CSB#3: Gamers Try to Unlock Protein Puzzle

Definitions

• Protein- organic compounds that are made of large molecules composed of long chains of amino acids
• Amino Acids- an organic compound containing both a carboxyl and an amino group

Summary

• Scientist are recruiting professional gamers to learn about the structures of proteins using a new game. Seth Cooper from the University of Washington in Seattle thought of the idea to bring in the people from the net to help solve how proteins fold amino chains to help them become the "building blocks of life". In this new game "Foldit" each player must twist, and manipulate proteins to create 3D structures that the protein is able to maintain. Right now 57,000 players and counting are playing "Foldit", and some top scorers are able to outdo modern computer algorithms that do the same thing. Some other features that have made this game popular are its competition, team gameplay, and its addictiveness, and because of its popularity, the University of Washington is even creating a new center for game science. As Cooper says, "[People say that] computer games are trivial;... [but this] shows you can actually use computer games to solve really hard problems."

Discussion

• One of the reasons I chose this article was that I personally like computer games, and the other reason was that I was curious about how a video game could be used by scientists to help them find new discoveries. This article also really shows how new knowledge in science can be discovered in all sorts of ways, even in gaming, the thing that most parents hate. Also, with the blend of thousands of minds working on one thing, all of the creative minds of a society can contribute greatly to this study and provide ideas that no one else had thought of before. However, this process of experiments has its own downsides. For example, it would be hard to tell whether or not what a person does in the game would actually benefit the scientists. How would they tell if someone made a breakthrough, or if that person cheated. Although this is a fun new method for scientific studies, there are plenty of problems that can result from it.

Questions

• Could this method of exploring science be improved upon so it could be much more effective?
• What other methods could scientist use to solve scientific puzzles?

Citations

• "Computer game unlocks protein puzzle." United Press International 5 Aug. 2010:
  n. pag. Science Online. Web. 17 Nov. 2010.
  

Picture

• http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/files/2010/08/Foldit.jpg

CSB#2: Genetics Offers New Biotechnology Tools

Definitions

1. Biotechnology - the use of microorganisms to perform industrial or manufacturing processes
   
2. Cisgenics - a type of genetic engineering that is similar to plant breeding
   
3. Gibberellic acid - a type of plant hormone

Summary

• Scientists at The Oregon State University, led by professor Steven Strauss, found that cisgenics might give way to new possibilities in biotechnology. Cisgenics uses genes from similar species of plants to help them produce more quickly. Because of this, they found that they can, not only improve forestry, but also crop agriculture around the world. The way this process works is by manipulation the gibberellic acid in a tree, they are able to affect its growth rate and wood properties of the tree.

Discussion

• This is a great breakthrough in this field of science, because up till now, were were only able to use biotech to transfer genetic traits from one species of animals to another.
• Since we now have greater control over how a plant can grow, that means we can increase the rate of crops yield, and making more food than normal. 
• Just by using cisgenics, we might be able to solve some of the world's problems, such as hunger and the rate of deforestation.

Questions

• Does this process make any other drastic change in the plant that could be harmful and hard to detect?
  
• Can cisgenics also shorten a plant's life span since we increase their growth?

"Genetics Offers New Biotechnology Tools." United Press International, Inc 11 
     June 2010: n. pag. Science Online. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. 
          activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE40&SID=5&iPin=UPI-1-20100611-132628-bc-us-cisgenics&Sing 
     leRecord=True>.

CSB#1: Island Lizards

 

Definition
1. Speciation- when one species diverge into new different species

Summary
Scientists believe that island divergence of one species can split that species into multiple, new species. However, scientists Roger S. Thorpe, Yann Surget-Groba, and Helena Johansson have found that the divergence of a species is not always certain to happen. These scientists have found that lizards of the same species that have been separated for millions of years have interbreed, and have not created new species. They examined the lizards DNA and found that there are many similar overlaps between the lizards. They also found that the lizards that did speciate were normally in totally different environments such as a forest or a desert.

Discussion

I think that it is weird that isolation does not play that big a role in speciation compared the a different landscape. 

Questions

Does adaptation lead to speciation, and does happen quickly or slowly?

Resources

http://puffin.harker.org:2067/Science/default.asp?ItemID=WE40