From Gene-Edited Baby to Cyborg Soldier: On the Limits to New Biotechnology by the Eugenics Movement

"Biotechnology for Health and Human Performance (BHPC) of the U.S. DOD recently released a research report titled “Cyborg Soldier 2050: Human/Machine Fusion and the Impact for the Future of the DOD”. In this report, Emanuel et al. predicted that ocular and auditory enhancements, muscular control through bodysuit, and neural enhancement of human brain will be feasible before 2050. And not so long ago, the world’s first Gene-edited twins LuLu and NaNa were made by a Chinese Scientist, who was sentenced and fined by the Chinese Government in December 2019, claims that these babies are now immune to the HIV virus. While the biotechnological breakthroughs show the potentials that humans can have different lives than we have now, it’s also worrisome for those unforeseen disadvantages of bio-inventions will cost human too much and too soon, before we have the abilities to stop it. Along with the developments of biotechnology, it’s not surprised that new bio-inventions will emerge and go beyond our imagination. But, the “artificial selection” character of these bio-inventions also reminds us of the Eugenics Movement which happened only a century ago. In this article, I’ll discuss these two bio-inventions by reviewing the Eugenics Movement. First, I’ll brief the cases of Gene-edited Baby and the CRISPR technology as well. Second, I’ll introduce the Cyborg Soldier and BHPC’s report. Third, I’ll talk about the Eugenic Movement and its consequences. Fourth, I’ll analyze these two bio-inventions from the historical perspectives of the Eugenic Movement. Finally, I will summarize and conclude this article. "

Making sense of it all: Ethical reflections on the conditions surrounding the first genome-edited babies

In November 2018 the birth of the first genome-edited human beings was announced by Chinese scientist, He Jiankui. The ensuing ethical controversy, institutional investigations and legal proceedings led to the revision of standards, rules and procedures at many levels. Arguably, however, these developments have not fundamentally changed the conditions or the culture that nourished He Jiankui’s vaulting ambition in the first place and enabled it to find expression. In this paper we explore the clinical, regulatory and societal circumstances of the ‘gene-edited baby’ case, the political, cultural and economic conditions that created a radical and dangerous climate for biotechnology innovation, and the responsibilities of the international research community, many of whose members were apprised of Dr He’s intentions. The aim is not to heap anathemas on the heads of implicated individuals but to draw attention to the need for different communities (researchers, authorities and domestic publics) to play a part actively in the governance of biomedical innovation and for research to be bridled by human values.

Trans-Himalayan science in mid-twentieth century China and India: Birbal Sahni, Hsü Jen, and a Pan-Asian paleobotany

This paper uses the decade-long collaboration between the Indian paleobotanist Birbal Sahni (1891–1949) and his Chinese doctoral student Hsü Jen (Xu Ren 徐仁, 1910–1992) to offer a connected history of mid-twentieth century scientific activity in China and India. Possibly the first Chinese scientist to earn a PhD from an Indian university (Lucknow, 1946), Hsü was certainly the first to be appointed to a faculty position in India. Sahni and Hsü's attempts to build Asian networks of scientific activity, characterized by the circulation of experts, scientific knowledge, and specimens, provide the grounds for considering a practice of Pan-Asianism. Such a formulation adds to existing work on the Pan-Asianist articulations of intellectual and political figures and urges for an expansion of how we understand scientific activity across China and India from the 1930s to the 1960s. In so doing, the paper makes two historiographical interventions. In the first instance, the collaboration presents an opportunity to move beyond the two dominant frames through which histories of science in China and India are studied: the nation state and Non-West/West binaries. Second, a focus on science widens the scope of China–India history, a field dominated by research on cultural, intellectual, and diplomatic topics.

Discovery of Potential Plant-derived Iradoides with COVID-19 Mpro in silico

Iradoides are a small class of plant derived natural products, which used in traditional system of medicine such as Unani, Tibetan, Ayurveda, Siddha, and Chinese medicine. The several diverse types of iradoides have been isolated from many parts of the plant such as root, leaves, flowers, stem, rhizomes, bark, and seed. Here, we used bioactive iradoides to know the potency against COVID-19 Mpro. The COVID-19 Mpro is a potential target of the drug, which identified by Chinese scientist (published manuscript in Nature on June 2020). From several studies, we found that many natural products such as flavonoids, saponins, steroids, terpenoids, and synthesized compounds have been used on this target (COVID-19 Mpro). We screened a series of iradoides against COVID-19 Mpro (PDB ID: 6LU7) by using many docking software as BIOVIA Discovery Studio 2017 R2, Chimera 1.13.1, Auto Dock Tools-1.5.6, AutoDock Vina to known best inhibitor against COVID-19 Mpro. According to obtained results, 6′-O-trans-feruloylnegundoside, p-hydroxybenzoyl-6′-O-trans-caffeoylgardoside, 2′-O-p-hydroxybenzoyl gardoside, 6-deoxyharpagide, reptoside show binding energies -8.1, -8.3, -8.2, -7.0, and -7.1 Kcal/mol, respectively. From this study, we found that all iradoides show more potency on COVID-19 Mpro when compared with Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. The Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine used as standards for comparison. From the results of this study, we found that iradoides may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.

Repurposing Anti-Malaria Phytomedicine Artemisinin as a COVID-19 Drug

Artemisinin is an anti-inflammatory phytomedicine with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Artemisinin and its antimalarial properties were discovered by the Chinese scientist Tu Youyu, who became one of the laureates of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for this breakthrough in tropical medicine. It is a commonly used anti-malaria drug. Artemisinin has recently been repurposed as a potential COVID-19 drug. Its documented anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity has been attributed to its ability to inhibit spike-protein mediated and TGF-β-dependent early steps in the infection process as well as its ability to disrupt the post-entry intracellular events of the SARS-CoV-2 infection cycle required for viral replication. In addition, Artemisinin has anti-inflammatory activity and reduces the systemic levels of inflammatory cytokines that contribute to cytokine storm and inflammatory organ injury in high-risk COVID-19 patients. We postulate that Artemisinin may prevent the worsening of the health condition of patients with mild-moderate COVID-19 when administered early in the course of their disease.

Perfecting Bodies: Who Are the Disabled in Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca?

This paper will examine the impact of genetic technologies on the corporeal and economical aspects of human lives while emphasizing the ambiguity of disability under these subversive circumstances. In 2013, the world was introduced to CRISPR genetic editing technology, followed by the controversial announcement in 2018 from Chinese scientist He Jiankui, who claims to have genetically engineered twins that were born HIV-immune. The possible social outcome of genetic treatment leading to the alteration of human embryos to create physically and intellectually superior offspring, as well as its impact on the social treatment of disabled bodies, is clearly illustrated in Andrew Niccol’s directive debut Gattaca. Here, I will discuss Niccol’s utilization of disabled characters in interrogating the employment of disabled characters as a narrative vehicle to reflect upon social paradigms. I examine both the subversion and expansion of the social construct of disability in Gattaca’s narrative, emphasizing the film’s portrayal of economic differences as a disabling factor in a world of augmentative technology.