Courts Grappling With Laws For GMOs And CRISPR

September 11, 2018 by Ivana De Domenico

The role of the court is to interpret laws for the people. Unfortunately, new technologies make it difficult to use precedent to make rulings on brand new products. It seems at times that these things need to be considered on a case by case basis. And with the advent of gene editing tools like CRISPR, oversight is necessary to ensure that genetic modification is used responsibly in the coming years.

The Issue Of GMO Labeling

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) have been a hot topic in the agriculture industry as of late. GMOs include grown foods that have been scientifically altered to be better than more traditional versions. Many scientists believe that they can help fight against crop diseases, keep pests away from the crops without the use of pesticides, and a variety of other important characteristics that improve crop yields. The issue making its way through the courts is whether or not these companies must label products that contain GMOs. Those in favor of GMO labeling state that the long term effects of GMOs have not been properly studied in humans and thus they should have the right to know what is being put in their bodies.

The Issue Behind CRISPR

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, more simply known as CRISPR, is one of the most promising gene editing techniques to date. Scientists are hopeful that this new technique will be able to eradicate diseases that have plagued society of ages. Opponents of using this technique are wary of the long term effects, both medical and social. Their concerns are that, despite the potential of CRISPR to deal with problematic diseases, that the long term effects could be worse than we anticipated. Some point to the possibility of “designer babies” as a consequence of CRISPR, or creating new issues as a result of tampering with genetic code. There have even been cases of consumers self experimenting with the technique and developing health issues as a result of their misunderstanding.

The Importance Of Business Transparency

Both GMO and CRISPR laws are working their way through various courts across the country. The main thing under consideration is business transparency. Many feel that both of these fields are not making enough information available to the public. Businesses who often gain the trust of their customers do so by being clear, concise and open about their business practices. This ensures that consumers are getting exactly what they signed up for when they purchase a product.

It is important that these issues are addressed in a proper court setting, as many have simply not been around long enough for there to be any proper laws about them. Expect to see more court cases in the near future that helps determine responsible usage of these new technologies.

The Little Victories of CRISPR

September 4, 2018 by Ivana De Domenico

Biomedical research first coined the phrase, “war on cancer” in 1971. Many breakthroughs in research emerged in this decade as a result of the ongoing fight against this disease. And though many innovations were made in treatment, the cure has so far proved elusive. In the modern era, the introduction of CRISPR-Cas9, a tool to edit DNA, provides medical professionals with new frontiers in how cancer is treated. CRISPR opens up the potential to prevent cancer and place us one step closer to a cure. Even though many are concerned about the tool, we’ve already seen a lot of progress toward these goals.

Ambitious Goals

Researchers aim to either prevent cancer from happening in the first place or beating it all together, a lofty goal to be sure. While some have complained about the lack of progress in the last couple of decades, people shouldn’t overlook the value taken from incremental breakthroughs that bring the medical field on step closer to curing this heartbreaking illness. For example, some researchers hope to use CRISPR to reduce the debilitating effects of chemotherapy for patients.

Eradicating Cancer

In the big picture, researchers hope that CRISPR will eliminate diseases or cure them. In particular, monogenetic disorders can be easily targeted and eradicated through its use. Once researchers understand it better, the tool will grow in potential because the instruction manual could be rewritten for every living creature. Many of the researchers involved in CRISPR have kept a close eye on the ups and downs of this research because it displays incredible potential for many things. A steady flow of research has produced confusing twists and turns, but it could be an interesting step forward for medical science.

Concerns of Precision

Good research doesn’t ignore the potential for problems, however. For example, some scientists have expressed concern for the precision of CRISPR’s edits when they attempt to repair cells. If they go off-target, the edits could produce terrible changes to the DNA. Unfortunately, research still hasn’t come far enough to understand the potential side effects that could arise for patients. Even despite the promise, researchers must proceed with some level of caution to avoid a disaster. Though CRISPR is undeniably powerful, medical professionals have a duty to ensure that it is used and studied responsibly.

Chemotherapy has lifesaving potential, but unfortunately, it’s a terribly imprecise and unsophisticated tool. The toxins chemotherapy pumps into the body to destroy the cancer cells also kill the healthy cells as collateral damage. The people who have watched a loved one receive chemotherapy understand how it can impede the flow of daily life. Some of the nasty side effects include hair loss, nausea and anemia. Through CRISPR, scientists hope to ease these effects and make treatment a less painful and more dignified process for patients.

Working Out The Issues With CRISPR

August 16, 2018 by Ivana De Domenico

CRISPR is an enzyme developed by scientists in an effort to remove potentially harmful genetic traits and paste the remaining sequences together. During the 1980s, researchers discovered that bacteria protect themselves by cutting and pasting themselves. When bacteria identify viral RNA molecules within its DNA, the Cas enzyme grabs the anomaly and divides it in two to prevent reproduction. Scientists called the act clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats or CRISPR for short. However, as researchers attempted to replicate the process in the laboratory, they uncovered problems.

The CRISPR discovery gave researchers hope that they had uncovered an innovative means of editing DNA. If scientists could use the technique, they dreamed that the abnormal DNA sequences that cause a number of disease processes might be effectively removed to prevent their development. However, as research and experimentation continued, CRISPR caused gaps in the cell’s genome. Scientists from the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Great Britain published the finding in an issue of “Nature Biotechnology” explaining that potential drawbacks of CRISPR have not been formally noted.

In a laboratory setting, researchers used the Cas-9 enzyme to remove a specific gene in the embryonic stem cells of a mouse. However, the process did not go as predicted. The group soon found that large sequences of DNA were missing. If the scientists were using traditional methods of assessing the DNA sequences, they may not have discovered the error. The billions of altered cells could have devastating effects that might include making them susceptible to cancer development.

The study showed that researchers need to assess larger strands of DNA to determine why CRISPR did not perform as hoped. Instead of cutting one strand of the gene, the team cut both strands of the double helix, which was one of the reasons for the error. They also need to find ways to prevent the cellular DNA from attempting to repair itself, which led to the problem.

Representatives of companies using CRISPR reported that their scientists had not encountered the problem with the techniques they used. As such, the study did not make an impact on their research. However, the published findings caused an immediate and substantial financial loss for several CRISPR companies.

The drawbacks did not dismay the Wellcome Sanger scientists. They explain that new discoveries are not without problems. The group plans to continue working on the project and making improvements so that one day the technology might be a successful medical tool.

How Gene Therapy Is Becoming Mainstream For Rare Disease Treatment

June 22, 2018 by Ivana De Domenico

Within the past few decades, as we have begun to unlock the way in which human beings have been engineered through our DNA, researchers have also started to explore how we can work with genetic solutions to cure what ails us. Up until this point, those with rare diseases often had little recourse. But recent research has put us on the precipice of a new and exciting time—a time when people may be cured by some editing of their own genes.

Offering Hope for Cystic Fibrosis Sufferers and More

With editing technology becoming more and more advanced with each passing day, patients who suffer from both polygenic and monogenic disorders may now see some hope on the horizon. It seems that even certain cancers and heart diseases will now be addressed through gene therapy. Before, there was nothing that the medical community could do for people who were suffering from these disorders; for most of them, there weren’t even trials that patients could sign up for if they wanted.

Viral Vectors Will Make the Difference

Along with gene editing advances, researchers are also extremely bullish on the delivery techniques that will be used to introduce changes to the human body. Right now, they are using lentivirus with stem cells, as well as adeno-associated virus (AAV) as the primary delivery methods. At a recent Boston conference centered around a discussion of rare disorders, many of the nation’s top researchers seemed thrilled that finally progress was being made in this arena. AAV vectors, in particular, hold a lot of promise for many different types of applications with patients, but obviously, a great deal of research will need to be done before the general population will see such treatments being offered.

Laying the Groundwork for Progress

Everyone involved with gene therapy agrees that it will take some time. However, there is a huge push from government agencies to make these transformations happen sooner rather than later. Allocating hundreds of millions of dollars towards funding, the National Institutes of Health has proven to be a critical resource during this time of discovery. For-profit medical companies are also getting into the action, as it will undoubtedly become a highly profitable sector in the years to come.

Using CRISPR To Detect Diseases

May 25, 2018 by Ivana De Domenico

The genome editing tool CRIPSR was introduced to promote a new phase in genetic technology, but the tool is being adapted for another purpose. It may now be possible to use CRISPR to diagnose patients, giving doctors the ability to detect diseases and various medical conditions much sooner. This is exciting, because earlier detection means medical conditions can be treated before they worsen, which improves the chances of full recovery.
Jennifer Doudna, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley, helped to found the company responsible for CRIPSR. She is also on the team behind this new application for the tool. In conjunction with Doudna, a University of California at Berkeley researcher, Mammoth Biosciences has announced plans to create easy to use diagnostic kits using Crispr technology. Once released, the kits could allow the early diagnosis of diseases in hospitals and even at home.
CRISPR is programmed to identify a specific piece of DNA and, when used in conjunction with certain proteins, it can actually repair genetic defects. Researchers hope this technology will advance to the point at which it will also be able to cure diseases in a similar way. When combined with the Cas12 or Cas13 proteins, CRISPR can already identify DNA left behind by viruses. In this way, it can possibly detect the Zika virus and some types of cancer.
Doudna isn’t alone. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University are each working on similar technologies. It will remain to be seen who perfects the application first, though papers have already been published to demonstrate that the technology does work. In Doudna’s paper, she found that the CRISPR-Cas12 system could spot the HPV virus. In her research, Doudna used a “reporter molecule” that exhibits a fluorescent signal once cut. She released the molecule into vials of human cells and found that only those cells infected with HPV glowed.
Meanwhile, the MIT group published a paper revealing that the CRISPR could be adapted to detect multiple diseases at once. Led by Feng Zhang, the MIT researchers also said that the kit could be manufactured for as little as $2 per test. This would go a long way toward helping people in low-income countries, where access to advanced diagnostic equipment is limited.
If CRISPR technology can be adapted in this way, it could change how we treat diseases. By treating illnesses sooner and more inexpensively, quality healthcare becomes more widely available.

Indulge all Five Senses in Vermont This Fall

August 15, 2017 by Ivana De Domenico

We may be approaching the end of summer as August rapidly ticks by and children prepare to go back to school, but that doesn’t mean your travels need to end with the season! Summer may be an ideal time for travel when kids are off of school, the weather is sunny and warm, and families can focus on spending some quality time with each other; however, I find myself preferring the crisp, mild days of fall over the scorching days of summer, and some of my best travel experiences have been in the fall.

When I think of fall travel, the most quintessentially “autumn” place in the United States that comes to mind is Vermont. The state is known for its fall foliage, idyllic country drives, and quaint fairs and craft shows. There’s no better time to visit Vermont than in the fall when a drive or walk down country roads is truly a treat for all five senses. If you’re planning a visit to Vermont this fall, be sure to add these suggestions to your itinerary for a stimulating experience.

Taste

Vermont is foodie’s paradise with its abundance of farm-to-table eateries and farmers markets offering local, organic produce. Vermont is known for its farms, and visitors and locals alike can rest easy knowing where their food came from. Stop by an apple orchard and savor the sweet juice of a crisp, fresh-picked apple as you bite into its firm skin. Or prepare a meal utilizing the fresh ingredients you purchased from a roadside farm stand that morning. In Vermont, it’s never difficult to embrace a healthy diet.

Touch

In Vermont, there are so many opportunities to get close to nature. Vermonters are known for practicing healthy, active styles, and if you visit the state, you can do the same! Nothing beats a hike down a country lane where you can breath in the fresh fall air. Or, feel the tug of a fish on your line as you fish from one of the state’s ample lakes, streams, or creeks. There are so many ways to feel nature’s presence in Maine!

Smell

If Vermont were a candle, it would probably smell something like this: a smoky-sweet blend of fresh-baked apple pie, a campfire, leaves, and maple syrup. There are so many foods and products made right in Vermont such as syrup, ice cream, cider, beer, and cheese that it’s easy to imagine some of the scents you can breathe in on a fall day spent in the countryside.

See

A visit to Vermont would not be complete without taking some time to engage in outdoor activities. Be sure to experience the blazing inferno of leaves that is Vermont in the fall with a drive or walk. There are so many ways to embrace the season in Maine with the state’s many attractions including parks, festivals, farms, corn mazes (be sure to check out the Great Vermont Corn Maze for the largest corn maze in New England), pumpkin patches, and iconic venues like the Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream factory and The Vermont Country Store.

Hear

There are many ways to take in the sounds of Vermont, from a hike through the woods accompanied by the chirping of birds and crunch of leaves underfoot, to the melodic notes of local, regional, and international musicians at one of Vermont’s many fairs and festivals.
Visit vermontvacation.com for more information on Vermont and assistance planning your next trip to this bucolic state.

Best End-of-Summer Travel Deals

July 24, 2017 by Ivana De Domenico

Vancouver, Canada: For a dream trip that won’t break the bank, visit Vancouver. The city has something for everyone. The city is hip yet classy, with great restaurants and tons of art. Outside the city, it gets even better. The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful natural region, and vancouverites have taken pains to preserve that. Kayak the bay or hike the lush forests surrounding the city.

San Jose, Costa Rica: August is the beginning of the rainy season, and you’re likely to see showers most afternoons. That said, mornings are usually clear, it’s well below the hurricane belt, and the lower prices (and smaller crowds) more than make up for the weather. Hotels rates are about 25% cheaper in August compared to the high season.

As for San Jose, the city contains many cheap hotels and hostels. It’s not as big as a tourist destination as a lot of other places in Costa Rica, but if you look you’ll find nature tours, historic architectures, and lots of museums.

Hong Kong: Like Costa Rica, August is the wet season in Hong Kong, meaning lower prices and smaller crowds. But if possible, hold off until the first week of October, to see the Mid Autumn Festival. In exchange for steeper hotel prices, you’ll catch an endless wave of free entertainment, from parades to dragon dancers to lantern displays.

Orlando, Florida: Traveling to Orlando in August is a gamble, but one that can pay off richly for bargain-seekers. August marks the start of hurricane season, and even without the storms, the weather can get pretty hot and muggy. That said, flights and hotels are record cheap, and the lines at Disney or Orlando Studios are way shorter than they would be during the high season. If high prices have been keeping you out of the “vacation capital of the world,” August is the time to make your move.

Berlin, Germany: Look up hotel or restaurant costs for Berlin, and you’ll be shocked at how cheap they can be. This vibrant city offers tons of museums and historical sites–many of which are free or at least very cheap–by day, and bustling nightclubs and bars by night. Plus, there’s great public transportation, flea markets, and hiking in the Grunewald. The weather in August is quite hot but not unpleasantly so, and the end of summer comes with lots of public festivals, including the International Berlin Beer Festival, Potsdam Palace Night, and the Spondau Citadel Music Festival.

Rockin’ Road Trip Guide

June 27, 2017 by Ivana De Domenico

In an accompanying blog post, I offered a guide of some of the most scenic drives in America. There are gorgeous views all over the country, and all it takes to experience them is the will, a car, and enough gasoline to make the journey. However, I’d be lying if I were to gloss over the fact that travel can be stressful, especially when you’re trapped in close quarters with people for long periods of time; it’s easy to grow irritable and people who started out as friends could turn into nuisances by the end of the trip.

Whether you’re traveling with friends or family this summer, and whether your road trip is the star attraction or merely the path to your vacation spot, follow these tips for a fun, stress-less road trip!

1. Research the route- Make sure you’re prepared before heading out by mapping your route. Know which roads you want to take to avoid running into boring or high-traffic areas, know which attractions you want to hit up, and know where you can stop for gas. Luckily, paper maps are a thing of the past and there are a plethora of travel apps available to help you map out your route.

2. Clean out your car- No one wants to ride for hours on end in a dirty car. Spare yourself the embarrassment and clear your car of the all the gum wrappers, fast food bags, and pet hair that accumulate over time.

3. Pack plenty of snacks- Stopping to eat every few hours can really take a toll on your wallet and also cuts into time you could devote to other activities. Make the most out of your time and money, and pack snacks that everyone enjoys so that when hunger hits, you’re covered. Some easy snacks that can be eaten in the car include bottled water, chips/nuts, cheese sticks, granola bars, and cut veggies.

4. Bring a camera- Just about everyone owns a smartphone, so it’s probably a given that you have a camera on hand. Be sure to put it to use and capture priceless memories along the way.

5. Don’t overpack- no one wants to be stuck in an overstuffed car for hours. Have everyone in your travel party limit themselves to one bag so that everything fits in the car neatly and no one feels cramped and uncomfortable.

6. Have some go-to games and music- It is especially important, if you’re traveling with children, to keep them entertained. Avoid the notorious “Are we there yet?” with an arsenal of classic travel games such as a scavenger hunt or license plate-spotting game. You can’t go wrong with a mix of your favorite tunes either- crank up the volume and have a sing-along!

7. Get your vehicle inspected before the trip- The most important item on your road trip checklist should be to get your vehicle inspected, as failing to do so could be dangerous. Take your car to a mechanic to make sure its brakes, fluid levels, wiper blades, and tires are in top shape and make sure that your vehicle is equipped with emergency supplies such as a spare tire and jumper cables.

America’s Most Scenic Drives

June 20, 2017 by Ivana De Domenico

I’ll admit- traveling can be stressful, and oftentimes the process of getting to your destination is what makes it that way. There’s getting through security at the airport and the fear of missing your flight. There’s dealing with bickering children (your own or someone else’s) and being in cramped quarters. Sometimes you have to put up with inconveniences like lost college or unexpected fees. Other times, however, if you actively let go of your stress and worries, the journey is the destination and getting to wherever you want to go can be just as enjoyable, if not even more enjoyable, than the destination itself.

One of my favorite novels is Jack Kerouac’s On the Road. This book is classic Americana at its best, as it details the journey of Kerouac and his friends across the highways of 1950’s America without a destination in sight. You might not be able to follow in Kerouac’s exact tire tracks today as you could have when the book was published, as Route 66 doesn’t exist today as it did then- but there are plenty of drives throughout the United States that are just as entertaining and breathtaking. This summer, I challenge you to embrace the joys of traveling and take a road trip with your family and friends. I can just about guarantee that if you take one of these scenic drives, you will not be disappointed.

Blue Ridge Parkway, Virginia to North Carolina

This 469-mile stretch of highway through the Blue Ridge Mountains is so breathtakingly beautiful that it’s managed by the National Park Service. Known as “America’s favorite drive,” it offers unparalleled views of the vast Shenandoah Valley, towering mountain peaks, and verdant forests and meadows.

Route 66, Illinois to California

Route 66 may not exist any longer as a main, unbroken highway, but you can still drive parts of this iconic highway. The most scenic stretch is the mountainous region extending from the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River. Be sure to experience Americana on your journey and stop at the kitschy roadside attractions, mom-and-pop shops, motels, diners, and vintage service stations.

Pacific Coast Highway, California

You’ve most likely seen pictures of Big Sur with stretches of elevated highway winding alongside seaside cliffs. That’s because the 100-mile stretch of road running from Monterey to Hearst Castle is so famous. Gasp in awe at the beauty of this drive and maybe stop at a beach while you’re at it.

Highway 12, Utah

If you want to feel small and awestruck, then this is the drive for you. Red-tinged sandstone cliffs tower above snaking expanses of highway between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Park.

Route 100, Vermont

The classic New England drive is best enjoyed in the fall when the foliage takes on fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow. Route 100 is stretch of country road that winds through forests and over hills, from Stowe south to the Massachusetts border.

This is just a mere sampling of some of the gorgeous drives that can be found in the United States. Grab your crew and hit the road this summer for a real travel treat!

The Best Travel TV Programs

May 22, 2017 by Ivana De Domenico

If you can’t afford to get away for an exotic, luxury vacation this summer, then maybe watching one of these programs on tv and living vicariously through the host who gets paid to travel all around the world (wouldn’t that be the life?) is the next best thing. Of course, what you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch in person will always be superior to anything you can watch from your home through a screen, but you can’t go wrong with a good travel TV program to get some inspiration for your next trip! If you have some time on your hands and are wondering what to flip to next, try tuning into one of these entertaining shows!

Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmerman (2006-present, Travel Channel)

Would you consider yourself an adventurous eater or do you prefer to stick to the foods you know when you travel to a foreign country? Even if you’re someone who likes to sample the regional specialities, you probably haven’t even come close to the kind of extreme eating tv personality Andrew Zimmerman has done in his travels. In Bizarre Foods, Zimmerman travels the world to try the best regional eats, no matter how bizarre- this guy has eaten spiders!

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (2006-present, Food Network)

If you’re looking to watch some food that’s a little more appetizing being made, then tune in to watch the iconic spiky-haired, backwards sunglasses-wearing TV personality, Guy Fieri travel across America in his shiny red ‘67 Chevy Camaro convertible in search of the country’s greatest diners, drive-ins, and dives. You just may not want to watch this show while you’re hungry, because the delectable dishes Guy samples are sure to make an empty stomach grumble. Another good thing about this show is that Guy only travels to restaurants within the Unites States, and the show has been on the air for over a decade, so you’ll have hundreds to choose from if you want to venture to one!

Samantha Brown (1999- present, Travel Channel)

Television host Samantha Brown has been in the travel business since 1999, with various programs on the travel channel. She has been all around the world, from Europe to Asia to South America. Some of her programs include Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends and Travel Hacks, but whatever you end up watching, you can be sure to be entertained and learn something new, as Samantha fully immerses herself in the culture of wherever she travels.

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005-2012, Travel Channel)

TV personality Anthony Bourdain is a chef, writer, and traveler. Bourdain pretty much lives for “carpe diem.” In his Emmy Award winning series, he travels the world in search of life’s truest experiences and surprises, learning something about the culture of wherever he travels. Although his original and perhaps more well-known series stopped making new episodes in 2012, Bourdain’s new show, Parts Unknown, which aired in 2013 and can be found on CNN, follows Bourdain as he explores political issues and indigenous food and culture around the world.

House Hunters International (2006-present, HGTV)

The popular HGTV series, House Hunters, went international in 2006, giving viewers to opportunity to learn about real estate markets all around the world. Even if you could never afford a vacation home in a foreign country and don’t have the means to start a new life abroad, you can live vicariously through these lucky homebuyers as they tour three homes with a realtor in search of their dream home.

Ambitious Goals

Eradicating Cancer

Concerns of Precision

What to do?