Browsing the latest editions of Science and Nature. What is of interest to me? But also, why? Herein I summarize some of what I read, with an interest in why this person is interested. I present 3 selections:
- Training innate immune cells (Science)
- Water in extrasolar atmospheres (Nature)
- Enhanced photosynthesis in crops (Nature)
1. Training innate immune cells
One part of the immune system is generally thought of as dumb. The innate immune system is (normally) characterized as those cells that employ generic techniques for identifying foreign or dangerous materials, responding in a containment manner whilst calling upon the “smarter” adaptive immune system (viz. the system responsible for immunization working). A set of publications have come out of an EU consortium’s work into blood cells’ epigenetics (i.e changes around the DNA molecules, and not to the DNA sequences themselves). What caught my eye were the demonstrations that innate immune cells learn (via epigenetic changes) in response to disease exposure.
Interesting? Two (point five) avenues of interest: (1) The consortium project (called BLUEPRINT) is expanding the impact of epigenetics. It seems as if epigenetics is life’s technique for modifying the product (organism) once it’s out of the packet (bred and born). Might the majority of tissue and cell types have their use for epigenetics, and if so that could change our conception of (say) organs from static functions to dynamic ones. (2) This finding is one of those that is more interesting to those with preconceptions (e.g. those that have learned immunology) than others. It is a case of something that was known with a surety that included names and definitions (e.g. “innate immune system”) being undermined by a blurring of boundaries. What other boundaries are there waiting to be undermined? (E.g. between the nervous and digestive systems, between the kidney and the emotions). (2.5) I should mention the futurism mentioned in the editorial. It might be possible to use drugs to epigenetically modify the innate system, against cancer or diabetes, (or perhaps, I imagine, as a targeted boost versus the flu).
2. Water in extrasolar atmospheres
Planets outside the solar system are already an old story, but the ability to determine their composition is a challenge unto itself. Here water vapour was confirmed in the atmosphere of a Neptune size exoplanet by the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes. The story is part luck – finding a suitable planet for study and then checking that it doesn’t have clouds that hide them – and part exceptional proof of technology and theory. As the editorial* puts it: “Searching for water-vapour absorption in the atmosphere of an exoplanet passing in front if its host star is akin to looking for a tiny insect passing in front of a bright coastal lighthouse lamp.”
Interesting? I’m using this instance of progress in the exoplanet field to substantiate my view that life on Earth may not be as unique or unprecedented as traditional belief instructs us.
3. Enhanced photosynthesis in crops
Food production needs to double by 2050 (says the UN). There is a group of bacteria that are at least 3x as efficient at absorbing carbon (which is the basis for all plant growth). This is an entire process, so it would not be enough to just copy a gene from the bacteria and into crops. A group at Cornell University have been making headway against this challenge, and recently published a method for transferring some of the main proteins – incl. the ones that catalyze the conversion of CO2 – and leading them into the correct conformation and structures.
Interesting? My angle here is one of futurism, viz. given this, now, what might the future look like. The ability to create transgenic crop organisms beyond the limited scope of (e.g. Monstanto) herb-resistance is suggestive of an incredible range of possibilities. By implication, this scope (i.e. a cross between genetic modification and synthetic biology) includes, e.g. crops that produce extra specific nutrients, energy materials like hydrogen or oil, medical drugs, etc.
Meta-notes and such
This is something of an exploratory mission. (This whole blog is). I’ve recently been posting about my readings in philosophy, but want to also incorporate my interest in science. Hence this, a filtered news feature. It’s still just an experiment, and a draft, and a journey.
