May 2010 in science
The biggest news was of course “Scientists Create Life!!!” — the group that has been tediously working on Mycoplasma which, back when they began, was known as the bacterium with the smallest genome (now we know about Pelagibacter ubique, which is so much more awesome in many ways) finally did it, they fully synthesized its entire genome from scratch, with some modifications, and “booted” it in a different bacteria which then died to produce their new cell.
In a do-over after their 2006 failure, Neanderthal genome was finally sequenced (60% of it) and confirmed that it wasn’t all war when modern humans left Africa, there was some interbreeding going on too, which made us all 1% – 4% Neanderthal. Although the important implications were the identification of the 78 genes that separate us – most of them already known as genes that deal with human brain because mutations in them cause everything from Down’s (DYRK1A) to Autism disorders (CADPS2 and AUTS2). Too bad we’re not allowed to mod a human germ cell and grow up a Neanderthal child in a test tube.
In another example of prehistoric genetics, a wooly mammoth gene was inserted in E.coli to express mammoth hemoglobin and to study how does it work at low temperatures. I just love how the first sentence of the article’s abstract says “We have successfully resurrected …”
To the joy of quacks everywhere, acupuncture was meticulously studied and proven to relieve pain in mice (as long as the mice don’t have the mutation that removes their adenosine receptors). Of course you don’t have to know anything about magical energies, it’s the tissue damage that releases the pain-killing chemical.
Speaking of researching the antiscientific, a three year long study showed that both lab and wild birds prefer conventionally-grown grain to “organic” grain because of its higher nutritional content (but it takes them a while to learn the difference). Not a surprise to me, I never buy “organic” food myself anyway, but the authors just had to say they are overturning a “dogma”.
Oh and while I’m on quakery subject, Wakefield’s old papers about his made-up vaccination-autism connection were retracted from public record by The Lancet and American Journal of Gastroenterology — about time!
Since it’s all about biology today, a couple biologists from New Hampshire played God Nature by changing whole-island populations of predators and lizards on six tiny Caribbean islands and evolved some tough anole lizards in a field experiment on natural selection.
Also, apparently we can now reprogram the poor abused E.coli to seek and destroy specific chemicals, in this case, a herbicide.
And for a quick round-up of the bizarre, Monkeys pay for porn, 2-toed sloths hide in outhouses to eat our poop, and there’s a new gaping hole in the middle of Guatemala city.
That’s it for May. Enjoy the World’s Best Visual Illusion of 2010!