Transgenic Mice Help Us Understand Diabetes

Japanese Diabetic researchers took a gene of unknown function in the human body (GPR40) and put it into mice, while observing its behavior in its role to diabetes. After extensive studying of the mice's glucose and insulin behavior, they found that the protein does change the way that insulin is produced and may likely relate to diabetes. The insulin deficiencies found in the mice put the gene as one of the players in diabetes. In studying the gene, there is a possibility that this gene can help explain the reason for diabetes, and as a result can help us move towards a cure.

Article: http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/db09-1233v1

First Litter of Piglets Born to a Transgenic Pig

A revolutionary new cloning method spawned the first transgenic cloned pigs  in August 2007. It was developed at the Foulum Research Centre at the University of Aarhus and the scientists didn't know if the technique would disturb the natural physiology of the animals. It turned out to be a huge success, and one of the cloned pigs has now given birth to the first litter of piglets born to a transgenic clone, a first both the nationally and the world.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/scitech/92-technology/44780-new-piglets-a-world-first-in-transgenic-cloning-field.html

Too far?

Scientists have been making technological leaps. They've made transgenic goats and glow in the dark cats, but is this crossing the line with human nature? These are Turkish Angora cats from South Korea that glow under UV lights. Biology Online states that transgenic animals have, " 'genes from another organism put into its genome' which use, 'DNA techniques." The drug ATryn has recently been put in certain milks to help thin blood, "Scientists have genetically modified goats to produce this drug in their milk." This drug can be used to help people with blood clots. The cloned sheep, Dolly, is the more controversial topic, as to whether or not this is out of hand.

http://media.www.lakelandmirror.com/media/storage/paper471/news/2009/02/19/Opinions/When-Science.Goes.Too.Far-3639432.shtml

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/news/071212_p01_red.jpg

Super Goats! Transgenic Goats produce Magic Protein.

Russian-Belarusian scientist are attempting to use goats as a means to mass produce what may be the most valuable protein on the market. Lactoferrin is a protein found only in the milk produced by humans in the early stages of motherhood. So, what makes this protein so special? Apart from it's rarity, Lactoferrin can act as an immune system until an infant's immune system has fully developed, attaching itself to bacteria and virus membranes, nullifying their effect on the body. One hundred female goats have been artificially inseminated with the gene coding for Lactoferrin, and are expected to give birth sometime this summer. If the experiment is proven successful, project managers estimate a $6 Billion a year market for Lactoferrin in the US alone.

Transgenic Goats

Discovery of a Faster Antidepressant--Found in the Brain

By: Carolyn Fisher

p11 is a protein found in the brain, which is suspected to help speed up the process of antidepressant drugs. These drugs take longer than is hoped to kick in, so researchers thought this protein could aim to shorten that period of time. Researchers have linked p11 to serotonin, a modifier of mood. They used transgenic mice to see the relationship between serotonin 4 and p11. It was seen in the mouse, that when p11 and serotonin 4 interact, they produce a rapid antidepressant in the brain.

Link to Article:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090225175531.htm

Bioengineering on the Farm

Recently the F.D.A., Food & Drug Administration, has approved the distribution of a milk from gene-altered goats. It started when one goat was given a DNA strand that had both goat and human traits in the strand. The goats produced from this transformation made a drug called ATryn. this drug is known to help thin the blood and reduce blood clots. In one year, one goat produces as much antithrombin that can be derived from 90,000 blood donations.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/07/business/07goatdrug.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=F.D.A.&st=cse

Transgenic Fish--A risk to fish populations everywhere

The animal scientist at Purdue University, Bill Muir, and biologist Rick Howard conducted a study to examine the risks and benefits from biotechnology, for example, genetically  modified fish.  They put Japanese fishes called medaka that had been genetically modified with a growth hormone from Atlantic Salmon into a tank with unmodified fish to see what happens.  They found that this experiment could potentially devastate the native populations of fish possibly to extinction.  When the unmodified fish look for a mate, they look for the largest fish rather than the fittest.  Therefore, they would pick the transgenic fish, who's offspring have a chance of not surviving because of the genetic change.  However, they say that this is all a part of testing biotechnology and are going to try to test the transgenic fish in a larger setting and with larger fish next time. 

www.scielo.br/img/ revistas/gmb/v30n1/08ft.jpg

news.uns.purdue/edu/ UNS/images/muir.trojan.jpeg

Transgenic Corn - It keeps pests away, but what effect does it have on the ecosystem?

For centuries farmers have had problems keeping their crops from succumbing to pests. In the last few years a genetically engineered corn that contains a toxin protecting it from pests has been created. It includes a gene from the micro-organism Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt. In Bloomington, Indiana, parts of the toxic corn are washing into nearby streams, killing a type of fly that is eaten by much the aquatic life. This is a major downside to the transgenic corn. These flies are not only a major food source, but they help control the algae population in the area. 

Click here for article.

Natural Transgenic Clones

In 2007, a cloning method was created at Foulum Research Centre at the University of Aarhus in Denmark. This method used pigs as part of a study on Alzheimer’s disease.
The cloning was a sucess but they weren't sure if the pig couls be able to have and piglets, or if anything physiological would be effected.

But everything was relieved when the first litter of health and normal piglets born to a transgenic clone were successfully delivered.
The success of the Danish research is that they are able to clone using a simple technique and using less money. Also it can be done in simpler laboratories. This in the future will make cloning more accessible.


http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2009/02/27/worlds-first-natural-transgenic-clones-born-in-denmark/

Transgenic Goats: First Step to Producing Healthier Milk

In 2009, Russia is awaiting the 1st generation of transgenic goats to produce lactoferrin in their milk. Lactoferrin is a protein found in human milk. This protein protects a weak human baby's immune system from viruses and bacteria. The good thing about the protein is that there are no bad side effects, but the bad thing is that, so far, scientists have not found a way to mass-produce it. They are hoping that the transformation of this gene into goats will be the first way to mass-produce the protein.

- by Shelby Smith

http://www.russiatoday.com/Top_News/2009-02-10/Goats_link_biotech_and_babies.html

Shock Waves

http://hypertextbook.com/physics/waves/shock/
When the speed source exceeds the speed of sound, the waves form a barrier that cannot be heard.
-Sound Barriers first came into the English language during WWII.
-The people flying the planes felt a strange pull when getting close to or exceeding the speed of -sound, because that's what a sonic boom is.
-When the wave exceeds speed of sound, the shape of the sound waves form a cone.
-the amplitude of the wave is called a 'shock wave.'
-How fast a wave goes depends on the length of amplitude.
-When a shock wave is as fast as the normal speed, then the shock wave dies and becomes just a sound wave.

Image link= http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/1997-12/877005226.Ph.1.jpg

Glowing Tires- Stylish AND Safe!

http://www.inventionconnection.com/BOOTHS/booth448.html

A huge component of people getting into car wrecks is that they can't see what direction the tire is heading very clearly.
-This could be from rain or from the dark, or if one just doesn't feel like checking.
-Another thing that can go wrong is that the tires can wear down over time from different surfaces and can eventually pop, losing control of the car.
-this can't happen with Safety Glo (TM) Tire threads.
- they have fluorescent orange lights for helping a driver see in harsh conditions, and grooves on them so it's easier for tires to not slide as easily.
-they are not dependent on a source of light like lane lights
-these tire guards also have neon blue lights in the tires's steel belts to be extra-protecting.
-these blue neon lights grow bright on the tire, this means that the steel belts have been grinded away, making it easy to tell when it's time for a tire change to avoid a future accident.

Tidal Waves / Tsunamis



Tsunamis are giant waves formed in bodies of water such as oceans. They are formed from submarine, or under water earthquakes miles under the sea level.
These earthquakes produce massive vibrations that disrupt the water creating an underwater wave that moves in different directions and get larger as they enter shallow water. As it gets closer to shore, the vibrations break the water’s surface creating a small wave. As it reaches the shore the waves can reach higher than 40 feet high, and they can move almost as fast as a plane. But these waves are anything but productive, one of the most recent tsunamis killed over 300,000 people.
article

Energy from Waves

The oceans have enough energy to provided more than two trillion tons watts of electricity to the public. That's a lot of energy and scientists want a way to harness all this power, their way of doing this would be by using the device, Checkmate SeaEnergy(anaconda). This device is a long rubber, water filled tube that is only currently used in small sizes, but has the potential to get big enough for the ocean. If the scientists are successful with this device they would be able to harness about one megawatt of power at about 12 cents a kilowatt-hour. This would definitely increase energy produced for the public which would lower prices of electricity drastically.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/21072/?a=f

Walk-in, Walk-out Surgery

In a hospital in Cornwall, England, surgeons are using a brand-new treatment for varicose veins. In the surgery, Radio waves are emitted from a probe to heat the vein, which causes the vein to close. This new type of surgery helps patients recover faster and with less pain than the old surgeries that require incisions to close the veins and anesthetics. Also, the surgeries are faster, so the hospital can treat more people. The radio wave surgery is helpful to both hospitals and their patients.

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7644681.stm

Using Sound waves to make surgery easier

People have started to use the sound waves just like the one above and the ones we have been studing to help make surgeries easier. They are doing this by using the sound waves on the human body to help them know where the locations of tumors or kidney stones are before they have to make a single cut to the body . THis is important because it makes these surgeries easier than they already were.

http://www.naturalnews.com/001128.html

HD RADIO

New HD Radio is much better than your regular old radio. HD radios change the siginal of analog radio to digital and it also increases the quality. With an HD radio, your AM stations will sound like FM and FM will sound like a CD in your car. New cars may have HD radio as an added feature, or you could buy a seperate radio for around $200. Another great feature of HD radio is that a station can brodcast multiple channels, so for instance you could listen to 107.5 or 107.5-2.

MSNBC's Article

Cell Phones affecting human cells?

The radio wave that cell phones give off can affect cell behavior in humans. Some scientists have done tests with 10 volunteers where they are exposed to radiation at 900 megahertz from GSM cell phones. They are simulated through an ordinary hour-long phone call. After this test, they ran screenings and discovered that the amount of a couple of the proteins were altered in this process in all of the volunteers. This is the first study conducted to show altercations to the human body by cell phones. Scary stuff right?

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19726443.800-cellphone-radiation-affects-cells-in-living-humans.html

Another pretty freaky website (2006):

http://www.artsandopinion.com/2006_v5_n3/goldfarb-cellphone.htm

NEW APPLE GPS.... and Beyond

This new technology was made possible when the GPS technology and iPhone software came together to create a new and never seen before technology that looks like the iPhone. The Apple GPS makes it possible for you to find a location, get directions, and if you want to, follow your progress along a highlighted route with LIVE GPS tracking. 

The Apple GPS uses signals from GPS satellites, Wi-Fi hot spots, and cellular towers to get the best reception. This way, the reception waves always get to your GPS so you can get to where you need to be! 

A Wave-Pump Technology Hits the Water Hard, From Salt to Fresh to Energy

Scientists have created a brand new idea and technology that is being experimented in the Gulf of Mexico as we speak. They call it a "wave-pump". What does it do is probably your question. Well here's my answer, the "wave pump" is an ocean pump that turns salt water into fresh water that is later turned into clean and renewable energy. It's simple. The "wave-pump" takes waves and energy from the ocean swells and stores it in land areas where is can be taken and made into energy through a process. This energy is then distributed into waves of energy and used.

The picture below shows what the "wave-pump" looks like!

SOURCE:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=47522

High-pitched ringtone

Students are using a new ring tone to receive messages in class, and many teachers can't even hear the ring. Some students are downloading a ring tone off the Internet that is too high-pitched to be heard by most adults. As people age, many develop what's known as aging ear, or a loss of the ability to hear higher-frequency sounds. A Welsh security company developed the tone to help shopkeepers disperse young people loitering in front of their stores while leaving adults unaffected.  The company called their product the "Mosquito."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13274669/

Autistic Brain Waves

There is a new technology that can show the way that autistic people think and develop their words and sentences. This new technology is called magnetoencephalography or MEG. It measures the magnetic fields in a brain nerve cell and looks at the process that is going on in someone's mind. This technology could also look for brain tumors and epilepsy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27997150/

Micro-Weaponry

http://www.rifewave.com/page1.php
Can Energy Waves kill bacteria? Royal Rife may have been the instigator on a war against bacteria, with waves as weapons.

dark energy.

scientists have found that over the 9 billion years of human existence, the galaxy has  begun to expand. It is not that the planets are moving away from one thing that is in the center, but that everything is expanding away from everything, which would mean in a long time the world would freeze since the sun would be so far away. Using x rays to trap this dark energy that is going through the earth constantly, scientists can attempt to trap some dark matter and figure out whether or not it is what is causing everything to expand. However, it is really hard to find the right thing so it could take scientists a really long time to figure out. 

Warp Speed

What is Warp speed?

Warp speed (also known as Warp Drive) is a form of speed faster than light.

Warp speed provides the propulsion of a spacecraft to many times the speed of light.

Scientists maintain to this very day that the acheivement of reaching the speed of light is near impossible. Many famous movies and shows that have portrayed the speed of light are, Star Trek, Starship Troopers, SpaceBalls, Star Wars, and many others.  The possible travel of warp speed is dependent on an equation for objects that is based on Einstein's General Relativity. 

Wind power!

Wind turbines are an important part of renewable energy. With the rise in demand for green energy, wind turbines have become a good alternate source. Wind turbines vary in size and energy output, but there is one general rule. For every 10 turbines, a two person maintenance team is required. There have been hundreds of jobs created with the rise in popularity of wind turbines, and the demand is just getting bigger. Many community colleges in Iowa have opened up wind technology training programs to lower cost of their own electricity, and the programs are growing quickly. Since the job outlook in wind technology is virtually unlimited, the programs should spread quickly to other states.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25886533/

Energy Island

The organization OTEC recently began developing an "Energy Island" which would drill for renewables instead of petroleum. They would utilize the wind and solar power, and use underwater turbines to take power in the current. The main power source however is a system called ocean thermal energy. conversionhttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27684950/#storyContinued

Ray Gun Technology

Click here for information on Ray Gun Technology from Jack. http://123131312.blogspot.com/

Farming Moves to Cities

With new technology, farming will be able to be moved to cities instead of rural areas. This method is called hydroponics -a method of cultivating plants in water instead of soil. With this method, farming can be moved to apartment buildings, rooftops, and even vacant lots. This could be good because it will eliminate the cost of trucks shipping food. However, the negative side of hydroponics is that the plants might not get enough light and heat. 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/21/urban.agriculture.ap/index.html 

THE NEW 3G iPhone! Better than before!

iPhone 3G



The iPhone 3G has fast 3G technology, GPS, support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, and the new App Store. This new iPhone is has more amazing features than the last one. It is three high technology products combined- a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device. This new device gives you fast access to the Internet and email over your cellular network. It also makes it easier to multitask and when you are connected to 3G, you can serf the web even when you are on your cell phone.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=MTE2NTQ

New Car Technology... Better Future!

Scientists are finding more and better engines, which are much more fuel-efficient than other engines. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that these engines have become about 30% more fuel-efficient, over the past 15 yrs. People are still buying big and powerful engines, instead of fuel efficient ones, though. Scientists predict that these engines will reduce the amount of fuel used by about 1/3 by 2020, and by about 1/2 by 2030. Hopefully more people will continue to buy these fuel-efficient engines, and help the economy!

Click Here!


http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/images/Scooter/honda_insight.jpg

Bug-Sized, Flying Spies!

Engineers in the United States military are currently working on creating flying robots that look like insects. These robots, called Micro Aerial Vehicles, will be used to spy on enemies by recording, taking pictures, and even carrying explosives and chemicals. Because of their small size, MAVs will be able to fly into buildings without being detected. However, a bird-sized robot will not be developed until 2015, and the bumblebee-sized robot in 2030. These robots will be extremely helpful in the future because they can gain valuable information without risking the lives of soldiers.

Link to website

Lauren Barnett

Ground is Broken to Build New Generator!

Located in Colusa County, which is right outside of Sacramento, California, a generator will be completed in 2010. This generator will provide electricity for almost a half of a million homes. Pacific Gas & Electric is funding this construction. This generator will use 97% less water, less fuel, and will release 35% less Carbon Dioxide into the air.

**Link to my page**