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September 12, 2014

9/12/2014

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After a way-too-long break, the weekend reading list is back!

Here is a fantastic and highly speculative paper about altering ecosystems using molecular biology:
http://elifesciences.org/content/3/e03401.abstract?ijkey=83b407bcd04b3c8d76418c766a94a44c6a012840&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
Of course CRISPR/Cas9 is the way to go. Now the limit is your imagination?

Let me get this straight: wild monkeys learn behaviors from video:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v513/n7517/full/513146a.html
And we still argue if violent video games have an effect on Homo sapiens kids’ behavior?
Some humans clearly did not evolve from monkeys. More like “devolved”.

So it looks like caffeine-making genes evolved at least twice:
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/345/6201/1124.full
Just for the pleasure of us humans.

And last but not least, the last month has been good to our colleagues at Temple:

Khalili lab showed that CRISPR/Cas9 can be used to excise HIV and even to provide prophylactic effect:
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/31/11461.full
If you are going to engage in any behaviors (not learned from video games) that may put you at risk for HIV, you better get some anti-HIV gRNA into your blood progenitors. 

Habas lab described a new essential Wnt signaling component:
http://www.pnas.org/content/111/36/13099.full
Until told otherwise, I will assume they named their new gene Custos in appreciation of Temple custodial staff :-D

Enjoy.

Darius

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    Weekly sciencey bits

    Disclaimer: This started as a "weekend reading list" meant to encourage students in the lab to think about science and their own future in it. Do not take it seriously: I myself may no longer agree with whatever I wrote here last week.
    - Darius

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