HackingTheUniverse

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SCIENTISTS SUCCESSFULLY USE HUMAN INDUCED PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS TO TREAT PARKINSON’S DISEASE IN RODENTS Researchers at the Buck Institute for Age Research have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). The research, which validates a scalable protocol that the same group had previously developed, can be [...]

A mouse can be genetically modified to run twice as far as normal mice or to not fear cats. As biologists develop better techniques to alter DNA and to add the altered DNA into cells so it can replicate, genetic engineering is becoming more practical. Animals that breed faster, have greater resistance against diseases and [...]

Plastic nano-particles with cavities shaped like the molecule they are targeting can absorb and neutralize their target. World’s first plastic antibody works in mice – [newscientist.com] Antibodies made entirely from plastic have saved the lives of mice injected with bee venom – the first time such a strategy has worked in live animals. Researchers developing [...]

With the ability to embed within the human body a fuel cell that runs on glucose, the same fuel that the rest of our body runs on, we gain an amazing range of new functionality. Starting with a simple list of implantable devices that exist today (insulin pumps, pacemakers), this will expand to eventually include [...]

Evolution can take place in a shorter time span than scientists previously thought, according to a study of lizards that were transplanted into a new environment, then left alone for thirty-six years. Could a similar process be accomplished in a laboratory environment designed to stimulate specific evolutionary adaptations? Rapid Evolution Driven by Invasion into New [...]

Scaffolds made of biodegradable materials have been used to help regrow body tissues from a few “seed” cells that are placed in the scaffold. As the cells reproduce, the scaffold degrades and eventually the new tissue displaces the scaffold. Now scientists are using rapid prototyping techniques to make more precise scaffolds in three dimensions. There [...]

We can already repair and even augment our bodies with both artificial and transplanted body components. (see Rebuilding Our Bodies) Science and technology are rapidly pushing forward to a point where it will become possible for our bodies to be *mostly* artificial instead of organic.  The articles below offer some of the blueprints for how this [...]

It is becoming possible to genetically engineer viruses to accomplish some kind of healing or rebuilding or even contstruction-like task. A Virus That Rebuilds Damaged Nerves Viruses that mimic supportive nerve tissue may someday help regenerate injured spinal cords. While other tissue-engineering materials must be synthesized and shaped in the lab, genetically engineered viruses have [...]

We now have the ability to rebuild our bodies; at least in a limited sense, but that limitation is shrinking rapidly. Prosthetic Replacements Artificial replacement limbs and dentures have been used for thousands of years. Roman Capua Leg – [wikipedia.org] Prosthetic replacements have dramatically improved their functionality and their human-like appearance with increases in technological [...]

The purpose of the Human Genome Project was to determine the complete sequence of 3 billion DNA sub-units, identify all human genes and make the information available. Human Genome Project Information – [ornl.gov] Completed in 2003, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was a 13-year project coordinated by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National [...]