As I type I am surveying my room, thinking about what I will need to pack for our AP Bio field trip tomorrow to the marshes of Palo Alto. Our first field trip as a team, and a field trip I am really excited about. I think that in-class learning is important to teach material and information, but hands-on experiences like field trips add a whole new level of understanding and connection to a subject. I have been with Save the Bay before, and am excited to see what the experience is like as a class.
Me and my teammate at Save the Bay last year.
I want to learn more about the type of research that Save the Bay does, since I know we will be taking soil samples. I’m excited to see what we do, especially since I know we are helping to restore the bay, which is important for maintaining biodiversity and supporting the water sources in the rest of California.
While learning about viruses, I decided to focus my research on ebola. Take a look at the infographic I made:
Works Cited
“Ebola (Ebola Virus Disease).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5 Nov. 2019, http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/index.html.
On Wednesday we as a class had the opportunity to learn from National Geographic Explorer Anusha Shankar by joining her livestream. During the stream, she explained a little bit about the work she had accomplished and what she was currently working on. Anusha explained how she had studied hummingbirds to learn more about animal energy conservation. Because of their size, hummingbirds are not able to store much energy. All the sugar they take in from nectar and sugar water is spent almost immediately. During the day, hummingbirds are constantly feeding, and therefore have no problems with their energy levels. However, if a hummingbird goes two or three hours without eating, it will die. How, then, is it possible for these birds to survive the nights? To investigate this phenomenon, Anusha moved to Ecuador to study the hummingbirds in the Andean mountains. After months of research, she and her team found that hummingbirds enter a state called torpor at night, which is deeper than sleep. Their temperatures drop to the temperature of their surroundings and their heartbeats slow significantly. Essentially, hummingbirds can switch from being warm to cold blooded.
BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD in flight Cynanthus latirostris Female feeding on garden flowers Arizona, USA
After her work with hummingbirds, Anusha moved to Alaska to study grass rats. As it turns out, grass rats have much in common with humans, and Anusha wanted to study the effects of less light on human mental health. Seasonal affective disorder, or seasonal depression, is common in many people in the shorter days of the winter months. Less exposure to sunlight can make many people severely depressed, and is a widespread occurrence. There are currently not many treatments, although there is an experimental one called the Lightbox. The concept is to turn on a bright source of light that provides the same nutrients and energy that the sun usually would. In addition, there is research being done surrounding serotonin treatments, which would bolster the brains production of the chemical.
Nile rats {Arvicanthus niloticus} captive, from East and Central Africa and Arabia
I was very interested by what Anusha had to say about seasonal affective disorder, because I had never thought seasonal depression was such a serious and widespread phenomenon. I had noticed it within myself, feeling more stressed and sad during shorter days and happier during the long days, but I had never thought it could be linked to science. Hearing that people like Anusha are studying how day length affects rats makes me want to learn more about how different abiotic factors can influence our behavior and feelings.
For the past couple weeks, we have been discussing genetic engineering and biotechnology in AP Bio. We discovered how plasmids can be engineered to have specific DNA sequences, and how those plasmids can then be injected into bacteria. In class, we injected E. coli bacteria with pQuince plasmids, which glowed under UV light when plated on agar containing ampicillin, arabinose, and nutrients.
Our glowing E. coli!
We also looked at a couple of other ways in which biotechnology is being used in the real world. I researched how scientists are finding ways to use genetic engineering to find solutions to our environmental pollution problem. Scientists have found that certain bacteria have great metabolic capabilities, being able to digest toxic wastes and extract heavy metals from their environments. However, these bacteria are not the best suited for harsh environments. Scientists have been able to transfer this metabolic gene into bacteria that are able to survive in highly toxic environments, allowing them to help clean up mining facilities and help with wastewater treatment. Bioremediation, as this technology is called, is being used to clean up rivers and sewage, and can help purify soil. However, while researching this, I also thought about the bioethical questions that this kind of technology raises. While these microbes may seem like a great way to clean the environment, there is no telling how unleashing thousands of microorganisms could impact ecosystems and the balance of nature. While this is amazing technology, more research has to be done to determine the long-term effects of bioremediation.
Another case of genetic engineering and technology we discussed was the use of CRISPR-Cas9, a DNA sequence that can be found in bacteria and is used to directly edit genomes of other organisms. CRISPR can be programmed to search for specific DNA sequences and can cut those sequences out of a genome using microscopic “scissors,” or a protein that cuts DNA. CRISPR can help to change genetic mutations that lead to diseases such as Huntington’s and sickle-cell disease, and could be used to improve the lives of thousands of people who suffer from serious conditions. However, there is a growing fear that such technology could give rise to genetic modification being used for aesthetic or cosmetic purposes. Many envision a GATTACA-like future, where children are designed and perfected from the embryo stage, and those who aren’t perfect are looked down on.
While such complicated edits are currently unrealistic, this is a question that must be considered with the rapid advancement of biotechnology and genetic engineering. Where is the line between bettering someone’s life and creating a “designer baby?” Who gets access to this type of treatment? At the moment, these treatments are still waiting to undergo clinical testing, but once they have been declared safe for disease treatment, these questions must be more carefully considered in order to benefit as many people as possible.
There are other applications of genetic engineering that have yet to be discovered. During spring break two years ago, my family and I took a road trip from Oregon to Canada to explore the beautiful sights and dazzling nature. Road trips call for many things, including but not limited to a constant switch of radio stations, bathroom breaks on the side of the road, tourist trap restaurants, and most importantly, podcasts. More specifically, Radiolab, a podcast run by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich. As we crossed the border into the land of hockey, moose, and maple syrup, we were listening intently to an episode about color, and how we perceive color. We know that humans see the ROYGBIV rainbow, dogs see less colors, and there are organisms that can see far more. The two producers brought in multiple researchers and scientists who spoke about the mantis shrimp, a tiny organism that lives deep in the sea that has 16 cones in their eyes that they use to perceive color. To put that into perspective, dogs have 2 cones, we have 3, and butterflies have 5. To illustrate the reception of color in different organisms, Abumrad and Krulwich turned to a New York choir to sing the colors of the rainbow.
At the time I was in Mrs. Girard’s biology class, and we must have just gone over genetics and gene editing. As we listened to the podcast, I wondered how it was that certain organisms could just see things we couldn’t imagine, all because of different photoreceptor cells that could perceive things we couldn’t. A small part of me began to wonder if it would ever be possible to edit human genomes to produce the cells mantis shrimps had that allowed them to see past the rainbow. I still have no idea if or how this would work, or even why someone would try to achieve this, but it has stuck with me ever since I heard that podcast. You can listen to it here, if only to listen to the choir singing about the mantis shrimp in the context of the episode.
How are we ever going to clean up our polluted planet? My teammates Tatiana, Kaitlin, and I decided to find out more about how genetic biotechnology can be used to help with environmental cleanup. Scientists can genetically engineer or alter microorganisms or microbes to be able to extract toxins or chemicals from water or soil. Check out our slideshow below:
What does it take to achieve your dream? Diana Nyad’s was to swim from Cuba to Florida, and after four failed attempts, she finally achieved that dream at 64. She faced extreme conditions and nearly fatal dangers. In her TED Talk, she talked about how there were times where she almost lost hope. And yet, throughout the entire journey, she never gave up. She quotes Teddy Roosevelt, saying, “You go ahead. You go ahead and sit back in your comfortable chair and you be the critic, you be the observer, while the brave one gets in the ring and engages and gets bloody and gets dirty and fails over and over and over again, but yet isn’t afraid and isn’t timid and lives life in a bold way.” She talks about obstacles, how everybody has them and everybody gets knocked down, but those who are able to get back up are the ones who achieve their dreams. She faced exhaustion and hypothermia and straining physical and mental conditions, but she kept going.
I don’t want to swim across the ocean from one country to another. A dream of mine, however, is to help slow and stop climate change and to be a part of animal conservation efforts. To me, the planet is the most important issue facing humanity today. If we as a human race don’t stop the crisis of human impact on the environment, all other causes will be meaningless. It seems impossible at times. It feels like the news is dead set on killing my hopes for the future of our planet. It just seems like there is too much to do and far too little time to do it. From rising sea levels to mass animal extinctions to increasing global temperature, it feels overwhelming. Diana’s talk was incredibly inspiring. At 64, nobody believed she could achieve her dream. Everybody told her it would be impossible, but she persevered and believed in herself, and at some point during her swim she could look up and see the shore. I don’t want to give up on the planet. I want to be like Diana, who kept pushing even though all the odds were against, her, and I want to keep going until eventually I can see the shore.
The end of sophomore year brought with it many choices about what classes we would be taking junior year, and, in some cases, how much pain we were prepared to put ourselves through. I chose to take AP Biology having been warned of the extensive amount of work and dedication that the class would require, sure that I could handle anything thrown my way. I knew that this class was at the top of my priority list and I told myself I was prepared to do whatever it took to succeed. Unfortunately for me, I also chose two other AP classes in addition to an honors class. That, combined with sports and work, led to a major case of burnout halfway through the first semester of junior year. I thought I was ready to face any amount of work, sure that my natural work ethic and study-hard-attitude would get me through the year, but I had no idea what I should have been expecting until the year began. I still loved biology and wanted to learn the content, but it was like everything that had been motivating me up until that point had suddenly drained away.
I was truly interested in the content we were learning about. Our research project about the Vortex Swim and learning about the effect of plastic and BPA on the human body made a huge impact on my life, and while I already used very few plastic products, I felt more pushed to cut even those out and find sustainable alternatives. Our water unit, especially the documentaries FLOW and A Plastic Ocean opened my eyes to how much water I inadvertently use every day and are the reason why I try to cut as much meat out of my diet as possible and try to be a (mostly) vegetarian. I see connections to biology everywhere. My family invited friends over for a Christmas cookie decorating day, and while they were there we came upon the topic of migraines. One of the women there has been suffering from migraines for a long time and was recently prescribed a new medication called Aimovig. I decided to find out more because I thought that it sounded like something we would learn about in class, and upon further research, I found that the drug actually uses cell signaling just like what we learned in class. It was a small moment, but it was exciting to see what we learned being applicable outside of school.
I don’t think the first semester went as well as I would have liked it to. I was not prepared for the workload and often left things to the last minute. This year, I want to spend more time working on homework when it is assigned and stay more on track. I want to work hard without burning myself out and develop better study skills than just quickly looking over my notes right before a test. Even though the first semester didn’t go exactly how I wanted or expected, I have high hopes for the new semester and new year.
If you could choose to read your future, how much would you want to know? Once questions of the future, these are now things we must ask ourselves. In the new age of gene sequencing, researchers can comb through a person’s genetic material to identify genetic mutations or incorrect nucleotides. This new ability presents both a vast expanse of new possibilities for healthcare and disease treatment, but also introduces a question of ethics and classism.
(NOVA PBS Official).
The film Cracking the Genetic Code produced by NOVA PBS takes a closer look at the new insight offered by easily accessible gene sequencing. Certain companies, such as 23&Me, use a technique called genotyping to explain certain traits and determine any possibilities of genetic predispositions to medical conditions or illnesses. While having access to this kind of information can be helpful in helping a person to change certain parts of their lifestyle, such as diet or exercise, the knowledge of even the possibility of having an untreatable condition can ruin a person’s life. One woman chose to have her genome sequenced to see if she would one day have Huntington’s disease, which her grandfather had. Upon receiving the news that one day she would contract the disease, many family members stopped talking to her and cut ties with her completely. In addition, these results are not always correct. There are discrepancies in results from different genotyping companies, since different companies look at different parts of DNA and make predictions based highly on probability. Often times, these predictions are not accurate and many say that any form of medical diagnosis should come only from a medical professional.
(Huntington’s Disease).
One thing that has started happening is the testing of embryos for mutations. Embryos are grown in a lab and checked for any genetic mishaps that may lead to problems. Only mutation free embryos are implanted in mothers. While this practice does lead to healthier children and less challenges for families that would otherwise have to face years of health problems, this also leads to a greater discussion about the possibility of an emergence of “designer babies.” Many think that if science continues down the path it’s on, people can begin to pick and choose desirable traits in their babies, such as intelligence, height, physical ability, eye color, or hair color. While science is currently not at the level to easily reprogram a person’s genome to fit those traits, many worry that advancement of genome sequencing can lead to discrimination based on genetic information and affect the kind of people that can rise to power, bringing on a new form of social class based on genetics.
What most surprised me about everything presented in this film was how easy it was for a gene to become mutated. In the entire sequence of millions of Gs, As, Cs, and Ts, all it took was for one letter to be out of place. A boy with a single wrong letter had a condition that ate holes in his intestines. Only three missing letters lead to cystic fibrosis. This movie truly put into perspective the fragility and complexity of our genetic makeup and how much of an impact a single mistake can have on a person’s life.
I think that while advancement of genome sequencing is a great accomplishment and is interesting to learn about, I also think that advancing the technology could be problematic. With life expectancy for humans becoming longer and longer, worldwide populations have soared. With this kind of new technology, it can be expected that population will only increase. Especially with the current environmental state, I think it is important to take a step back and evaluate whether improving this technology is a good idea. While I think that alleviating family suffering by searching for cures for genetic diseases is incredibly important work, I can’t help but wonder about the implications that such cures have for our world.
Meiosis is the splitting of a cell into four non identical cells. Meiosis is a cell’s sexual reproduction process and happens in phases, just like mitosis. However, unlike mitosis, meiosis splits cells twice, resulting in four haploid daughter cells.
To create our video, my partner and I made a stop motion with paper cutouts of the images we wanted to show. The process was long and difficult, but in the end we were both happy with our product. We used the stop motion app on the school iPads, which was helpful as it put the pictures together into a video for us and had a feature that allowed us to see the previous photo layered over the top of our current image so that we could easily see how much we were moving our cutouts. To edit our video we used a program called WeVideo, which is a collaborative video editing platform that allows multiple people to edit a video. While this was a good way for both partners to see the video, ultimately the program was difficult to use and made our process of creation much more challenging.
Annica Kim's Digital Portfolio 