, the cost they can charge for genetically modified things could cause a  dilemma because if this technology is released to the public and it takes over the markets, farmers go out of business and the market overall is more expensive. It is a really big step because it could change the whole dynamic of food production. It could also produce new foods and crazy amounts of food that were never accessible before.

Thulin, Lila. “Four U.S. CRISPR Trials Editing Human DNA to Research New Treatments.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 3 Sept. 2019, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-us-crispr-trials-editing-human-dna-for-new-medical-treatments-180973029/.

Recently, genetic modification is being used in curing inherited blindness. A study will be conducted as it will be the first time a CRISPR clinical trial that allows for cellular editing within a human body is done. The treatment is done by an eye injection behind the retina After it is injected, a virus will collide with the photoreceptor cells as the virus releases an enzyme. This technique of injecting a virus has been successful multiple times before. 

This study highlights how genetically modifying humans can be beneficial. Although many things can go wrong with this procedure, it is definitely worth it to test it now so it can be a technique used in the near future. It is important because this technique may not only be applicable to blindness and can apply to many other diseases. Diseases such as blindness are natural, an if this procedure potentially leads to curing more deadly diseases then our environment would be changed because the death rate would be lowered.

Grady, Denise. “Crispr Takes Its First Steps in Editing Genes to Fight Cancer.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/06/health/crispr-cancer-leukemia.html.

In November, 2019, for the first time, the US tested a new technique involving gene-editing. The procedure works by removing ‘T-Cells’, essentially the genes fighting against the immune system. Crispr would then completely remove these genes because they affect the fight against cancer. By infusing cells, directly attacking the cancer infected tissue, it would also hopefully target a certain protein. It has been tested three times and been successful. It is still unclear however whether or not it is truly working because it has not been thoroughly tested. They plan to further the process and eventually get a better evaluation of this technique.

The article gave insight as to what cancer researchers have been recently gearing their studies towards. This is a huge step in my opinion. The fight towards cancer has been in act for forever and I think it’s really important that researchers at least have a lead as to what can be done and in singling out what is helping. Whether this technique ends up working in the long run or not, the US at least as a basis and can cross this attempt off of the list. Cancer also affects our environment, so much money is spent into this research and if this is THE cure then money would go into other causes, affecting other research progress. This could honestly be life changing for so many people, and definitely worth looking into deeper.