810: Our DNA.....

"... although the molecular theory of the code cannot now - and will doubtless never be able to - predict and resolve 

  

the whole of the biosphere, it does today constitute a general theory of living systems. 

  

No such thing existed in scientific knowledge prior to molecular biology. 

  

Until then the “secret of life" could be viewed as essentially inaccessible. In recent times much of it has been laid bare."

  

These are the words of Jaques Monod in the preface of his "Le Hasard et la Necessité" (1970) = [Chance and Necessity, An essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology].

   

What is he talking about? Was the secret of life revealed? In a way it was indeed. To understand this we have to go back to 1953.

  

One of the general properties of natural objects (animals, plants, etc.) Jaques Monod mentions as distinguishing living organisms is 

  

reproductive invariance which is the ability of a living being to reproduce and transmit the information corresponding to their own highly ordered structure,

   

which is a scientific way to say that humans give birth to children and, for instance, dogs give birth to puppies and the seed of a sunflower produces a new sunflower.

  

In 1866, an unknown Augustinian monk, Gregor Mendel, was the first person to shed light on the way in which characteristics are passed down the generations. Today, he is widely considered to be the father of genetics. 

  

By the 1940s, scientists understanding of the principles of inheritance had moved on considerably, 

   

genes were known to be the discrete units of heredity, as well as generating the enzymes which controlled metabolic functions.

   

Rosalind Franklin was born in London in 1920 and conducted a large portion of the research which eventually led 

  

to the understanding of the structure of DNA, a major achievement at a time when only men were allowed in some universities' dining rooms.

  

In 1953 two scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, discovered the double helix structure of DNA.

  

In 1962, Frederick Sanger moved  to the Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, where DNA sequencing became a natural extension of his work with proteins.

   

DNA sequencing is the process of determining the nucleic acid sequence – the order of nucleotides in DNA.

  

This is very technical, but it is the method to determine the order of the four bases: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine (AGCT), the building blocks of DNA.

   

By the early 1970s, molecular biologists had made incredible advances. They could now decipher the genetic code and spell out the sequence of amino acids in proteins.

   

In 1988, The National Research Council recommended a program to map the human genome. The Human Genome Project officially started in 1990, 

  

with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) publishing a plan for the first five years of the anticipated 15 year project.

   

This all has led to an avalanche of questions: eugenetics, cloning, DNA meddling. Do you remember that Chinese doctor and the genetically manipulated baby?

  

A lot to think about with respect to what we inherited from the 20th century...

   

Thank you for your attention again.....

   

The Discussion

[13:28] herman Bergson: Why do you question that Chinese physician Gemma?

[13:29] herman Bergson: Are there doubts about what he did?

[13:30] herman Bergson: Guess Gemma fell asleep...:-)

[13:31] herman Bergson: Does anyone read me?

[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yes

[13:31] herman Bergson: ahhh :-)

[13:31] herman Bergson: I just wondered....

[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): i thought it was lag too

[13:31] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): I read u

[13:32] CB Axel: Yes. It's not fair to make a statement like that and then fall asleep before following up. LOL

[13:32] herman Bergson: So true CB ^_^

[13:32] herman Bergson: It sounds almost Republican...!

[13:33] herman Bergson grins

[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe

[13:33] herman Bergson whispers: Must be a phonecall :-)

[13:33] CB Axel: I would never accuse Gemma  of that!

[13:33] CB Axel: Probably

[13:33] herman Bergson: Neither would I...it just sounds like.....^_^

[13:34] herman Bergson: But ...anyway....

[13:34] herman Bergson: What we inherited form the 20th century is that we are able to meddle with the building blocks of life

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): like the programming language of life

[13:35] CB Axel: We also inherited a disregard for the contributions women make to science.

[13:35] herman Bergson: yes Bejiita

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): sorry.. got  a phone call

[13:35] herman Bergson: Didnt I say so...lol

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!

[13:35] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hahaha

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): oki

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:36] CB Axel: That's what Herman guessed, Gemma. :)

[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ha

[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): dolly the sheep did well

[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): she was a clone

[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): they are doing some work with genetics at UCONN

[13:36] CB Axel: Anyway, Watson and Crick get credit for their work, but they barely acknowledge the photos taken by a female colleague that helped them.

[13:37] herman Bergson: yes and most importantly....cloned from a normal cell that was reprogrammed....not from an embryo cell

[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): h

[13:37] herman Bergson: Indeed CB...it were the X-ray photos of Rosalind Franklin that did it

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed hadn't Einstein a wife sho contributed a lot but noone have heard of her, just showed aside

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the guys take all credit

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): :(

[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): this morning was an article in the paper  re crispr and working on cancer prevention

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): one of few have een Marie Curie and Ada Lovelace

[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): research  looks good

[13:39] herman Bergson: Yes...meddling with cancer generating parts of the DNA sounds good....but what if.......etc?

[13:39] CB Axel: I doubt that there will be one thing that prevents all cancers.

[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we will see

[13:40] herman Bergson: But what about your doubts about that Chinese Gemma?

[13:40] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i read some questions about the whole procedure that other scientists suspect

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): not sure on whether it was complete

[13:41] herman Bergson: ahh..I hope they are right

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): yes

[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): read that a few weeks ago

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok

[13:41] herman Bergson: On the one hand we have changes by evolution...

[13:42] herman Bergson: Now we are in a situation that we can control "eveolution", it seems

[13:42] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we are not at the final station of evolution

[13:43] herman Bergson: that is a dangerous remark, Beertje

[13:43] CB Axel: Can there be a final station of evolution?

[13:43] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): why dangerous?

[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): thinks she is right

[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): with climate change

[13:43] herman Bergson: That is the point CB...

[13:43] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we humans are very 'young'we can't be at the final station

[13:43] herman Bergson: the remark of Beertje implies a kind of teleology.....

[13:44] herman Bergson: AN d Aristotelian idea actually....

[13:44] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): may need much  more evolution to come to survive

[13:44] CB Axel: I guess if we destroy life on Earth then we are the final station of evolution.

[13:44] herman Bergson: As Darwin already noticed....Evolution has NO goal..no Telos....

[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): space wil provice a new place to survive and evolve i bet

[13:45] herman Bergson: for whom Gemma?

[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): glad i wont be around to find out

[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): who knows

[13:46] herman Bergson: Jaques Monod regarded biological life on earth as a marginal phenomenon in this universe

[13:46] herman Bergson: We just happento be here...nothing gained nothing lost :-)

[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): interesting

[13:47] herman Bergson: Personally I have no problem with that observation at all

[13:48] herman Bergson: What is our importance in relation to the universe...? :-)

[13:48] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is there any?

[13:48] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): who knows

[13:48] CB Axel: If human life was wiped out I don't think the universe will care.

[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): we are exploring it

[13:49] CB Axel: It will go on just fine without us.

[13:49] herman Bergson: Think so too CB :-)

[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!

[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...

[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): maybe better

[13:49] CB Axel: I think the Earth would be better without us.

[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): without trump at least

[13:49] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:49] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): lol

[13:49] herman Bergson: lol

[13:49] CB Axel: He's not human.

[13:49] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): not that negative yet

[13:49] CB Axel: So he doesn't count.

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nope he is Jabba the Hutt

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and that is an insult to jabba

[13:50] CB Axel: lol

[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): sigh

[13:50] herman Bergson: But CB...we have waited for ages for an Alien....and now that he is there, you discard him.....?!

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Jabba the Hut?

[13:50] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): hahahah

[13:50] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): lol

[13:50] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): insult to aliens

[13:51] herman Bergson: indeed Gemma...

[13:51] CB Axel: He's not alien. He is of Earth just like slime molds are of earth.

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well u have a saying here, with a much better state of mind and ideas

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that woud be me

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): be nice in general I say and world becomes a better happier place

[13:51] herman Bergson: Hearing you, I think we are ready for the weekend!!!!

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its that simple

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YAY! (yay!)

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa its soon Friday

[13:51] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:51] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): right

[13:52] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice

[13:52] herman Bergson: So...thank you all agin...was fun again today :-)

[13:52] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): how was the island

[13:52] herman Bergson: But that is in our SL DNA of v course :-))

[13:52] herman Bergson: four days in a row clear blue sky and sun, Gemma!

[13:52] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): great!!!!

[13:52] herman Bergson: \o/

[13:53] herman Bergson: Enjoy the weekand, you all....class dismissed :-)

[13:53] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥

[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu soo  all

[13:53] CB Axel: Fun class today. I'll see you all next week.

[13:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thak you Herman

[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes

[13:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): thank

[13:53] CB Axel: Thank you, Herman.

[13:53] CB Axel: Goodbye.

[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): happy weekend all

[13:53] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡

[13:53] bergfrau Apfelbaum: it's always so interesting with you all here!! thank you

[13:53] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): bye for now

[13:53] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): have a goodnight, welterusten

[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Order!!!!!!... Order!! ... Order!! ...Order, Order!!! Order! Order!!! .... Order  

[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and

[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and happy weekend

[13:54] bergfrau Apfelbaum: welterusten Beertje:-))

[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu

[13:54] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe

[13:54] bergfrau Apfelbaum: grins

[13:54] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yes happy weekend!

[13:54] bergfrau Apfelbaum: #°*** BABA ***°#

[13:54] herman Bergson: yeah!