OM GM Rice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of  Japan's major sources of food is rice, and there are many fields and areas dedicated to rice production in Japan. The recent tsuanmi and earthquake has desemated a lot of the fields where rice was grown, debris and other materials scattered all around the fields. In an article written by Jay Alabaster, a rice farmer comments rice production after the disaster, "If we start washing the soil out now, we can start growing our rice seedlings at the end of April at a different location, and plant them here a month later," It's great that people took on such optomistic attitudes after this tragedy,and working hard to rebuild. Knowing that rice is such a big product i wonder if genetically modified rice has been considered. Other than some malnourishment after the tsuanmi, and earthquake radiation poisoning from the nuclear powerplant has also been a major problem. This leads to my next question, : Could there be a way to genetically modify rice in order to help ease some of the symptoms of radiation poisoning?






http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hS2vcOuDBJlV1j5TSx2i2ilifldA

Japan is prepared with technology!

In an article from mytv9.com "Japan's Technology Helps With Recovery Efforts" the author discusses how Japan's preparedness has helped after the earthquake and tsuanmi. So as we all know Japan is has amazing technological advancements. Their buildings are made of earthquake/tsunnami resistant steel and metal. But what is most amazing is how the have developed robots to help find struggling victims. For example the Robocue not only does this but also has oxygen tanks which allow assistants to help victims breathe. The Quince another robot uses the detection of carbon dioxide to track down humans in need.
These are great inventions and applications of science at work helping humans survive. I wonder if a system like that is being used here in the US? And is it posssible to improve on this invention for the future? Could there be an addition to it that measures body temperature, pulse, etc. this way emergency crew members know the exact situation they are dealing .check out the pictures of the robocue.

Another cool thing check out this other blog that discusses the robocue:
http://dd-idham.blogspot.com/2011/03/robocue-robot-seeker-of-japan.html#comment-form
http://www.my9tv.com/dpps/my9_news/japan-earthquake-technology-helps-with-recovery-efforts-dpgoh-20110314-fc_12303803

Japan!

So it's been nearly a month since the earthquake and tsunami in japan. Yet this already tradgic story got worse with the nuclear power plant leak/ explosion. After listening to so many news reports on what's being done to help ( like donations being made, servicemen and women out there supplying Japanese with necessities) I'm wondering how the uses of science technology and biotechnology could be or is being used in this situation. For example in another disaster, the oil spill in the gulf a bacteria that "ate" oil was used to help in cleaning the area.
What can be done to prevent the harmful effects of radiation?
How can technology be used to rebuild their society?
These are some questions I'm hoping to find answers to, about the subject.

Seeing as how I found the article about stem cells from discover magazine so interesting I decided to look into some of their other articles. This one in particle sparked my intrest it discussed medicine. We constantly compare medicine with finding a cure. But as seen in the stem cell article with Hina treatments and mrdicines may not always have the best of affects this week i'll be discussing this according to what I've read in the article!
P.S. Jeanne Lenzer was also a writer o n this article too, she wrote the stem cell article.

Stem cells- finally

To end stem cell week I just want to say:
It's awesome that now we can get stem cell treatment without destroying an embryo. What's next?

the world of biotech is ever changing, one new discovery after another, but there is so much backlash  and controversy over these discoveries and topics. I think that while these things may need more research we're humans and its in our nature to want to change and better ourselves, so why not take the opportunities given to us!!

What drives these cells?

Stem cells are just undifferentiated cells( meaning they haven't been made into any one specific cell yet such as a hair skin or nerve cell. If they have th possibility of becoming any cell then doesn't it have the possibility of becoming a cancer cell and replicating and producing more cancer cells. The paragraph titled "the long road ahead" in the Super Cell article discusses the control of these cells. Like your brain tells your body what to do stem cells need instruction too.

Look at the potential for these cells

They need to receive signals telling them when to grow when to stop etc. Imagine being on a road trip and taking one false turn, there is always the possibility of finding another route. What if the stem cell receives a wrong direction? Then the cells can uncontrollably divide and grow. Making matters even worse if the stem cells are undifferentiated the will be clumps of different types of cells. This is called a teratoma, like a tumor of cell types.

Questions:
1.)Is there possible that in future research there could be a way for stem cells to automatically make right a wrong in the programming?
2.)could there possibly be an enzyme or something created to break up teratomas?
3.)How many if any times has this occurred in stem cell therapy patients?

Doesn't work?

So the article also discussed the potential of stem cell treatment not working. A girl named Hina also had sickle cell, and got stem cell treatment. However it didn't work for her. She also had a bone marrow transplant. Her body reacted differently to the treatment. Instead of the cells repairing the messed-up cells she got a reacted called, Grapht-versus-host disease, where the donated cells basically attack her body. Its a scary thought. And the article also goes on to say, " The inability to predict who will flourish and who will not raises enormous conundrums".  As it should!

Questions:
1.) What makes the difference in these reactions?
2.) Will researchers reach a point where they can predict the outcome based on tests run on the patients?
3.)What is the success rate of stem cell treated patients?