scholarly journals Hideous progeny? The future of growing humans

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Ball
Keyword(s):  
Living Cells ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Cell State ◽  
The Future ◽  
Self And Identity

Today’s biotechnologies are not simply providing powerful new possibilities in medicine; they are transforming our view of what it can mean to be human. In particular, the discovery of the extreme plasticity of cells – the possibility of changing one tissue type for another, and of regenerating the embryonic cell state from which we all grew – forces us to confront our status as a contingent community of living cells, and challenges traditional notions of self and identity. Here I discuss some of these technologies and their broader social, ethical and philosophical implications.

Metal or muscle? The future of biologically inspired robots

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (38) ◽  
pp. eaba6149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry Andrew Trimmer
Keyword(s):  
Living Cells ◽  
Biologically Inspired ◽  
Biologically Inspired Robots ◽  
The Future

Biology has inspired the development of agile robots, and it is now teaching us how to grow machines from living cells.

scholarly journals Research in leadership, self, and identity: A sample of the present and a glimpse of the future

2005 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-499 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara van Knippenberg ◽  
Daan van Knippenberg ◽  
David De Cremer ◽  
Michael A. Hogg
Keyword(s):  
The Future ◽  
Self And Identity

scholarly journals Extraribosomal Functions of Cytosolic Ribosomal Proteins in Plants

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Xiong ◽  
Ting Lan ◽  
Beixin Mo
Keyword(s):  
Messenger Rna ◽  
Ribosomal Proteins ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Plant Immunity ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ribosome Assembly ◽  
Microrna Biogenesis ◽  
Polypeptide Synthesis ◽  
The Future

Ribosomes are basic translational machines in all living cells. The plant cytosolic ribosome is composed of four rRNAs and approximately 81 ribosomal proteins (RPs). In addition to the fundamental functions of RPs in the messenger RNA decoding process as well as in polypeptide synthesis and ribosome assembly, extraribosomal functions of RPs that occur in the absence of the ribosome have been proposed and studied with respect to RPs’ ability to interact with RNAs and non-ribosomal proteins. In a few cases, extraribosomal functions of several RPs have been demonstrated with solid evidences in plants, including microRNA biogenesis, anti-virus defenses, and plant immunity, which have fascinated biologists. We believe that the widespread duplication of RP genes in plants may increase the potential of extraribosomal functions of RPs and more extraribosomal functions of plant RPs will be discovered in the future. In this article we review the current knowledge concerning the extraribosomal functions of RPs in plants and described the prospects for future research in this fascinating area.

Defining the Mechanism of Transcription Factor-Induced Epigenetic Reprogramming.

Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. SCI-41-SCI-41
Author(s):  
Kathrin Plath ◽  
Rupa Sridharan ◽  
Jason Tchieu ◽  
Mike J. Mason ◽  
Mark Chin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Embryonic Cell ◽  
Ips Cell ◽  
Cell State ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Induced Pluripotent ◽  
Cell Expression ◽  
Expression Program

Abstract Abstract SCI-41 The great excitement surrounding induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells is tempered by the fact that little is known about how they are generated and why this process is so inefficient. We have set out to ask how the four transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, cMyc and Klf4 can induce pluripotency. By analyzing the role of the reprogramming factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and cMyc during the initial step of reprogramming and comparing their binding and global expression in fully and partially reprogrammed cells, we previously uncovered that cMyc has a central role in the repression of the somatic cell expression program. With respect to the upregulation of the embryonic cell transcription, the four factors cooperate to activate the metabolic program, followed by binding of Oct4, Klf4 and Sox2 to genes encoding pluripotency regulators leading to the self-sustained, pluripotent state. Thus, we suggested that the factors have separable and temporal contributions to the reprogramming process. We are particularly interested in further deciphering the mechanism of reprogramming, understanding barriers of the reprogramming process, and comparing the embryonic stem cell state with the iPS cell state. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Identification of Phenotypic State Transition Probabilities in Living Cells

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waleed A. Farahat ◽  
H. Harry Asada
Keyword(s):  
State Transition ◽  
Transition Probabilities ◽  
Individual Cell ◽  
Living Cells ◽  
Computational Time ◽  
High Dimensional ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Cell State ◽  
Monte Carlo Techniques ◽  
Aggregate Population

Living cells stochastically switch their phenotypic states in response to environmental cues to maintain persistence and viability. Estimating the state transition probabilities from biological observations of cell populations gives valuable insight to the underlying processes, and gives insights as to how the transition statistics are influenced by external factors. In this work, we present two Bayesian estimation approaches. The first is applicable when individual cell state trajectories are observed. The second approach is applicable when only aggregate population statistics are available. Estimation of transition probabilities when individual cell state trajectories are available is a straightforward problem, whereas estimation from only aggregate statistics can be computationally expensive. In the latter case, we present an algorithm that relies on three key ideas to cut down computational time: i) approximating high-dimensional multinomial distributions with multi-variate Gaussians, ii) employing Monte-Carlo techniques to efficiently integrate over high dimensional spaces, and iii) explicitly incorporating sampling constraints by computing lower dimensional distributions over the constrained variable. Simulation results demonstrate the viability of the algorithm.

Barrett's metaplasia: molecular mechanisms and nutritional influences

2010 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M.W. Slack ◽  
Benjamin J. Colleypriest ◽  
Jonathan M. Quinlan ◽  
Wei-Yuan Yu ◽  
Mark J. Farrant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Stem Cell Population ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Future ◽  
Barrett's Metaplasia ◽  
Barrett’S Metaplasia

Barrett's metaplasia is discussed in the context of a general theory for the formation of metaplasias based on developmental biology. The phenotype of a particular tissue type becomes established during embryonic development by the expression of a specific set of transcription factors. If this combination becomes altered, then the tissue type can be altered. Such events may occur by mutation or by environmental effects on gene expression, normally within the stem cell population of the tissue. A macroscopic patch of metaplastic tissue will arise only if the new gene activity state is self-sustaining in the absence of its original causes, and if the new tissue type can outgrow the parent tissue type. An important candidate gene for the causation of Barrett's metaplasia is Cdx2 (Caudal-type homeobox 2). In normal development, this is expressed in the future intestine, but not the future foregut. Mouse knockout studies have shown that it is needed for intestinal development, and that its loss from adult intestine can lead to squamous transformations. It is also expressed in Barrett's metaplasia and can be activated in oesophageal cell cultures by treatment with bile acids. We have investigated the ability of Cdx2 to bring about intestinal transformations in oesophageal epithelium. Our results show that Cdx2 can activate a programme of intestinal gene expression when overexpressed in HET-1A cells, or in fetal epithelium, but not in the adult epithelium. This suggests that Cdx2, although necessary for formation of intestinal tissue, is not sufficient to provoke Barrett's metaplasia in adult life and that overexpression of additional transcription factors is necessary. In terms of diet and nutrition, there is a known association of Barrett's metaplasia with obesity. This may work through an increased risk of gastro-oesophageal reflux. Acid and bile are known to activate Cdx2 expression in oesophageal cells. It may also increase circulating levels of TNFα (tumour necrosis factor α), which activates Cdx2. In addition, there may be effects of diet on the composition of the bile.

International determination of the total motion of the pole

1961 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 29-41
Author(s):  
Wm. Markowitz
Keyword(s):  
Secular Motion ◽  
The Future

A symposium on the future of the International Latitude Service (I. L. S.) is to be held in Helsinki in July 1960. My report for the symposium consists of two parts. Part I, denoded (Mk I) was published [1] earlier in 1960 under the title “Latitude and Longitude, and the Secular Motion of the Pole”. Part II is the present paper, denoded (Mk II).

Status of the Lick Proper Motion Program

1978 ◽  
Vol 48 ◽  
pp. 387-388
Author(s):  
A. R. Klemola
Keyword(s):  
Proper Motion ◽  
The Future

Second-epoch photographs have now been obtained for nearly 850 of the 1246 fields of the proper motion program with centers at declination -20° and northwards. For the sky at 0° and northward only 130 fields remain to be taken in the next year or two. The 270 southern fields with centers at -5° to -20° remain for the future.

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