Say Goodbye to the Printed Textbook....

I remember distinctly lugging a backpack of textbooks across the frozen tundra of Michigan State University in January. On many occasions, the weight of the backpack was enough to send me skidding out of control on the ice. I hated dragging those books around, but my professors all told me that I had to have a copy of the textbook in class every day (still not really sure why on that one!).

Electronic textbooks have been around for a while, and while the technology has improved immensely from the days of simple pdf files to the newer, more interactive, formats, all have required a computer to access, making the portability of these texts still a little of a hassle. The release of the new e-Readers, such as Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader, have created a new interest in downloadable eBooks. For half the price of a printed book, and the ability to download the material without being connected to a computer, these devices have already proven their worth to an increasing audience of book fans.

The major drawback of these devices has been that they are black and white. This simple fact has inhibited the use of the e-Readers for science textbooks, which rely heavily on the use of color graphics. However, E-Ink, the company that makes the electronic paper that powers the e-Readers, has recently announced that it is preparing to launch a color-version of its e-paper. If so, then the door is finally open for the offering of college science textbooks on the e-Readers.

Despite the fact that professors say that a textbook is invaluable, most educators know that students do not read the book and prefer to get their information from electronic sources. Given the size of some textbooks (400+ pages is the norm for an intro biology text), and its lack of interactivity, there can be little doubt as to why student's overall despise textbooks. This generation of students is looking for alternatives, and E-Ink's improvement of the e-paper may be exactly what spells the final demise of the textbook.

The professors will grumble (they always do), but the reality is that once publishers start offering e-Reader versions of their textbooks, we will finally see the beginning of the end of the printed textbook. As a professor and lifelong student, I for one will be glad to see it happen.

New Evidence for the RNA World

Every instructor of an introductory biology class is faced with a dilema to present to their class. While we know that DNA is the genetic material of all living organisms (except some viruses - but most do not consider them as "living"), it appears to have been absent from the early Earth. So what was the original genetic material? And, more importantly, do we have any evidence to support this hypothesis?

Before we look at the alternatives, was wasn't DNA the original genetic material on the planet? One main reason, of course, is its complexity, and the fact that DNA requires a host of proteins and enzymes to assemble and copy itself. These enzymes are encoded within the DNA, so that leaves us with a "chicken and egg" scenario. The DNA molecule itself lacks any catalytic abilities - meaning that it does not conduct any chemical reactions. It is like the hard-drive of your computer - pretty much useless without a host of assistants to get the information in and out.

For some time scientists have recognized that a second form of nucleic acid, RNA, is the solution to these problems. RNA is a much simpler molecule. It is usually short and only consists of a single-strand of nucleotides. More importantly, RNA molecules can themselves act an enzymes. This type of RNA is called a ribozyme, and its activity appears to solve many of hurdles faced by the early genetic material. The fact that RNA may have been the earliest form of genetic material is called the RNA world hypothesis.

There has been only been one real problem with the RNA world hypothesis. How did the individual components, called nucleotides, of the RNA molecule self-assemble. Many explanations have been proposed, but finally, due to the activities of a group of researchers at the University of Manchester, we are one step closer to understanding. Dr John Sutherland, a chemist has demonstrated a series of chemcial reactions that can occur naturally to form the nucleotides of RNA. This could be a very important advance in the life sciences - previously we have known how to form the nucleotides synthetically (i.e, in a lab), but not under natural conditions.

Now here is where we can link astrobiology (also called exobiology) and genetics together. We are currently exploring Mars for life, and will soon we taking a good look at both Europa and Titan (moons of Jupiter and Saturn, respectively). While it is useful to look for life as we know it - what would be more interesting would be to tart to look for proto-life, molecules that are self-assembling and replicating. Using Sutherland's data, we should be taking a good look at these locations of evidence of RNA-building blocks. By doing so we can understand more about how life first evolved on our planet.



For more on Sutherland's discoveries - see the NY Times article by Nicolas Wade - "Chemist Shows How RNA Can Be The Starting Point for Life"

The Swine Flu "Pandemic"

Welcome to the new world of medical sensationalism. The recent "outbreak" of the H1N1 virus, aka "swine flu" has provided some of the major news networks with the ultimate story. Scare the public and increase ratings, it worked with terrorism, and now it appears to be working with the swine flu pandemic. From pictures of Dr. Gupta, CNN's medical authority, wearing a worried look and a face mask, to Vice-President Biden's gaff about why all Americans should cease flying immediately, the American people are being fed misinformation on H1N1 at an alarming rate. And they are scared. Airline stocks are plummeting, people are avoiding pork, and sales of surgical masks are increasing exponentially. In Vermont, the National Gaurd is escorting deliveries of anti-viral medicines to hospitals. And, of course, the religious crazies are out predicting the "end of days".

Every day we are reminded of the swine flu death toll. For example, on today's CNN page (May 3, 2009), there is a headline article stating that "Confirmed Cases of H1N1 Virus Approach 900". It is important to realize that 900 deaths, while seemingly significant, really is not. Cancer kills over 440,000 Americans per year, or about 1200 a day. Over 9000 Americans, 24 each day, die from contaminants in the food that we eat. In fact, 900 deaths worldwide represents about 0.00013% of the world's population. This is a nasty little virus, with some interesting genetics (see tomorrow's post!), but it is not yet a global killer. And due to some rather quick work by scientists, we already know more about this virus than most.

So why the panic? Mostly because people do not understand the jargon of the people who study infectious diseases. Yes, there is a pandemic... but it is important to recognize what the word pandemic really means. An epidemic is an outbreak of a disease in a localized population, while a pandemic simply means that the epidemic has moved into neighboring populations. In today's world, most epidemics, and all flu outbreaks, go pandemic quickly. A pandemic is not Armageddon, it is simply a widespread outbreak of a disease.

Some people will say that the news networks are just keeping people informed. But the reality is that this bout of swine flu is going to fade rather quickly as summer progresses, and with this fading will be the attention of the American people. But, unfortunately, the virus will be back, and it could return with a vengeance. But due to the actions of the news networks, we are now in the "boy who cried wolf" syndrome. When this virus, or one of its close relatives returns, most people will ignore the advice to get a vaccine, thinking that this is just another "news story", and not a real threat. After all, they have already survived the "threats" from avian and swine flu, how bad can it get? The answer is, very bad indeed. Viruses are patient little objects, and a few seasons of low activity often preclude a true outbreak in a population. H1N1 may not be bad this year, but if it mutates over the summer, we could have problems next year if we don't prepare now by planning ahead and funding the agencies that work to protect us from infectious outbreaks.

For more, quality, information, stop watching the infomercials known as the nightly news, and check out real sources such as the CDC. Take prudent precautions, the same as you would take during any high-disease season. Wash your hands frequently, especially when you have been in public spaces, and see your doctor if you develop flu-like symptoms. But lets stop the panic and sensationalism, and instead use our brains to think.

Suing Your Parents' Genes

It is said that people go into psychology to understand themselves...well, one of my main reasons why I went into genetics was to prove that I was not related to my family. That, of course, didn't happen - the Adams family is a more functional collection of misfits than my assortment of relatives, but now I may have a second option. Maybe I can sue my parents for the genetic material that they gave me.

Does it sound like I just took a break from reality? Maybe...but in today's world anything may be possible. A recent case in New York State may have set the stage for me to actually proceed with my lawsuit.

In this case, a law team representing a young girl has successfully convinced a judge to hear a case against Idant Laboratories - a sperm bank. The team alleges that the sperm bank provided the girl with cells from a donor that contained an allele for fragile-x syndrome, a genetic cause of mental retardation.

This case basically establishes that gametes, and the genetic information that they contain, may be considered to be a commodity, and are suing the labs on the basis of a "breach of the express warranty of merchantability". While the details of this case are very interesting, namely how several different labs differed in their results in screening for fragile-X syndrome, and how the lab is alleged for not discovering that the donor displayed symptoms of fragile-X. But even more intriguing is the fact that sperm is now a commodity. That is right, sperm may be now covered by a warranty, just like a TV or iPod.

Which leads me back to my parents. You may think that may approach to using the parents is just a get-rich scheme, but actually it may be the perfect solution for the high-cost of medical treatment. Luckily for me, as least so far, my parents did not give me anything by a colorful childhood and a decent dose of lunacy. I have suffered from anxiety-related issues my entire life, and given the pattern of inheritance in the male members of my family, I am sure that I can trace this trait directly back down my paternal line. But lets just say that I had inherited some sort of more-damaging, and costly genetic defect - maybe even fragile-X syndrome. Then, based on what this case may be proposing - I could sue my parents, and more important their insurance companies, for providing a defective product. In theory, if I could get DNA samples, I could go back multiple generations (we have plenty of loonies in our closet), and possible recoup the cost of my medical treatments. My children could then sue me, etc., etc.

In other words, while I do support the efforts of the family of this young lady to provide for their daughter and prevent future people from suffering from neglect - the courts need to be very careful with what precedent that they set on this one. One wrong turn and the insurance agencies will insist that everyone undergo genetic screening - and that their insurance rates be based on the results of that screening. I am fairly sure, especially if you have a family like mine, that you don't want people peeing into that closet!

Advances in Cancer.... Linking the Pieces

As part of the Darwin Bicentennial Lecture Series at Appalachian State University, Dr. Paul Ewald, author of Plague Time: The New Germ Theory of Disease, recently gave a presentation on the genetic basis of cancer. During the lecture, Dr Ewald spent a considerable amount of time discussing the role of infectious agents, specifically viruses, as the causative agents of cancer. Specifically, Dr Ewald talked about the human papillomavirus (HPV), and how screening of seemingly unrelated cancers, such as breast cancer and cancers of the head and neck, are linking this virus as a potentially more important agent in cancer formation than previously thought.

If infectious agents are responsible for priming cells to enter into a tumor-forming stage, as Dr Ewald's work strongly suggests, then the use of vaccines against these agents could be a major advance in the evolution of preventative strategies against cancer. HPV vaccines are already recommended for young women to prevent against cervical cancer later in life. Now it appears that these vaccines may have potential benefits in other areas as well.

Interestingly, a recent article in Science Daily (Genetic Markers for Aggressive Head and Neck Cancers) presents data from a study at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine that a specific type of genetic markers, called microRNAs, may be used to identify individuals who are highly susceptible to forms of head and neck cancer. The researchers in this study propose that genetic screening may be useful in the development of new treatments for these cancers.

Is is possible that the microRNA markers identified by the team at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine are actually indicating susceptibility to the HPV virus? We know that everyone who carries HPV does not necessarily develop cancer, but the reason why is not yet clear. It could be that a genetic susceptibility is the key. Certain genetic combinations could promote HPV influence, and result in the formation of the cancer phenotype. If this is the case, then trials of using the HPV vaccine on individuals who have these specific microRNA markers are definitely in order. This could provide some very useful insights on new treatments of specific types of cancers, specifically those that have been identified to be associated with an infectious agent.