An Epigenew Idea

Epigenetics

KJ has recently been intrigued by a verity of other genetic technologies. She realized that posting articles on an unknown blog may not be the best way to spend her time, so she began a very different type of extravaganza. KJ wants to understand how a changes in physical features, likes, and dislikes change overtime. 

Epigenetics are influenced by chemical reactions in your brain that regulate gene expression. They respond to the environment and alter specific genes of an individual in order to correctly suit people surroundings. Stress, diet, behavior, toxins and other factors influence epigenetics and determine which genes are expressed as time goes on. If humans understand how epigenetics work, they will be able to alter behaviors to express certain genes(1). For example, pregnant women tend to eat certain foods while they're pregnant in order to positively affect epigenomes in their children. Epigenetics are important because they are the cause of a verity of things such as mental illness and addiction. In order to positively affect epigenetics, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For example, eating healthy and exercising contributes to expressing certain epigenetics (1).

http://www.acupuncture.cc/genetics-epigenetics/
Epigenomes turn on and off genes like a lightswitch depending on surroundings such as nutrition, parenting and excersise.

Humans edit and change their epigenomes without even realizing it. People influence these everyday without realizing it. Scientists are still trying to understand what actions turn on and off what genes. They can do this by placing identical twins in different environments and studying which genes are turned on and off as time progresses. By studying these twins scientists will record certain phenotypes that are expressed in individuals and compare them to that of their twin. As similar experiments occur over and over, scientists will have a better understanding of which epigenetics affect which genes. This process should work because twins start out with the same genes, so changes observed in individuals are due to epigenetics. 

When scientists figure out what epigenomes affect certain phenotypes, they are experimenting with ways to edit these genes. This process is very dangerous, it is possible that vital genes will be turned on or off affecting other parts of the body. People are afraid to carry out this process because they believe it is ethically wrong to face the dangers of a failed experiment. Others believe that experimenting with this is nessassary for discovering ways to avoid certain desieses. This method could also be used to affect a varity of things if successfully completed which scientists cannot currently guarentee. It could possible slow the process of aging which is not the primary focus at the moment but still possible.

KJ has uncovered an extraordinary amount of information that will guide her through a successful carreer and fantastic life. She later grows up to become the most well known scientist and successfully clones her pet cat wolfie. She hopes you've enjoyed keeping up with her endeavors and continue to support her as she defys normal theorys one experiment at a time.

Works cited

1. Epigenetics - Learn Genetics - University of Utah

A Sweet Investigation

Gel Electrophoresis

Word has spread of KJ's talent and charm and her phone began to blow up with requests. She finally took a break from researching epigenetics and answered one of her calls. The client was in tears at finally hearing the voice of his role model, Kristin Jones. After KJ threatened to hang up the phone, he finally explained his problem.

KJ's client explained that someone had broken into his room while he was gone and ate part of his lollipop. The only way to solve this crime was to get a sample of saliva from the suspects and match it to a sample of saliva on the lollipop. Restriction enzymes in this experiment would be used to break up the DNA into pieces that can be examined. Then, these DNA pieces were placed into agarose gel and were strained so that the smallest pieces separated from the largest. The negative DNA pieces were attracted towards the positive end of the tray. The distance that they moved was measured and placed on a film. The film is a series of lines as shown in the picture above. Honey was guilty because her saliva matched that of the saliva on the lollipop.



http://www.bio-rad.com/webroot/web/images/lsr/solutions//technologies/protein_electrophoresis_blotting_and_imaging/protein_electrophoresis/technology_detail/pet11_img1.jpg

This is an example of the process of matching the DNA on a piece of evidence to the DNA from suspects. Using positive and negative charges to separate pieces of DNA, these lines are created. If the lines of DNA on the evidence match the lines of a suspect, then the crime is solved and the suspect is found guilty.

Double Trouble

Animal Cloning

KJ's next experiment was one that could possibly change our society, if it succeeded. This was an extremely difficult task and required an extremely precise process.

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/creditseminarshafqatdelivered-140721033631-phpapp02/95/animal-cloning-procedure-problems-and-perspectives-13-638.jpg?cb=1405931926

This diagram is an example of animal cloning. The black sheep donates an egg cell for this process. The DNA from the white sheep is implanted into the donor egg cell. Then, the cell is placed in the foster mother and she gives birth to a clone of the white sheep.

 

Clones are organisms that are exact genetic copies, every aspect of their DNA is the same. This can occur through somatic cell nuclear transfer. This is when a nucleus is transferred from a regular cell to a reproductive cell. Through somatic cell nuclear transfer, DNA can be copied exactly from a mother to an offspring. Cloning is NOT sexual reproduction. Somatic cell nuclear transfer creates an offspring with the exact DNA as the mother, while sexual reproduction creates an offspring different from both the mother and father.

 

KJ completed a mouse experiment (simulation) in which she tested the somatic cell nuclear transfer. Mimi desperately wanted a friend exactly like her in every aspect, so KJ helped her out. Megdo, a great fellow, provided the egg cell for this extravaganza. Momi was promised fresh parmesan cheese for giving birth to Mimis clone. The nucleus of Megdo's egg cell was taken away and replaced with the nucleus of one of Mimis cells. A substance was added to act like sperm and mimic the process of fertilization to start the eggs cell division. The embryo was placed into Momi and she eventually gave birth to a brown mouse that was an identical clone of Mimi. All three mice were rewarded with lots of cheese and toys for their help in revealing the next big scientific discovery.

 

Expansion: Although cloning seems unworldly and impossible, there are many cases where scientists have successfully cloned a certain animal. One of these cases includes an adorable kitten named "Copycat". She was cloned through somatic cell nuclear transfer.

 http://www.wowzone.com/clonecat.htm

 

 An interesting fact about this is that although Copycat (small cat on right picture) has the same exact genes of her mother (large cat on right picture), her fur is a different color. This occurs because the pattern of colors on cats is determined by events in the womb instead of by genes (1). This experiment was useful because it explained how clones may have the exact same genes as their parent, but they still look different. Making clones such as this are useful because they help us figure out what phenotypes are determined by genes and which are controlled by external sources.

 

Another researcher used a different aspect of cloning to try to prove a scientific theory. He did not use DNA for cloning but rather tried a very different idea. In his experiment, he took the nucleus of a blastula cell on a frog and insured it a fertilized egg of another frog (2). This was not exactly cloning, but he used this method to test whether nuclei of differentiating cells are or are not differentiated themselves. In this process he created a frog that was a hybrid between the frog that donated the blastula, and its mother.

 

Although cloning seems extremely interesting it provides to be a highly controversial topic. Many times cloning fails and there is a high risk of a loss of life(3). People believe that this is unethical and we should not be creating clones that are likely to die.

Works cited:

1. http://www.wowzone.com/clonecat.htm

2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1063586/?page=9

3. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/962695/cloning/282050/Ethical-controversy

Borrowing DNA

Genetic Engineering





http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ZVTI4tpEL._SY450_.jpg To make these glow in the dark mice, KJ took the glow in the dark gene out of a firefly and inserted into the genes for each mouse. She used a restrictive enzyme to cut out the firefly's genome. The sticky end was matched up with a part of the mouse's DNA. This gave the phenotype glow in the dark to these three mice. 

KJ's first experiment was an attempt to make a glow in the dark mouse. The restrictive enzyme E matched up to cut out of the source organism's genome. This is the correct restrictive enzyme because it leaves at G-G site and cleaves 4 single-stranded bases on each end. A sticky end is a part of DNA that is cut in a certain place to match up another strand of DNA. To cut the bacterial plasmid I used enzyme E because it cleaves at GG, and leaves a 4 single stranded base on each end. After this was finished, the plasmid carried the glow in the dark gene. The experiment worked! However, the mouse faced extreme trauma, deathly cancer, arthritis, and other internal issues. My mouse portrayed a luminous glow as it withered away to a dramatic fatal death.