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Genetic Engineering by Nissa Genetic Engineering y Nissa Since the NEXUS #2 article on genetic engineering the rate | Working with the fruit sacs which pro- . . A duce juice cells, he’s developing a tech- of new discoveries and uses of genetics has accelerated. piqoe: for amking them sopeoduer away from the fruit or the tree. We could have __ November the BritishGovernment, duced DNA will end up on a chromo- | the potential to make food more nutri- announced that genetic manipulating and | some. It could sit next to a gene respon- | tious by controlling what goes into it. cloning of human embryos is a criminal | sible for cancer and lead to cancer being Ateam led by Dr. Ignacio Madrazo of offence. They are also setting up anew | developed generation after generation. the La Raza Medical Centre in Mexico authority to monitor and regulate test- The National Health and Medical | City announced in January that they had tube clinics and centres carrying outarti- | Research Council (NHMRC) in Can- | transplanted brain tissue from a sponta- fical insemination. berra has set out what are believed to be | neously aborted foetus into the brain of a Scientists at Leicester University in | the world’s first national standards on | man with Parkinsons Disease. The team England have developed a ‘genetic fin- | genetherapy. The door hasbeen leftopen | also grafted pieces of the same fcetus’ gerprinting’ technique of identification | for Australian scientists to develop gene | adrenal glands into the brain of a woman by extracting genetic material (DNA) | therapies involving only somatic (non- | suffering from the disease. from samples of either blood, semen, | reproductive) cells. Manipulating so- A world first, the moral and ethical skin or a single hair root. A British court | matic cells could provide new treatments | questions of the use of foetal tissue will became the first in the world to convicta | for some diseases and only the individual | doubtless cause an uproar among many man of rape on evidence gathered by | with the disease would be affected. | people. Pioneered in Sweden, research- genetic fingerprinting with this method. | Manipulating reproductive cells how- | ers claim the foetal tissue transplants Because the technique has only al in25 | ever, could affect the descendants of the | could have significant implications for a million chance of being wrong, police | treated individual in unknown ways. number of neurological diseases such as around the world are beginning to use Alzheimers and Huntington’s chorea. them. DNA identification files will soon . A deficiency of the chemical trans- grow alongside the massive records kept mitter dopamine is believed to be respon- in police files around the world. The sible for Parkinsons disease. Tissue from technique will also be used in paternity patients’ own adrenal glands has heen cases, as a child’s DNA is made up of implanted in the brain to stimulate identifiable patterns from each parent dopamine production. Some patients and can be campared with that of the experienced dramatic lessening of symp- father. toms. But scientists have suspected foetal Repairing Genes tissue would be more effective in implant ws A eatment ‘a it grows faster,. is Within three years doctors will probably + oe ae pevin eens som aa diserd more adaptable and causes less‘ immu- i acti e : ~ oe OEE Fatt ee TT nological rejection. London researchers in foetuses. Diseases such as i i ‘efi pO hemophilia, thalassemia and cystic fi- - Se a brosis are some of the inherited disorders . ‘At Melbourne University’s Research that could be iprevenled By taking at Centre for Cancer and Transplantation, small tissue sample from the placenta doctors can identify certain blood disor- Engineered Food ete coe matte ek ders. Genes can be replaced by injecting | Now wecan have genetically engineered Fincdoni ried | healthy stem cells , responsible for most | bread, fruit, orange juice and coffee that Senne a cae aoe blood-cell production, through the abdo- | won't keep you awake. A single gene is Viking Defrosted men into the foetus to make it manufac- | responsible for bread going stale and | In Kiev a femaie scientist has volun- ture normal cells for the rest of the | coffee keeping you awake - in the future, | teered to be artificially inseminated with person’s life. genetic engineering will be able to iden- | the sperm of a 1,000 year old Viking But in November 1987, the Medical | tify the gene responsible for caffeine | warrior, wounded in battle and frozen to Research Ethics Committee decided not | production. death in northern Siberia around 900 enough was know about the risks to fu- Plant geneticist Mr Brent Tisserat of | A.D. Any resultant child will be raised ture generations to allow developmentof | the US Department of Agriculture is | normally, but is expected to give scien- Gene Therapy. Scientists and doctors | working on the possibility of growing | tists a first-hand study of certain abnor- have no way of knowing where the intro- | fruit juice in culture dishes and testtubes. | malities of gene structure common NEXUS New Times Four - Autumn 1988 Se SS Since the NEXUS #2 article on genetic engineering the rate | Working with the fruit sacs which pro- . : . duce juice cells, he’s developing a tech- of new discoveries and uses of genetics has accelerated. piqoe: for amking them sopeoduer away from the fruit or the tree. We could have __ November the BritishGovernment, duced DNA will end up on a chromo- | the potential to make food more nutri- announced that genetic manipulating and | some. It could sit next to a gene respon- | tious by controlling what goes into it. cloning of human embryos is a criminal | sible for cancer and lead to cancer being Ateam led by Dr. Ignacio Madrazo of offence. They are also setting up anew | developed generation after generation. the La Raza Medical Centre in Mexico authority to monitor and regulate test- The National Health and Medical | City announced in January that they had tube clinics and centres carrying outarti- | Research Council (NHMRC) in Can- | transplanted brain tissue from a sponta- fical insemination. berra has set out what are believed to be | neously aborted foetus into the brain of a Scientists at Leicester University in | the world’s first national standards on | man with Parkinsons Disease. The team England have developed a ‘genetic fin- | genetherapy. The door hasbeen leftopen | also grafted pieces of the same fcetus’ gerprinting’ technique of identification | for Australian scientists to develop gene | adrenal glands into the brain of a woman by extracting genetic material (DNA) | therapies involving only somatic (non- | suffering from the disease. from samples of either blood, semen, | reproductive) cells. Manipulating so- A world first, the moral and ethical skin or a single hair root. A British court | matic cells could provide new treatments | questions of the use of foetal tissue will became the first in the world to convicta | for some diseases and only the individual | doubtless cause an uproar among many man of rape on evidence gathered by | with the disease would be affected. | people. Pioneered in Sweden, research- genetic fingerprinting with this method. | Manipulating reproductive cells how- | ers claim the foetal tissue transplants Because the technique has only al in25 | ever, could affect the descendants of the | could have significant implications for a million chance of being wrong, police | treated individual in unknown ways. number of neurological diseases such as around the world are beginning to use Alzheimers and Huntington’s chorea. them. DNA identification files will soon . A deficiency of the chemical trans- grow alongside the massive records kept mitter dopamine is believed to be respon- in police files around the world. The sible for Parkinsons disease. Tissue from technique will also be used in paternity patients’ own adrenal glands has heen cases, as a child’s DNA is made up of implanted in the brain to stimulate identifiable patterns from each parent dopamine production. Some patients and can be campared with that of the experienced dramatic lessening of symp- father. toms. But scientists have suspected foetal Repairing Genes tissue would be more effective in implant ws A eatment ‘a it grows faster,. is Within three years doctors will probably + oe ae pevin eens som aa diserd more adaptable and causes less‘ immu- L ecting c . . . OEE Fatt ee TT nological rejection. London researchers in foetuses. Diseases such as j i ish proi- hemophilia, thalassemia and cystic fi- - ili Fea Sopa TUS Sh, brosis are some of the inherited disorders At Melbourne University’s Research rat could bdeeern ett Ea hats Centre for Cancer and Transplantation, small tissue sample from the placenta doctors can identify certain blood disor- Engin eered Food ete coe matte ek ders. Genes can be replaced by injecting | Now wecan have genetically engineered Fincdoni ried | healthy stem cells , responsible for most | bread, fruit, orange juice and coffee that Senne a cae aoe blood-cell production, through the abdo- | won't keep you awake. A single gene is Viking Defrosted men into the foetus to make it manufac- | responsible for bread going stale and | In Kiev a femaie scientist has volun- ture normal cells for the rest of the | coffee keeping you awake - in the future, | teered to be artificially inseminated with person’s life. genetic engineering will be able to iden- | the sperm of a 1,000 year old Viking But in November 1987, the Medical | tify the gene responsible for caffeine | warrior, wounded in battle and frozen to Research Ethics Committee decided not | production. death in northern Siberia around 900 enough was know about the risks to fu- Plant geneticist Mr Brent Tisserat of | A.D. Any resultant child will be raised ture generations to allow developmentof | the US Department of Agriculture is | normally, but is expected to give scien- Gene Therapy. Scientists and doctors | working on the possibility of growing | tists a first-hand study of certain abnor- have no way of knowing where the intro- | fruit juice in culture dishes and testtubes. | malities of gene structure common Since the NEXUS #2 article on genetic engineering the rate of new discoveries and uses of genetics has accelerated.